It’s not just you.
Ok well maybe Reason #10 and #11 are you, but #12 isn’t your fault.
Hunger can drain our energy, make us feel slow, and cause us to lose focus or concentration.
Raise your hand if you’ve ever had a smoothie and then found yourself ravenous a short time later?
Or are you super busy and therefore super stressed all the time? And does that make you so hungry you could eat an elephant?
Read on for the next 3 reasons why you’re always hungry and find out what to do about them!
Catch up on Reasons #1-#3 here, Reasons #4-#6 here, and Reasons #7-#9 here.
10) THE REASON: You drink your meals.
I’m not a huge fan of smoothies. I think they’re great, but I’m usually still hungry afterward!
Liquid meals (smoothies, juices, meal replacement shakes, and even soups) can affect your appetite differently than solid meals:
- Liquids pass through your stomach more quickly than solid foods do. They’re more quickly digested than solid food, which causes you to feel hungry more quickly.
- Liquid foods do not have as great of an impact on the suppression of hunger-promoting hormones, as compared to solid foods. This means your body doesn’t register liquid calories the same way it does with solids.
- Calories from fluids seem less satisfying than calories from solid foods, so we psychologically drink more before feeling satisfied.
- Eating (or should I say drinking?) liquid foods also tends to take less time than eating solid foods. So again, you psychologically drink more because your brain hasn’t had enough time to process fullness signals.
- The physical act of chewing increases physiological fullness feelings. For example, hearing the crunch of food can lead you to be more aware of how full you feel. This ties in to Reason #7 from last week’s post (distracted eating).
THE SCIENCE
In a study where a group of people drank a liquid snack, they reported less fullness and more feelings of hunger than a group who ate a solid snack. Also, they consumed 400 more calories throughout the day than the solid-snack group.
THE TIPS
- I know smoothies, juices, and meal replacement shakes are all the rage right now, but in order to prevent frequent hunger, it may help to focus on incorporating more whole, solid foods into your diet.
- Don’t want to part with your smoothies? Try thickening them to aid your feelings of fullness. Switch your almond milk for Greek yogurt, or add chia seeds.
- Definitely ditch the meal replacement shakes. They’re full of processed junk and don’t add much nutritional value to your diet.
- Add solid food to your broths or pureed soups to help you feel fuller for longer.
- Drinking your meals because you’re limited on time? Check out my free Meal Plan Template + 5 Step Cheatsheet to help you eat healthy even though you’re super busy.
THE TAKEAWAY
Liquid foods do not have the same effects on keeping you full and satisfied as solid foods do. So you may feel hungry a lot if liquids are a major part of your diet.
11) THE REASON: You’re always stressed out.
Do you stress-eat? Having lots of stress is known to increase appetite.
The main reason is a fun little hormone called cortisol. Heard of it?
When you are stressed, your body releases cortisol to cope with the stress. This spikes your blood sugar and leads to a crash later on. Then you feel hungry!
Another fun side effect of chronic stress and cortisol is that it causes weight gain. Not only are you eating more, but it also makes your body pull lipids (fats) from your bloodstream and store them in your fat cells instead of flushing them out of your body.
THE SCIENCE
- In one study, 59 women who were exposed to stress consumed more calories throughout the day and ate significantly more sweet foods than a group of women who were not exposed to stress.
- Another study looked at the eating habits of 350 young girls. Girls with higher stress levels were more likely to overeat than those with reportedly lower levels of stress. The stressed girls also reported eating more unhealthy snacks like chips and cookies.
THE TIPS
Don’t eat your pencils like the chick in the photo above. Try these stress-busting suggestions instead:
- Stop drinking caffeine after 2pm. Too much caffeine late in the day can lead to sleep issues, which can make you feel more stressed.
- Speaking of sleep, get enough sleep! Sign up for your free One-Day Plan for the Best Sleep Ever.
- Do some deep breathing exercises or take 10 slow, deep breaths
- Eat fatty foods. There is some evidence that the omega-3 fatty acids in fish such as salmon and sardines can help reduce cortisol levels.
- Set aside time for some self-care activities (such as taking relaxing hot bath).
- Exercise. Just taking a quick 15-minute walk can boost your mood and relieve stress.
Need more ideas? I have 45 more! [thrive_2step id=’989′]Sign up here[/thrive_2step] and I’ll immediately send my 45 Quick Anti-Stress Tips to you. (It’s free!)
THE TAKEAWAY
Excessive stress increases cortisol and can be a reason why you’re frequently hungry. Managing your stress can be helpful for decreasing those feelings of hunger.
12) THE REASON: Certain medications give you the munchies.
Yes, I’m sorry, this really is a thing.
Several types of medications may increase your appetite as a side effect:
- Antidepressants (SSRIs like Lexapro or Zoloft)
- Antipsychotics (such as clozapine, olanzapine, etc.)
- Mood stabilizers (such as lithium, carbamazepine, lamotrigine, valproate, asenapine, etc.)
- Corticosteroids (such as hydrocortisone, cortisone, prednisone, prednisolone, etc.)
- Anti-seizure meds (such as carbamazepine, phenytoin, oxcarbazepine, etc.)
- Migraine meds (triptans such as almotriptan, eletriptan, frovatriptan, etc.)
- Rheumatoid arthritis treatments (such as hydroxychloroquine, leflunomide, methotrexate, sulfasalazine, minocycline, etc.)
- Beta-blockers (such as acebutolol, propranolol, atenolol, bisoprolol, etc.)
- Some diabetes meds (such as insulin, insulin secretagogues, and thiazolidinediones)
- There’s some anecdotal evidence that birth control pills can increase your appetite, but that hasn’t been extensively studied yet.
THE TIP
If you suspect that your increased appetite is caused by your medication and it’s interfering with your daily life, it’s definitely worth bringing up with your doctor to discuss alternatives that hopefully don’t make you so hungry.
THE TAKEAWAY
One unfortunate side effect of certain drugs can increase your appetite, which leaves you hungry quite often.
Hunger is a totally necessary human drive. But sometimes it can sneak up on you when you least expect it.
Did any of this ring a bell for you? Let me know in the comments below!
Catch up on Reasons #1-#3 here, Reasons #4-#6 here, and Reasons #7-#9 here.
Stay tuned for next week’s 3 reasons. One of them is tied to Reason #7 and also Reason #11… can you guess?
If you’re always tired and hungry, and would love some one-on-one nutritional coaching from yours truly, click here.