7 Reasons Why You’re Always Hungry

Why Am I Always Hungry

Hunger ? it?s a dieter?s worst enemy. Despite all your willpower, dedication and desire to do better, it is still there. When you?re hungry, everything else becomes irrelevant and this feeling derails even the most committed dieter.

However, there are steps you can take in order to understand your hunger. Largely, it?s down to lifestyle choices which drive us to consume more calories than we actually need. These seven reasons will help explain why your stomach is always growling:

1. You?re Dehydrated

More often than not, mild dehydration masks hunger, when in reality all your body needs is more fluids. This is because the part of the brain which regulates both appetite and thirst gets confused, leading you to grab a bag of chips when you actually need a glass of water.

Prevent this scenario from happening by topping up your fluid intake regularly, starting with a bottle of a water in the morning. Also, if you begin to feel hungry during the day and you haven?t drank much, have some water and wait 20 minutes to see if your hunger pangs disappear.

2. You?re A Restless Sleeper

The minute after you wake up from a poor sleep, the hormones inside your body are already craving food. Too little sleep stimulates appetite whilst also lowering the levels of leptin, which is the hormone that causes the feeling of fullness.

In addition, sleep deprivation creates serious fatigue and brain fog, leading to your system craving for a shot of energy. Aim getting between seven to eight hours of shut-eye each night and you?ll keep your hunger hormones in balance.

3. You?re Easily Persuaded

Sticking to healthy food choices becomes very difficult when you?re with a large group of mates. Family and friends offering you pizza and other greasy snacks is hard to say no to, especially if you?re trying to fit in with everyone else.

This can go a step further if you?re trying to impress a dinner date for the first time. Try not to let these pressures get to you ? a healthier you will be grateful in the long run.

4.?You Skip Meals

Many people skip breakfast in the mornings and this inevitably comes back to haunt them. Not eating slows down your metabolism, causing you to feel extremely hungry and when you finally give in to food, you end up binge eating. People who skip breakfast are nearly five times likely to be overweight than their breakfast eating counterparts.

As a rough guideline, don?t let more than four or five hours go by between each meal. Even if you hate breakfast with a passion, eat something small like a yogurt or apple slices within a hour of waking.

5. You?re Bombarded With Food Porn

In today?s society, there?s no escaping it. Whether it?s TV commercials, Pinterest, Instagram or billboards, we?re constantly exposed to amazing looking food. These delicious dishes causes our brain to crave the real thing and ramps up our urge to overeat, regardless if you’ve just eaten a meal.

Dieters are more prone to these temptations as they are fighting these feelings on a daily basis. Unfortunately, there isn’t a way to shut-off completely, but you can take steps such as flicking the TV over during the ad breaks or un-following food brands on social media.

6. You Eat Too Quickly

Wolfing down meals is a one-stop ticket to binge eating. In reality your stomach might be full, but your brain hasn’t had enough time to register the feeling of fullness, which leads you eat more.?Eating at a steady pace allows your body to recognize when it?s had enough.

Wait at least 20 minutes before deciding whether you need a second helpful, which is roughly the time it takes the signal of fullness to reach your brain.

7. You Buy Small Treats

The ?fun size? candy bars you buy at lunchtime could actually be worse for you than you think. When high-calorie foods come in small portions, people fall into the trap of eating more of them because of their size. In addition, single serving snacks are normally sold in a multi-pack, making it even harder to stop at just one.