Shocking Reasons You Are Always Feeling Hungry

1. You're Actually Thirsty/Dehydrated!

image source: reddit.com

Did you know that being hungry could actually be a sign that you're thirsty? Sometimes the signals in your body can get mixed up and you can feel hungry when you're actually thirsty. If you're dehydrated you can become even more hungry. So make sure you're drinking enough water and see if you're still hungry!

2. You Eat A LOT Of Refined Carbs

image source: reddit.com

The trouble with carbs is that you can still feel hungry even if you're eating a lot - and get confused why your stomach is still growling after you've had a whole pizza, some pastries and pasta. But refined carbs lack nutritional value and get burned in your body really quickly - that's why brown is better and more filling (brown bread, brown rice etc).

3. You're Always Stressed

image source: reddit.com

The idea of stress eating isn't a new idea to most of us - we know how it feels when you turn to the stodgiest food when you've had a bad day. The problem with stress is that if it's short-term - like a stressful situation - it can actually make you lose appetite. But if you're always

stressed, day in and day out, it will affect your appetite.

4. You Eat When You're Distracted

image source: reddit.com

The experience of eating is actually more than taste - it's about all your senses, including hearing. If you're not paying attention to what you're eating, and not listening to the sound of chewing - such as when you're watching TV loudly or listening to music - it could actually make you feel like you're not eating and you get hungry again.

5. You're Not Getting Enough Sleep

image source: reddit.com

There are many downsides to not getting enough sleep, and change in appetite is one of them. When you're not getting enough zzz's, it can cause the hormone leptin to drop - which is the hormone that tells you when you're full or not. This is also why you crave comfort food when you're tired rather than healthy options.

6. Slow Down! You're Eating Too Quickly

image source: reddit.com

Your stomach needs time to tell your brain that it's full, or still hungry - around 20 to 30 minutes in fact. So if you're wolfing down your food, it's not giving your stomach chance to properly communicate, so if you want to keep better track of when you're full or still hungry, eat slowly!

7. Your Social Media Is Just Food P*rn

image source: reddit.com

We all know the trend of posting what you have for breakfast, lunch and dinner - and everything in between - on Instagram, with a pretty filter to make it look delicious as can be. The trouble with this is, when you're scrolling through food posts, it's just going to make you feel more hungry due to cravings.

8. You're Going Off Calorie Count, NOT Nutrients

image source: reddit.com

Watching what you eat through counting calories can be very helpful - but it can also be misleading, because you might be wondering why you're still hungry if you're meeting your minimum calorie amount a day. That's because certain foods have more calories than they do actual nutrients, so you might be having 'empty' calories.

9. You're Skipping Meals (Without Realizing)

image source: reddit.com

We know how busy life gets, and we've all skipped breakfast rushing out the door, or skipped lunch when work is manic. But this does more than just make you hungry to fill in for the skipped meal - it actually makes you more

hungry than you usually would be when you come to have your next meal.

10. You Drink A Lot Of Diet Stuff

image source: reddit.com

Sugar can make you feel more hungry, but did you know that sugar substitutes can actually do this in a worse way? Diet sodas or sugar substitutes like sweeteners can actually leave you feeling even more hungry than sugar would, so you might end up eating more anyway!

11. You Eat Low-Fat

image source: reddit.com

If it's one thing we know about 'low-fat' alternatives, it's that they need to shove something

in there to make them still taste good - and most of the time, that's sugar. So when you're eating low-fat food, not only is the sugar content going to make you feel more hungry, but you're going to be more hungry anyway because it's less than its full-fat cousin!

12. You Have A Super Fast Metabolism

image source: reddit.com

Some people are just born with a fast metabolism, others hone it through a lot of exercise. Either way, a fast metabolism means you're burning through food at a faster rate, which means you're just going to get hungry more often - that's the way it is. The best way to deal with this is to eat as much as you need to - as long as it's healthy!

13. You Avoid Those Leafy Greens!

image source: reddit.com

You might think that people eating lettuce like a rabbit are the ones that should be hungry, but actually, skimping on the salad bowls and leafy greens can leave you craving more. That's because leafy greens are packed with Vitamin K, which is really good at helping sugar levels and not having you craving more food.

14. You And Your Snack Bowl Are Joined At The Hip

image source: reddit.com

We all look forward to delving into that snack bowl or cupboard at the weekend, but if yours is portable and it sits on your work desk, on the car seat next to you, and everywhere in between, it's actually going to make you more hungry for the simple fact that you can see it! If you can see it, you'll want it.

15. You're A Fan Of Canned Food

image source: reddit.com

Canned food is convenient, there's no doubt about that - and it's why most people will be reaching for it for a quick meal. Unfortunately, the chemical used in canned food to keep the food safe from the metal, is actually bad for your healthy eating routine, because it can result in you feeling more hungry.

16. You're Heavy On The Booze

image source: reddit.com

We don't mean you're a binge drinker or that you have any drinking problems, we just mean that if you drink at the same time you're about to eat, it could actually make you hungrier, like having a glass of wine while you cook. Alcohol can make you feel more hungry - as we know when we're out at 2am and crave that greasy take out - but it could also dehydrate you, which - as we mentioned up top - can make you hungrier as well.

17. You're Exercising A LOT

image source: reddit.com

The more you're working out every day, the more your body is going to need extra calories to even everything out - so it makes sense why you'll be hungry. So if you've recently upped your exercise game and hitting it hard at the gym, that'll explain those hunger pangs!

18. You're Not Getting Enough Protein

image source: reddit.com

This one is particularly difficult for veggies, who might be wondering why they're more hungry after giving up meat. If you're not eating enough protein, this can actually make you feel more hungry - even if you're still eating full meals. That's because protein takes a long time for the body to digest, so you stay feeling full for longer.

19. You're REALLY Bored - All The Time

image source: reddit.com

Have you noticed you tuck into a massive pack of biscuits or demolish the ten bags of chips you had stored during a day off when you have nothing else to do? That's because boredom eating is one of the worst reasons people stuff their face. When you're bored, you're feeling more emotional, and you're also going to be thinking about snacking just for something to do!

20. You Actually Watch The Commercials On TV

image source: reddit.com

Most people these days will admit they watch streaming channels like Netflix more than live TV with commercials. But that isn't to say we can still escape them. If you're someone who actually watches any commercials, it's more likely you're going to feel more hungry - because they'll probably be advertising the latest burger at McDonald's.

21. You Have A Particularly Sweet Tooth

image source: reddit.com

Anything that has a huge sugar count in it is going to make you feel more hungry, as we've mentioned here. So if you're someone unfortunate enough to have a sweet tooth that just won't quit, you're more likely to get more hungry even when you're eating more things that contain sugar!

22. You're Sat Down All Day, Every Day

image source: reddit.com

It's the unfortunate reality of most jobs these days that you'll be sat at a desk, day in and day out - thanks technology - and we all know the health risks associated with that. But did you know it could also be making you more hungry? If you're not getting up to move around a lot, your body's glucose levels can struggle, making you want to eat more.

23. It's Just A Craving - Don't Be Fooled!

image source: reddit.com

There's actually a difference between being hungry and craving something. We've all been there when we're stuffed to burst from a meal at a restaurant and say we couldn't possibly eat another thing - until the waiter comes over with the dessert menu. Sometimes you can eat something even if you're full, just because you see it or you crave it.

24. You're On A Liquid Diet!

image source: reddit.com

The body processes liquid differently to solid food, and even if you're putting a ton of things in your blender for your daily smoothie, they will fill you in a different way than they would if you were eating the same food items separately as solids. Liquid can leave you still feeling hungry.

25. Your Plate Size Is Too Big

image source: reddit.com

Your plate size is actually all psychological, and you could end up being tricked. If you're making a portion of food on a huge plate, it doesn't look like there's a lot of food on it, so you lick the plate clean and your mind doesn't think you've eaten enough. The same amount of food on a smaller plate looks like more food (even though it's not) so will have a different effect on your brain.

26. Your Gut Health Isn't The Best

image source: reddit.com

If you've been really unhealthy with your diet in the past and picked up years of bad habits, it can actually throw your digestive system out of whack. Even if you're trying to do better now, it can take some time for your gut health to be the best it can be. This can leave you feeling hungry when you shouldn't be.

27. You Could Do With Losing Some Pounds

image source: reddit.com

You might think that if you're obese or severely overweight, you're not supposed to get hungry because you're eating whatever you want, when you want. But just the effort of carrying around extra weight is going to take more energy, which can leave you feeling hungry.

28. It Could Be A Side Effect Of Medication

image source: reddit.com

There's always the chance that increased appetite can actually be a side-effect of any medication you're on, which is why it's always good to read the label or the leaflet to know what you're in for. Medication like antidepressants, birth control and migraine pills have all been associated with increased appetite.

29. You Never Make Your Own Food!

image source: reddit.com

If you're hitting the drive-thru's five nights a week and calling in a take out delivery for the other two, you're probably left feeling very hungry a lot of the time. That's because fast food and take out food is most likely processed with a lot of salt, which can leave you feeling full very quickly, but only for a short-time!

30. It Could Be A Health Issue

image source: reddit.com

If none of the reasons on this list sound like something that relates to you, and you feel like you're doing everything right with your diet, there's always a chance that it could be a medical issue causing you to be hungry all the time. It's always worth speaking to your doctor!