23 Reasonable Reasons Which Explain Why You Are Hungry All The Time

Hunger is our body’s way of signaling that it needs something to charge it back up. So, are you someone who categorises them as the “hunger train” even when they ate just an hour ago? Do you happen to feel hungry all the time and the only lingering question in your mind is, “Why am I always hungry?”

It is good to have hunger cravings because it showcases the healthy metabolism of the body. But the moment the same because incessant and frequent, it is best to understand that there is something wrong for you to constantly feel hungry.

There can be a number of causes you feel hungry for and it is thus best to understand the problem and fix it before it slips out of hand. Scroll down to read the top 23 reasons that explain why you are feeling hungry all the time.

Check Out the Video For the Major Reasons of Hungry All the Time

1. Blind Reliance of Carbohydrates

Stop for a second there and think. What was the last meal that you ate and what was it? If your answer every time is carbohydrates, that itself is an answer in itself why you constantly feel hungry all the time. If you were not aware, carbohydrates are very easily digested and absorbed by the body.

Since, the process is so fast, the food doesn’t stay much longer in your stomach which is why you start feeling hungry soon enough. Foods that stay for a longer period in your GI tract help you feel full and satiated which is why you don’t feel hungry soon but the same is not the case with carbohydrates.

So, don’t let the carbohydrates map the majority of our diet and instead focus on healthier alternatives to satisfy your hunger pangs.

2. Focus on Nutrition Takes a Back Seat

How many times have you checked on the consumption of calories but forgot to pay heed to the nutrition involved? Quite a few number of times, isn’t it? This is quite a common scenario when we tend to cut down on the count of calories but fail to understand that the diet coke that we just had might not contain any calories but at the same times doesn’t contain any nutrition in it as well.

When your body lacks the substantial levels of nutrition, it triggers the body to constantly feel hungry. So, counting the calories is not effectively going to help you lose weight, probably the contrary.

3. Stress or Depression is Taking a Toll

Stress or even the signs of depression is very draining on a person’s physical health. When your body is undergoing such an impending situation, it becomes a lot taxing than what you would have thought or expected. And the most common way of expressing that is by making you feel hungry.

While the first instinct is always to reach for the unhealthiest kind of food to make up for the spiked rates of cortisol in the body, it is always advisable to opt for something healthier. It is always advised to tend to the main issue causing the stress or depression and talk it out with someone you trust.

The stance of stress and depression often account for one of the primary causes you feel hungry, so next time you are in a situation like this, make sure to consult a professional or be open with someone about your struggles.

4. Sometimes It’s a False Alarm

Did you know that dehydration in your body often confuses your brain? While you might be feeling thirsty, instead of actually opting for the water, you are most likely going to scavenge through your refrigerator for something to eat even when you ate just a few hours ago.

If you have a consistent feeling of hunger every now and then, try and switch to detox water recipes to fill you up without unnecessary eating. Water is an amazing ingredient that can satiate your unnecessary hunger pangs and help you from not feeling hungry every time.

5. Food Gazing Is The Reason

Do you just scroll through your Instagram feed, gazing down on the delectable row of food that’s filled your feed? What are the chances that you feel your stomach making sounds right after that? If human psychology is to be considered, it is believed that watching food makes the brain signal that the body needs more food.

So, either cut down on drooling all over your phone because of the various food items you just watched on your feed, or induce a whole lot of self-control in yourself to stay away from the cause you feel hungry for.

6. You Can Blame It on Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism or the increased activity of the thyroid gland often is the answer to the common question of “Why am I always hungry?” If you are feeling like you can’t control your hunger and consistently need food, the altered functions of the thyroid gland can be a very good reasoning for it.

The hampered functioning of the thyroid often contributes to a haywire of hormonal disruption in the body which sometimes induces the feeling of hunger. This kind of problem is primarily witnessed in women and if you are undergoing similar issues, it is best to see a doctor and get the vitals checked.

7. Less Protein In The Diet

Were you aware of the fact that it is mandatory to consume at least a portion of protein with every single meal? This is what helps in keeping the body healthy and your hunger in check.

Proteins are the building blocks of our body which make up almost all the components of our body, from the cells to the hormones. With the changing energy requirements, it accompanies the breakdown of the consumed protein along with the tear it causes because of the lack of consumption of it.

This is the primary reason why it is necessary to ensure a healthy intake of protein on a regular level to keep the body healthy and to avoid feeling hungry all the time.

8. Lacking Dietary Fiber In The Diet

While the simple carbohydrates and sugar were your biggest reasons you were hungry all the time, the complex carbohydrates account for completely different results. Complex carbohydrates are harder to break down and thus stay in your GI tract for a good period of time.

The longer it takes to digest and absorb the consumed food, the longer you will feel full and satiated. So, next time, ditch the normal carbohydrates that you would go for and switch to the complex ones like nuts, legumes, veggies etc.

9. Healthy Fats Are Not Up Your Ally

Not all fats are bad fats; some are actually good and beneficial for the body. It is important to understand for a fact that our body needs sufficient amount of fat to be able to function properly without proper consumption of fat in the body. Fats make up for the body’s cell lining and helps produce energy as well.

Not just that, fats are a very important constituent in the body for the elimination of inflammation in the body. So, if you are planning on just cutting down the fats from your diet in order to check your weight, it is time to rethink the decision.

Gorge on healthy fats like avocado oil, almonds, pistachios, flaxseed oil etc. rather than opting for the unhealthy greasy variant of it that doesn’t bring about any kind of good to the body.

10. Distraction Is a Big Downer

How many times have you found yourself hooked to your phone while you are eating? Occasionally or all the time? Probably the latter, isn’t it? Studies show that people who are distracted while eating tend to either eat more or sometimes less. And it is often the latter.

So, if you constantly feel hungry even after your main meals, it is because of the above mentioned reason. When you are distracted while eating, it is most likely that you are eating less than what you would normally eat which is why you end up being hungry.

So, it is best to concentrate on food while you are eating and not get yourself distracted with any form of media.

11. Body Becomes Leptin Resistant

We have a centre in our hypothalamus that helps control our hunger and satiety. This is the reason you tend to not overeat and stop eating when you feel full. Leptin is a hormone that controls the feeling of satiety in our body.

Leptin is secreted by the fat cells in our body and regulates the satiety centre of our brain. When you consistently eat fatty foods and the levels of fat cells increase in your body, there are chances that the leptin secreted by the fat cells is overlooked by the brain. This is what results in leptin resistance.

When you are leptin resistance, there is nothing to control your satiety and makes you feel hungry all the time. If you are suffering from such an issue, it is best to consult a doctor to get a thorough check-up done to lead a healthy lifestyle.

12. Diabetes Might Be a Reason

Constant hunger pangs might be a significant sign that your body has become insulin resistant which is a convenient symptom of diabetes. Insulin is a hormone, secreted by the Beta cells of the pancreas that helps in channeling the excess glucose from the bloodstream for conversion in reusable forms of energy.

Excessive eating because of feeling hungry every time results in persistently higher levels of insulin in the blood which results in posing insulin resistant to the body. This, in turn, prohibits the glucose to be shuttled into the cells for further processing. This is what results in higher levels of serum glucose and thus cause diabetes.

It is always best to consult a doctor if you are witnessing signs like these and get a blood test to get it confirmed whether or not you are diabetic. If it comes out positive, opt for a strict and healthy lifestyle to maintain the serum glucose levels in the body.

13. Skipping Meals Is a Big NO

The concept of skipping meals to lose weight is probably one of the most laughable myths. Skipping meals never help you lose weight, rather quite the contrary.

If you are skipping out on breakfast and lunch, there are chances that you might faint and even subject your body to lethargy mode. The lack of energy in the body perpetuates the body to eat more. It is one of the reasons you are hungry all the time because your body is lacking the necessary levels of nutrition that it requires.

When your body is fatigued and without any kind of food in it, there are chances that you might feel extra hungry even after consuming just a few moments back. This is the body’s way of combating for the loss of energy.

14. Lack of Sleep

Sleep is the body’s way to make up for the lost energy and helps rejuvenate the various parts of the body. When your body lacks the necessary amount of sleep, it tends to go into stress mode which elevates the levels of harmful free radicals in the body.

These tend to hinder the basic functions of the body and even the cells at the molecular levels which cause the body to lack the amount of energy it requires to function properly. This is the primary reason why your body craves more food and causes you to feel hungry to combat the lack of energy in the body.

So, make sure that your body at least gets 6-7 hours of sleep every day to make up for the body’s energy requirements. This helps prevent you from feeling hungry all the time and makes you less irritable and energized.

15. Pregnancy Might Be a Valid Reason

If you are suddenly hit with hunger pangs along with nauseous hits and you missed your period, it is best to take a pregnancy test. Pregnancy hormones often increase the hunger levels which is why you may feel hungry all the time.

The first trimester is the time that you are going to feel the hungriest and crave the weirdest of combinations that you probably won’t even touch otherwise. Get hold of your doctor and get the symptoms checked out, whether or not you are actually pregnant.

16. Obesity Is a Downside

Obesity is a very complex condition that often amalgamates a number of functional complexities of the body. If you are obese, there are chances that you are leptin resistant, insulin resistant; you are stressed and have a hindered metabolic functioning.

All of these, altogether, contribute to the reasons you are hungry all the time. These downsides drag you to eat more to feel better, even when you ate just an hour or so back. Conditions like these are primarily caused because of one’s lifestyle and changes can only be imbibed if one starts to do so.

17. Excess Consumption of Alcohol

Alcohol ends up making you lose track of the amount of food you are eating, which is why you end up overeating. Not just that, alcohol also dehydrates you which is why you feel hungry all the time after excess consumption of alcohol.

So, when your body is dehydrated, instead of actually opting for drinking water, our brain insinuates that it needs more food (even though it doesn’t). If you are planning on drinking alcohol extensively, do so in moderate amounts and drink a lot of water in between.

18. Do You Eat Quickly?

Studies suggest that eating quickly is one of the primary reasons you are hungry all the time. When you eat quickly there are chances that you will end up eating less and that too, not chew the food properly. These account for the primary reasons why you might feel hungry just an hour later.

Prevent gorging down the food and actually try and slow down on the pace. Chew properly because of the same aids in proper digestion of the food as well.

19. Over Exercising Can Be a Viable Cause

Over doing any form of training or exercise results than what your body can withstand, often results in doing bad for your body. This ends up restricting your body muscles from properly building up and the stress levels in the body simultaneously increase.

Situations like these; your body craves more food which is why you constantly feel hungry. It is thus always best to train under a professional and follow a strict workout regime and never overdo it.

20. Prescription Drugs Can Make You Hungry

Some of the prescription drugs like that of anti-depressants, anti-anxiety and even allergy medicines can induce hunger in an individual. If you are on any of these medicines, there are chances that you feel hungry all the time.

If you are any of these medications, it is always best to keep your food habits in check and eat healthy rather than eating anything you can get your hands on.

21. Fast Metabolism Is a Contributing Factor

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you eat a healthy and fulfilling meal just half an hour ago and you are already feeling hungry? Chances are that you have a very fast metabolism which ends up digesting and absorbing your nutrients from the food at quite a fast pace which is why you end up feeling hungry.

People with faster metabolism tend to not even put on weight even when they eat a lot. Since your body ends up burning calories at a very fast rate, it needs the required amount of replenishment as well which is why you end up feeling hungry every time.

22. Are You Bored?

There are instances that people eat to get rid of their boredom and no, it is not a made up clause. There are people who tend to eat or feel hungry when they are bored. But, “boredom eaters”, as the term suggests, end up eating the worst of the foods which do little to no good for someone’s body.

Instead of opting for bad food choices, try and make healthy choices or do something productive to keep yourself distracted and engaged so you don’t end up feeling bored.

23. Poor Gut Health

With the kind of lifestyle that several people lead, based around medications and unnecessary food habits, there are chances that your tummy starts replying back with adverse effects. Not just that, pertained degradation of the gut’s flora also ends up disrupting your hunger alarms.

You end up feeling hungry at odd times, even though you ate just a few hours back. In order to fix the issue, start switching to a healthier diet and cut down on the processed and sugary items.

Above mentioned are the top 23 reasons to answer your question of “Why am I always hungry?” If you find yourself relating to any of these mentioned points, it is time to make a healthier choice and opt for some alternatives and cut down on the persistent eating just because you are feeling hungry all the time.