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We all know that person who is always hungry. Perhaps you are that person.
Always feeling hungry despite eating regularly isn’t a personality quirk, or even a discipline issue. Hunger is driven primarily by biology. Once you understand what’s driving your hunger, you can do something to keep it at bay—until you actually do need to eat again.
What’s actually triggering your hunger
Feeling hungry all the time doesn’t mean you’ve failed at something. It’s just biology working as it’s intended, even if it’s not in your favor. These hunger cues are typically caused by one of the following actions:
1. The blood sugar roller coaster
Blood sugar plays a major role in hunger because it directly affects how your brain and hormones regulate appetite and energy.
Stable blood sugar: When blood sugar is stable, your body has a steady supply of glucose, the brain’s preferred fuel. This helps hunger hormones stay balanced. You feel satisfied after meals, energy levels don’t fluctuate much, and cravings are less intense.
Low blood sugar: When blood sugar drops, hunger ramps up quickly. Low blood sugar triggers the release of hormones like ghrelin, cortisol, and adrenaline to get you to eat.
Blood sugar spikes: Too much blood sugar can also increase hunger, just not right away. A quick rise in blood sugar leads to a strong insulin response, which can drive glucose out of the bloodstream too efficiently, creating a blood sugar crash. This is why you feel hungry an hour after eating (and your energy probably drops, too).
If your blood sugar is constantly spiking and falling, your hunger will fluctuate with it, making you want to eat more than your body really needs.
2. Meal timing
When you eat—not just what you eat—matters too. Your body loves a routine, and ghrelin (the hunger hormone) rises and falls throughout the day based partly on when you typically eat. If you usually eat breakfast around 8 a.m., your body will start ramping up ghrelin around that time in anticipation of your first meal of the day.
This routine is disrupted when you skip meals or eat at irregular intervals, which can cause ghrelin to spike. Once you hit this level of hunger, you’ll do anything to satiate it, which often leads to overeating.
3. Inadequate sleep
Sleep might be our society’s most underrated health “hack.” When you’re sleep deprived, your body produces more ghrelin and less leptin (the hormone that makes you feel full), and it can affect blood sugar and insulin sensitivity, as well.
The result? Late-night snacking. Intense cravings the next day for sugary and salty foods. Insufficient sleep throws your hormones out of balance, and even if you can power through the day with little sleep, you’ll still feel the extra hunger. (And we all know how impossible cravings are to ignore.)
4. Stress (and other emotions)
Here’s where things get extra tricky. Stress triggers the release of cortisol, which can increase appetite, especially for comfort foods high in refined carbs and saturated fat. This response is designed to give our bodies the energy we need to fight the stressor or flee from it. Even if there is no physical threat to our safety, our bodies respond to stress as if there is.
Other emotions—boredom, sadness, anger, joy—can also strongly influence hunger. Your emotional state can change how hunger signals are perceived, leading you to eat more or less than you need.
The role of protein and fiber in satiety
Before you start thinking you’re doomed to feel hungry forever, here’s the good news: just like our biology can work against us, we can support it so it works with our goals as well.
Supporting normal, healthy hunger levels starts with the satiety superstars: protein and fiber.
Protein triggers the release of satiety hormones like peptide YY and GLP-1, which signal to your brain that you’re full. It also takes longer to digest than carbohydrates, which keeps you feeling fuller for longer.
Fiber adds bulk to your meals and snacks without adding a lot of calories, which slows down digestion and feeds the beneficial bacteria in your gut that help regulate hunger hormones. A healthier gut environment strengthens communication between the gut and appetite centers in the brain, helping to keep excessive hunger pangs away.
Meals that include protein and fiber are more satisfying than sugary, fatty meals low in nutrients, which makes managing appetite much easier.
Foods that promote fullness
Not all calories are created equal when it comes to feeling full. Foods high in protein or fiber are you hunger-fighting allies. Good protein and fiber sources are all around us, so get your fill from a variety of sources, such as:
- Eggs
- Greek yogurt
- Lean meats
- Beef
- Fish
- Tofu
- Beans
- Legumes
- Lentils
- Quinoa
- Cottage cheese
- Vegetables (especially broccoli, Brussels sprouts, artichokes, carrots, spinach, kale)
- Fruits (berries, apples with skin)
- Avocados
- Whole grains (oats, barley, chia seeds)
If you’re having trouble getting the protein and fiber you need from diet alone, a supplement like Advanced Fiber+ or Clear Protein Hydration can help you close the gap.
For better satiety throughout the day, aim to include protein and fiber with each meal. Here are some ideas to get started:
- Omelette with veggies
- Chicken with your favorite vegetable
- Greek yogurt with berries and/or chia seeds
- Turkey sandwich on whole-wheat bread
More habits to support appetite regulation long term
The right foods can go a long way in managing your appetite, but they’re not your only option. Most healthy habits can support appetite regulation, whether they’re food-focused or not.
Pick a few habits from this list to focus on, and then gradually add more to your routine as you’re ready.
- Pair high-carb foods with protein or fiber
- Keep mealtimes consistent
- Sleep 7–9 hours per night. These micro habits for sleep can help you get into sleep mode.
- Pause before eating and ask yourself: Am I hungry, or am I stressed, bored, or anxious? If it’s the latter, food won’t solve the underlying problem.
- Develop a toolbox of non-food stress relievers: a short walk, deep breathing or meditation, spending time with a friend, or stepping outside for a few minutes
- Eat mindfully and without guilt. Beating yourself up over your food choices only creates more stress and perpetuates the hunger cycle.
Remember: aim for consistency, not perfection. Those who keep trying go much further in their goals than those who refuse to settle for anything less than the best.
How Shed can help
Healthy habits are the foundation of any vibrant lifestyle, but sometimes they’re not enough. Some individuals may benefit from GLP-1 treatment to help manage their hunger and cravings. Others thrive when they have a health coach to guide them. Wherever you’re at in your health journey, Shed is set up to meet you where you are.
Visit tryshed.com today to learn more about Shed’s personalized, provider-led treatment plans.
FAQs
Why am I always hungry even when I eat enough?
Feeling hungry all the time is rarely a willpower problem. It’s usually driven by normal biological processes—things like blood sugar swings, poor sleep, chronic stress, or meals low in protein, fiber, and other nutrients. Even if you’re eating enough calories, these factors can keep hunger hormones elevated and fullness cues muted.
How does sleep affect appetite and cravings?
Sleep deprivation increases ghrelin and lowers leptin, two hormones that regulate hunger and satiety. Poor sleep can also affect blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity. The result is stronger hunger, more cravings for sugary or salty foods, and a harder time feeling satisfied after you eat, even after a large meal.
How can I tell the difference between physical hunger and emotional hunger?
Physical hunger builds gradually and is satisfied by a variety of foods. Emotional hunger tends to come on suddenly, feels more urgent, and is often tied to a specific craving (usually a sugary or salty food). Emotional hunger is also more likely when you’re stressed, bored, tired, or feeling overwhelmed.
Can eating the “wrong” foods make hunger worse?
Yes. Meals and snacks high in refined carbohydrates and low in protein or fiber can spike blood sugar and lead to crashes that trigger hunger soon after eating. Not all calories have the same effect on satiety, which is why the quality of the calorie matters as much as, if not more than, quantity.
When are lifestyle changes not enough to control hunger?
For some people, especially those with metabolic challenges or chronic appetite dysregulation, healthy habits alone may not be enough to fully resolve excessive hunger issues. In these cases, additional support, such as health coaching or GLP-1 treatment, can help you get where you want to be. Consult with your provider before making any changes to your diet.
This content has been reviewed by a licensed dietitian for educational purposes. It is not a substitute for medical advice.
