Contributed by – Healthians Team
Why am I always so hungry? If this is what you often ask yourself, friend, you are not alone!
For many of us, the stomach feels like a bottomless pit, without knowing why. It is common for pregnant women to feel hungry all the time, but for others, there has to be a reason. You can blame those diet fads, skipped meals or those obvious days in a woman’s life, but why you, why now and why always needs to be answered. While bottomless pit hunger simply means that you are hungry all the time, it can mean much more.
What Does Being Hungry All The Time Means?
Stress/Depression
If you are feeling low, your appetite goes for a toss, making you feel extremely hungry. Feeling depressed, anxious or being stressed, causes hormonal changes, which affect your mood. This can make you feel hungry all the time; which is the case with most emotional eaters. Find healthy ways to destress yourself and avoid overeating.
Dehydration
Dehydration can occur due to lack of adequate water or salt and electrolyte imbalance in your body. Excessive sweating, loss of body fluids or extreme summer can cause dehydration. It is actually the need for water, which is mistaken for hunger, making you feel hungry all the time. Drink plenty of water and take fruits and veggies rich in water content.
Faulty dietary habits
The feeling of hunger and satiety depends a lot on your previous meals. Healthy, high-fibre foods keep you full and satisfied but unhealthy or junk foods can cause an imbalance. High fatty, high sugar or refined foods, caffeinated or sugary beverages in your previous meals cause blood sugar swings. It is sure to make you feel hungry soon and if this is your routine, you know the answer to why am I always hungry even after eating.
Weight loss craze
Many people who are on a weight loss mission, experience days of extreme hungry. This is common if you starve yourself fearing weight gain and ultimately land up in feeling hungrier and eating more. If you skip meals, particularly your breakfast or if you are on crash diets, expect this. When you are trying to count your calories, there are chances of binge eating. Healthy eating with complex carbs, proteins and regular exercises is a better way of healthy weight management.
Lack of adequate sleep
Overwork, overexertion and fatigue, all can trigger the hungry all the time syndrome. It is, in fact, the need for rest and sleep, so that your body and mind can regain balance. If you have restless nights, your hormones come into action and increase your appetite making you a ravenous eater. Disturbed sleep is often seen in people who snore, who have sleep apnoea, nerve problems, chronic pain and fatigue or diabetes. Get yourself evaluated, if you experience this.
Certain medications
Some medications can increase your appetite; another reason why your stomach feels dark deep endless mine. Commonly known medicines that affect appetite are hormone pills, anti-depressants and steroids. If you note changes in your hunger patterns after taking any medicine, discuss it with your doctor.
Nutritional deficit
If you feel hungry all the time, it may indicate that you are deficient in certain nutrients. If you lack essential vitamins, minerals, proteins or fats, you may feel hungry more often. Fruits, veggies, healthy fats and lean proteins can keep you full and also provide essential nutrients. Consider supplements after appropriate tests and medical advice.
Signs of illnesses
Ravenous appetite is also an important sign in some illnesses; gastric problems, peptic ulcers or even worms. Thyroid problems, polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD) in women and other hormonal issues can make you feel constantly hungry. If you feel hungry all the time or notice weight changes, you may want to check your hormones. Increased appetite or polyphagia is also an early symptom of diabetes. It is best to seek medical opinion for any complaints and get tested for diabetes.
Why Do I Feel Like A Bottomless Pit Before My Period?
Hormonal changes are the commonest causes of hungriness, especially in women.The monthly cycle in women is marked with hormone changes, resulting in several complaints, mainly before the periods. During this phase, which lasts for few days to a week before periods, you may find yourself munching whatever you see. Blame those hormonal fluctuations of estrogen and progesterone, for excessive hunger just before your period. Due to sudden hormonal changes, the neurotransmitters like serotonin go low. As serotonin is linked to mood swings and food cravings, these areas are affected before your period. Most often, these fluctuations cause a bad mood and make you crave for ‘something nice’. Thus begins your hunt for comfort foods and you end up in eating loads of high fat, carb rich and sugary foods. Moreover, the hunger doesn’t seem to satisfy and you want to eat more and more.
Now that you know the possible reasons for your endless hunger days, you can take the right action. Stick to a healthy routine, eat healthily, be active, drink more water and sleep well to stay relaxed. Always hungry never full feeling can also be a sign of some medical problems. So, get your blood sugar levels checked and opt for routine health checks.
