Why Am I Always Hungry?

Do you often feel like you are always asking yourself ‘Why am I always hungry?’ even though you know you shouldn’t be? Are you tired of eating salads?

If you do often feel hungry, you are not alone! There are many reasons to feel hungry. Of course, the most obvious one is that you are actually physically hungry. Maybe your stomach is empty, your blood sugar has dropped, and your hunger hormones are having a party. But other times, the hunger may not be actual physical hunger. It may be a craving or an emotional trigger. These are common reasons why some people eat too much. It could be brought on by a certain type of diet, stress, or other things going on in life.

It’s easy to mistake “psychological” hunger for “physical” hunger.

I’m going to talk about the difference between both of these types of hunger, and give you some tips on how to figure out which is which.

 
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Physical hunger vs. psychological hunger

Your "physical" hunger is regulated by the body through your hunger hormones. And of course, it should be. You don't want to be completely drained of fuel and nutrients for a long time. So, you're programmed to seek food when your body physically needs it. Some of those physical needs are that your stomach is empty or your blood sugar has dropped.

"Psychological" or "emotional" hunger is eating to overcome boredom, sadness, stress, etc. It's based on a thought or feeling. This is what happens when you see a great food commercial or smell a bakery. It's not from your empty stomach or low blood sugar. So, here’s how to tell which is which.

Eight steps to figure out if you’re physically hungry or not:

1 - The first thing you need to do is stop to evaluate. Scarfing down that protein bar at the first sign of hunger isn’t necessarily going to help you.

2 - Now that you’ve stopped. Pay attention to where this hunger is coming from. Can you actually feel or hear your stomach growling? Did you skip a meal or haven’t eaten in hours?
OR
Are you seeing and smelling something divinely delicious? Perhaps you’re bored, sad, or stressed? Take a peek into all these areas and really pay attention.

3 - Have a big glass of water. Now observe your hunger feeling for at least a minute. Really dig into the source of the feeling. It can be easy to jump to a conclusion, but that may or may not be the right one. So listen to your body and mind very deeply.

4 - If you do find that your feelings may be the source, then face them. Acknowledge and observe them. They may just be needing comfort and recognition, even if they sound like they need food. Try deep breathing, having a stretch, or going for a quick walk to release some of these emotions; this also gives your mind a chance to focus on something other than the feeling of hunger.

5 - If you’re pretty sure that your body physically needs nutrition, just wait a few more minutes to make sure.

6 - Now you can be fairly sure whether your hunger was from emotions, boredom, thirst, or actual physical hunger.

7 - If it's physical hunger, feel free to eat healthy and nutritious food. To fill you up the food you eat should be high in protein, fibre, and water. Eat slowly and mindfully. Chew well and savour every bite of it.

8 - Rinse and repeat at the next sign of hunger.

Now you know my eight steps to figure out if your physical body is hungry, or if you’re bored, sad, or stressed. Use this process over and over again to feed your body what it actually physically needs (and not overdo it).

The feeling of hunger can manifest for many reasons. Often, there is an underlying psychological or emotional reason you might feel hungry. But of course, if you’re physically hungry and need the food and nutrients, then this is what it’s for!

Meal prepping is a great way to help you stay on track with your healthy eating goals. Plus, it saves you time and money. But that doesn't mean the meals have to be bland and boring. If you're tired of eating salads every day, here are some meal prep ideas that are both delicious and healthy and will satisfy all your food cravings.

Grain bowls
Instead of a salad, try making a grain bowl for your next meal prep endeavor. You can use any of your favorite grains as the base — rice, quinoa, barley, or whatever you prefer. You can switch up the grains each week for more variety if you prefer. Then, add a source of protein, such as chicken, chickpeas, tofu, or steak. For your source of healthy fats, add some cheese, olives, or avocado slices. Add any vegetables that you like and finally, make your dressing. You can make a simple olive oil and vinegar dressing or try something different, such as peanut butter or teriyaki sauce. The options are limitless, and you can combine different ingredients each week for a different flavor.

Grilled chicken and veggies
If you like salads because of the low calories and high nutritional value, grilled chicken and vegetables are great alternatives for when you need a bit of variety while still sticking to your health goals. Grilled chicken breast is low in calories and high in protein, so it will keep you satisfied for a long time. Instead of your usual salad, grill some veggies in the oven with olive oil and your favorite spices.

Lettuce wraps
If you enjoy eating wraps but don't love their high carbohydrate content, you will love lettuce wraps! Choose your protein source— some great options are beef, chicken, or black beans. Cook your protein with some onion, spices, and sauce. The sauce is necessary to prevent your wrap from being too dry. Teriyaki sauce and other Asian-inspired flavors always taste amazing in lettuce wraps. Scoop up your mixture into a leaf of iceberg lettuce for a refreshing, crunchy, and low-carb meal.

Stir-fry
Stir-fries are such delicious and simple recipes and are perfect meals to make when you want to empty your fridge. You can make a chicken or turkey stir-fry, or you can use tofu to make it vegetarian. Bell peppers, carrots, snap peas, broccoli, and onion are typically the best veggies for a stir-fry, but you can add any veggies that you have lying around in your fridge. Fry all of your ingredients in the pan with some vegetable oil and add sauce. You can make the sauce at home by mixing soy sauce, garlic, honey, and chili if you want it spicy. This is a delicious low-carb meal with easy clean-up.

Meal prepping doesn't have to be boring. I like to change up the menu week by week to keep things interesting, and with so many different options to mix-and-match ingredients and flavors, you'll find a great system that works for you, too.

Now that you know how to determine when you are truly hungry, what meal will you be prepping this week? Let me know in the comments below!

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