Constant cravings: why you always feel hungry and what that says about your body
Forever thinking about eating can be extremely annoying, but it can also mean that something is out of balance with your body. Here are six possible explanations for why your stomach won’t stop growling
“Why am I constantly hungry?” you may ask yourself. At best, constant hunger is annoying and distracting; at worst, it’s a sign that something’s amiss. Either way, the mental wrestling can make it hard to trust the messages your body is sending you. Assuming that you’re eating regularly through the day, here are six possible explanations why hunger might be a constant companion.
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1. Your body thinks it’s in a famine
Your body has biological mechanisms in place to keep your weight from dropping below your set point – the weight range you are genetically predisposed to maintain – whether you are experiencing famine or what just looks like a famine (also known as calorie-restricted dieting). One mechanism is for the body to drop its resting metabolic rate. The other is to increase appetite.
Even though the body needs fewer calories as weight decreases, hunger and the drive to eat increase. In fact, increases in appetite may play a more important role than a slowing metabolism in weight-loss plateaus.
For each kilogram (2.2 pounds) of weight lost, we burn about 20 to 30 fewer calories per day – even fewer for some people – whereas appetite grows by about 100 calories per day. Basically, it’s easier for your body to protect itself by boosting your appetite – and your calorie intake – than to slow your metabolism and run on fewer calories.
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2. You’re not getting enough protein at meals