TAGS
I can’t say that I experience uncontrollable hunger very often anymore. But when I do, it’s fleeting, and I can always trace it back to something I ate (or didn’t eat) in the hours before. Even though my hormones are urging me to eat something sugary so my blood sugar levels evens out, if only for a little while, I know that’s the last thing I should do.
Resolve Uncontrollable Hunger Today
If you’re unusually hungry before breakfast… There’s nothing wrong with feeling hungry around breakfast time. But if you’re stomach won’t stop grumbling at 6am, you may want to look back at what you ate the night before.
Both of these can have an affect on your hunger levels in the morning. Insulin is a powerful hormone and does a great job controlling blood sugar levels. When we eat before bedtime, or if we eat too much sugary food late at night, our insulin levels go up. Insulin is released every time we eat (this is normal), but if it’s when we go to bed, it interferes with another important hormone called Human Growth Hormone (HGH). When HGH can’t get released properly because insulin is in the way, our body can’t repair itself and insulin doesn’t regulate like it normally would. This could lead to unusual hunger in the morning.
If you’re unusually hungry shortly after breakfast… Feeling hungry a few hours after breakfast might be normal, but if you’re ready to eat cardboard an hour after you polished off your yogurt, you need to change what you eat for breakfast asap.
Eating a healthy breakfast is so important…mostly because it sets the stage for the day. Skimping on fat or protein can lead to unwanted hunger.
Fat free yogurts, for example, are not only very low in calories, they’re also void of fat (obviously) and typically high in sugar. Instead, eat a 2% or full fat yogurt with a big handful of berries and cinnamon.
Similarly, an egg white omelet might be a good source of protein, but contains no fat. Your body absolutely needs some fat and there is no reason to worry that the egg yolk will make you fat. Go ahead and eat the whole egg! While you’re at it, throw a cup of berries or 1/2 cup of old fashioned (slow cooking) oats on the side. Chances are you’ll feel fuller for much longer.
If you’re unusually hungry (or tired) in the middle of the afternoon… You’ve made it through the morning, ate lunch at 12:30, but for some reason you’re either famished or ready to crash around 3:30. Sometimes eating too many carbohydrates, particularly refined carbohydrates, can be the culprit of either afternoon hunger or fatigue.
Think about what you’re eating for your mid-day meal? Ideally, our meals should have plenty of fiber from vegetables, some good protein and fat. Additional carbohydrates shouldn’t be the main act of the plate, but all too often they are. Big sandwiches, burritos, giant slices of pizza or bowls of pasta might be convenient, but they do your body no favors. Often times, the portion sizes are much too large and the amount of carbohydrates is too high. Remember, refined carbs convert to sugar quickly in our blood stream, creating a post-lunch dip (read: nap time).
First and foremost, drink water before lunch (and every meal for that matter). Think about what vegetables you’re going to have with your meal, then double that amount.
Take inventory of your starchy carbohydrates. Are you eating starchy carbs with every meal? Think about cutting back to one or two meals a day, and make sure the portion sizes are reasonable.
Keep an eye on your snacks, too. The average person eats somewhere in the neighborhood of 600 calories in snacks a day. That’s more than a meal for most people! If you’re going to snack, snack healthy.
.
