If you feel hungry even after you’ve finished a meal, it might be one of several reasons.  Constantly feeling hungry can be more than just unpleasant, it can also be the reason you’re not achieving your health and fitness goals.  Too often, unsatisfied hunger leads us to make unhealthy choices and the vicious cycle continues.  With a little help from FitClub, you can curb the hunger and hit your healthy goals.

Image

• You’re eating the wrong foods. Foods with little or no nutritional content cannot satisfy hunger.  If more often than not, you’re eating fast food, or you rely on the vending machines for lunch at your desk, your body’s hunger is actually a call for help.  Instead of loading up on too much food that doesn’t fuel your body or keep hunger at bay, try consuming healthy foods more often.  Your body needs certain nutrients to function at its best; high quality foods, especially foods rich in lean protein and healthy fats, keep you feeling satisfied longer, making it easier to walk past the vending machines. Adding eggs, nuts, or chicken to your meals will give your body a healthy serving of protein, while adding avocado or olive oil to your meals will fill you up on healthy fats that your body needs.


• You’re bored. Do you often find that you reach for a snack in the evening when you’re trying to unwind?  It might be nothing more than boredom that drives you to reach for food, even after you’ve had a healthy dinner.  Before you give in to the hunger cravings disguised as boredom, take a walk, drink a glass of water, or meditate.  Responding to your emotional or mental state may provide you with far more satisfaction than a late night TV-snack.


• You’re not getting enough sleep. Sleep really is the magical cure to most of what ails us, and excessive hunger is no exception.  High quality sleep helps the body regulate hormones, including ghrelin, which is the hormone that makes you feel hungry, and leptin, which makes you feel full.  If you were looking for one more reason to improve the quality and increase the quantity of your sleep, this may be it!  With the sun setting earlier every day, fall is the perfect time to work on your sleep schedule and prioritize a good night’s rest.

If you can’t rule out your constant hunger with any of the fixes above, don’t be afraid to schedule an appointment with your medical provider.  Certain medical conditions may make you feel hungry often and your doctor can help you rule out anything more serious.

Feeling hungry, even after meals, is certainly not rare.  If you’ve succeeded in squashing the hunger, share your tips and tricks in the comment section below for your fellow FitClub members.