Why Am I Always Hungry?
If trying to clean up your diet just leaves you more ravenous and
frustrated, you’re not alone. Time to learn how your eating decisions affect
your appetite a.m. to p.m.
Eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re full. Simple right? So
why does it sometimes feel not so straightforward?
It may be one of our most basic physiological needs but eating
feels as if it’s become far from intuitive these days. The truth is, there’s
more at play than just an empty stomach or a need for calories. Research has
found that everything from our hormones and stress levels to our moods and
other people’s attitudes toward food can impact how our mind processes our
daily eating choices.
But it doesn’t have to be so complicated. Understanding the
biggest players that affect your appetite will help you take control of it. And
that starts by getting extremely familiar with the smallest, most powerful
teammate of them all: a hormone called leptin.
If you’ve ever dieted in an effort to drop a few pounds, only to
feel frustrated, or worse, hungry all the time, don’t blame a
lack of willpower. Your body is hardwired to want to hold on to fat, says
Giles Yeo, PhD, a geneticist at the University of Cambridge. But it’s not doing
it to be spiteful. Body fat is what produces leptin—and believe us, you want
leptin.
Here’s why: It’s the hormone that controls appetite and weight.
Its main role is to regulate your body’s energy, which includes how many
calories you eat and burn each day, as well as how much fat you store. The
process evolved to keep humans from star ving or overeating, both of which
would have made you less likely to survive back in (way long ago) day.
When the system is working properly, fat cells regularly release
high levels of leptin that kick-start signals in the hypothalamus, which is the
part of the brain responsible for appetite control, says Stephan Guyenet, PhD,
author of The Hungry Brain. “Leptin switches off an appetite-driving neuron
called AgRP, while another signal suppresses food intake and raises calorie
expenditure.” Translation: When you’ve had enough to eat, leptin tells your
brain, “All set, you can stop now!” and keeps your metabolism
humming along steadily.
But when leptin levels drop too low—which, FYI, happens when you
go on a crash diet—the hormone sends a starvation alarm to the brain,
increasing your appetite and slowing metabolism. For some, that response takes
place even when plenty of energy (i.e., body fat) is stored. It’s a condition
known as leptin
resistance, says endocrinologist
Scott Isaacs, MD, author of The
Leptin Boost Diet, and it’s believed to be one of the main
contributors to obesity.
How to Hit
Reset
Scientists and doctors don’t quite agree on exactly how leptin
resistance occurs—or, more important, what to do about it. But here’s what’s
known: There are very few people who have genetically determined leptin
problems. For most, it’s something that develops over time, in response to diet
and lifestyle decisions. Which also means: You have the power to alter your
leptin levels through your everyday habits. Make these easy, practical changes
to your routine to recalibrate your body’s biological signals and get back on
track with your natural eat-stop-eat rhythm. Satiation salvation ahead!
Fuel
Smarter
Dr. Isaacs advises clients to base their meals on protein and
fiber, both of which suppress hunger hormones. His ideal meal plan to increase
leptin levels and other key appetite regulators? Eggs for breakfast, lean
chicken with greens and brown rice for lunch, carrots and low-fat hummus
(low-calorie and fiber-rich) for a snack, and a dinner high in leptin boosting
zinc (beef and black beans are good sources). Eating more omega-3 fatty acids—found
in fish and flaxseeds—may also help mitigate the impact of inflammation on the
hypothalamus, which can make leptin’s pathways less responsive, says Guyenet.
Go to Bed
When it comes to managing your hunger and appetite, sticking to a
solid sleep schedule is a must. “Leptin is mostly secreted at night, so if you’re
getting less than sever hours, you’ll have lower levels,” says Dr. Isaacs. In
fact, if you’re getting only five hours a night, you’ll have almost 16 percent
less leptin than if you’re managing the full eight, according to research in
the Annals of Internal Medicine. Another reason to maximize your shut-eye: Insufficient
sleep can result in consuming up to 400 extra calories a day, mostly of
high-fat, low-protein food, according to the European Journal of Clinical
Nutrition. Ready to rest now?
Watch Your
Why
External cues are influential in determining what, when, and how
much we eat. For example, researchers found that people who ate with others
consumed up to 60 percent more than those who ate alone. Another big cause for
the munchies? Stress. While 80 percent of people said they normally ate
healthy, that number dropped to 33 percent when they were stressed, a study
reveals. And the majority of those folks said stress produced an increase in
their appetite, so pin down a few nonfood coping mechanisms—deap breathing,
going for a walk, venting to a friend—that you can use as soon as life gets
tense.
By Roisín Dervish-O’Kane
If you’re struggling to with weight loss, you need the help of an obesity
medicine specialist. If you’d
like to learn more about permanent weight loss, please feel free to call us or
schedule an appointment with Dr. Isaacs
using the online
booking tool on his website.
The post Why Am I Always Hungry? first appeared on Outsmarting Your Hungry Hormones.
