I’m hungry all the time… Literally. Even after I’ve just eaten, I’m never “full” or “bloated.” But why? I’m eating, so shouldn’t I fill up? Is it the foods I’m eating? Is it the fact that I workout? Is there something wrong with me?! There has to be some science behind this one…
The first problem: I’m a sucker for sweets. No, I don’t only eat cookies and candy, but I do find myself munching on something sugary a few times a day. While I usually only have a small sweet at the end of a meal, this can still influence my body. According to care2.com, anything with high fructose corn syrup can actually make you hungrier if it isn’t eaten in moderation. My initial reaction: “But I eat it in moderation!” Well, kind of… The key to eating anything with high fructose corn syrup is to eat small amounts of it rarely; however, I find myself eating “a little something sweet” several times throughout the day. This obviously is not considered “moderation” and could be contributing to the fact that I’m always hungry (and always craving chocolate).
The second problem: I’m Italian. Okay, so being Italian isn’t the actual problem, but I do LOVE pasta. All this time I thought pasta kept you full, but clearly I was mistaken. According to Dr. Louis J. Aronne, pasta (and even dinner rolls) cause “‘fullness resistance’ by raising blood-sugar levels and setting up an insulin spike that will rebound, driving blood sugar down again and causing more hunger.” These “refined carbs” can be avoided by choosing whole grain pasta and breads.
The third problem: Penn State students love food. Everywhere you go, whether it’s around on campus, at a football game, or even in class – EVERYONE IS EATING. According to Time Magazine, an MRI study proved that even just looking at food that you enjoy causes your body to “anticipate when food is about to enter the system.” Your body thinks that because you’re in the presence of a food you enjoy, you’re about to consume it. I’m not a picky eater, so maybe all of the delicious foods surrounding me throughout the day are making me hungrier.
I don’t think it’s possible for me to pinpoint the exact cause of my relentless hunger, but I do think these reasons are a good start. It’s amazing to me that there’s so much science behind the food we eat, and most of the time, we aren’t even aware of it. I hope that with some additional research, I can choose to eat more foods that will fill me up… And keep me away from sweets!
I can relate to you so much. And it makes me feel better knowing I’m not alone! What helps me is trying to snack on healthy foods, such as popcorn, though it doesn’t help when I really want that cookie… My other problem is that I eat when I’m bored or stressed, so instead I just try to keep myself aware and go for a run to cure my boredom or let my anger. Here are some tips to curb that snacking! out.http://www.jillianmichaels.com/fit/lose-weight/snack-smarter#slide=4
I’m pretty sure I’m suffering from the same “syndrome” if you may. My question is, why are we always hungry? Why do I insist that I need to snack on something while I do work, or watch a movie?
The only answer I’ve come up with so far is that people tend to make associations between food and activity. For example, no one is dragging me to the popcorn line at the movies, but how could I possibly sit through an entire movie without food? Now that it’s been set in my mind that “movie=popcorn”, I cannot get the generalization out!
This website gives eight ways to avoid giving in to the sweets and salties all the time. Can’t say I’ll follow it routinely, but hey, it’s a good start!
http://simple-nourished-living.com/2011/02/hungry-all-the-time/
My roommate and I were literally just talking about how we can’t stop eating. I’ve always been a huge fan of food, but ever since I moved to State College I’ve taken my eating problem to a whole new level. I think about my next meal while I’m already eating a meal, it’s insane. I’ve been trying to figure out why I’m obsessing over food lately and the best/most logical answer I came up with is stress. Between work, school, and being away from home I’m just completely stressed and lonely so I turn to food.
If you’re like me and pig out because you’re bummed, here’s a link to help you out:
http://www.helpguide.org/life/emotional_eating_stress_cravings.htm
You are not alone! I always seem to be hungry ALL the time–an hour after a meal I’ll be ready for a snack. I guess the main factor contributing to this is my fast metabolism; however, I have a sweet tooth as well, so maybe it’s the high fructose corn syrup that’s affecting me after all…
Anyway here’s a list of ten foods that have been shown to control your appetite. Maybe we should take note.
Well first off i’d like to say thank you for posting this because I thought I was the only one! I always seem to be hungry too through out the day even after eating meals.. These are some great tips and I will consider them the next time I eat (which will probably been soon)! I found this interesting article on foods that are suppose to fill you up and not cause over eating check it out! http://www.dumblittleman.com/2009/11/7-healthy-foods-that-will-fill-you-up.html