Author: Maryam Ayres
Time for reading: ~4
minutes
Last Updated:
January 27, 2026
If you are constantly hungry and can not control it, then most likely the reasons for this are lack of enough food, stress, fatigue, hormones.
If you are constantly hungry, even after eating, you are probably wondering what the reasons are. Only a few of them are related to food, and most are the result of mental stress.
Here are the most common causes of constant hunger:
Let's face it - if your lunch consists of a few cucumbers, excluding important food groups, you can expect nothing but hunger. And then, supposedly on a diet, you will resort to a snack, which will certainly not be the best choice. To avoid this, include in your main diet a greater variety of foods, do not run away from protein, fiber and healthy fats (such as olive oil, nuts, avocados). Protein and fiber create a feeling of satiety and thanks to them we starve more slowly. They also maintain stable blood sugar levels, so we will not experience severe bouts of hunger caused by a drop in blood sugar.
Whether you are overwhelmed by a lot of work commitments or have problems in your relationship, or you may not even be aware of an existing problem, your body responds to stress. When we are under stress, our body tries to control cortisol and makes us eat. Then we most often resort to carbohydrates, which is the worst choice. These are cookies and chips, waffles and everything that is most convenient. When we eat something, our brain feels at rest and, of course, under stress, it tends to provide such moments more often. It is better if you are under pressure, instead of indulging in your urges, find ways to relax through walks, enjoyable activities, meetings with friends and more.
If you work late, read or just like to stay until the wee hours, you are guaranteed to get hungry a few times after dinner. When you are tired, your body signals that you are hungry, the hunger hormone ghrelin increases, and leptin decreases. When you do not sleep well, the body interprets this condition as a danger and therefore increases stress hormones, which is why it seeks more energy by making you eat more. If you are constantly overtired, you should seek medical attention.
You know that social media is full of amazing pictures of food, candy, chocolate, pizza and what not - anything that can wake up your taste buds and get hungry. The more you look at the food and imagine its aroma and taste, the more you want it. If you still enjoy looking at pictures of food, at least choose content with healthy sources to inspire you.
This is one of the most common mistakes of modern man. You do not sit at the table to eat, concentrated in food, but quickly take your food and eat it while doing something else. A study conducted among women found that they ate 5 times more cereal while walking, compared to if they ate sitting at the table. Because you can't focus on food, you consume more. So next time sit down for 10 minutes and eat in peace instead of rushing.
When you're bored, all your friends are busy, and you don't like sports, you don't have a hobby, or you just don't do anything, you have nothing to do but eat. You start wandering around the kitchen and opening the fridge once again, taking something small or bigger, a sandwich, a cookie, a piece of yellow cheese ... In fact, you are not hungry, you are just bored. So it's better to find something to do, solve a puzzle, read a book, go for a walk instead of rummaging in the fridge.
If you are really hungry most of the time and this is not due to any of the reasons listed above, consult your doctor and check if you have no insulin resistance. If your cells do not respond to insulin, the pancreas produces too much insulin, which eventually remains in our body, causing us to eat more. Then, when you eat, your blood sugar levels rise, it releases more insulin, you want more and more food. To get out of this cycle, in addition to visiting the doctor, you can make some changes in your diet.
That's why there are appetizers. Eat salad before the main, this will prepare your body, the necessary insulin levels will be released and when it comes time for the main, you will not be so hungry and you will eat much less food. And then you will feel full for a longer time, as blood sugar and insulin levels will remain within controlled limits.