Why Do I Feel Hungry? Understanding Your Hunger

If you have ever tried to diet, you have almost certainly asked yourself “why do I feel hungry?”

This is either a more general question, aimed at understanding hunger more generally, or it is a more targeted question where you are trying to actually understand your hunger so you can not be hungry on your diet. The focus of this article is on addressing the second aspect, so you can answer the question of “why do I feel hungry” and know how to solve it.

In my opinion, hunger is one of the most misunderstood signals our bodies send us.

As someone who has helped countless individuals through their nutrition journeys, I’ve seen just how complex and multifaceted hunger can be. While it’s a natural biological process, the reasons behind hunger aren’t always as straightforward or simple as “needing food”.

Learning to decode your hunger signals empowers you to make more mindful and informed decisions about what, when, and how much to eat.

Anyway, let’s get stuck in!

Why Do I Feel Hungry? Understanding Physical Hunger vs. Other Types of Hunger

The first skill you need to learn to answer “why do I feel hungry” is to distinguish between physical hunger and “non-physical hunger”. Hunger can broadly be categorised into two main types, each with distinct origins and implications for how we respond to our body’s needs:

1. Physical Hunger

Physical hunger is the body’s natural mechanism to signal the need for nourishment. It is driven by physiological processes such as an empty stomach, low blood sugar levels, or the body’s need for nutrients to sustain energy, repair, and growth. Key characteristics of physical hunger include:

Gradual onset: Physical hunger typically builds over time, starting with subtle cues like a mild sense of emptiness and escalating to stomach growling or lightheadedness if not addressed.
Specific signals: Symptoms such as a rumbling stomach, fatigue, or difficulty concentrating are often present.
Satisfaction through nourishment: Eating appropriate amounts of nutritious food satisfies physical hunger, providing the body with the fuel it needs.

Physical hunger is an essential biological function and a cornerstone of survival.

If you aren’t eating enough food or you aren’t consuming the nutrients your body needs, you are naturally going to feel some degree of physical hunger.

2. Non-Physical Hunger

Non-physical hunger, on the other hand, is not driven by a biological need for nourishment but by external or psychological factors. It is often associated with emotional, social, or environmental triggers. Examples of non-physical hunger include:

Emotional eating: Eating in response to stress, boredom, sadness, or even happiness rather than physical need.
Habit-driven hunger: Feeling the urge to eat due to established routines, such as snacking while watching TV or consuming food at specific times regardless of hunger.
Deceptive signals: Non-physical hunger can be triggered by factors like dehydration (mistaken for hunger), cravings due to poor nutrition (e.g., lack of protein or fibre), or exposure to tempting smells and advertisements.
Immediate onset and specific cravings: Non-physical hunger often arises suddenly and is accompanied by strong cravings for specific, often high-calorie or sugary foods.

Being able to distinguish between physical hunger and non-physical hunger is a key skill that will allow you to more effectively deal with the hunger.

Recognising and Responding to Hunger Types

Understanding the difference between physical and non-physical hunger is crucial for developing a balanced relationship with food and making mindful eating choices. Misinterpreting these hunger signals can lead to:

Overeating: Consuming more calories than the body requires due to emotional or habitual eating.
Unnecessary snacking: Reaching for food when the body doesn’t need it, often leading to weight gain and disrupted eating patterns.
Poor food choices: Choosing foods that satisfy immediate cravings but lack the nutrients the body truly needs, potentially exacerbating feelings of fatigue, hunger, or emotional dissatisfaction.

Strategies to Differentiate and Manage Hunger

Pause and assess: Before eating, take a moment to determine if the hunger is physical (gradual onset, biological signals) or non-physical (sudden onset, emotional triggers).
Stay hydrated: Drink water and wait a few minutes, as dehydration is often mistaken for hunger.
Practice mindful eating: Tune in to your body’s cues, eat slowly, and focus on satisfying physical hunger with nutrient-dense foods.
Address emotional needs: Develop alternative coping mechanisms for stress or boredom, such as journaling, walking, or talking to a friend.

By identifying and honouring true physical hunger while addressing non-physical hunger appropriately, you can build a healthier, more conscious relationship with food.

Now, this really is just the first level. Just because you are able to distinguish between physical hunger and non-physical hunger doesn’t mean you know how to deal with the hunger. You can answer the question of “why do I feel hungry?” to a rough approximation, but if you want to effectively deal with the hunger, it helps to get more granular.

While I can’t go into every strategy to deal with the different types of hunger in this article, like I would help a coaching client with, I can help you to get more granular with the different types of hunger and what triggers them.

Types of Hunger and Their Triggers

It can be hard to really dial in on why exactly you feel hungry, but by understanding the different causes of hunger, you can start to hone in on the reason(s) you feel hungry and thus you can come up with a better plan of action to tackle the hunger.

1. General Physical Hunger

Physical hunger arises when your body requires energy. It is a biological signal driven by the brain’s hypothalamus, which monitors your energy balance and sends out hunger hormones such as ghrelin to prompt you to eat. Physical hunger typically builds gradually and becomes more intense over time if ignored.

Common signs of physical hunger:

A rumbling or empty sensation in your stomach
Low energy levels or fatigue
Difficulty concentrating or brain fog

This is generally what people classically think of as hunger, and it mostly comes down to eating sufficient calories.

What to Do: If you recognise the signs of physical hunger, aim to eat a meal or snack that includes a combination of:

Protein: Stabilises blood sugar and promotes satiety
Healthy Fats: Provides long-lasting energy
Complex Carbohydrates: Offers a steady source of glucose for energy

2. Hunger Due to Poor Food Choices

Sometimes, what you eat can trigger hunger soon after you’ve finished a meal. This is often linked to diets high in refined carbohydrates, sugar, or processed foods. These foods cause rapid spikes in blood sugar levels, followed by equally rapid crashes, leaving you feeling hungry again.

When you consume refined carbs or sugary foods, your body quickly digests and absorbs them, leading to a spike in blood sugar. This triggers an insulin response to bring blood sugar levels back down. However, the sudden drop often overshoots, leaving you feeling shaky, tired, and hungry for more carbohydrates to compensate.

So this can often feel somewhat like “general physical hunger” as your body feels like it doesn’t have the energy it needs. But the reality is, you have actually eaten sufficient calories but the types of food you have eaten aren’t conducive to keeping you full.

For example, imagine starting your day with a sugary cereal or a donut. Initially, you may feel full and energised, but within an hour or two, your blood sugar crashes, prompting cravings for another quick fix like a snack or a sugary coffee.

To avoid this cycle, prioritise nutrient-dense meals that stabilise blood sugar levels. Instead of sugary cereal, try whey and oats topped with seeds and berries. These ingredients provide fibre, healthy fats, and protein to sustain your energy levels throughout the morning.

3. Hunger Due to a Lack of Protein

Protein plays a central role in regulating hunger and promoting satiety, making it a key macronutrient for maintaining a balanced diet and healthy eating habits. Very often, people feel excessively hungry simply because they don’t eat enough protein. The Protein Leverage Hypothesis (PLH) suggests that humans have a specific protein target that the body strives to meet and when dietary protein intake is inadequate, people may overconsume other macronutrients (like fats and carbohydrates) in an effort to reach this target, potentially leading to excessive calorie intake and weight gain.

Why Protein Matters

Satiety and Fullness: Protein is highly effective at promoting satiety, which is the feeling of being full and satisfied after eating. This is primarily achieved through:
- Hormonal regulation: Protein stimulates the release of appetite-regulating hormones, such as peptide YY (PYY) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which signal to the brain that the body is full.
- Suppression of ghrelin: Protein reduces levels of ghrelin, often referred to as the “hunger hormone,” further curbing appetite.
Blood Sugar Regulation: Protein slows the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, helping to stabilise blood sugar levels. By preventing sharp spikes and crashes in blood glucose, protein reduces the likelihood of energy dips and the cravings for quick-energy foods that often accompany low blood sugar.

When meals lack sufficient protein, the body’s natural drive to meet its protein needs may manifest as persistent hunger, even if sufficient calories are consumed. This can lead to:

Potential weight gain due to overcompensating with other macronutrients.
Increased consumption of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods.
Short-lived satiety, resulting in frequent snacking or larger portion sizes.

Solving this type of hunger is quite straightforward. You simply need to eat enough protein. This is probably one of the most effective methods I have found in my coaching practice for helping people to actually master their hunger and stick to their diets long term.So get your protein in!

4. Emotional Hunger

Emotional hunger stems from psychological triggers rather than a physical need for food. Stress, boredom, loneliness, or sadness often drive cravings for comfort foods, which are typically high in sugar, fat, and salt. Emotional hunger can be identified by its sudden onset and association with specific cravings.

Signs of Emotional Hunger:

It comes on suddenly rather than gradually.
You crave specific comfort foods, such as ice cream, pizza, or chocolate.
You continue eating even after feeling full.

Emotional eating provides temporary relief or distraction from negative feelings by activating the brain’s reward system. This can create a reinforcing cycle where food becomes a coping mechanism for emotional stress.

For example, after a difficult day at work, you might find yourself reaching for cookies, even though you’ve already had dinner. This behaviour is driven by the need to soothe emotions rather than replenish energy.

Instead of eating, try addressing the emotion directly. Relaxation techniques like deep breathing, meditation, or yoga can help. Talking to a friend, journaling, or engaging in a hobby can also redirect your focus and reduce the urge to eat. I know you may feel like you need the food to deal with the emotions, but this is generally a maladaptive behaviour and you are better served by addressing the emotions.

This may mean you have to learn new skills around managing your emotions. Many people come to us thinking they have a food issue, when in reality, they have an emotional issue. Coach Brian does a lot of work with people in these kinds of situations.

5. Habitual Hunger

Habitual hunger arises from routines or learned behaviours rather than true physical hunger. For example:

Eating at specific times because it’s a habit (e.g., snacking at 3 PM every day).
Associating activities with eating, like munching on popcorn while watching a movie.

Breaking Habitual Hunger:

Mindfulness: Before eating, pause and ask yourself, “Am I truly hungry?”
Substitute Activities: Replace eating with other activities, like drinking water, stretching, or taking a short walk.
Gradual Change: If the habit is deeply ingrained, start with small changes, such as reducing portion sizes or shifting snack times.

Habitual hunger is quite easy to understand, and it is also relatively easy to deal with as you effectively just need to be more mindful and make some subtle changes to the diet.

6. Dehydration Disguised as Hunger

Thirst is often mistaken for hunger because the body’s thirst and hunger signals can feel similar. Mild dehydration can trigger cravings, especially for juicy or water-rich foods like fruit.

Signs of Dehydration:

Dry mouth or lips
Headache or lightheadedness
Dark yellow urine

If you feel hungry, drink a glass of water and wait 10-15 minutes. Often, this simple step can clarify whether you are actually thirsty. Staying hydrated throughout the day by drinking water regularly can prevent dehydration from mimicking hunger.

A Comprehensive Decision Tree for Decoding Hunger

Now, while it is obviously helpful to have a generally good understanding of the potential causes of hunger, it can still be difficult to put this stuff in practice. So, I often use a kind of decision tree or flow chart with my clients to help them better understand their hunger.

You can also use the following step-by-step process to identify the type of hunger you’re experiencing:

Step 1: Check for Physical Signs

Do you feel a rumbling or empty sensation in your stomach?
Are you low on energy or feeling lightheaded?
Has it been more than 3-4 hours since your last meal?

If YES: You’re likely experiencing physical hunger. Eat a balanced meal with protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs.

If NO: Move to Step 2.

Step 2: Hydration Check

Have you had water in the last hour?
Does drinking a glass of water alleviate the feeling?

If YES: You were probably thirsty. Keep hydrating.

If NO: Move to Step 3.

Step 3: Evaluate Food Choices

Was your last meal high in refined carbs or sugar?
Are you craving more food shortly after eating something processed or sugary?

If YES: Poor food choices may be the culprit. Next time, aim for a nutrient-dense meal.

If NO: Move to Step 4.

Step 4: Protein Check

Did your last meal include enough protein?
Are you eating mostly carbs and fats with little protein?

If YES: Add more protein to your meals.

If NO: Move to Step 5.

Step 5: Emotional Hunger Check

Are you feeling stressed, bored, or upset?
Are you craving a specific food?
Did the hunger come on suddenly?

If YES: Address your emotions directly. Try relaxation techniques or engage in a non-food-related activity.

If NO: Move to Step 6.

Step 6: Habitual Hunger Check

Is it a typical mealtime for you?
Are you eating because it’s a habit?

If YES: Consider waiting until physical hunger cues appear.

If NO: Assess other factors like a lack of sleep.

Now, this doesn’t cover absolutely every possibility, but it does cover the most frequent causes of hunger and gives you a handy way to assess your hunger and what to do about it.

Tips for Staying in Tune with Your Hunger

Before I close out this article, I just wanted to include a few extra tips to help you deal with hunger:

Eat Mindfully: Pay close attention to your body’s signals while eating. Are you full? Are you still enjoying the food?
Track Patterns: Maintain a journal to note when and why you feel hungry. Patterns often reveal underlying triggers.
Prioritise Sleep: Sleep deprivation disrupts hunger hormones, increasing your appetite.
Choose Nutrient-Dense Foods: Meals rich in protein, fibre, and healthy fats keep you satisfied longer.
Stay Hydrated: Drink water consistently throughout the day to prevent dehydration from mimicking hunger.
Diversify Your Diet: A varied diet ensures you’re meeting all your body’s nutritional needs.

Final Thoughts On Why You Feel Hungry

Hunger is a multifaceted signal that requires a thoughtful approach to decode. By pausing and assessing the type of hunger you’re experiencing, you can respond more effectively and develop a healthier relationship with food. Over time, you’ll gain greater confidence in managing your nutrition without restrictive diets or unnecessary stress.

If you need help with your own nutrition, you can always reach out to us and get online coaching, or alternatively, you can interact with our free content.

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Finally, if you want to learn how to coach nutrition, then consider our Nutrition Coach Certification course, and if you want to learn to get better at exercise program design, then consider our course on exercise program design. We do have other courses available too. If you don’t understand something, or you just need clarification, you can always reach out to us on Instagram or via email.

Paddy Farrell

www.triagemethod.com

Hey, I'm Paddy!

I am a coach who loves to help people master their health and fitness. I am a personal trainer, strength and conditioning coach, and I have a degree in Biochemistry and Biomolecular Science. I have been coaching people for over 10 years now.

When I grew up, you couldn't find great health and fitness information, and you still can't really. So my content aims to solve that!

I enjoy training in the gym, doing martial arts and hiking in the mountains (around Europe, mainly). I am also an avid reader of history, politics and science. When I am not in the mountains, exercising or reading, you will likely find me in a museum.