ONE – Think about the nutrient density of your food choices. Ultra-processed or high sugar/high fat items are usually calorically dense but offer minimal nutrition. It’s important to choose foods that are both calorie and nutrient dense to help with satiety.
TWO – How about your schedule. Do you eat very little during the day just to be very hungry at night? You will want to front load more calories and nutrition to even things out.
THREE – When are you exercising? Are you a morning exerciser who works out on an empty stomach at 6 am then doesn’t eat until you get to work at 9 am? Or do you workout after work but stop eating after lunch at noon? Too many hours in between can cause you to feel overly hungry.
FOUR – Have you just come off a period of dieting? You may experience more intense hunger in this period, as your body is trying to get you to regain the weight you just lost in fear of starvation. It doesn’t matter if the weight was high or not.
FIVE – Evaluate your stress levels. Stress can lead us to overeating or coping with food. When we are stressed we often aren’t thinking about what we are eating, so we tend to overeat and nothing quite satisfies our “hunger.”
SIX – What meds are you taking? I see several clients with ADHD, and we talk a lot about how the timing of their medication alters their appetite. Of course several other conditions require specific appetite-altering medications so this might be worth evaluating. This can be common for meds associated with diabetes, mood disorders and anxiety.
SEVEN – Are you eating distracted? When we aren’t paying attention when we eat we can leave a meal unsure of if we ate the right amount, or maybe too full because we weren’t checking in with ourselves. Try eating with less distraction so you understand yourself more.
EIGHT – Make sure you are getting proper sleep. I know this one is repeated so much nowadays but for good reason. Lack of sleep causes imbalance in our hormones that keep us awake and alert, so your body will look to sugary foods for energy and you won’t feel as in control of those urges as normal.