Why Do You Eat When You’re Not Hungry?

I don’t know about you, but this is certainly something I can hold my hand up for.

Sometimes it’s unconscious, sometimes there is an underlying reason, and some of them may surprise you so let’s have a look at what can be behind this type of eating.

Stress

Long-term stress floods your body with cortisol, a hormone that plays a part in your fight or flight system. In order to refuel your body after a stressful encounter, cortisol makes you want to eat more.

If stress is a near-constant state for you, those cortisol levels stay up and keep you reaching for snacks – and usually they are not healthy ones.

Stress is also a major factor that impacts our hormones and any symptoms that you have are only going to be made worse.

Progesterone is a natural relaxant and certainly can help, but if symptoms are severe, you may be better with a combination cream that has both progesterone and oestrogen.

Fatigue

When you don’t get enough rest, your levels of ghrelin (a hormone that makes you want to eat) go up. Meanwhile, your levels of leptin (a hormone that decreases hunger and the desire to eat) go down.

These two hormones control feelings of hunger. The result is you feel hungry even if your body doesn’t need food.

Loneliness and boredom

You might find yourself checking the fridge more often when you’re feeling isolated, going through a big life change or challenge, or are simply bored.

Sometimes called emotional eating, it can be a way to self-soothe or pass the time. Talking to a counsellor or therapist can help with ways to help you learn what your triggers are, stay aware of your habits, and figure out alternatives.

Nerves

Eating is a handy outlet for the extra energy that comes with feeling edgy. Not only does it give you something to do, but it also distracts you from whatever’s making you nervous.

Or you might manage your stress by not eating at all. This can slow your system down because your body thinks it’s starving.

When you finally do eat, you’re more likely to overdo it.

Anxiety

This is not quite the same thing as being nervous, but anxiety has a strong link with eating disorders.

Binge eating can be a way to help manage your worries and stress. Other things, from genes, depression, and mood disorders to trauma, addiction or abuse can make you more likely to binge as a way to manage your emotions.

Binge Eating Disorder (BED)

This is a category used in diagnosing eating disorders. It describes ongoing sessions of eating more food than might be considered usual.

BED is linked with behaviours like continuing to eat when you’re no longer hungry, eating very quickly, and eating when you’re alone.

Binge eating often spurs feelings of guilt or shame, and it’s common across all countries and cultures.

Food noise

Food noise happens when thoughts of food seem to take over your mind to the point they intrude on your life.

It is not at all uncommon when dieting for example, as you might constantly think about what you should or shouldn’t eat, mull over whether you’re hungry or not, or what you’ll eat next.

You can quiet the chatter by eating regular meals, eating fewer “pleasure foods” with high fat, sugar, or salt content and taking more time to enjoy each meal.

Peer pressure

Not all emotional eating happens when you’re feeling down. It’s easy to get caught up in the fun of a social event and the cry of ‘let’s all have a dessert’ go up and you don’t want to be the odd one out.

It means you ignore the signs that you’re no longer hungry and feel an obligation to go along with the group.

Alcohol

It lowers your inhibitions, and that includes good judgment about when and how much to eat.

It also makes you more likely to eat less healthy things, like foods full of fats and sugar.

Studies show that drinking affects the part of your brain that monitors self-control, making it much harder to resist a tasty snack.

Pictures of food

Sometimes all it takes is the power of suggestion to make you want to snack.

It might be a drama or film that you’re watching where a couple are having a meal with your favourite foods, or it could be those ads in between the programmes that are constantly tempting you with snacks, cake, chocolate, biscuits and so much more.

Studies show that seeing ads for food makes it more likely that it can make you want to grab whatever food you have on hand and start eating – whether you are hungry or not.

How does it affect you?

Eating when you aren’t hungry, overeating, or binge eating can make you gain weight. It can trigger many other health issues, such as:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Digestive issues
• Heart disease
• Problems sleeping
• Type 2 diabetes

Keep a list of alternatives, such as staying hydrated, eating three full meals a day with no snacking in between, and practicing healthy food swops .

Understanding your hunger cues

You can get hungry in different ways. Physical hunger hits you slowly and can be easy to delay. Many different food choices might help “hit the spot.”

Emotional hunger is more tricky – it can feel urgent and make you crave specific foods.

Try to work out what it is that stimulating you to eat when you’re not hungry.

I know for me it can be mindless eating when I am bored and I’m just not consciously thinking of what I am eating.

How to start recognising hunger cues

Put your hunger cues to the test next time a craving hits. As you eat, zero in on how you feel.

Do you feel stressed or angry? This can be a key clue that you’re emotional eating.

If you slow down and enjoy or consider every bite, you’re more likely to enjoy the experience and eat in a healthy way, in the amounts your body really needs.

Helpful information

You may not be aware of it, but hormone imbalance can contribute to an increase in hunger and appetite. 

This is because hormones play a crucial role in regulating appetite and satiety, and imbalances can disrupt this process, leading to feelings of hunger even when the body has received adequate nourishment. 

However, don’t rule out the fact that constant hunger can be a sign of certain health conditions including diabetes, hyperthyroidism, depression and even pregnancy.

So it’s important to rule out medical conditions while addressing those hunger pangs.

One other factor that can be important is how much sugar you are taking in. Reducing your sugar intake can promote a healthier balance of gut bacteria which can influence your hunger and satiety signals and this can lead to reduce appetite.

If you think sugar might be a factor in your constant snacking, then leading Nutritionist Patrick Holford has some interesting things to say in this article.

https://anna.blog.wellsprings-health.com/sugar-and-tiredness-breaking-the-cycle/