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Juniper Journal

Hungry after eating? Here's why (and what you can do about it)

How do you regain your appetite control without weight gain?

Hungry after eating? Here's why (and what you can do about it)
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Key takeaways

  • If your meals lack protein, healthy fats, fibre, or complex carbs, your body may not feel fully satisfied, leading to persistent hunger.
  • Ghrelin, leptin, insulin, and cortisol all regulate hunger signals. Hormonal disruptions can make you feel hungry even after eating.
  • Practising mindful eating, staying hydrated, and managing stress can help regulate appetite without leading to weight gain.

Picture this: you've just finished eating and you're tidying up when suddenly, you realise you're still hungry.

For some people, this can happen frequently, making them feel like they're hungry all the time. Maybe it's specific food cravings, or maybe it's a sensation of extreme hunger, but either way, it's not ideal. But how do you regain your appetite control without weight gain?

If you've ever found yourself thinking, 'Why do I feel hungry after eating?', this is the article for you.

Below, we'll break down everything you need to know about feeling hungry all the time, particularly after you've just eaten.

From your food intake to drinking alcohol to thyroid problems and other medical conditions, there are plenty of culprits that could be behind that insatiable, constant hunger. But thankfully, there are ways to combat excessive hunger (and without weight gain). Let's dive in.

7 possible reasons you feel hungry after a meal

1. Your meals aren't balanced

Your body needs certain vitamins and nutrients to trigger the sensation of fullness and to function properly.

If you're eating regularly, but those meals are highly processed foods or high in sugar, for example, your body may start sending you more frequent hunger cues, because it's craving the nutrition it needs to function.

A balanced meal usually consists of [1][2][3][4]:

  • Protein, which is essential for muscle repair and helps keep you feeling full for longer
  • Healthy fats, which are important for satiety and nutrient absorption
  • Fibre, which helps with digestion and satiety
  • Complex carbohydrates, which give your body lasting energy and help you maintain stable blood sugar levels

If your meal is missing one or more of these key elements, you may end up feeling like you're just hungry all the time. This is because your body hasn't gotten the nutrients it needs to feel satisfied, so it's calling out for you to correct that.

One option to make sure you're getting enough fibre is Juniper's Daily Fullness + Digestion Blend.

Formulated with high-quality prebiotics, our Daily Fullness + Digestion Blend is a flavourless fibre supplement formulated to enhance feelings of fullness, support gut health, and keep you regular.

2. Your hormones are playing up

Hormone imbalances can significantly influence your hunger levels, even after you've just eaten.

The main hormones involved in hunger regulation are ghrelin, leptin, insulin, and cortisol. When these are out of balance, they can cause you to feel hungry soon after eating.

Grehlin is known as the "hunger hormone," because it's produced in your stomach and stimulates appetite.

Your body releases it when you're hungry, telling your brain that it's time to eat. Stress, certain medications, and not getting enough sleep can all increase ghrelin levels, causing excessive hunger [5].

Meanwhile, leptin is responsible for satiety levels [6]. Produced by fat cells, leptin lets your brain know when you're full and helps regulate your energy balance by reducing your hunger after a meal.

However, if your body is resistant to leptin (which is common in certain metabolic conditions), your brain may not recognise when you're full, even if you've just eaten. In turn, this can cause excessive hunger and lead to overeating.

Insulin is the hormone responsible for regulating your blood sugar [7].

Released by your pancreas after eating (particularly after you eat carbs), insulin works to lower your blood sugar levels again by promoting its update into cells for energy or storage.

When your high or low blood sugar can cause chaos for your hunger signals, and contribute to cravings, particularly for more carbs or sugary foods.

If you're dealing with a thyroid condition, you may also experience weight gain and a sensation of increased or constant hunger [8].

Two hormones, T3 and T4, are in charge of regulating your metabolism, which includes the processes that control hunger.

An underactive thyroid can cause your metabolism to slow down, while an overactive thyroid can lead to rapid metabolism and potentially reduce appetite, but can also cause cravings in some people.

If you have other symptoms outside of increased appetite, it's best to speak with a doctor directly.

Disruptions to any of these hormones, as well as cortisol [9], can make it feel like you're never truly satisfied, even after eating.

The key here is to address the underlying causes of hormonal imbalances, whether it’s stress, sleep issues, poor diet, or a medical condition, to help regulate hunger more effectively.

3. You're eating mindlessly

Ever found yourself snacking because you're bored, stressed, or just because you're used to eating at that time? Mindless eating can lead to more frequent hunger, even after a meal. There are several reasons for this.

If you regularly eat while distracted —  think watching TV, scrolling on TikTok, or sitting at your desk working — you may not realise how much you're eating, or how your body actually feels during the meal [10].

This can make it harder for your brain to register that you've eaten enough, and you may find that you're hungry again soon after your meal.

Often, mindless eating and poor food choices go hand-in-hand. When you're reaching for highly processed snacks that are often high in sugar, your blood sugar can spike, which is followed by a crash.

Even if you've eaten a large amount, you'll likely find that you're hungry soon after, because your blood sugar is crashing.

Mindless eating disrupts the natural communication between your body and brain, which can cause you to feel hungry after meals. Practicing mindfulness and focusing on balanced meals can help reduce these sensations and avoid weight gain.

4. You're not eating enough

Or, in other words: sometimes the simplest answer is the correct one. If you're always hungry, even after you've eaten a meal, it might be that you're just not eating enough.

This could be the case if you're on a low-calorie diet for weight loss, or if the calories you're eating aren't making up a balanced meal (as above).

Calories are energy, and if you're not getting enough energy intake, you're likely to still be hungry after you've eaten [11].

If you're on a weight loss journey but want to make sure you're getting enough essential vitamins and nutrients, Juniper's Nourish Shakes could be a great option for you.

Our tasty meal replacement shakes come in 2 delicious flavours, and they're packed with premium ingredients to keep you fuller for longer, without skimping on the nutrients your body needs.

5. You're eating too quickly

Eating too quickly is another form of mindless eating. When you don't take time to enjoy the meal, your body may not have time to signal to your brain that you're full.

It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to receive the messages from your stomach that you're full, so eating quickly can lead to increased overall food intake or still feeling hungry after the meal [12].

When you eat quickly, you’re also more likely to overeat without realising it, because you’re not paying attention to the amount of food you're consuming.

This can cause bloating and discomfort, as well as blood sugar spikes and crashes, which can cause you to feel hungry again sooner. Over time, this can also cause weight gain [12].

It's also likely that you'll enjoy your meal less, which can cause psychological or emotional hunger, even if you're not physically hungry.

6. You're thirsty

It's no secret that we need water to live, but hydration also plays a significant role in your hunger levels after a meal.

This is because there's an overlap in the way that the brain processes thirst and hunger cues, which can make you feel like you're hungry when you're actually just thirsty [13].

But it goes beyond that, too. Dehydration or extreme thirst can slow your digestion down because your body needs water to break down food so that it can absorb its nutrients. Post-meal hunger might be a sign that your body is craving water to aid with the digestive process.

Hydration also helps regulate your hormones and blood sugar, all of which play a role in your body's hunger cues.

Of course, water also helps with satiety simply because it takes up space in your stomach, which helps signal to your brain that you're full.

7. Your stress levels are high

Finally, if you're stressed out, you may find yourself consuming more food or dealing with more extreme hunger than usual, and there are a few reasons for this.

The main culprit here is cortisol, aka the stress hormone [9]. Cortisol is released in response to stress, but it also plays a key role in regulating your appetite.

This means that chronic stress or high cortisol levels can lead to an increased appetite — especially for those high-calorie comfort foods that we reach for when eating quickly or mindlessly.

In some cases, cortisol may increase hunger even after a meal, particularly if you're in a state of emotional eating or stress-induced hunger.

How to avoid post-meal hunger

Thankfully, there are a number of ways to avoid that dreaded post-meal hunger, even if you're on a weight loss journey.

First, eating balanced meals is crucial. Make sure you've got a good mix of protein, healthy fats, fibre, and complex carbs from whole grains in each meal.

Limit your intake of foods that are high in simple sugars and refined carbohydrates — think white bread, pasta, and those afternoon sweet treats — as these can cause hunger shortly after a meal.

Skipping meals or waiting too long between meals can also make you more likely to feel hungry afterwards. Try to eat at regular intervals throughout the day to maintain stable energy levels, and make sure you're getting enough calories.

Sometimes the key to avoiding excessive hunger is just to eat more food at mealtime so that your body is getting enough nutrients.

When it's time for a snack, aim for something balanced, with protein, fibre, and healthy fats. A small handful of nuts or a piece of fruit with nut butter are great options.

Make sure you're drinking water throughout the day, particularly around meal times. This can help you to feel fuller and reduce the likelihood of overeating.

Eating a lot of salty food can also increase your thirst, so balance your meals with appropriate amounts of salt to avoid excessive thirst and hunger-like feelings.

Slow your eating down, and try to limit distractions so that you can savour the meal fully. Eating mindfully helps your brain to properly register the meal and its contents, improving your awareness of satiety.

Focus on the experience of eating — notice the flavours, textures, and how your body feels as you eat. This will help you tune into your hunger and fullness cues, and to recognise when you’re eating out of emotion rather than actual hunger.

Keeping active is also important. Not only does it help regulate your hunger hormones and improve your digestion, but it can also help lower your stress levels and improve other mental health conditions.

Incorporating relaxation practices like deep breathing, yoga, or meditation can help reduce your cortisol levels, which can trigger hunger.

And of course, if you're dealing with any underlying health conditions, it's best to address these directly with a doctor or healthcare provider.

Certain health conditions and medications can impact appetite, and it's best to tackle the cause, rather than the symptom. In this case, your doctor will be able to discuss suitable treatment options that will work for you.

If you've been on a weight loss diet and have been struggling with post-meal hunger, Juniper is here to help.

Juniper's Weight Loss Reset Program is a medical pathway for weight loss, designed by
Australian practitioners and dietitians. We're not just about helping you get the weight off, but about keeping it off for good, making sure that your weight loss is sustainable in the long term.

With a medically backed treatment plan, health tracking, and a private community of like-minded folks who are on the same path as you, we want to set you up for success.

And with private health coaching to help keep you on track (and hold you accountable when you need it!), it's more than just weight loss.

Interested? Check your eligibility today.

Image credit: Ron Lach via Pexels

Fuel your weight loss with healthy eating
  1. Medically backed weight loss treatments
  2. Personalised nutrition and exercise plan
  3. Trusted by over 100,000 Australian women

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