Have you ever noticed that sometimes you feel full for hours after eating, and sometimes you’re hungry an hour or two after you eat? Or how sometimes you eat a small meal but feel satiated and energized? Satiation isn’t a mere matter of calories, portion size, or appetite—it’s a matter of food quality. Let’s explore why some foods make you feel fuller longer, and why others leave you feeling hungry.
Why Do I Feel Hungry Shortly After Eating?
If you’re eating 3 meals per day and are mindfully snacking between meals, you shouldn’t feel hungry between your meals. Or at least not very often. Let’s dive into the top reasons you might be feeling hunger pangs.
Deprivation dieting
Most fad diets are centered around extremely low caloric intake. Calories combined with the nutrients in your food are what fuel your body. Even if you’re losing weight, you may not be providing your body what it requires to thrive. This is why you’re likely feeling tired, irritable, and hungry.
High-intensity lifestyle
If your job burns a lot of calories or you engage in sports or physical activities that burn more calories than the average workout—you require more calories than the average person. For example, Olympian Michael Phelps ate between 8,000 and 10,000 calories per day when he was training for the Olympics!
This isn’t typical, but if you have a high-intensity job or lifestyle, 2,200 calories per day isn’t enough for you.
Low-quality foods
What you eat matters. If your last meal was heavily processed, you may have consumed calories, but not essential nutrients. So, your body is sending hunger pangs to your brain. For example, if you ate fast food for lunch but felt ravenous a couple of hours later. Or why chips, a candy bar, and other processed snacks don’t leave you feeling less hungry between meals.
You ate too fast
If you’re on the go or you rushed to eat your last meal, you may continue to feel hungry until your brain has time to register that you’ve eaten. As long as you eat a nutrient-dense meal, you’ll feel full 20 minutes or so after you eat.
Sleep deprivation
If you didn’t get enough sleep last night, your body didn’t have the time it needed to rest and repair. This often causes your body to produce more of the hunger-regulating hormones ghrelin and leptin. This isn’t just a sheer matter of hormonal imbalance. Your body requires more calories and nutrients to stay awake when you feel fatigued.
The longer you go on reduced sleep, the more likely you are to overeat. This is why sleep deprivation is consistently linked to weight gain.
Thirst
Thirst is often mistaken for hunger, as thirst pangs feel almost exactly like hunger pangs. So, if you had a nutrient-dense meal and “feel” hungry, drink 8 to 16 ounces of water. If not water, another zero or low-sugar hydrating beverage. This includes herbal tea, sparkling water, or an electrolyte drink. Be mindful that many electrolyte beverages contain more than a day’s worth of sugar. However, they may be just what you need if you’re feeling dehydrated—or if you’re heading toward dehydration.
Wait about 20 minutes to see if you still feel hungry. If it’s thirst, you will feel satiated.
Other causes
If you’re mentally stressed, emotionally stressed, or bored your hunger may be emotionally derived. If you have a health condition that accelerates digestion or interferes with how your body regulates its hormones or blood sugar, you may feel hungry shortly after eating nutrient-dense meals.
Now let’s dive in a bit deeper into how thirst, fiber, and protein help you feel fuller longer.
What Are Signs That I’m Thirsty Not Hungry?
Thirst is the fastest and easiest way to resolve your between-meal hunger. It may not be why you’re hungry, so let’s explore how to determine if dehydration is the cause.
According to Loma Linda University, if you have the symptoms below for no explanation, it could be thirst:
- Headache
- Muscle cramps
- Joint pain
- Low energy
- Brain fog
- Dizziness
- Dry eyes
- Dry mouth
- Dry skin
- Salt cravings
Long-term dehydration can lead to weight gain. This is due to eating when you “feel” hungry when it’s actually thirst.
Why would I crave salty food if I’m thirsty?
Although eating an excessive amount of salty foods in one sitting can trigger thirst, salt is an electrolyte. So, if you’re craving salty foods, it may be your body telling you that you’re thirsty.
How much water should I drink per day?
Aim to drink no less than 64 ounces of hydrating fluids per day, or about half your body weight in ounces of water per day. More if it’s hot, humid, or you’re sweating more than a standard workout. Of if you’re taking a prescription that increases your need for hydration. Be as proactive as possible, by hydrating your body before you sweat or feel thirsty.
What Foods Make Me Feel Fuller?
One of the reasons the term “balanced meals” is so popular, is because it promotes feeling fuller on fewer calories. You must remember that not all food is created equally, so you must build your diet around whole foods and low-processed foods.
The foods you choose provide calories, carbs, fat, protein, fiber, and the essential vitamins and nutrients found only in fruits and vegetables. These nutritional components work synergistically in your body to keep you full, energized, and healthy. When it comes to feeling satiated, fiber and protein intake play a crucial role
Fiber
You aren’t alone if managing your bowel movements is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “fiber”. While fiber helps to keep you regular, it does so much more.
Ensuring your meals contain adequate fiber:
- Bulks up the foods you eat, so you feel full sooner.
- Slows digestion, so you feel fuller longer.
- Helps to regulate blood sugar by slowing digestion.
- Helps your body regulate hunger hormones.
The average American gets about 15 grams of fiber per day, but the suggested amount is 25 to 30 grams per day. Some physicians believe we should be aiming for 30+ grams per day.
Protein
Protein also plays a vital role in promoting satiation. The average adult requires 15 to 30 grams of protein 3 times a day. How much protein you require per day varies depending on factors including your:
- Age
- Weight
- Muscle mass
- Activity level
- Overall health
Protein helps you feel fuller by providing you with energy, feeding and fueling your muscles, and helping your body regulate hormones. Although most adults are consuming enough grams of protein per day, most aren’t getting the diverse range of proteins they should be.
Protein contains 9 different amino acids. To ensure you’re eating enough of all 9, obtain your protein from a variety of vegan, vegetarian, and non-vegetarian protein sources.
This includes:
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Avocados
- Seafood
- Meat
- Eggs
- Dairy
- Beans
- Legumes
What Are Some Nutrient-Dense Snacks?
If you find yourself feeling hungry between breakfast and lunch, or lunch and dinner consider the snacks below. They contain a filling balance of protein and fiber, and they’re nutrient-dense and delicious!
- Sugar-free Greek Yogurt with berries—Greek yogurt is high in protein, and adding berries or other fruit provides fiber and sweetness.
- Apple slices with nut butter—apples are rich in fiber, and nut butter adds protein and healthy fats.
- Hummus with veggies—hummus is made from chickpeas, which are high in both fiber and protein. Carrots, celery, and bell peppers are perfect dipping veggies.
- Cottage cheese with Pineapple—cottage cheese is an excellent source of protein, and pineapple adds fiber. Pineapple is sweet and nutrient-dense.
- Trail mix—a mix of nuts, seeds, and dried fruits provides a combination of fiber, protein, and healthy fats. Just be sure to read the label, as some mixes are more of a dessert item. Or make your own train mix.
- Edamame—these young soybeans are packed with both fiber and protein.
- Chia Pudding—made with chia seeds and your milk of choice is a satisfying snack. Sweeten with honey, vanilla, and fruit.
- Whole-grain or gluten-free crackers with low-fat cheese—whole-grain crackers provide fiber, while cheese adds protein. Just ensure the crackers are truly whole grain, not “made with whole grains”. Deceptive advertising can lead you to believe that some crackers are 100% whole-grain, when they aren’t. Or choose a gluten-free cracker.
- Roasted chickpeas—roasted chickpeas are a crunchy, high-fiber, and high-protein snack. Make your own and add spices for flavor.
- Guacamole and veggie chips—if not guacamole, have half an avocado with a serving of veggie chips to feel fuller between meals.
Still Not Sure What to Eat to Lose Weight or Maintain Weight Loss?
The team at Valley Medical Weight Loss and Med Spa can’t stress this enough—fad diets don’t work! Most activate initial weight loss but leave you feeling so hungry, tired, and irritable that they aren’t sustainable. The moment you stop your most recent deprivation diet, you start gaining your weight back. This is because you haven’t developed any new lifestyle or nutritional habits. This isn’t your fault!
If you’re tired of yo-yo dieting with no results, consider one of our scientifically proven weight loss programs. We have both a Weekly and Monthly Program.
We’ll personalize your weight loss program with a meal plan that leaves you feeling satiated after every meal. If it’s the right fit for you, you can add weekly Semaglutide injections and a personalized range of vitamin injections.
Reach out today to learn more!
