Have you ever stared in amazement at an empty bag of chips and seriously doubted that you were the only one responsible for it? Well, things like that happen, but not without a reason. If you’ve been fighting a desperate battle against cravings for a while, we can help you understand and tackle your opponent better.
“I’m hungry” is something we say quickly, but in most cases, it’s not really the reason we reach for the snack drawer. Let’s take a look behind the scenes of cravings, how they arise, and what you can do when they hit you.
What do hormones have to do with hunger?
Contrary to what we might think, we’re often just passengers in our own bodies. In many areas of our lives, hormones and psychological triggers are almost running the show. Even the evolutionarily vital feeling of hunger is triggered by three hormones you should definitely know about:
- Leptin
- Ghrelin
- Neuropeptide (NPY)
Leptin, the natural appetite suppressant
The hormone leptin is mainly produced by your body’s own fat cells. One of its main functions is to indirectly trigger the feeling of fullness. It does this by blocking the release of hormones that stimulate appetite.
Ghrelin, the hunger hormone
You mainly produce this hormone in the lining of your stomach and in the pancreas. Its main job is to stimulate your appetite. That’s why this hormone is partly responsible for your cravings.
Neuropeptide Y (NPY)
Neuropeptide Y is mainly produced in the brain, specifically in the hypothalamus and in the digestive tract. It stimulates food and fluid intake and at the same time lowers your body’s energy consumption. Like ghrelin, it’s blocked by leptin when it’s time to feel full.
Chemically speaking, it’s clear why you find yourself standing in front of the fridge at night without knowing why. Your hormones are knocking and telling you to head for the next food source.
But since we’re not completely helpless victims of our hormones (and don’t want to be), we need to understand what exactly triggers the release of these hormones, learn to notice them, and respond accordingly.
Hunger isn’t always hunger – the six most common triggers for your appetite
From an evolutionary perspective, nature has set up some pretty clever mechanisms to remind us to eat. But in today’s world, where we have almost constant access to food, it makes sense to better understand our cravings and what triggers them.
First and foremost, your body signals hunger to let you know it’s ready for food. But why does it do that? What are the reasons for your hunger?
1. Eating with your eyes – oops
Back in 2012, a study by the Max Planck Institute showed how pictures of food can raise ghrelin levels and trigger hunger. Next time you’re scrolling through your friends’ food pics on Instagram, pay attention. You look at those treats and suddenly you’re wondering if pizza or an ice cream sundae is next.
The same goes for smells, by the way—they can also stimulate your appetite, like when you walk past a bakery or a food stand.
Tip: Don’t give in to this kind of appetite. The first key to success is catching yourself in the moment of a craving and consciously questioning what triggered it. Once you know the cause, you’ll often realize it’s not real hunger, and you can distract yourself until the feeling passes—just remember: “Know your enemy.”
2. You simply haven’t eaten enough
This is especially common when you’re changing your diet or on a diet, and your daily calorie intake drops too low. Your body is practically screaming for energy and lets you know with intense hunger.
Tip: Even when dieting, make sure you’re covering at least 80 percent of your basic energy needs—anything less is unhealthy in the long run and encourages the dreaded yo-yo effect.
3. Unbalanced or poor nutrition
Meeting your body’s energy needs is just one job of your food. Another is supplying you with essential minerals, vitamins, and trace elements. If you don’t eat a balanced diet or eat too much junk food, you might be getting more than enough calories, but your body is still missing important vitamins, fiber, or protein. Unfortunately, the only way your body knows to tell you this is by making you feel hungry.
All those artificial ingredients in foods just confuse your body even more. Artificial sweeteners, for example, trick your brain into thinking you’ve eaten something sweet, but your body’s chemistry knows better and keeps craving real sugar.
Find out how all those sugar-free and light versions affect your body in our article “Sugar-Free and Zero on Trend – Are Sweeteners Unhealthy?”
Tip: You can often recognize this type of hunger by your craving for something sweet, salty, or sour. Try to identify and address any deficiencies in your diet first—once you do, your body’s SOS signals will stop.
4. Stress as a Trigger for Hunger
From an evolutionary perspective, it makes sense. Every stressful situation costs us energy reserves that we should ideally replenish quickly. While stress thousands of years ago meant running or fighting, today it’s about finishing a project before the deadline or finally getting through traffic.
See the difference? Today’s stress is mostly psychological and uses up less energy, so eating in response to it doesn’t really make sense.
Even long-term stress, whether financial or social, can have this effect. The reason is the stress hormone cortisol, which can stimulate your appetite. If you’re plagued by stress-induced hunger, the only solution is to reduce the source of your stress.
Tip: Even if you don’t feel like it during a stressful workday, push yourself to try a yoga session, blow off steam with a workout, or relax with an evening walk to release tension.
5. Hunger from Boredom
This is a particularly sneaky form of appetite that comes from boredom. Your body doesn’t actually need food, but it makes you think it does—why? Most of the time, your appetite at this stage is emotionally driven. The snack you crave releases feel-good hormones that act as a remedy for bad moods or feeling down.
Heads up: Your body is creating a habit here, teaching your brain that eating is the right response to your emotional state. In our article “Why New Year’s Resolutions Fail and How to Change Habits” you’ll find valuable tips on how to spot and break out of stuck eating patterns.
6. Training and Increased Physical Activity
Hunger for sweets isn’t always triggered by something “negative.” Sometimes your body just needs the energy to keep up with your active lifestyle.
Especially after an intense workout, you probably often crave something sweet to recharge. That’s totally normal—just make sure to give your body natural sources of protein and energy for recovery and muscle building. It’s better to skip the fast food on your way home.
Wondering how to handle your hunger?
Since hunger can be triggered by both physical and psychological factors, you won’t always be able to avoid it—and that’s okay. What matters most is recognizing what’s causing your appetite and responding the right way. So what can you do about hunger?
The key to dealing with sudden cravings or even “real hunger” is mindfulness. When you feel the urge to snack, dig a little deeper—it only takes a minute. Ask yourself:
- How much have I already eaten today, and when was my last meal?
- Could it be that I’m just bored?
- Could a calorie deficit be the cause? (for example, a physically demanding day or an intense workout)
- How stressed am I right now, and is there something I can do about it instead of giving in to my appetite?
It’s not a good idea to just ignore your hunger or distract yourself from it. The top priority for a healthy body is to fuel it with natural, healthy food. Once that’s covered, it’s totally okay to say “no” to sudden cravings now and then.
Ready to listen more closely to your body?
Hunger is the most natural feeling in the world. But our world has changed, and sometimes our instincts and natural impulses don’t match our modern lifestyle. With a bit more mindfulness and a better understanding of what’s going on in your body, you’ll be able to give it what it truly needs—and avoid those nasty cravings that don’t do you any good in the long run.
For those weak moments, we recommend clearing all the chip bags out of your house and reaching for a protein bar instead. It’ll keep you full longer and is the healthier alternative when your body is crying out for more.
Cover image by Mohamed Hassan.