Are you always hangry? Here are some reasons for why this may be happening… They are related to your food, fitness and sleep.
What Does Hangry Mean?
Being hangry means being hungry + angry at the same time. When we're hungry, we also tend to get angry. While it happens to most of us once in a while, for some people it happens ALL the time.
That was me too… I was hangry from my early to mid/late 20s🤣 It's easy to laugh about it now but it wasn't funny then, and it definitely wasn't funny for those around me.
Why I Was Constantly Hangry
Here are the reasons why I was always hangry:
I Didn't Eat Enough Calories
I didn't eat enough calories, especially considering how much I ran. I was constantly in caloric deficit because it was so important for me to maintain my low weight.
I was really picky about what I ate and cut calories where I could, eating tons of vegetables (sometimes the whole tray of roasted carrots for dinner which I “roasted” with water. I know I know…). In addition to still being hangry after, I was also wondering why I got serious bloating and pain…
I Exercised Too Much (Especially Too Much Long Distance Cardio)
I ran so much. That's the first thing that comes to mind when I think back 10 years. I ran, ran and ran. I was seriously overtrained. Sometimes 20-30K a day, and mostly fasted. I was HUNGRY and ANGRY. The caloric deficit was real, the cravings were real… I didn't get my period for 10 years, that's how overtrained I was!
When my hanger became totally unbearable, I binged like crazy. Not on a bar of chocolate but more like 3 bars and it didn't stop there. I emptied the kitchen cabinets and went to the store to get more snacks. Now I know that this was absolutely normal and also very logical metabolic response to that severe caloric deficit I was in.
I Didn't Sleep Enough and The Quality Of Sleep Was Bad
Have you noticed that most days after a night of bad sleep, you're craving more foods than usual and also tend to be hungrier than usual? Poor sleep messes up our hunger and fullness signals, so we feel constantly hungry and are irritable. We especially crave sweets because those help us to stay alert and awake better.
One thing that can improve sleep is doing more gentle exercise. That will reduce cortisol and help us sleep better. That again will regulate our hunger and fullness signals and as a result, our cravings will normalize.
I Didn't Let Myself Eat the Things I Truly Wanted
Back when I used to get a lot of cravings, I never let myself eat what I actually wanted. Everyone in my family knew about my love for chocolate but to everyone's surprise, when I started my weight loss, I quit all that. Same with other foods I loved, like cheese and nuts.
Have you ever tried to satisfy your craving for chocolate with an apple? Me too, didn't work well — the chocolate craving was still there.
Have you had similar experiences? Let's share!
If you're ready to balance your food and exercise, say bye to insane cravings, have a normal relationship with food, then I'm happy to help you get there. Get in touch if you're ready to take the next step!
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