Why do I feel hungry constantly?

Question

I eat through out the day, healthy, always. I still feel hungry after an hour or two. I might be lacking protein, because I am a vegetarian, but I eat plenty of foods with protein. There might be something else I am missing although I am rather good at being a veggie, for a teen with meat eating family and friends. But I always feel hungry, empty stomached.

Answer 1

sometimes your body mistakens dehydration for hunger--drink more water!

Answer 2

Yup, there it is, you are hungry because your body wants what it is not getting. Enjoy some sizzling steak and chicken fajitas on me, I had a dinner salad once this year.

Answer 3

carry little baggies of dry-roasted nuts with you, to snack on during the day.......

Answer 4

Do you eat soy?  Some foods stick with you longer and red meats are some of them as well as eggs.  What sort of foods do you eat that have protein?  and are they high in protein?  Try eating a bit more each meal to see if that helps.

Answer 5

try eating those 90 calorie snack bar thingys :)

Answer 6

eat more protein/fibre, and drink more water

Answer 7

Try to eat alot of low GI foods that will keep you feeling full for longer. Whole grains and oats, and many other foods have low GI (you can buy low GI cookbooks).

Also you may not be getting enough Carbs in your diet to meet your energy requirements.

There are also many medical problems that could explain what you are feeling so mabye best to visit a GP or Specialist.

Answer 8

it could be a lack of a certian vitiman.

if it is a lack of protien then eat lentals(type of bean) they are vegetarian and contain the same amount of protien as meat.

also, they are very healthy

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Answer 9

you may be on a growth spurt which means that you might be missing the regular vitamins that you would find in meat but you aren't receiving them because of your refusal to eat meat.

Answer 10

i was nauseous and had something like that, found myself eating 24/7. i was vegan though. turns out im low on iron. try eating for broccoli and see if it helps/ mine got so extreme that currently i have to eat chicken.

Answer 11

Just eat the freaking meat man. Are you going to go stop all the lions from Africa from eating the gazelles too?

Answer 12

are u sure ur hungry or are u just craving the taste of food?

Answer 13

Do you burn carbs by working out or doing any physical labor?  If so, there ya go.

Answer 14

They just had an article I think on CNN that protein triggers the feeling of "fullness."  You might just need more protein - or a different type of protein.  For example, if you are eating tofu, which contains tons of protein, maybe your body isn't easily absorbing that type of protein - hence the feeling of hunger.  So maybe if you are eating 50g of "veggie" type of protein a day, maybe you need to up it a little.  Are you able to do peanut butter, another valuable protein source?  That might help satisfy your hunger.  FWIW, I had been a vegatarian for 12 years, and had to constantly eat all day long.  I was very healthy, just was hungry every hour or so too.  That's not really a bad thing - the body can take its time absorbing nutrients slowly all day long instead of how most people do it (no breakfast, small lunch, big dinner).

Answer 15

none of those guys above me r right they r all dead wrong ur boread when u get boread u eat all my friends say they eat when they r bored even if they r not hungry

Answer 16

Hm i would go to the doctors, it could be worms i'm sorry to say you can catch them pretty easily and should be gone with a pill

Answer 17

drink more, and eat peanuts or peanut butter, it is high in protien, also, go with the more filling fruits.veggies like apples, avoid eating lots of bread, it tends to make you less hungry.

Answer 18

Whole grain carbs will help you feel fuller longer and will be a steady source of energy.

Answer 19

Lack of fat in the diet can also cause this.  Have a slice of ww bread with some olive oil or whatever oil you eat.  I eat butter and bread and it keeps me full for several hours.

Answer 20

are you thirsty are you drinkin enough water ? nuts are a great sorce of protein try a small handfull as a snack

Answer 21

Maybe food is a way to kill boredom?  Or if eating makes you happy, it can be a way to get rid of a bad mood.   Do you eat meat substitutes?  Like soy sausage, or things like that, that would be more filling than just fruits and vegetables?

Answer 22

Eat foods which keep you fuller longer - carbohydrates are a must - that's bread, pasta, potatoes, rice etc.  They keep you full for longer and your body breaks them down slowly so you get sustained energy.  Protein is necessary for energy etc, but it doesn't keep you full, also vegetarian protein substitutes don't tend to be as bulky as meat protein so you will need to eat things in different quantities than your friends and family.  Fibre is also a useful component of your diet, things like Weetabix will keep you full for longer as there is a lot of bulk but not a lot of calories.  If you really can't work it out, approach your GP, or the practice nurse and explain to them what you are eating and they should be able to tell you some good foods to keep you full longer.

If you are already eating a good mix of foods with carbohydrates and fibre then try drinking more water, water makes you feel full and it also helps your body stay on top form.

Answer 23

This may sound like I am being trite, but let me assure you that I am completely serious:  EAT MORE.

Preferably as several smaller meals rather than two or three big meals.  That keeps your blood sugar steady too.  Also, consider slightly increasing your fats and carbohydrate intake.  A handful of almonds or a couple of slices of avocado are a couple of ideas; the point is that fats, complex carbohydrates, and fiber are all necessary and will help to dissuade the hunger.

As an afterthought, since you are a teen, remember that you should be taking in a LOT of food a day, since you are still growing.  Just make sure to give it the good stuff; have a good variety of legumes, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits at each meal.

Answer 24

I am a pescatarian--so basically I'm a fake vegetarian because I eat fish.  But I am hungry all of the time too.  But I'm supposed to be.  There are two reasons:

-Meat literally has to rot for a day in your stomach before it can be digested.  So when you eat it you are full for some time.  Plant foods burn off in two hours.  So no matter how much you eat, two hours later you should be hungry again.

-BMR (Basic Metabolic Rate).  I am a tall, muscled guy, which means I require 3600 calories a day.  The average vegetarian meal is about 600 calories, so if I only eat three meals then I'm short 1800 calories.  I upped it to six meals.  Do a search for BMR Calculator to find out yours, and then figure out how many calories you should have in each meal.

Answer 25

Do you take B12 tablets. All vegetarians must.

If not, you could be developing some form of IBD.

Answer 26

Fruits and veggies are easily digested.  Eat fruits that are harder to digest like Pears.  Watermelons are easier to digest.  Also try drinking lots of water.

Answer 27

haha i get that way too its cuz we exercise

Answer 28

maybe you have a tape worm or watev its called.

Answer 29

dont worry

im the same way

i eat a meal and then literally ten minutes later i am hungry again

today for breakfast i ate 3 waffles, a bowl of cereal, an orange, a banana, and 4 pieces of bacon (and a glass of orange juice) and then i felt like i had an emtpy stomach a few minutes later