Why Do I Feel Hungry So Soon After Breakfast?

You may think hunger is your body’s way of telling you it needs more fuel—but it’s more often than not just driven by your stomach’s never-ending desire to be filled.

In evolutionary history, our ancestors survived and weathered potential famines by eating food whenever it was available, and our biology still reflects our food-craving past.

From the moment the stomach starts to empty its contents into the intestines, the urge to eat again begins. When your stomach deflates, its slippery walls release the food-craving hormone ghrelin, which sticks like syrup to the tiny appetite-controlling region of the brain. This triggers the primal need to eat, and as more and more ghrelin sticks, your hunger levels will steadily rise. Long-term stress and lack of good sleep can also trigger ghrelin release, dialing up appetite.

There are ways you can keep greedy ghrelin from wrecking your good intentions. Quick-digesting breakfasts will leave the stomach promptly and cause ghrelin to be released quickly, so cravings end up plaguing your morning. Instead, try to eat foods full of unrefined carbohydrates and fiber to ensure digestion is slower.

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ballooning stomach

After eating, the stomach deflates and releases copious amounts of ghrelin, the hunger hormone, which tells your brain that you’re hungry. When your stomach expands after a meal, less ghrelin is released, dialing down your appetite.