Why am I always hungry?

On Ep. 262, Nikkiey is clear that hunger itself isn't the problem. Chronic, all-day hunger is. She calls it a red flag that your body isn't getting the nutrients or macros it needs. The fix is not more willpower or eating even less. If you're living off salads and eating like a bird, that may be exactly why you're starving.

Protein and blood sugar are the two big levers. Nikkiey explains that fast-digesting carbs eaten alone, such as fruit and toast for breakfast or a muffin grabbed on the go, spike your blood sugar. It then crashes, leaving you ravenous, cranky and snacky. On Ep. 379 she uses sushi as the example: mostly carbs and fats with little protein, so you're hungry an hour later. She says protein is the macro that most powerfully suppresses ghrelin, the hunger hormone, so without enough of it your fullness signals stay quiet.

There is nuance here. Some hunger is normal. On Ep. 111, Nikkiey says feeling hungry when you lower calories is a sign of a healthy, strong metabolism, and getting no hunger cues at all means something is off. On Ep. 262 she adds that small cues through the day are fine, but feeling starving every day means you're not eating enough and can even contribute to a plateau. For under-eaters, the answer is often eating a little more than you have been.