If you feel like you’re constantly thinking about food, always reaching for snacks, or battling cravings all day long, you might have found yourself wondering why you’re always hungry.
This is something we hear from women in their 40s and 50s all the time. They’ve cleaned up their eating, they’ve cut back on sugar and carbs, they’re trying their best, but that constant hunger still won’t go away.
And if you’re dealing with menopause, hormonal shifts, or trying to lose weight, that endless hunger can make it feel impossible to stay on track.
In this article, we’ll break down exactly why this happens, what your body might be missing, and most importantly, what you can do to feel full, satisfied, and in control again.
What Are You Lacking If You Are Always Hungry?
There are several reasons why you might be feeling constantly hungry, and many of them have nothing to do with willpower. Here’s what’s really going on behind the scenes.
Low Blood Sugar Levels
When your blood sugar levels swing too low which is often caused by skipping meals or eating lots of refined carbs, your body responds by triggering hunger hormones. This is why a bowl of cereal or a couple of biscuits can leave you starving an hour later.
Low blood sugar = intense cravings, mood swings, and even shakiness or irritability.
To stabilise blood sugar, focus on balanced meals with protein, fibre, and healthy fats. These nutrients slow digestion and help keep your energy and appetite steady throughout the day.
Not Enough Protein
Protein is the most filling macronutrient, yet many women over 40 aren’t eating nearly enough. It helps lower the hunger hormone ghrelin, increases feelings of fullness, and supports lean muscle (which boosts your metabolic rate).
If you’re feeling hungry soon after eating, or struggling with constant hunger, a lack of protein could be the reason.
Low Fibre Intake
Fibre slows digestion, balances blood sugar, and helps keep your appetite in check. If your meals are low in whole foods like vegetables, pulses, fruits, nuts and seeds, you might find yourself always feeling hungry, even if you’re eating plenty of calories.
Most processed foods, including “healthy” snack bars, low-fat yoghurts, and even meal replacement shakes, are lacking in fibre. This leaves your stomach empty and your hunger hormones wide awake.
Lack of Healthy Fats
Fats have had a bad reputation for years, but healthy fats like those from nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocado and oily fish play a big role in keeping you full.
They’re essential for hormone production, brain health, and keeping your appetite balanced.
If you’ve been avoiding fat in an attempt to lose weight, it could be making things worse by leaving you in a cycle of feeling hungry and unsatisfied which can lead to overeating or constant snacking.
Poor Sleep
Sleep deprivation disrupts the hormones that regulate hunger and fullness making you hungrier the next day and more likely to crave sugar and processed foods. Studies have linked poor sleep to increased food intake, weight gain, and a stronger desire for high-calorie foods.
If you’re waking in the night with hot flushes, stress, or discomfort, it’s no wonder you’re reaching for snacks by mid-morning.
Prioritising good sleep hygiene, managing stress, and considering supplements like magnesium can help improve rest and reduce your appetite the next day.
Not Eating Enough
It might sound counterintuitive, but one of the biggest reasons for extreme hunger is simply not eating enough.
When you drastically cut calories or skip meals in an attempt to lose weight, your body fights back. Your metabolic rate slows, cravings increase, and you end up feeling hungrier, more tired, and more likely to binge.
This is especially common among women trying to “be good” by eating less, but instead end up in a cycle of overeating.
Instead of restricting, focus on eating the right types of food, high in nutrients, fibre, and protein, to stay full without constantly thinking about food.
” I have struggled with my weight since my early 20s due to problems conceiving and taking lots of different hormones that never worked. I had spent many years doing various diets of varying degrees if severity. Since Trinity, everything has changed. I’ve lost 16kg and this program has literally changed my life. I could not afford to sign up again last year but I borrowed to do so because this is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I tell everyone who will listen and my friends and family are astounded by my transformation.”
– Rebecca Vears (51), Trinity Client
6 Ways To Stay Fuller For Longer
If you’re tired of feeling hungry all the time, here’s what to focus on:
1. Improve Your Sleep to Keep Hunger and Cravings in Check
Poor sleep is one of the biggest reasons women feel hungrier than usual, especially during menopause.
When you don’t sleep well, it disrupts two key hunger hormones: Ghrelin and Leptin.
Ghrelin is the hormone that tells your brain you’re hungry. Leptin tells your brain you’re full. After a poor night’s sleep, Ghrelin levels rise and Leptin levels fall—so you feel more hungry, less full, and far more likely to overeat.
This can quickly become a vicious cycle: less sleep → more cravings → more snacking (especially on sugar and carbs) → disrupted sleep again.
To improve sleep, start winding down earlier, avoid screens before bed, and create a consistent routine. Better sleep = fewer cravings and a much easier time managing your appetite.
2. Avoid the WADS Foods 80% of the Time
WADS stands for Wheat, Alcohol, Dairy, and Sugar—the four most common foods we see triggering weight gain, cravings, and menopause symptoms.
These foods are often:
- Calorie-dense with little nutritional value
- Highly addictive (especially sugar and alcohol)
- Disruptive to hormones and sleep
Sugar and alcohol in particular are known to worsen hot flushes, increase inflammation, and disrupt the same hormones that control hunger and fullness which leads to more cravings and late-night eating.
Wheat and dairy, while fine for some, are common intolerances. Many of our clients find they feel better, lighter, and more energised once they cut them out—even temporarily.
We’re not saying you can never have these foods. But avoiding them 80% of the time makes a massive difference to how full and in control you feel.
3. Optimise the Key 3: Calories, Protein, and Fibre
Your nutrition needs change in your 40s. The way you used to eat in your 20s simply won’t work now. This is especially true if your goal is to feel satisfied, fuelled, and in control of your hunger.
That’s why we focus on what we call the Key 3 Nutrients—Calories, Protein, and Fibre.
Calories
As we age, our metabolism naturally slows down, by about 10% every decade. That means what was “maintenance” in your 30s might now be a surplus in your 40s or 50s.
Add in menopause-related fatigue, disrupted sleep, and a sedentary job… and it’s easy to see why many women gain weight eating the same way they always have.
You don’t need to eat tiny portions, but you do need to be more mindful of where your calories come from. Focus on meals made from whole, filling foods like meat, fish, eggs, vegetables and limit processed foods, which are often high in calories but low in satiety.
Protein
Protein is the most filling macronutrient. It helps regulate appetite by lowering Ghrelin (the hunger hormone) and boosting Peptide YY, which makes you feel satisfied.
It also helps preserve muscle, which keeps your metabolism higher and supports fat loss.
We recommend aiming for at least 30g of protein per meal, and having it at every meal, especially breakfast, where many women fall short.
Fibre
Fibre slows digestion, which means you stay fuller for longer after meals. It also supports gut health, balances blood sugar, and helps reduce the urge to snack.
Great sources of fibre include vegetables, berries, oats, beans, and lentils. Aim for at least 25g a day, but most women over 40 fall well short of this, which is why they’re constantly feeling hungry.
4. Don’t Bother with Phytoestrogens
There’s a lot of hype online about phytoestrogens, plant compounds that mimic oestrogen, and how they can help with menopause symptoms or cravings.
You’ll find them in foods like soy, flaxseeds, sesame seeds, chickpeas, and berries.
While they’re not harmful, there’s no strong evidence they actually help with menopause symptoms, hunger, or fat loss. According to menopause expert Dr Louise Newson, phytoestrogens don’t have the same effect as real oestrogen and should not be used as a substitute for HRT if you’re struggling.
If you’re having significant symptoms, like poor sleep, mood swings, cravings, or hot flushes, HRT (combined with nutrition and lifestyle changes) will likely make a far bigger difference.
5. Avoid Very-Low Calorie Diets
You might be tempted to try a crash diet when you’re feeling out of control around food, but very low-calorie diets (e.g. 1,200 kcal a day or less) often do more harm than good, especially for women over 40.
Yes, they might give short-term results. But most of the weight lost is water and muscle and not fat. And when you lose muscle, you slow your metabolism, meaning it becomes harder to maintain your results.
Low-calorie diets also increase cravings and throw your hunger hormones out of balance for months and sometimes years afterwards.
Plus, extreme dieting is a stressor on the body. And when your life is already stressful (work, family, hormones), this extra stress can trigger what we call the Weight Gain Triangle, where stress, hunger and fat storage around the middle all feed into each other.
That’s why we teach our clients to eat enough. Not too little. Not too much. Just right.
6. Use Strength Training to Boost Metabolism and Manage Hunger
The more lean muscle you have, the more calories you burn, even when resting.
That’s why Low Impact Strength Training (LIST) is a key part of what we coach at Trinity. Just three sessions a week can help build muscle, flatten your stomach, and boost metabolism for days afterwards—helping you burn more calories without feeling hungrier.
Unlike cardio, LIST doesn’t spike cortisol or increase cravings. It helps your body stay lean, strong, and hormonally balanced.
You’ll also find your hunger becomes more predictable, linked to real fuel needs, not emotional eating or hormone spikes.
How Trinity Can Help You Cut The Cravings
At Trinity, we’ve helped over 7,000 women in their 40s, 50s and 60s take back control of their bodies, lose 15–25 lbs, and drop 1–2 dress sizes — all in just 12 weeks. Our approach works, because it’s tailored to women’s bodies in menopause.
We don’t just throw another diet plan at you and hope it sticks. This is a complete lifestyle shift, built around sustainable habits, education, and real-life support.
Unlike weight loss jabs or short-term online challenges, our Fit Over 40 program is designed to re-educate you for life. We show you how to eat for your body’s needs, manage hunger and cravings, build strength, and feel better than you have in years.
You’ll work with a coach who understands exactly what you’re going through. From managing hot flushes to helping you stay motivated through busy weeks — we’ve got you.
If you’re tired of being constantly hungry, if you’re not getting results from the things that used to work, and if you want a solution that actually fits your lifestyle, we can help.
You don’t have to struggle with hunger forever. You just need the right approach, one that finally makes sense for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why am I so tired and hungry all the time?
Constant tiredness and hunger are often linked to poor sleep, high stress, and imbalanced hormones—especially during menopause.
Is being hungry every 3 hours normal?
Yes, mild hunger every few hours can be normal, but if you feel ravenous or unsatisfied, it could be due to low protein, poor sleep, or blood sugar crashes.
Why am I so hungry in my 40s?
Hormonal changes in your 40s, like fluctuating oestrogen and progesterone, can increase cravings and disrupt the signals that control hunger and fullness.
Is hunger a symptom of perimenopause?
Yes, increased hunger can be a symptom of perimenopause, often caused by hormone imbalances, poor sleep, and changes in metabolism.