By: Camila Almeida, CHAMP Staff*
The pandemic gave me a new habit: Snacking in-between meals. In the pre-pandemic days, I would eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and I never felt hungry. With the home office came easy access to my pantry and fridge, and I started adding mid-morning and afternoon snacks to my day. Initially, I didn't eat because I was hungry, I ate because I could and the snacks were there. And they looked tasty. But over time hunger started to hit me around my new snack times. I then realized that biology was playing a trick on me.
Our brains and guts work together to control hunger and satisfaction. Ghrelin, a hormone released by the gut, plays a major role in the process. At least 2 factors contribute to ghrelin release: an empty gut and habitual meal timing. Imagine a person who eats regularly at 0800, 1200, and 1800. Over time, their brain learns this pattern, which promotes ghrelin release according to this schedule. If this person decides to fast for 24 hours, ghrelin levels still peak around the times they typically eat, but then they go back down, regardless of the gut being empty or full.
Once released, ghrelin tells the brain to promote hunger. In other words, our brains learn when we regularly eat, which triggers ghrelin on schedule to remind us to eat. And that's exactly what happened to me. It wasn’t that I needed those snacks and extra calories to sustain myself. My body and brain adjusted to my new routine and began sending me hunger cues at my newfound snack times—even though I didn’t need the fuel. To go back to my old schedule of 3 meals a day, I had to resist the hunger signs and re-teach my brain and body my old eating pattern.
I work in front of a computer and, between sitting and standing at my desk, my daily activity level is pretty low. While I have been successful at using extra time during the pandemic to add exercise to my life, I mainly do moderate-intensity exercises. In the end, with the added two snacks a day, I was eating more calories than I was burning, and the inevitable happened—I gained weight. When I noticed the extra pounds, I immediately knew I needed to drop the in-between meals snacks. I never needed them in the first place—the at-home work environment sparked the added snacks and then became a self-reinforcing habit. Thanks, ghrelin!
It’s important to highlight that having regular snacks isn’t a bad eating habit. Snacks are a great way to provide necessary nutrients to your pre- and post-workout routine, for example. Eating in-between meals is simply not the right choice for me. My workouts are not intense and, as I already mentioned, I spend long hours in front of a computer. I knew that eliminating regular snacks was the right choice for me because, pre-pandemic, I didn't have them regularly, and my daily activity level doesn't require those additional calories.
As you reflect on your own activity level, you might realize that skipping snacks in-between meals is a simple way to reduce calorie intake. If you feel hungry, know that this sensation might not necessarily reflect an actual need for more food. Rather, it's your brain and body reminding you that you usually eat at that time. Some people find that hydration helps to curb appetite, so you can try to drink water while you wait for ghrelin levels to go back down.
I hope the knowledge that the brain promotes hunger on schedule can help you get better control of your meal timing in a way that supports your fitness and health goals.
The bottom line here is that when you feel hungry might not necessarily indicate that your body needs extra fuel. It might just be a reminder that you usually eat at that particular time. With that in mind, I strongly recommend that you consider your activity level before going for that extra snack.
* The opinions and assertions expressed herein are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of USU or DoD. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the author and do not reflect the views, opinions, or policies of The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. Mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. The author has no financial interests or relationships to disclose.
The pandemic gave me a new habit: Snacking in-between meals. In the pre-pandemic days, I would eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and I never felt hungry. With the home office came easy access to my pantry and fridge, and I started adding mid-morning and afternoon snacks to my day. Initially, I didn't eat because I was hungry, I ate because I could and the snacks were there. And they looked tasty. But over time hunger started to hit me around my new snack times. I then realized that biology was playing a trick on me.
Our brains and guts work together to control hunger and satisfaction. Ghrelin, a hormone released by the gut, plays a major role in the process. At least 2 factors contribute to ghrelin release: an empty gut and habitual meal timing. Imagine a person who eats regularly at 0800, 1200, and 1800. Over time, their brain learns this pattern, which promotes ghrelin release according to this schedule. If this person decides to fast for 24 hours, ghrelin levels still peak around the times they typically eat, but then they go back down, regardless of the gut being empty or full.
Once released, ghrelin tells the brain to promote hunger. In other words, our brains learn when we regularly eat, which triggers ghrelin on schedule to remind us to eat. And that's exactly what happened to me. It wasn’t that I needed those snacks and extra calories to sustain myself. My body and brain adjusted to my new routine and began sending me hunger cues at my newfound snack times—even though I didn’t need the fuel. To go back to my old schedule of 3 meals a day, I had to resist the hunger signs and re-teach my brain and body my old eating pattern.
It’s important to highlight that having regular snacks isn’t a bad eating habit. Snacks are a great way to provide necessary nutrients to your pre- and post-workout routine, for example. Eating in-between meals is simply not the right choice for me. My workouts are not intense and, as I already mentioned, I spend long hours in front of a computer. I knew that eliminating regular snacks was the right choice for me because, pre-pandemic, I didn't have them regularly, and my daily activity level doesn't require those additional calories.
As you reflect on your own activity level, you might realize that skipping snacks in-between meals is a simple way to reduce calorie intake. If you feel hungry, know that this sensation might not necessarily reflect an actual need for more food. Rather, it's your brain and body reminding you that you usually eat at that time. Some people find that hydration helps to curb appetite, so you can try to drink water while you wait for ghrelin levels to go back down.
I hope the knowledge that the brain promotes hunger on schedule can help you get better control of your meal timing in a way that supports your fitness and health goals.
The bottom line here is that when you feel hungry might not necessarily indicate that your body needs extra fuel. It might just be a reminder that you usually eat at that particular time. With that in mind, I strongly recommend that you consider your activity level before going for that extra snack.
