Constantly Hungry and Tired All the Time? Could It Be Menopause?

If you feel constantly hungry and tired all the time, menopause could be part of the reason. Falling oestrogen, poor sleep, blood sugar dips and higher stress levels can all affect appetite and energy. In this guide, we explain why it happens and what can help.

Could Constant Hunger and Tiredness Be Menopause? The Checklist

• Are you between 45 and 55?
• Feeling more tired than usual
• Are you eating more than you used to and still not feeling satisfied?
• Have your periods become less reliable or stopped altogether?
• Do you have very heavy periods or flooding?
• Hot flushes at night or during the day?
• Finding it harder to stay asleep?
• Weight gain?
• Feeling more anxious?

Why Menopause Can Make You Feel Hungry and Tired

During perimenopause and menopause, changing oestrogen levels can affect appetite, blood sugar control, sleep quality and stress responses. Together, these shifts can make you feel hungrier, more tired and less satisfied after meals.

• Falling oestrogen can affect appetite and fat distribution
• Poor sleep can increase hunger hormones and cravings
• Stress can raise cortisol, which may increase emotional eating
• Blood sugar dips can leave you feeling tired, shaky or hungry again soon after eating

The Key Hormones Involved

Several hormones help regulate appetite, energy use and food cravings. During menopause, changes in oestrogen can affect how these hormones behave, which can leave you feeling hungrier and more tired than usual.

• Leptin stops you feeling hungry all the time. Leptin signals to the brain that we have enough energy via food and drink. It helps to suppress hunger and prevent excessive eating.
• Ghrelin stimulates physical hunger. Ghrelin helps trigger hunger so you eat enough to keep your energy levels up.
• Cortisol is a stress hormone. When we’re stressed, cortisol is released into the bloodstream, which can increase cravings and make appetite harder to manage.
• Insulin helps your body turn food into energy. It moves sugar from the blood into storage or use, and frequent spikes and crashes can affect hunger and energy levels.

How Menopause Affects Hunger and Weight

Oestrogen does much more than regulate the menstrual cycle. It also helps support appetite balance, body composition, sleep, mood and how the body responds to stress. As oestrogen levels fall during perimenopause and menopause, these systems can become less stable, which may increase hunger, fatigue and weight gain.

Common Low Oestrogen Symptoms in Menopause

Menopause comes with a long list of symptoms, as does perimenopause.

• Hot flushes
• Headaches
• Bloating
• Constipation
• Tiredness
• Itchy skin
• Weight gain
• Joint pain
• Increase in appetite
• Anxiety
• Mood swings
• Poor concentration
• Brain fog

Menopause Weight Gain

Around 50% of women gain weight with an average of 10kg. While menopause doesn’t directly cause weight gain, the symptoms associated with menopause can affect appetite, hormones, metabolism, mood and body composition.

Sleep Disruption and Hunger

It is very common for women in menopause to suffer from sleep issues. Lower oestrogen levels can affect how the brain processes serotonin, a chemical building block of melatonin, which helps to regulate our sleep/wake cycles.

How to Control Hunger During Menopause

Thankfully, there are ways to manage the increased hunger that menopause and shifting hormones can trigger. Nutrition plays a big part. Cutting back on refined carbs, avoiding too much alcohol and increasing protein can make a huge difference.

Let’s look at some ways you can get your energy balance back and change unhelpful eating behaviours.

Balance Your Blood Sugar

Blood sugar dips can leave you feeling tired, shaky, irritable and hungry again soon after eating. Refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta, sugary cereals and sweet snacks can cause quick spikes and crashes, which may make appetite harder to manage.

Make Sure You're Eating Enough Protein

Menopausal women in particular need protein to help retain lean muscle mass, which naturally starts to decline as we mature. Lean muscle mass helps burn calories, and protein also helps balance blood sugar and keep you feeling satisfied.

Eat Healthy Fats

We need fat to stay healthy, especially during menopause. Healthy fats like omega 3, 6 and 9 help support heart health and hormonal balance. Fat is also fuel for the body and provides more energy per gram than carbohydrates or protein.

Fat also helps keep the brain healthy. Sardines, salmon and mackerel are all good sources of omega 3. If you’re not eating enough fat, low mood, brain fog and lack of energy can develop.

Eat More Fibre

Fibre can help regulate bowel habits and may also help you feel fuller for longer.

We need both soluble and insoluble fibre to support our bodies. Soluble fibre helps slow digestion so you can absorb nutrients. Insoluble fibre helps to keep you regular and eliminate waste efficiently.

Prebiotic fibre acts as food for the healthy microbes that live in our gut, which is good news for overall health. Gut health supports hormone regulation and how nutrition is digested. Eve’s prebiotic fibre also helps keep blood sugar levels more stable.

Lower Stress Levels

The stress hormone cortisol can increase appetite, making you feel hungry more often. Stress can also trigger emotional hunger, which is more psychological than physical.

Using herbal adaptogens like ashwagandha can help support the body’s response to stress. That’s why we include it in Eve Biology Shakes - 85% of consumers felt less stressed in a 4 week trial.

Get Enough Sleep

Tiredness is a common menopause symptom. Sleep helps balance appetite hormones. Lack of sleep can make you feel hungry all the time as your body tries to get quick energy.

When we feel tired, we often reach for convenient options like fast food and ready meals because we don’t have the energy to cook healthy meals. If you can improve your sleep pattern, you may find it easier to stay in control of your diet too.

Sleep can also be affected by symptoms like hot flushes and nocturia. Avoid coffee and alcohol in the afternoon because they can act as diuretics and may increase anxiety. Some vitamins and minerals, such as magnesium, can also help.

Eve Biology Shakes were formulated to help you reclaim your energy and support hormonal balance.

Be Mindful of Your Eating Behaviours

Eat mindfully and try to keep regular meal times. Distracted eating can make appetite harder to manage. Eating slowly gives your body time to register fullness, which can help prevent overeating.

Drinking water with meals and throughout the day can help you feel fuller, stay hydrated and support normal digestion.

Summary

Menopause can affect hunger and energy through changing oestrogen levels, disrupted sleep, blood sugar swings and stress. Focusing on protein, fibre, healthy fats, better sleep and more stable eating habits can help you feel more balanced and in control of your appetite.

FAQ

Why do I feel constantly hungry and tired all the time?

Changing hormone levels, poor sleep, stress and an unbalanced diet can all affect appetite and energy during menopause, making you feel hungrier and more tired than usual.

Which hormones affect appetite?

Ghrelin is the main hormone that increases appetite, while cortisol, the main stress hormone, can also make you feel hungrier.