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February 15, 1996

I’m always hungry. How can I stop feeling hungry?
Question:So Dr. Maffetone, the deal is, a balanced diet that is about 60 percent carb, 30 percent protein, and 10 percent fat is best? I have never been skinny and never fat. I’ve been 5 feet 4 inches and 125 to 135 pounds since I was 15, and I’m 49 now. I run 40 miles a week, have run ten marathons and I’m always skinnier when I up my mileage. But as you
know, working full-time and growing older squeezes out the energy portion available to run 60 miles a week.

I have never been svelte–just on the edge of a size I would really prefer. I know all the basics about food and eat healthy enough to please all but a fanatic. However, I am always HUNGRY. Hungry all the time. Unless I eat like my 190-pound husband, I am hungry. How can I stop being hungry?

Thanks,
Pat Torvestad
ptorvestad@hosp.admin.uams.edu

Dr. Maffetone: Pat, there are many reasons why someone can be hungry all the time, too many to list here. For many people, 60 percent carbs is fine, but for many others, it’s too much. Not only that, at 60 percent carbs (and 30 protein), that doesn’t leave much room for many good fats. Without the right amount of fat in the diet, your digestion will be
quicker. This could make one hungry. And if 60 percent is too much carbohydrate, it will most likely make you hungry.

The problem may also be a training one. You could be training with too high a heart rate, forcing your body to be more sugar-burning. This could also make you hungry.

It’s also possible that physiologically, you’re not really hungry and it’s a psychological hunger. While I don’t see this problem too often, it’s an example of how diverse the problem may be.

Who said 60-30-10 was best anyway? The key is to find what’s best for YOU.