Is Your Appetite All Over The Place? You Might Be In Love

Being smitten with someone is an amazing thing, the world seems a much better place and you feel a lot more tolerable of things that usually sour your mood. However, those butterflies in your stomach can also wreak havoc on your appetite. Individuals explain how they feel content when they meet the person they are in love with, and they often have to be reminded that they need to eat (it is true!)

While you may think these are just new feelings, this isn't just about adjusting to new emotions, you will be surprised to know that there are complex hormones at play and here is how it can affect your appetite with many unexpected aspects of falling in love.

Studies have shown that in the first few stages of your attraction to someone there is a part of your brain that is activated, and that part of your brain is responsible for you feeling hungry or thirsty. This connection suggests that powerful emotions that are associated with attraction to someone are very much connected to fundamental biological drives of the body. The brain releases a surge of chemicals, which includes dopamine, we all know that dopamine is responsible for the happy and excited emotion, not only that but it also influences the hypothalamus, the brain region responsible for appetite regulation basically when you are hungry and when you are not.

One thing you must remember is that you need water and food to survive, i.e. thirst and hunger. So, one can say that love is necessary for survival as it can trigger these chemicals that motivate you to get better and be at the top of your game. From this we understand that the feelings of attraction and hunger are two very interconnected feelings.

When you meet someone new, it is the excitement of getting to know the person and the thrill of being attracted to them, but it can also induce a state of stress. Studies have shown that your stress levels increase during the early stages of falling in love. But it is a normal response to your body feeling the intense emotional and the physiological changes occurring within the body. This stress response can lead to a decrease in the levels of another neurotransmitter that regulates your mood, which further makes the feelings of anxiety and unease worse. This internal turmoil can manifest physically, impacting digestion and often leading to a temporary loss of appetite.

The hormonal changes that are associated with attraction don't just involve stress hormones, they also include a flood of feel-good chemicals. Do you know the feeling of happiness and contentment when you see your partner after a long time? It is because of the chemicals that are released when you are feeling love or connected to someone. It can create a state of euphoria and intense focus. This heightened state of excitement and preoccupation with the person who is your focus of affection can temporarily overshadow other needs, including the need for food.

Basically, the need to eat can disappear because you are satisfied and very content with your partner. The brain's reward system becomes so engrossed in the pursuit of connection and the experience of pleasure that basic biological drives, like hunger, can take a backseat. It can feel similar to when you are engrossed in an activity that you love and only when you are finished with it, do you realize that you haven’t eaten. This shift in priorities is a natural consequence of the intense emotional experience of falling in love.

Having a crush can really throw your eating habits off, but you do not have to worry because it is normal. While it is something that many people don’t talk about, it is an experience that most have gone through. Think of it as part of the excitement of getting to know someone who you wish would stay in your life for a long time. The intense focus and the weird changes in your appetite will eventually even out as things progress. So, try not to worry too much if you're not as hungry as usual. Just enjoy the rollercoaster of emotions and know that your appetite will come back to normal levels eventually.