Cravings aren’t a willpower problem

Ok, let’s talk cravings. This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart since I lived my life for years struggling with really intense sugar and carbohydrate cravings.

The cycle would go like this:

-Wake up and just grab something quick, a granola bar, piece of toast, or some kind of breakfast bar (not really wanting much because honestly, I would have really overeaten the night before.)

– Eat a small lunch because I was dealing with food guilt from overeating the night before. Lunch would be maybe a handful of spinach, some spoonful’s of cottage cheese, maybe some sunflower seeds and some other veggies – carrots and cucumbers.

– Mid-afternoon cravings would really start kicking in. Maybe grab a cookie or some small dessert item from the kitchen at work OR try to snack on some almonds

– Get home from work around 4..STARVING and eat whatever I could find: chips, crackers, crunchy carby foods…I found I wasn’t eaten dinner meals, just kind of grazing and eating until I went to bed.

– Start the whole cycle over

I look back on that and feel sad because I remember thinking, “Katie! What is WRONG with you!” You need to have better willpower and not eat so much at night.

It wasn’t a willpower problem. It was a biochemical problem. A hormone problem. A blood sugar problem.

A few key takeaways how I was able to get off the craving cycle

–you need to eat enough fat and protein to feel satisfied.

– transitioning your metabolism from because a “sugar burner” to a “fat burner” has a profound effect. We talk about this in the Best You Plan 

– Eat full meals throughout the day to avoid overeating later in the day. For example, if you are going to eat a salad, eat a satisfying salad! Try 2-3 cups of veggies + 4-5oz. protein (eggs/cheese/meat) + add fat! (full fat salad dressings without soybean or canola oil, avocados, nuts and seeds).

To your best you,

Katie Vigesaa, RD

registered dietitian