Why Do I Overeat Sugar? | Sugar Cravings & Why You Have Them

Three common areas of struggle that exist among those working on goals related to body composition, weight loss, or their relationship with food are:

Sugar intake
Carbohydrate intake
Overeating or undereating in general

Today we're examining sugar.

If you read information from the World Health Organization, you'll find the recommended amount of sugar for women is not to exceed 20g of sugar a day. One can of pop can easily double that recommended amount in one serving! Now consider additional sweet temptations or cravings throughout the day along with the pressure from the Culture of Nutritional Heroism that encourages you to fully abstain from sugar.

I'm sure you can imagine the stress. What if you love ice cream but feel if you have it you'll never reach your health goals?

This is a recipe for feeling confused, conflicted, and even defeated when it comes to sugar.

You deserve to feel better than this.

Though feeling better first requires you to understand why you might overeat it in the first place.

There are 4 common reasons I've tracked over the years working with clients that often reach for sugar. I'm sharing those here:

1.) You believe you cannot have it or you believe any amount of sugar will cause weight gain or prevent weight loss

Many women have not yet acquired evidence that they can eat treats and still make progress on their goals. This is often due to fear that ANY amount of sugar is "bad." I help clients eat well nutritionally AND create space for their favorite foods. Black and white thinking is generally what creates unnecessary complications with food

2.) You are out of touch with your feelings/emotions or judge them harshly

If you cannot identify feelings and emotions or somehow feel unsafe in doing so, turning to food (especially sweets) can unwittingly be a way to keep emotions from swelling up into consciousness. It may seem like this is a "food problem" but more often this is an issue related to emotions and feelings

3.) You ignore your bodily needs

I've had many clients that reach for extra food or sugar as a response to legitimate bodily needs being ignored. A few common examples include being tired and reaching for sugar or under eating throughout the day and then having intense craving for sugar. Sugar offers a quick supply of energy but the real work is often developing a sustainable and nourishing style of eating that mitigates strong sugar cravings

4.) Your meals are generally unsatisfying

If you dislike the food you are eating or are simply too distracted to enjoy your food, you might find yourself reaching for "satisfaction" after a meal. Many times this can be in the form of sweets. The goal in this case is creating a daily eating plan that you thoroughly enjoy. It takes the pressure off of sweet foods to be the only way you enjoy yourself.

Please consider your relationship with sugar as a teacher! Reaching for sugar is often the body or psyche's smart solution for unmet needs or imbalances.

I hope you've found this helpful.

Want support? Reach out to me here.

With love and respect,

Laura