CRAVINGS ARE NOT A WILLPOWER PROBLEM

If you’ve ever told yourself, “I just need to be more disciplined…”, you need to read what I'm about to share.

Cravings are not a willpower problem, or a motivation problem, they're a symptom. And in menopause, those symptoms are often pointing to something deeper going on in your body. Like the check engine light in your car. When it comes on, you may not know exactly what's wrong, but you know it's an issue that needs to be checked out. Same with your body.

First let me say, if you're struggling with cravings and/or trying to lose weight, there's nothing wrong with you. And you're not broken. This may come as a surprise, but your body is not working against you, it’s actually working for you.

Even when it feels like it’s sabotaging you. Cravings don’t just show up randomly, they’re driven by physiology. One of the biggest drivers is blood sugar instability. When your blood sugar spikes and crashes, it triggers a stress response and your body goes into a state of urgency, fight or flight.

And even though you're not being chased by a tiger, your body can't differentiate what kind of stress you're experiencing and just knows it needs quick energy to of course, fight or flee. So it pushes you toward fast-digesting, ultra processed foods, sugar, carbs, processed snacks. Your hormone ghrelin that tells you when you're hungry suddenly goes into overdrive, while leptin, the one that tells you you're full, sits back waiting for the stress and need for energy stops, so it can start sending you those “full” signals again.

This is not because you’re “weak.” It's because your body is trying to keep you functioning and it's doing exactly what it's designed to do when that “check engine” light comes on.

Now add in undereating, counting and/or cutting calories into the mix and you might start seeing more than just the check engine light come on, you'll start seeing smoke come from under the hood.

If you’re not eating enough, especially protein, your body will compensate. It's survival 101. Your brain is programed to keep you alive at all costs. So if you haven't been fuelling adequately, cutting out meals, depriving yourself, living on 1000 calories per day, that often shows up as cravings later in the day or at night.

This is why so many women feel “in control” all day…And then lose it in the evening. You're not lazy, it’s not lack of discipline, there's nothing wrong with you. It’s delayed biology.

Sleep allso plays a huge role when it comes to cravings. Poor sleep increases hunger hormones. hello ghrelin, and decreases satiety aka, leptin's on vacation. So you’re hungrier, less satisfied, and more likely to crave high-energy foods. The perfect storm to set your body up to pack on the weight you've been trying to lose. Or lose again...

I sincerely hope you can't relate. And then of course we can't ignore stress. Stress activates cortisol released into your body. Cortisol is your stress hormone, and is also your fat-storing hormone. When cortisol is elevated, your body craves quick fuel and it causes your body to store fat. In preparation to “store” up for that famine it's perceiving as stress. Because it thinks you need extra energy to deal with a threat.

So even emotional cravings have a physiological component. Now, does that mean mindset doesn’t matter?

Of course not. But you can’t “mindset” (aka willpower, push through, or buckle down) your way out of a body that’s under-fueled, sleep-deprived, and stressed.

You have to address the root. Start with being consistent. Eating breakfast everyday. Stop skipping meals, or saving up calories for later as both are equally damaging. Prioritize protein. Frequently throughout the day to help stablize blood sugar. Stable blood sugar means fewer cravings.

Next, ook at your day as a whole. How much are you eating? Are you eating enough? Are your meals balanced? Or are you relying on willpower and waiting til you feel hunger signals that have been turned off to get you through? Because willpower will always lose to biology.

Now let's zoom out and take a look at the rest. Are you getting enough sleep? Is is good qualtiy sleep? Where's your stress at on a scale from one to 10? What are you doing to manage it? Because cravings are not the problem, they are the symptom.

Instead of asking, “Why can’t I control myself?”, start asking, “What is my body trying to tell me?”. When you listen, and respond appropriately, so do your cravings. Cravings don’t disappear overnight. But they will get quieter and that check engine light will turn off. And that's when you are back in control.

For more information on how to curb cravings, eat more not less and turn off your check engine light, watch Tania's free video.