Why You Have Cravings (And How to Respond Without Derailing Progress)

When a craving hits, most people respond with one of two approaches: either give in completely, or fight to suppress it. Both strategies often backfire.

Research on food psychology suggests a third approach works better—and it might change how you think about cravings entirely.

Cravings Aren't Failures

The first mindset shift: cravings are signals, not character flaws. They're your body and brain communicating something. Treating them as problems to eliminate ignores potentially useful information.

Studies have found that people who accepted their cravings—rather than judging or suppressing them—were less likely to gain weight and more likely to maintain healthy habits over time. Acceptance, surprisingly, leads to better outcomes than restriction.

This makes sense when you consider what restriction actually does.

Why Fighting Cravings Makes Them Stronger

A meta-analysis examining dietary approaches found that restriction-based strategies—rigid dieting, "forbidden" foods, strict rules—actually increased the intensity and frequency of cravings.

Tell yourself you can't have something, and your brain becomes preoccupied with it. The forbidden becomes more desirable precisely because it's forbidden.

In contrast, flexible approaches—where no food is truly off-limits—helped reduce cravings and improved self-regulation. When you know you can have something, you often discover you don't want it as badly.

Rigidity intensifies cravings. Flexibility reduces them.

What Cravings Actually Signal

Cravings often aren't about food at all. They can be signals of:

Poor sleep. When you're tired, your body seeks quick energy. Sugar cravings spike when sleep is inadequate. The solution isn't willpower—it's rest.

Stress. Emotional eating is a real phenomenon. When stress hormones are elevated, your brain seeks comfort and reward. Food provides both temporarily.

Boredom. Eating is stimulating. When understimulated, your brain may prompt food-seeking behavior simply for something to do.

Dehydration. Hunger and thirst signals can overlap. Sometimes what feels like a food craving is actually your body asking for water.

Excessive restriction. If you've been severely restricting calories or eliminating foods you enjoy, cravings are your body pushing back. This isn't weakness—it's biology.

Genuine hunger. Sometimes a craving is simply hunger. If you haven't eaten adequately, your body will let you know.

Understanding the source of a craving helps you address the actual need rather than just the surface symptom.

A Better Response Framework

Next time you experience a craving, try this approach:

Pause and assess. Before acting, take 60 seconds to ask: what do I actually need right now? Is this hunger, stress, fatigue, or boredom?

Address the real need. If you're tired, rest or take a brief walk to boost energy. If stressed, try deep breathing or write down what's bothering you. If bored, find stimulation that isn't food.

If you're genuinely hungry, eat. Cravings during actual hunger aren't problematic—they're appropriate signals. Eat something nourishing.

If you want the specific food, have it. One cookie doesn't derail your health. Shame, guilt, and the binge-restrict cycle do far more damage than any single food item.

The goal isn't perfect eating—it's responding to your body's signals appropriately and without drama.

Breaking the Guilt Cycle

Many people exist in a perpetual cycle:

1. Restrict foods and fight cravings
2. Eventually give in to intense cravings
3. Feel guilty and ashamed
4. Compensate with more restriction
5. Return to step 1

This cycle doesn't lead to healthy eating—it leads to disordered eating patterns and a hostile relationship with food.

Breaking the cycle requires removing guilt from eating. When you eat something, it's done. There's no moral failure to atone for. No punishment required. Just resume eating normally at your next meal.

One indulgence in a context of generally healthy eating has zero impact on your health or body composition. The stress and shame you create by agonizing over it is arguably worse than the food itself.

Flexible Guidelines, Not Rigid Rules

Rather than strict rules ("no sugar ever"), try flexible guidelines:

Most meals contain protein and vegetables. This is a guideline, not a rule. Some meals won't. That's fine.

I eat treats in moderation. Moderation means sometimes, not never. You define what "sometimes" means for you.

I pay attention to how foods make me feel. Some foods provide lasting energy. Others leave you feeling sluggish. Notice these patterns without judgment.

I eat when hungry and stop when satisfied. This is a practice, not a perfect skill. You'll overshoot sometimes. That's normal.

These guidelines leave room for imperfection while still pointing toward healthy patterns.

The Performance Connection

For those focused on physical performance, cravings during heavy training often signal genuine needs. High training loads increase caloric requirements. Cravings may be your body requesting more fuel.

Athletes who chronically under-eat experience intensified cravings, reduced performance, and increased injury risk. Honoring hunger—rather than fighting it—supports training adaptation.

If you're training hard and experiencing strong cravings, ensure you're eating enough to support your activity level.

The Bottom Line

Cravings are signals, not failures. Trying to eliminate them through restriction typically makes them stronger. Accepting them and responding with curiosity leads to better long-term outcomes.

When you experience a craving, pause and ask what you actually need. Address that need—whether it's rest, stress relief, hydration, or actual food. If you choose to eat the craved food, do so without guilt.

Meeting your needs with curiosity instead of control transforms cravings from a curse into useful information.

Use the AFT Calculator to track your training, and remember that a healthy relationship with food supports the consistent fueling your performance requires.