How can you stop sugar cravings after meals? – (6 tips to try this week)

There are some simple changes you can make to STOP your sugar cravings after meals. 

Eating sugar can have a big impact on your weight loss or fitness goals.

By replacing a few things in your routine, you can stop craving sugar.

Now, tell me if this sounds familiar to you:

You spend time cooking a meal or going out to eat.

The food looks delicious and you eat it all until the point where you are full.

But a few minutes later, you feel like you need something more…

And you think: “I want something sweet.”

You start looking at the dessert menu or in your pantry.

And you eat the first sweet thing you find.

You think that one will be enough, but you can’t stop.

You eat the whole bag of chocolates you found.

Or you devour the huge dessert you ordered at the restaurant.

While eating it, you felt a great feeling of happiness and excitement that would not let you stop.

But a few minutes later, you feel bad…

All that happiness and excitement went away. 

You get a headache or your mood changes, and you start regretting all the sugar you ate.

Now, you realize that this happens to you every day after every meal.

And you don’t know how to change this situation.

If that is you, let me tell you that you are not alone.

Food cravings are more common than you think.

Some people crave sugar; some crave fat, and some crave carbohydrates.

And it seems to be more common among women.

People around the world are looking for answers to fight sugar cravings. 

Next, you will find tips on how to stop your sugar cravings after meals.

But first, you must learn the reasons why you are having these cravings in the first place.

That will make a big difference in how you approach the recommendations you will see later in this post. 

Let’s dive into it! 

What are sugar cravings?

To understand how to stop sugar cravings after meals, you’ll need to know what they are.

Sugar cravings are an intense desire to eat something sweet.

It’s different when you’re hungry.

Because when you are hungry, you can eat anything and feel satisfied.

But when you crave sugar, only something sweet will satisfy your craving.

This means that many times you feel like eating sugar, even when you are not hungry.

This happens to your body when you experience sugar cravings after meals:

Different components that are part of this process:

• Physiological: your body prepares to start eating (your saliva increases).
  
• Emotional: your mood changes and you have a desire to eat that specific food.
  
• Cognitive: you can only think about the food you want.
  
• Behavioral: You start looking for what you want.

Often, these sugar craving responses can create some issues in your life.

For example, it can reduce your productivity at work.

Or it can lead to changes in your routines.

Before you went for a walk after your meal, now you spend your time trying to decide what dessert to eat.

Or you are so focused on the sweets you want to eat, that you forget to enjoy your meal as such.

These responses in your body create a cycle that generates a bigger desire to eat sweets.

Yet, several reasons can cause sugar cravings after meals in the first place.

And below I will explain some of these causes.

What causes sugar cravings after meals?

It is common to hear that you crave sugar because you are missing minerals or nutrients in your food.

But there are plenty of other reasons why you crave sugar after meals.

Some depend on the habits that you have been developing throughout your life.

And others depend on the circumstances in which you find yourself at a specific moment.

For example, you are starting a new job, or you are pregnant.

Below, you will see a list of reasons why you have sugar cravings after your meals.

Reasons you have sugar cravings after meals:

Read each of these causes and check with yourself to see which of these applies to you.

If you have any specific conditions, consult your doctor before trying anything.

Knowing what may be causing your sugar cravings will be the best advantage you can have in stopping them.

1. You are not eating enough.

As a general rule, not eating enough will make you feel like you need more food.

Eating protein, healthy fats, and enough carbohydrates gives your body enough energy.

If it doesn’t have these resources available, it will start looking for them.

From experience, your body knows that it can get this energy from high-sugar foods such as:

Cookies, cakes, chocolates, sweet coffees, among others.

So, include all macronutrients in each meal.

2. You struggle with emotional eating.

This reason for having sugar cravings after meals has to do with:    

The relationship you have between food and emotions.

In this case, your body has learned that eating a certain food makes you feel better.

When you eat sweets, they release dopamine throughout your body.

And this is the hormone that makes you feel better.

That’s why every time you’re in a low mood, you reach for sugar again.

And it seems to never stop. 

3. You have hormonal imbalances.

Sugar cravings are more common in women.

And they can be even more intense during your period or if you’re pregnant.

To stop your sugar cravings after your meals, it is necessary to check if you are in any of these stages.

Or if for some other reason you are experiencing an imbalance in your hormones.

The best thing, in this case, is to consult with your doctor so that they can carry out the necessary tests.

4. You are depriving yourself of eating sugar.

Several studies have shown that avoiding food only increases the desire to eat it.

You are not designed to deprive yourself of food.

For this reason, diets usually don’t work.

When you’re on a diet, you avoid certain foods that you’re used to eating.

Which makes your cravings increase and get even worse than at the beginning.

A better approach is to swap what you consume for better alternatives. 

This will make it easier for you to transition. 

5. You are eating hidden sugar without realizing it.

The FDA (U.S. Food & Drug Administration) recommends 50 grams a day of added sugars (in a daily diet of 2,000 calories).

About 4 tablespoons of added sugar every day per person.

One can of regular soda contains around 9 tablespoons of added sugar.

Keep in mind that the FDA only talks about “added sugars.”

That refers to sugar added to foods by manufacturers.

That includes salad dressings, ketchup, bread, protein bars, protein powder, among others.

If you consume this type of added sugar, you will continue to experience sugar cravings.

6. You have created the habit of eating sugar after meals.

Much of your behavior includes habitual actions.

For example, biting your nails when you are anxious.

Or checking your phone every morning.

These are all responses to signals that appear throughout the day.

When you keep the same response for a while, it becomes a habit.

This happens every time you finish eating and go to the pantry for something sweet.

That food produces a positive feeling throughout your body.

Your body learns to create the same action (eat sweets) to receive the benefit (happiness).

How can you stop sugar cravings after meals? 

Small swaps in your lifestyle can make a big difference in your health.

There are some things you can do to stop sugar cravings after meals.

Keep in mind that these strategies are not intended to deprive you of eating.

Instead, you will make some changes to your food, but also your daily habits.

Your routine has to change a bit to create a healthier environment.

This way you can reduce your sugar intake and thus stop your cravings for sugar after meals.

When you manage to control your sugar intake, you will be able to change your taste buds, and you will feel better.

Tips on how to stop sugar cravings after meals

Start the day with a low-sugar breakfast.

If you think about your daily life, you will notice that you crave more sugar in the afternoon or at night.

So use this to your advantage.

Choose well what you put in your body first thing in the morning.

Instead of checking your phone in the morning, focus on breakfast.

Cook a meal that contains protein, vegetables, and healthy fats.

This will help you feel full for most of the day.

Low-sugar breakfast ideas

Spinach omelet

Chia pudding

Eggs and quinoa

Grain-free granola

Remember that your breakfast sets the tone for the rest of the day.

Be more intentional with what you eat, and you will see how your life changes.

Swap out sugary foods for a healthier alternative

By now, you know that depriving yourself of any type of sugar is not the best idea.

The best option is to make some swaps in the food you eat.

This reduces the intake and cravings for sugar.

What you eat	Alternative
Soda	Water infused with flavored extracts.
Cookies	Carrot sticks with hummus
Ketchup	Fresh salsa
Maple syrup	Honey

Plan your snacks

You know how it is when sugar cravings strike at any time of day.

Usually when there are no healthy options available.

By planning your snacks, you will have more control over them.

Whether you go out or stay at home.

Keeping healthy snacks on hand will help you reduce your sugar intake.

And again, that will help you stop sugar cravings after meals.

Low-sugar snacks

Nuts and a fruit

Crispy chickpeas

Hummus and veggies

Chia pudding

Eat healthy fats with sweets

Minutes after eating sugar, your blood sugar level drops.

When that happens, your body thinks you need to eat more.

That’s what we have conditioned our bodies to believe.

For our bodies, “it is time to eat” when there is a drop in blood sugar.

If there is a drop, it is because at some point it went up.

As you eat your candy, there is a spike in your blood sugar.

Healthy fats can help stabilize your body.

Well, they prevent that peak in the blood from being too intense.

For example, you can eat fruits accompanied by nuts.

Sleep at least 7 hours every day

In one study, participants added an hour of sleep, and that helped them reduce their sugar intake.

Having more rest time also allowed them to make better food decisions.

Also during sleep, your body recovers allowing you to have more energy during the day.

Which will prevent you from searching for energy all the time. 

Focus on the perimeter of the grocery store

The obvious way to cut sugar from your life is to cut back on sodas, cakes, cookies, and other sugary snacks.

But the reality is that companies add sugar to everything.

From bread and pasta, salad dressings and sauces (ketchup or BBQ) to protein bars and granola.

Nowadays, it is very easy to have excessive consumption of sugar.

One trick I learned from Dr. Daryl Gioffre is to focus on the perimeter of the grocery store.

Where you find fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and good sources of fat and protein.

Before buying any food, check the label.

Much of the sugar you consume daily comes from added sugar in your food.

About 15% of the calories come from added sugars in the diet of an American adult. 

That is 22 teaspoons of added sugar in one day.

Also, companies give different names to sugar to confuse you.

Click here to find a list with the different names of sugar.

You may find that you consume a lot of hidden sugar and that is why your cravings do not stop.

Conclusion

You learned how to stop sugar cravings after meals.

These easy-to-follow strategies will have a huge impact on your well-being.

And it will also help you achieve your weight loss or fitness goals.

When you are consistent with these actions, you will begin to see results.

There won’t be another day when you lose the fight against sugar cravings.

Eating less sugar can be a difficult process, but it is possible.

I did it and you can too.

Take your time adjusting to the process.

Key points:

• Add vegetables, seeds, and nuts to your meals.
• Make sure your plate has enough protein and healthy fats.
• Get at least 7 hours of sleep each night.
• Pay more attention to hidden sugars.
• Check if you are experiencing any hormonal imbalance.

And as I always say, be kind to yourself.
Breaking bad habits is not an easy task, but you can do it.

It requires a lot of discipline.
But little by little you will see results.
If you want more details on how to break a habit, you can click here.

Tell me, do you have any weight loss or fitness goals for this year?

I would like to know how I can help you create new habits that allow you to achieve what you want.