Why We Crave Food — And What Our Bodies Are Really Trying to Tell Us
- Heather Bray
- 11 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Cravings get a lot of attention — and often, a lot of shame. Many people feel distressed or confused about why they crave certain foods, and they worry it means something is wrong with them. Spoiler: cravings are normal, not random, and definitely not a character flaw.
Let’s break down what cravings really are, why they happen, and how understanding them can help you build a healthier relationship with food.
What Are Cravings, Really?
When most of us think about cravings, we imagine that intense yearning for a specific food — the kind where you can’t stop thinking about chocolate, ice cream, chips, or whatever your go-to craving is. For some people, these cravings feel consuming or overwhelming.
While cravings and hunger are connected, they’re not the same thing.
Hunger
A biological need for energy — often felt as stomach growling, low energy, or thinking about food.
Cravings
A desire for a specific taste, texture, or food experience.They can happen when you’re hungry — but also when you’re not.
Cravings are influenced by biology, psychology, emotions, environment, habits… or all of the above.
Biological Causes of Cravings
1. Not Eating Enough (Undereating)
When you don’t eat consistently, blood sugar drops. Your brain — which runs primarily on carbohydrates — sees this as an emergency and sends strong signals to get energy fast.This is why afternoon cravings are so common.
2. Restricting Carbs
If you’ve tried to cut carbs or “eat clean,” you may have noticed cravings get stronger.When carbs are restricted, the brain’s reward system becomes more reactive to them, making you feel like you have a “sweet tooth” or no control around bread or sugar.
Often, adding carbs back in dramatically reduces cravings.
3. Hormonal Shifts (Ghrelin + Leptin)
Dieting and restriction increase ghrelin, your hunger hormone. Chronic stress and poor sleep do too.Meanwhile, restriction blunts leptin, your fullness hormone — meaning it becomes harder to feel satisfied.
This is why people coming off diets like keto often feel out of control around carbs at first.
4. Restriction Activates the Brain’s Reward System
When certain foods are kept “off-limits,” the brain makes them feel extra enticing.This is not a lack of discipline — it’s biology.
Why Dieting Makes Cravings Worse
Welcome to the restriction–rebound cycle (also called the binge–restrict cycle).
You restrict food (for health, weight loss, or rules).
You feel good and “in control.”
Biology kicks in and cravings intensify.
Eventually, you hit the “F-it point.”
You eat the restricted food — sometimes in larger amounts.
You feel guilt → recommit to restriction → cravings get stronger.
This isn’t weakness — it’s your body trying to protect you.
Psychological Reasons We Crave Food
1. The Scarcity Mindset (“We Want What We Can’t Have”)
When a food is off-limits — even mentally — its desirability skyrockets.
Physical restriction (“no carbs”) and mental restriction (“carbs are bad; only a small bite”) both trigger cravings.
2. The Brain Wants Autonomy
Rigid food rules often lead to rebellion:“I already messed up today — I’ll start again Monday.”
3. Trying to Replace the Real Craving
Ever want a muffin but eat:
fruit
then yogurt
then rice cakes…only to still want the muffin?
You’re not broken. You’re just not giving yourself the food you actually want.
Environmental & Habit-Based Cravings
Cravings can be triggered by:
Smells (hello, Subway bread aroma)
Seeing food images online
TV or Netflix cues
End-of-day routines
Learned rewards (e.g., craving sweets after dinner because you always had them growing up)
These habits are learned — and they can be unlearned if you want to.
So… What Can You Do About Cravings?
Here are some supportive, realistic strategies:
1. Eat Enough, Consistently
Aim to eat every 3–4 hours.Stable blood sugar = fewer intense cravings.
2. Add Carbs Back In
If you’ve been restricting them, this step alone often dramatically reduces cravings. If this feels scary, get support from an intuitive eating–aligned dietitian.
3. Loosen the Food Rules
Labels like “good,” “bad,” “clean,” or “junk” add moral pressure — and create cravings.When all foods are allowed, cravings soften over time.
4. Practice Mindful Awareness
Before reaching for food, pause and check in:
Am I physically hungry?
Is this emotional?
Is this a habit?
What would truly satisfy me?
No judgment — just information.
5. Rebuild Trust With Your Body
Listening to hunger, fullness, satisfaction, and energy cues takes time. Many people feel they “can’t trust themselves around food,” but trust is a skill — and it can be rebuilt.
Cravings Aren’t the Enemy
Cravings are not a failure or a lack of discipline.They’re messages — a reflection of your biology, emotions, habits, or environment.
When you stop fighting cravings and start understanding them, they become less intense, less frequent, and far less distressing.
Ready to Go Deeper?
If today’s post brought you a little clarity — or helped you feel less alone in your experience with cravings — you’re already taking a powerful step toward rebuilding trust with your body.
And you don’t have to do it alone.
If you’re wanting to reconnect with your body’s natural signals, my free Hunger & Fullness Cues Guide is the perfect place to start. It walks you through what those cues actually feel like, how to recognize them again, and how to use them without falling back into diet rules or rigidity.
✨ Download your free Hunger & Fullness Cues Guide here
If you’re craving more support, structure, and guidance, my signature program — The Empowered Eating Journey — dives even deeper. Inside, we explore intuitive eating, body trust, nourishment without guilt, and the tools you need to break free from the restrict-crave cycle for good.
✨ Learn more about The Empowered Eating Journey here
Whether you start with the free guide or join us inside the program, I’m here to help you move toward a more peaceful, intuitive, and empowered relationship with food.
You deserve that kind of freedom.
