A Simple 3-Step Plan To Stop Sugar Cravings - Healthline

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HealthlineSubscribeNutritionNutritionEvidence BasedHow to Stop Sugar Cravings in 3 Steps

Medically reviewed by Katherine Marengo LDN, R.D. — Written by Kris Gunnars, BSc — Updated on October 16, 2024

Healthy and filling meal
Hot shower
Brisk walk
Other tips
The bottom line

You may be able to curb sugar cravings by eating foods with certain nutrients or drinking water. Distracting yourself by engaging in other activities may also help.

Many people regularly experience sugar cravings.

Health professionals believe that this is one of the main reasons it can be so hard to stick to a healthy diet.

Cravings are driven by your brain’s need for a “reward” — not your body’s need for food.

If you can have only one bite and stop there, indulging a little when you get a craving is absolutely fine. But if you tend to overeat as soon as you get a taste of sugary foods, then giving in to the cravings may not be the healthiest option.

Here is a simple 3-step plan to stop sugar cravings.

1. If you are hungry, eat a healthy and filling meal

It is important to realize that a craving is not the same as hunger. It is not your body calling for energy, it’s your brain calling for something that releases a lot of dopamine in the reward system.

When you get a craving and are hungry, the feeling may be difficult to resist. In fact, a craving combined with hunger is a powerful drive that most people have a hard time overcoming.

In these instances, one of the best tricks is to eat a healthy snack or meal immediately. Try stocking your kitchen with healthy snack foods or pre-made meals.

Protein-rich foods, such as meat, fish, and eggs, are especially good for curbing hunger.

Eating these types of foods may not feel very appetizing when you have a craving for sugary junk food. But if you want to feel healthier and lose weight, resilience is worth it in the long run.

2. Take a hot shower

Anecdotal reports suggest that hot showers or baths may be effective at stopping cravings.

When you step out of the shower, you may feel dazed, as if you’ve been sitting in a sauna for a long time. This feeling may cause you to forget about your craving.

It is important to remember that further research is still needed to confirm this link.

3. Go for a brisk walk outside

Going outside for a brisk walk may also help to manage sugar cravings.

This serves a two-fold purpose. First, you are distancing yourself from the food that you are craving.

Second, exercise releases endorphins, or “feel-good” chemicals, in your brain, which can help you turn the craving off.

If you can’t go outside, try doing a few exhausting sets of burpees, push-ups, body-weight squats, or any other body-weight exercise.

Other tips that may help

While the above steps may help some people to shut down a sugar craving, the best option by far is to prevent these cravings in the first place.

Here are 7 useful tips that may help stop sugar cravings:

Talk with a friend. Call or meet someone who understands what you’re going through. Explain that you’re going through a craving and ask for a few words of encouragement.
Read your list. It can be very helpful to carry a list of the reasons you want to eat healthy, as it can be hard to remember such things when you get a craving.
Don’t starve yourself. Try to prevent yourself from becoming too hungry between meals.
Eat more protein. Protein is great for satiety, and it may help with cravings as well.
Avoid certain triggers. Try to avoid specific activities or places that give you cravings, such as walking past McDonald’s.
Avoid excess stress. Studies have found that stress may increase cravings. Managing your stress may help.
Sleep well. Getting proper, refreshing sleep is important for overall health and may help prevent cravings.

The bottom line

Sugar cravings are driven by your brain’s need for a reward. This can often make it hard to stick to a healthy diet.

It is ok to eat sugar in moderation. But if you find yourself overeating, it can be helpful to avoid it as much as possible. Giving in to a craving may feed the addiction.

If you manage to resist, the cravings will get weaker over time and eventually disappear.

Steps such as eating a healthy and filling meal, taking hot showers, and going for a brisk walk may also help you manage cravings.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

5 surprising benefits of walking. (2023).https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/5-surprising-benefits-of-walking
Extra protein at breakfast helps control hunger. (2018).https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/extra-protein-at-breakfast-helps-control-hunger
How sugar affects dopamine & your mental health. (2024).https://researchforyou.co.uk/mac-news/how-sugar-affects-dopamine-your-mental-health/
Mikkelsen K, et al. (2017). Exercise and mental health.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378512217308563
Morell P, et al. (2017). Revisiting the role of protein-induced satiation and satiety.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0268005X1630340X
Reingel DM. (2019).https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/getting-more-sleep-can-reduce-food-cravings/

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Evidence Based

This article is based on scientific evidence, written by experts and fact checked by experts.

Our team of licensed nutritionists and dietitians strive to be objective, unbiased, honest and to present both sides of the argument.

This article contains scientific references. The numbers in the parentheses (1, 2, 3) are clickable links to peer-reviewed scientific papers.

Medically reviewed by Katherine Marengo LDN, R.D. — Written by Kris Gunnars, BSc — Updated on October 16, 2024

Tag » How To Beat Sugar Addiction

A Simple 3-Step Plan To Stop Sugar Cravings - Healthline

1. If you are hungry, eat a healthy and filling meal

2. Take a hot shower

3. Go for a brisk walk outside

Other tips that may help

The bottom line

How we reviewed this article:

Evidence Based

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