Sugar cravings in perimenopause - why they happen and how to actually manage them

As anyone who's ever had an uncontrollable urge to deep-throat an entire family-sized chocolate bar in one go knows, sugar cravings are incredibly common. Especially in midlife and particularly during perimenopause. And they are often misunderstood.

It’s easy to assume cravings are about a general lack of willpower or being 'addicted to sugar (whatever that means), but in reality, they are usually a reflection of what is going on in the body and your environment. So let's dive in!

During perimenopause, our hormonal fluctuations can impact appetite, mood, energy levels and sleep. Many of us experience increased fatigue, disrupted sleep as well as those life/kids/work/ageing parents-related higher levels of stress. Unfortunately, all of these factors can increase our drive to seek out quick, rewarding and, let's face it, delicious, junk foods.

Sugar provides a fast source of energy and a dopamine response, which can temporarily take the edge off a grumpy mood, stress or tiredness. That is why cravings can feel strong and bloody urgent. This is not, repeat NOT a failure of discipline. It's a very normal physiological and behavioural response.

There are also habitual patterns at play, because we humans are creatures of habit after all. For example, if you're always having a lil something sweet after dinner or reaching for snacks at a certain time of day, over time, these behaviours become automatic and can feel to you like cravings, even when they are more about routine than true hunger.

So what drives sugar cravings?

There are a few key factors that tend to increase our burning desire to scoff chocolate.

Poor or disrupted sleep is a major one, as mentioned before, high stress levels are a culprit too. Long gaps between meals can leave us with a one (sugary) track mind, as well as eating meals that are low in protein, fibre, or even just not big enough to keep us satiated. Highly restrictive dieting can also make sugar cravings worse, and, as we said above, an entrenched habit and routine of little sweet 'rewards' doesn't help either.

When some (or all) these factors are in place, our bodies are more likely to seek quick energy and rewarding foods.

How to manage sugar cravings in perimenopause

The goal as an optimally-nourished middle-aged slag is not to remove sugar completely or label foods as 'bad'. Way too retro. Anyone who's ever tried extreme restriction knows that approach often backfires and leads to an all-or-nothing cycle.

"I've eaten 4 biscuits, I might as well finish the pack." Familiar?

Instead, we want to build a structure that doesn't require a full (and unrealistic) personality change but also reduces the intensity and frequency of cravings.

1. Prioritise balanced meals

Eating consistently throughout the day helps to regulate appetite and energy levels. Aim to build meals around (you know it) protein, fibre and food volume - no tiny rabbit food portions, lads. Packing your plate with nutrients help you feel fuller for longer and reduce the likelihood of energy dips that drive cake cravings.

2. Don’t leave it too long between meals

Long gaps without eating can lead to drops in energy and increased hunger (and hanger), which makes high-sugar foods even more appealing than usual. Make sure you have regular meals and, where needed, planned snacks can help keep things stable. Plenty of grab 'n' go lunches and healthy snacks can be found in our Nutrition Hub!

3. Support sleep and stress (where you can obv)

Yes yes, we know sleep and stress have a significant impact on appetite regulation. Sometimes these things are out of our control, but both things can increase hunger signals and reduce your ability to make intentional food choices. While these aren’t always fully within your control, anything you can do to improve them will help. Put a blocking app on your phone to stop midnight doomscrolling and make it a non-negotiable to go out and touch grass (or whatever fills your cup/soul) daily.

4. Be intentional with sweet foods

Rather than trying to cut out sugar completely, because life is far too short and devoid of pleasure much of the time, it's gonna much more effective to include it in a controlled and intentional way. This might look like keeping your ritual of something sweet after dinner, but making sure your meal portions are as satisfying as possible, and keeping treat or pudding options in the house that you enjoy but are perhaps not your no.1 most favourite that you absolutely lose control over and can't stop eating!

This removes the 'I can’t have it, wahhh' mindset, which very often leads to overeating later.

5. Break the all-or-nothing cycle

The last thing we want here is total deprivation and resulting rebound effect, where we try so hard not to think about sugary treats that we literally can't think of anything except sugary treats. Be a bit flexible. Nothing worse than eating 27 different pieces of fruit and then having the damn chocolate anyway. Just have it, and if you have way more than you wanted to, just start again tomorrow.

6. Be aware of habits

As we mentioned earlier, not all cravings are physiological. Some are more like behavioural patterns. If you always have something sweet after dinner, start by questioning whether it's something you truly want or just something you always do. From there, you can decide whether to keep it, change it, or reduce it.

When cravings hit: what to do in the moment

If you find yourself overcome with a burning sugar craving (in perimenopause or not), our new goal is not to (try to) ignore it, but to respond more intentionally. Start by asking yourself whether you've eaten enough proper food, and when your last actual meal was. If you are genuinely hungry, have a balanced meal or snack that includes protein and fibre first. This will very often reduce the intensity of the craving. If you still want something sweet afterwards, you can have it, but when you're not hungry any more, you'll prpbably be able to indulge in a more controlled and mindful way.

You can also introduce a short pause. Ever thought you'd go for a dessert in a restaurant and by the time they come and take the plates and distribute the pudding menus, you decide you're already a bit too full? Giving yourself 10–15 minutes before acting on a craving can help you move away from automatic reactions and make a more considered decision.

The takeaway (not the junk kind)

Sugar cravings in our 30s, 40s and beyond are completely normal and tend to be influenced by a combination of hormones, lifestyle and ingrained habits. They are not something you need to - or even can - eliminate or fight against. Instead, focus on regular, balanced meals, adequate protein and fibre on your plate, supporting decent sleep and trying to reduce stress where possible, and finally, being intentional rather than restrictive.

This approach helps reduce cravings over time and makes them much easier to manage without feeling out of control.

And if you would like some simple recipes to optimise your nutrition in perimenopause and midlife, including protein-filled treats to curb said cravings even better, hit up the Nutrition Hub - you'll find it in our membership. Happy snacking, slags!