There may be a few reasons why you are cravings sweet foods. One thought is that your blood sugar may be low and your body is trying to tell you that you need to eat something in order to bring your blood sugar levels back to normal. Low blood sugar could come about by not eating enough food throughout the day or by not making appropriate food choices. <?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p>

It could also be from a lack of energy or exhaustion, especially from lack of sleep, where your body will begin to look for other sources of energy. Sugar can be metabolized and converted to energy very quickly, so it’s an obvious choice. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

The cravings may come as a response from being very restrictive with your diet. It can be hard to sustain an eating plan where you are constantly depriving yourself of things that you want to indulge in. Instead, consider moderation and portion control as healthy alternatives. <o:p></o:p>

Lastly, there are also psychological reasons for craving sweets as well.  For example, when you are stressed, you may sometimes seek comfort in food, wanting something that tastes really good. Eating sweets can trigger a reward mechanism in your brain by releasing serotonin, which helps to boost your mood and help you to feel better. 

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There are a variety of reasons for sweet cravings both physical and psychological.  It could be that now that you are off the pill, your cycles are back to normal and you are experiencing more cravings related to fluctuations in hormones. It also could be your restriction of sweet items is causing you to be even more drawn to them.

 

You first want to look at your diet.  Is it balanced with all the food groups?  Are you getting enough dietary fat for satisfaction? What are your absolute favorite sweets? Have you tried incorporating items like dark chocolate or smaller portions of other sweet foods you like? 

 

There is emerging research that mindful eating can decrease food cravings in people with eating problems.  That means eating meals at the table, eating slowly, enjoying food and leaving judgment out of your thoughts about food.  That means no more "I was bad so I might as well throw caution to the wind" or "I shouldn't eat that because it is bad for me." It's all about listening to your body and trusting yourself around food.

 

A registered dietitian can help you find out why you are craving sweets (go to eatright.org to find one in your area).  For more on mindful eating, see this post on WebMD's Real Life Nutrition.    http://blogs.webmd.com/food-and-nutrition/2012/08/the-power-of-mindful-eating.html

 

Good luck!

This answer should not be considered medical advice...This answer should not be considered medical advice and should not take the place of a doctor’s visit. Please see the bottom of the page for more information or visit our Terms and Conditions.

HI and thanks so much for your question. There's a good chance that you have an issue with being hooked on or addicted to sugar. Take a moment and complete this easy 2 min quiz devised by experts from Yale University http://www.drpeeke.com/PopQuiz.htm. In your situation, what you're doing is actually something we call "eating around the addiction". You did well to eliminate refined and processed sugar from your dietary intake. However, you didn't replace it with rewarding and tasty enough sweetness from natural sources, and thus you're still in crave mode. You want the sweet but can't eat it so you eat around it by continuously munching on other foods. One problem with that, in addition to packing on pounds, is that you may start getting hooked on the dried fruits and nuts as well. The foods people become most hooked on are called the hyperpalatables--- sugary/fatty/salty food combos. It's never tuna on a bed of greens that we get hooked on. It's the super rewarding hyperpalatables, most of which are refined and processed foods. In my book, The Hunger Fix, I note that you need a strategy of detox and recovery, in which you substitute the refined sweets with natural sweets, as well as add other foods that naturally boost the brain's dopamine, the reward brain chemical that gives you pleasure and satisfaction. In addition, log onto the WebMD Food and Fitness Planner and you'll also see a wealth of naturally sweet and tasty foods you can now incorporate into your dietary regimen to stop the cravings. 

This answer should not be considered medical advice...This answer should not be considered medical advice and should not take the place of a doctor’s visit. Please see the bottom of the page for more information or visit our Terms and Conditions.

I was struggling with sugar for quite a while.  I did a little research for my personal dietary needs.  I am basically a carbo addict.. if you want to call it that.  What I did find was really helpful.  South Beach Diet book really helped me understand about what foods can do to your body chemistry.  The processed foods manufactured these days are even more highly processed than in the recent past.  These higher processed foods make you crave more and more of them.  There are lots of hidden sugars in foods which also make you crave more of them.  The trick I found was to 1.  eat the type of foods that help you prevent the cravings, like protein, and foods on the low glyciemic index.  Foods that have lots of nutrition give your body what it needs and you begin to crave less of the junk. 2. Take a look at your eating habits and modify them.  Me, for example, love to eat at night.  It may not be the best thing but I seem to sleep better with some food in my stomach.  That said, I have switched out the junk or carbs.  Replace ice cream with greek yogurt.  Relpace high fat chips with cruncy celery and peanut butter or cream cheese.  Instead of a sandwich with bread, make a turkey roll up. 3. Exercise helps to regulate your sugar levels, so I work at getting some exercise which also helps my mood levels in case the mood ties into eating for more comfort. 4. and lastly, when the sugar craving gets the best of you, have something like chocolate chips... put 10 or so into a tiny prep bowl.  I bring them in my office for that afternoon pick me up... I am always suprised when I don't even eat them all.

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Just a thought .... I was craving sweets too for a long while.  I also felt very tired most of the time.  When I went to my doctor, I found out I was diabetic.  My body craved sweets because it thought it was needed in my diet.  Am only saying this because no one else mentioned it here and it would be smart to go get tests.  You probably are not diabetic, but why not get tests to find out if you have deficiencies etc?  Couldn't hurt to check. 

The opinions expressed here are solely those of the User.The opinions expressed here are solely those of the User.
User-generated content areas are not reviewed by a WebMD physician. WebMD understands that reading individual, real-life experiences can be a helpful resource, but it is never a substitute for professional medical advice. Please see the bottom of the page for more information or visit our Terms and Conditions.