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1. You’re short on sleep A tired brain wants quick, rewarding food. In a University of California, Berkeley study published in Nature Communications, 23 healthy young adults had their brains scanned after a normal night of sleep and again after a sleepless night. After the sleepless night, high-calorie foods became more desirable to them, and the part of the brain that helps with complex decisions was less active. It was a small study and an extreme night, so we wouldn’t read it as a rule. But if your cravings are loudest on tired days, you’re not imagining it. 2. You’re stressed Harvard Health explains that stress can switch off appetite in the short term, but ongoing stress raises cortisol, which can increase appetite and motivation to eat. High cortisol together with high insulin may be behind cravings for fatty, sugary foods. Sweet food can also feel like a quick way to calm down, which is why it’s so tempting on hard days. 3. You went a long time without eating When meals are small or far apart, a sweet snack is often the loudest voice in the room. Fiber helps here: Harvard’s Nutrition Source notes it helps keep hunger and blood sugar in check, and that most Americans get only about 15 grams a day against a goal of at least 25 to 35. 4. It’s a habit Coffee with a cookie. A movie with candy. Something sweet the second you walk in the door. Habits attach to times, places and moods, so the craving can show up on schedule even when you aren’t hungry. 5. It’s an emotion in disguise Mayo Clinic lists stress, anger, fear, boredom and loneliness as common triggers for eating to feel better. Sometimes the craving isn’t about sugar. It’s about wanting a pause, a comfort or a break. 6. You’ve been too strict Mayo Clinic also points out that overly strict dieting can increase cravings. If sweets feel completely off limits, they can get more tempting, not less. This is exactly why we talk about control, not quitting. 7. Sugar is simply everywhere The CDC reports that US adults averaged about 17 teaspoons of added sugar a day in 2017 to 2018, with sugary drinks, desserts and sweet snacks among the top sources. When sweet things are in every aisle, on every counter and in every break room, wanting them is the most normal thing in the world. Try this today For the next three days, write down just two things each time a craving hits: the time and what was going on. No judging, no rules. Most people spot their own pattern by day three

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Understand your cravings. Take back control.