Cravings Are Not a Sign of Failure: Why It’s Not About Willpower

Listen Now:

(If player is taking a while to load, just refresh the page.)

Stay on track with eating habits and weight loss – Subscribe to the Show!

Next Steps: Take Control of Your Eating Habits

Imagine the freedom and peace of overcoming emotional eating, overeating, and mindless eating… so you can achieve lasting weight loss.

Ready to break free for good?

Together, we’ll create a personalized pathway that works for you. Bringing clarity, relief, and encouragement. 📆 Book your free consult

More Episodes to Help You:

• 🎙️ 5 Myths About Food Cravings
• 🎙️ Is It True Hunger? Recognizing the 3 Types of Hunger

Enjoying the Show?

Help others discover the podcast by leaving a quick rating or review! It makes a huge difference.

• Rate/review on Apple (iTunes) HERE
• Rate on Spotify HERE

Know someone who’d benefit?
📩 Send them this episode link!

Read the Episode Transcript:

Habitual Eating: Why You Snack Without Thinking & How to Stop

Welcome back to the Eating Habits for Life podcast! I’m your host, Kate, and today we are diving into a topic that I know all of us struggle with, anywhere from mildly to severely and that is cravings.

If you’ve ever struggled with cravings, especially cravings that have made your eating habits or weight loss journey more challenging, this episode is for you.

If you’ve ever given in to a craving and then felt a sense of guilt or frustration afterward, you might have wondered, ‘Why can’t I just stick to my goals?’

Today, I want to share with you why cravings aren’t a sign of failure and why they don’t have anything to do with your willpower. So if you’ve been hard on yourself for giving in to cravings, let me help you break free from that cycle.

And before I dive in, if you want to break free from your biggest eating habit struggle with simple steps to move you forward immediately, then visit the link in the show notes.

You’ll answer a multiple choice question after you drop your first name and email, and will then be directed to the free class + cheat sheet that is best suited for your specific eating habit struggle. I’m pretty sure no one has done this before.

I created 8 different personalized free classes and cheat sheets to go along with them, yes 8, so that you can answer that multiple-choice question about your biggest eating habit struggle and be directed to the class that would be best suited for you.

So, to break free from your biggest eating habit struggle with simple steps to move you forward, visit here: free personalized class+ cheat sheet

The Emotional Weight of Cravings

Let’s start by talking about the emotional weight that cravings often carry. It’s so common to feel guilty when you give in to a craving, especially if you’re working hard on losing weight and trying to make healthier choices. But what’s really happening when cravings show up?

Here’s the thing: cravings don’t mean you’re failing. They don’t mean you’re weak.

What cravings really mean is that your body is communicating something to you. They’re signals, not moral judgments. But so often, people attach shame to cravings, feeling like it’s a personal failure when they can’t resist. I want to remind you that cravings are natural. They don’t mean you’re doing anything wrong.

And if you’re listening to this thinking, ‘But I can’t seem to control them,’ I want you to know that it’s not about willpower. I see this often with my clients…. people who feel like they should have the strength to resist, but they find it difficult. If that’s you, it’s okay. You’re not alone, and there’s nothing wrong with you.

What Cravings Actually Are

So what exactly are cravings? Cravings are different from hunger. While hunger is your body’s signal that it needs fuel, cravings are often driven by something else.

Biological factors: Cravings are often influenced by our environment, habits, and even memories. You might crave a particular food because it’s tied to comfort or a past experience. Have you ever craved a bowl of pasta after a stressful day, or felt the urge to reach for something sweet because it’s associated with relaxation or reward? This is all about your brain forming associations between certain foods and specific emotions or situations.

Emotional triggers: A huge factor in cravings is emotions. Stress, boredom, anxiety, sadness, and even happiness can all fuel cravings. When we experience heightened emotions, our brain craves instant relief. And the quickest way we’ve learned to soothe ourselves is through food, often foods that give us a temporary dopamine boost. So when you’re under stress, your body will crave those quick-energy foods that feel good in the moment, but don’t necessarily nourish you long-term.

Nutritional factors: Sometimes, cravings are linked to our body’s natural need for specific nutrients. For example, if you’re craving something salty, your body could possibly be low on sodium or electrolytes. If you’re craving chocolate, it could possibly be your body asking for magnesium. If you’re craving a juicy steak, it could be that you’re iron-deficient. This is something to talk about with your healthcare provider if you suspect a nutritional deficiency.

All of this means that cravings are not simply about weakness. They’re part of your body’s way of communicating with you. And they don’t mean you’re a failure or that you’re ‘off track.’ In fact, understanding why cravings happen is the first step in managing them with more compassion and less guilt.

How Stress and Emotions Trigger Cravings

Now, let’s dig deeper into how stress and emotions fuel cravings. This is an area where I’ve seen a lot of people get stuck. When you experience heightened stress or emotional distress, your brain tends to crave comfort. And for many of us, that comfort comes from food.

Stress is one of the biggest triggers for cravings. When you’re stressed, your body produces more cortisol, a hormone that increases hunger. And if you’ve ever been under stress and felt a strong urge to snack, that’s very likely why. Your body is craving relief, and food becomes an easy, familiar coping mechanism. You may not even realize it, but your brain is looking for that emotional soothing food provides.

Emotions play a huge role too. When you’re sad, lonely, or anxious, you might crave foods that give you a temporary sense of comfort. This is very common. Your brain associates certain foods with a sense of relief or a mood boost. Think about a time when you’ve reached for something sweet or salty to “feel better.” It’s almost like your brain is trying to self-soothe.

And what ends up happening is that we associate food with comfort, so when those negative emotions hit, cravings become almost automatic. This is not a moral failing. This is how your brain has learned to cope with emotions over time.

Your brain sees the uncomfortable emotion as a problem and food as a solution. Even though you know it’s not a good solution, the part of your brain involved in forming habits sees food as an excellent solution.

That’s why managing cravings in these moments takes more than just willpower. It takes self-awareness and a shift in how you respond to emotions, and that’s where coaching can make a huge difference.

We work together to uncover your unique triggers and create strategies to cope with cravings without the guilt and shame that often follow.

The Cycle of Cravings and Guilt

Let’s talk about the cycle of cravings and guilt. This is something that so many people experience, and it can feel like a never-ending loop.

• Step 1: Cravings hit. You feel the desire for something specific, and the urge is strong.
• Step 2: You give in. (Maybe you try fighting the craving first, but maybe not) You eat the food, even if you weren’t planning to. In the moment, it may feel like relief, but it’s often followed by feelings of guilt.
• Step 3: Guilt sets in. Now you feel bad. You might think to yourself, ‘I shouldn’t have done that’ or ‘I’ve messed up my whole plan.’ The guilt amplifies the negative emotions, making it harder to move on.
• Step 4: The cycle repeats. Because of the guilt, you may feel like you’ve failed, which can lead to more cravings or emotional eating as a way of coping. This is the vicious cycle that so many people find themselves trapped in.

This is the point where most people start thinking, ‘I just have no willpower’ or ‘I can’t stick to anything.’ But here’s the truth: it’s not about willpower. Guilt doesn’t solve anything… it only keeps you stuck. It makes it harder for you to get back on track.

In my coaching, we focus on breaking this cycle. We explore your cravings, your triggers, and how you can respond to them with more awareness and self-compassion. I help my clients recognize that a craving doesn’t have to mean giving up on their goals. And even if they do give in, it doesn’t mean they’ve failed. They can get back on track without self-criticism or guilt.

One of my clients who is a registered nurse recently told me if she feels like dessert, she can have it without feeling guilty. When she first came to me, she would binge on dessert, and then feel an incredible amount of guilt and shame after. This was huge for her.

How to Cultivate Self-Compassion

So, how do you break the cycle? The first step is self-compassion. When you give in to a craving, instead of beating yourself up, take a moment to acknowledge what just happened. Ask yourself, ‘What was I really needing in that moment?’ Was it comfort? Stress relief? Connection? Understanding this can help you respond with kindness.

Next, instead of harsh self-criticism, practice speaking to yourself the way you would a friend who’s going through a tough time. Remind yourself that cravings are part of being human and that you’re doing the best you can. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about learning from every experience and moving forward with more awareness.

When you approach cravings with compassion, it allows you to break free from guilt and start to make healthier choices without shame. Healthier choices because you want to, not because you feel like you “should.” And when you do something because you really want to, it’s much easier to stick to.

How to Completely Break the Cycle of Cravings & Guilt

So remember, cravings are a natural part of your journey, and they don’t mean you’re failing. They’re signals from your body, not a reflection of your willpower. Understanding why cravings happen and learning how to manage them with compassion can make all the difference.

If you’re ready to start breaking the cycle of cravings and guilt and build a healthier relationship with food, I’d love to help you.

You don’t have to try to figure this out alone. If you’ve found these podcasts helpful, but find you need help implementing, that’s completely normal. I can help you. Start by booking your free consultation with me today. I’ll learn about you, your desires, and show you step by step how I’d help you as if you were my client.

Book your free consult here. If you’re not ready, then be sure to grab the free personalized class here.

Thanks so much for listening to today’s episode of the Eating Habits for Life podcast. I hope this episode has helped you understand cravings in a new way and reminded you that you’re not broken when you experience them.

If you found this helpful, please pass it along to a friend who you know struggles with cravings also. I’ll talk with you soon.