Do sugar cravings ever go away?

On Ep. 8, Nikkiey explains that appropriate protein intake helps keep blood sugar steady, prevents hunger spikes and keeps you fuller for longer. She was obsessed with sweets and ate them every single day when she started. Once she added more protein, she says her cravings dropped dramatically. Her nuance: she still loves sweets, but now she has more control over them than they have over her.

On Ep. 328, client Nicole says her daily cravings for cookies and brownies went away once she was fueling her body properly. She still makes and eats her family's Sunday dessert and still meets her goals, but she doesn't need it anymore. Nikkiey adds that many women who were under-eating, especially protein, assume they have a sweet tooth. Often their body just isn't getting what it needs to feel full. On Ep. 309, Barbara says she worried she'd get cravings a few weeks in, like she always had before. She hasn't had them, and a brownie she ate after her mother's funeral didn't even taste good to her.

Time plays a part too. On Ep. 150, Nikkiey compares it to cutting back on alcohol: the longer you go, the less you crave it. She went from sugar every day to about once a week. Now she has two to four pieces of Dove chocolate most nights. Her approach is "incorporate, don't exclude." Let yourself have the foods you love, and build the discipline to stop when you've had enough.

So if you've been fighting cravings with willpower alone, the craving may not be a character flaw. It may be a sign your plan isn't feeding you enough.