Reasons You’re Craving Carbs

At The Fast 800, we often stress that a healthy weight loss journey is not just about what you cut out of your diet and your life, but also about what you add in and prioritise. If you don’t prioritise the right nutrition and lifestyle changes, you’ll find yourself malnourished and craving carbs that you’ve worked hard to cut back on.

Keep reading to find out the real reason you might be craving carbs, and how to overcome those cravings.

Reasons you’re craving carbs

You’re not sleeping enough: Sleep deprivation affects 77% of us, and it impacts your mood, energy levels and diet habits.¹ Studies have shown that not getting enough sleep increases the hunger hormone ‘ghrelin’, and in particular causes more cravings of sugary foods, salty foods and simple carbohydrates.²

You’re not eating enough fibre: Craving carbs is one sign that you may not be eating enough fibre. Fibre makes you feel fuller for longer as it increases perceived satiety and slows down gastric emptying.³ If you find yourself craving carbs shortly after a meal, chances are you didn’t eat enough fibre. Opt for high fibre carbohydrates like chickpeas or legumes to keep you satiated and keep cravings at bay. 

You’re not drinking enough water: Good hydration has been shown to reduce appetite and ensures you’re not confusing thirst and hunger signals.⁴ Dehydration can make it difficult for our bodies to tap into energy stores, so your body increases cravings for sugary boosts. So, next time you’re craving carbs try drinking a glass of water first, or try some of our favourite hydrating drinks here.

You’re not eating enough protein: Like fibre, protein keeps you fuller for longer as increases secretion of the satiety hormones GIP, GLP-1 and ghrelin.⁵ Protein also slows the release of sugar into the bloodstream, so when we don’t eat enough protein our blood sugar will rise and fall at abnormal rates, causing your body to crave sugary carbs in an attempt to rebalance the levels.⁶

You’re too exposed to stress: Chronic stress has been shown to have a significant effect on food cravings as it results in a secretion of cortisol which is a hormone that helps you respond to stress, and regulates eating behaviours.⁷ A prolonged action of cortisol has been shown to increase sweet cravings and cravings of carbs. So if you’re craving carbs regularly, you may need to look at limiting your stress first.

Three tips to stop cravings

1. Upgrade your diet: Prioritise protein, fibre, and complex carbs, instead of simple carbs, in your diet to ensure you’re getting the right kind of nutrition to keep yourself satiated. Using a meal planning tool like the one on our Programme can help make sure you’re eating the right amount of key nutrients every day. Plus, our Programme includes hundreds satisfying, low carb recipes ready for you to try at home.

2. Give exercise a go: Exercise releases ‘feel good’ chemicals called endorphins which help to turn cravings off. Studies have found that there’s a direct correlation with how much physical activity you get and your cravings for carbohydrates and sweet foods.⁸ Our Programme houses plenty of exercise videos to get you going, and get those endorphins flowing.

3. Try mindfulness: Stress can feel unavoidable in our busy lives, so try combating its effects with mindfulness. Practising mindfulness has been shown to reduce cravings and increase fullness cues, thus helping on a weight loss journey as well as improving mental health.⁹ Get started with this free video guide, or find more guided mindfulness videos on our Programme.

Choosing a high protein, high fibre, low carb diet like the Mediterranean-style diet, and managing your stress, sleep and exercise truly are the best ways to stop craving carbs for good.

Sign up for your 7-day free trial of The Fast 800 Programme here to help get you started. Thousands of our members have already made the change and couldn’t be more thrilled.