Lately, I’ve been hearing the same thing from many patients:
“I don’t know what’s going on, but my cravings feel worse than usual.”
If you’ve noticed periods where you feel hungrier, snack more, or think about food more than usual, you’re not imagining it. Cravings often increase during times of stress, disrupted routines, poor sleep, or hormonal change — all of which are very common in midlife. It’s easy to assume this means a lack of discipline, but cravings are usually feedback from the body, and understanding what’s driving them is the first step toward feeling back in control.
Cravings Are Often Physical, Not Just Willpower
Many cravings happen when the body is trying to meet a need that hasn’t been fully supported.
Common physical reasons cravings increase include:
- Not eating enough protein
- Long gaps between meals
- Poor sleep
- Increased stress
- Undereating earlier in the day
When your body feels depleted, it will push you toward quick energy — usually sugar, refined carbs, or salty snack foods — because those are the fastest way to restore fuel. Research shows that sleep deprivation, blood sugar fluctuations, and inadequate nutrition can all increase appetite and intensify the brain’s response to high-calorie foods.
Your Nervous System Plays a Bigger Role Than You Think
Cravings are not only about food. They are also about regulation. If you’ve been going all day without a break, juggling work, family, and responsibilities, your nervous system may start looking for relief.
This can show up as:
- Wanting something sweet at night
- Snacking even when you’re not physically hungry
- Feeling like you “need something” but not knowing what
- Difficulty stopping once you start eating
Food is one of the fastest ways to calm the nervous system, especially when you’re tired or overstimulated. For many women in their 40s and 50s, this becomes more noticeable because hormonal changes can make stress responses stronger and recovery slower.
Many of Us Learned to Use Food for Comfort
There’s also a learned component to cravings. From a young age, many of us were taught to associate food with comfort:
- Scraped your knee? Have a cookie.
- Bad day? Have ice cream.
- Feeling overwhelmed? Eat something.
These patterns often continue into adulthood without us realizing it. When life feels stressful, lonely, exhausting, or out of control, your brain remembers that food helped before — so it suggests food again.
This doesn’t mean anything is wrong with you. It means your brain learned a strategy that worked at one point. The goal isn’t to eliminate cravings completely, but to understand them sooner so you can respond in a way that actually supports your body.
A Simple Tool: The Pause
One of the most helpful tools I teach my patients is very simple.
Before reacting to a craving, pause.
Take three slow breaths.
Then ask yourself:
What do I actually need right now?
Sometimes the answer is food.
Sometimes it’s rest.
Sometimes it’s a break.
Sometimes it’s support.
Sometimes it’s just a moment to reset.
Research on mindfulness and eating behaviour shows that even brief pauses can reduce stress-driven eating and improve awareness of hunger and fullness signals.
You don’t need perfect eating.
You need better awareness.
Why Cravings Can Increase During Perimenopause
During perimenopause and menopause, cravings often become stronger for biological reasons, not just lifestyle ones.
Hormonal shifts can affect:
- Appetite regulation
- Blood sugar stability
- Sleep quality
- Bood
- Stress tolerance
- Fat storage and energy use
Low progesterone, fluctuating estrogen, and changes in insulin sensitivity can all make hunger feel more intense and harder to control.
Sleep disruption alone can increase appetite hormones and reduce satiety signals the next day.⁴⁶
This is why quick fixes rarely work.
If cravings feel out of control, we need to look at the whole picture:
- Nutrition
- Sleep
- Stress
- Hormones
- Metabolic health
Not just willpower.
The Goal Isn’t Perfect Eating — It’s Understanding Your Body Sooner
Cravings are not a sign that you’re doing something wrong.
They’re information.
When you learn how to read that information, you can make changes that actually work with your body instead of fighting against it.
And that’s where real progress starts.
When Cravings Feel Out of Control, It May Be Time to Look Deeper
If you feel like your hunger, cravings, or weight have changed in the past few years and nothing you used to do works anymore, there is usually a reason.
In my practice, we often look at things like:
- Protein intake and overall nutrition
- Blood sugar patterns
- Sleep quality
- Stress load
- Hormone changes
- Body composition and muscle mass
- Metabolic health markers
When we understand what’s actually happening in the body, the plan becomes much clearer — and much more sustainable.
If you would like support with this, you can learn more about working together here:
Or explore more articles on metabolism, hormones, and nutrition after 40 on my blog.
References
Tapper K. Mindfulness and Craving: Effects and Mechanisms. Clinical Psychology Review. 2018.
Torske A, et al. Mindfulness Meditation Modulates Stress-Eating and Its Neural Correlates. Scientific Reports. 2024.
Page KA, et al. Circulating Glucose Levels Modulate Neural Control of Desire for High-Calorie Foods in Humans. Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2011.
St-Onge MP, et al. Sleep Duration and Quality: Impact on Lifestyle Behaviors and Cardiometabolic Health. Circulation. 2016.
Riedy DR, et al. Association Between Menopause Symptoms and Problematic Eating Behavior. Women & Health. 2024.
Lin J, et al. Short Sleep Duration and Appetite-Regulating Hormones: Systematic Review. Obesity Reviews. 2020.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this blog is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health regimen. The content shared here is based on the author’s research and personal experiences, and individual results may vary. The author and blog are not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the use of any suggestions, preparations, or procedures discussed on this site.