Ep 97- Why You Feel So Obsessed With Sugar
December 18, 2025
Do you feel addicted to sugar? No matter how much you have of it, you just keep wanting more?
In today’s episode, I’m going over the science behind why you feel obsessed with sugar and can’t stop eating it.
You will learn…
What counts as processed sugar?
What’s happening to your biology when you eat sugar
Why healthy foods don’t satisfy your sweet cravings
How to stop binge eating sugar
Why sugar might feel more addictive to you than others
Why You Feel So Obsessed With Sugar
Sugar feels like it is everywhere, especially during the holidays. Cookies on the counter. Candy bowls everywhere you turn. Pies at every gathering. But if you feel addicted to sugar, you know this is not just a holiday issue. It can feel like a year round battle.
No matter how much you eat at meals, you still want something sweet. Once you start with one sugary food, it feels like something wakes up inside you and you cannot stop. You feel out of control around sugar and you do not understand why.
I used to feel this exact same way. I genuinely believed I was a sugar addict. I thought sugar was the one thing causing my binge eating. At one point, I even went completely sugar free for an entire month and cut out all processed sugar.
And here is the wild part. I was still binge eating.
That was my first clue that sugar alone is not the full story. There is more happening psychologically and biologically than just one food. So today we are going to talk about why sugar feels so obsessive, what is actually happening in your brain and body, and why nothing is wrong with you.
A Client Win That Shows What Is Possible
Before we get into the science, I want you to see what change can actually look like.
One of my clients, Rachel, shared a win with me recently. She went to Target and walked past the candy aisle and bakery items without even thinking about them. Normally she would grab something sweet just because it was there. This time, she forgot to look.
She also still has Halloween candy in her house. I am recording this in December. She does not have kids. And she told me she is probably going to throw it away because she genuinely does not want it. Not from fear. Not from restriction. Just from lack of desire.
She also went out for an anniversary dinner with her partner. He wanted ice cream after, and she said they could go but she honestly did not want any. No deprivation. No feeling restricted. Just an empowered choice.
This is what happens when your mindset and your biology are aligned again. And this is what I want for you.
What We Mean When We Say “Sugar”
When I talk about sugar in this episode, I am talking about processed white sugar, specifically sucrose in its isolated form.
Sugar exists naturally in many foods. Fruit has sugar. Vegetables have sugar. Honey and maple syrup have sugar. Carbohydrates are not the problem. Our bodies thrive on carbs when they come in their natural form with fiber, micronutrients, and complexity.
The issue is when sugar becomes an isolated molecule.
Sucrose does exist in nature, but it exists inside complex foods. Processed white sugar is just sucrose alone. No fiber. No nutrients. No supporting compounds. And because it is isolated, your body cannot regulate it properly.
This is similar to alcohol or drugs. Certain compounds may exist naturally in small amounts, but once they are isolated and concentrated, the body loses its ability to moderate them.
Your body is actually very good at regulating sugar when it comes from whole foods. It is not biologically favorable to eat sugar nonstop. If that were true, humans would have gone extinct. The problem is isolation and concentration.
Flavorings, Prediction, and Why Sugar Feels So Addictive
Think about soda for a moment. Most people would not enjoy drinking plain sugar water. But soda is flavored sugar water. Those flavorings tell your brain that something highly nutritious is coming.
Flavor creates prediction.
Your brain evolved to associate sweetness with nutrition. A ripe apple tastes sweeter than an unripe one because it actually has more nutrients. Pleasure is not random. It is a survival signal.
The issue is that processed foods hijack this system.
When you eat something like apple pie, your taste buds signal “jackpot, nutrients incoming.” But the nutrients never arrive in the amount your brain predicted. So your brain tells you to try again. And again. And again.
This creates a loop where sugar:
overpromises
underdelivers
increases craving instead of satisfaction
It is like a bad hinge date. Everything looks great at first, and then nothing shows up.
Intermittent Reinforcement and Obsession
This pattern creates something called intermittent reinforcement. Sometimes sweetness comes with nutrition, like fruit. Sometimes it does not, like processed sugar. Your brain becomes hyper focused trying to figure it out.
This is the same mechanism that makes gambling addictive. Sometimes you win, sometimes you do not. Your brain keeps pulling the lever.
With sugar, your brain keeps thinking, “Maybe the next bite will deliver.”
Why Sugar Stops Tasting Sweet Enough
The more processed sugar you eat, the more your taste buds recalibrate. Sweetness becomes less intense, so you need more to get the same effect.
When I personally removed sugar for a period of time, I ate a red pepper one day and it tasted like candy. That had never happened before. My taste buds had reset.
This is why fruit does not taste satisfying when you are still eating a lot of processed sugar. But once your desire decreases, natural foods become incredibly sweet again. Dates, fruit, sweet potatoes all become satisfying on their own.
This also explains why cravings often feel bigger now than they did when you were younger. Your taste buds have adapted.
The Missing Piece Is Always Mindset
This is where most people stay stuck.
You can have all the information in the world, but without mindset work, nothing sticks long term. That is why people listen to food podcasts for years without real change.
Your brain is biased. It wants to be right. You cannot see your own blind spots without support.
The most common mindset around sugar is scarcity. It sounds like:
I can never have this again
I am so restricted
I need to eat this now
I will be good tomorrow
Scarcity puts sugar on a pedestal.
An abundance or choice mindset sounds like:
I am choosing this
I can have this again if I want
Sugar is not going anywhere
I trust myself
You do not rebel against boundaries you agree with. You rebel against rules you hate.
Why Others Seem “Fine” Around Sugar
There are a few reasons this might appear true.
First, most people have some internal battle with sugar. Even natural eaters feel desire and discomfort after overeating it.
Second, dieting primes fear. If you have a history of restriction, your brain is more sensitive to food scarcity. Saying no can feel more urgent because your brain does not feel safe yet.
Third, hunger matters. If you are under eating calories or nutrients, sugar cravings will be intense. Sugar is quick energy. Your brain is trying to help you survive.
This is why mindset alone cannot fix sugar obsession if you are still restricting.
Nothing Is Wrong With You
Feeling addicted to sugar does not mean something is wrong with you. It is a predictable response to modern food, dieting, and nervous system stress.
Brains are designed to learn and unlearn. You can retrain yours.
Join The Confident Eater Program
Inside The Confident Eater Program, I teach you how to reduce sugar obsession by working with your brain, not against it. This is not a diet or a meal plan. It is a complete framework for rebuilding trust with food, calming cravings, and creating real freedom.