The craving wasn't the problem. It was the clue.
If you had walked into the gym with me years ago, you probably would have thought I had lost my mind.
There I was, working out as hard as I could—pushing myself on the stationary bike or climbing endless flights on the stair machine.
And right beside me? A container of ice cream.
Not waiting for me afterward.
Not as a reward.
I was eating it between sets. Sometimes while I was still riding the bike.
Looking back, it sounds almost unbelievable. At the time, it seemed perfectly normal.
I wasn't trying to sabotage my workout.
I wasn't lacking willpower.
I was responding to something my body was desperately trying to tell me.
I just didn't know how to listen.
I Thought the Problem Was Sugar
Eventually, I was diagnosed with severe hypoglycemia.
Suddenly, everything made sense.
Of course I craved sugar. Of course I couldn't seem to get enough sweets.
I finally had an explanation.
So I did what many people do when they discover the source of a problem.
I tried to eliminate it. No more sugar. Cold turkey.
It seemed logical.
It also turned out to be one of the hardest things I've ever put my body through.
Within days, I could barely function.
Walking up the stairs in my own house became exhausting. I'd have to stop halfway up and sit down just to catch my breath.
I remember wondering if I had somehow made myself worse instead of better.
Looking Back, I See It Differently
Today, I don't think sugar was the real story.
It was the coping strategy my body had learned.
For years, my metabolism had adapted to frequent bursts of quick energy.
Every time my blood sugar dropped, my body had one solution:
Find sugar. Fast.
Those cravings weren't evidence that my body was working against me.
They were evidence that it was working for me, using the only strategy it knew.
When I suddenly took that strategy away, I also took away the support my body had come to depend on.
The craving wasn't the problem.
The craving was the clue.
The Body Was Solving a Problem
One of the biggest lessons I've learned over the years is this:
The body is almost always trying to solve a problem.
If sleep is consistently poor...
it adapts.
If stress becomes constant...
it adapts.
If blood sugar rises and falls dramatically...
it adapts.
If we're asking more from our body than we're giving back...
it adapts.
Those adaptations aren't failures.
They're survival strategies.
The challenge comes when we mistake those adaptations for the original problem.
Sometimes we're trying to eliminate the very thing that's helping us cope.
A Different Kind of Turning Point
Eventually, I visited an acupuncturist.
To this day, I can't fully explain everything that happened.
What I can tell you is this: Something changed. My body seemed to reset. The constant dependence on sugar began to ease, and I finally felt like I could start rebuilding instead of simply reacting.
That experience stayed with me.
Not because I believe there is one magic solution. But because it made me curious.
If my body could change once...
What else was it capable of changing?
That question has shaped nearly everything I've studied over the last twenty-four years.
The Real Question Isn't "Why Am I Craving Sugar?"
It's... "Why does my body believe it needs sugar right now?"
Those are very different questions.
One assumes the craving is the enemy.
The other assumes the craving has a purpose.
That's where investigation begins.
- Maybe your blood sugar has been swinging all day.
- Maybe breakfast didn't contain enough protein.
- Maybe chronic stress has changed the way your body manages energy.
- Maybe poor sleep has left your brain looking for quick fuel.
- Maybe you're exercising harder than your body can currently recover from.
Notice something important.
Every one of those possibilities points in a different direction.
Different conditions.
Different conversations.
Different solutions.
Become a Detective
Imagine walking into a room where a lamp has been knocked over, muddy footprints cross the floor, and a window has been left open.
You wouldn't investigate each clue separately.
You'd assume they were connected.
Then you'd begin asking questions.
Your body deserves that same curiosity.
Instead of criticizing yourself for craving something sweet...
Become an investigator.
Ask questions like:
• When do the cravings usually happen?
• What did I eat earlier in the day?
• Did I sleep well last night?
• Has stress been unusually high?
• Did I skip protein this morning?
• Am I asking more from my body than I've supported it for?
Those questions don't diagnose anything.
But they often reveal patterns.
And patterns give us somewhere to begin.
Changing the Conditions
This is the part that's often missing.
Once we notice a pattern, we don't immediately jump to the perfect solution.
Instead, we become curious.
What happens if I eat a protein-rich breakfast for a week?
What happens if I go for a walk after dinner?
What happens if I support my nervous system before reaching for something sweet?
What happens if I prioritize sleep instead of another workout?
Small changes.
One at a time.
Observe what changes.
That's how we begin learning the language of our own body.
The Lesson I Wish I'd Learned Sooner
If I could go back and talk to the woman eating ice cream on that stationary bike...
I wouldn't tell her to stop eating sugar.
I'd tell her to become curious.
I'd tell her that the craving wasn't a character flaw.
It wasn't a lack of discipline.
It wasn't something to fight.
It was information.
A clue.
An invitation to ask a better question.
Because sometimes the goal isn't to silence the body's signals.
Sometimes the goal is to understand why they're there in the first place.
And when we begin changing the conditions beneath those signals...
The body often begins telling a very different story.
Ready to Become More Fluent in Your Body's Signals?
Every symptom has a story.
But rarely does it tell the whole story by itself.
Inside the Signals Insider Vault, we explore how to recognize patterns, ask better questions, and make thoughtful, practical changes that support the body's remarkable ability to adapt.
If you're ready to move beyond chasing symptoms and start understanding the bigger picture, I'd love to have you join us.
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