OMG I can’t stop craving and eating sugary food, is this normal?

[BaconAndAvocado]

My last period was April 2022, I’m 53 so I guess I’m in menopause.
Apart from a few night sweats, occasional mood swings, the thing I’m struggling with most is putting on weight due to my new found sweet tooth.
Has anyone else experienced this?

I'm not finding that NOW but this time last year, wow, i was mad for cake 🎂 I think menopause can cause insulin resistance which makes you crave sweet things. I definitely experienced that. Im on hrt now, 12 weeks on it, and i have lost a couple of lbs, but this time last year, at age 51, I had put on 2 stone. I deserved to have put it on. Ive only lost 11lbs of that weight so it's slow, but im trying. I was quite sluggish too this time last year too. Feel better now. koko!

Fuerza yes, I too definitely deserve to put on weight with the amount of rubbish I’ve been eating over the past few weeks.
I know of a few ladies who were slim pre-menopause then put on a couple of stone. I really hope this doesn’t happen to me but it’s looking possible.
I have no willpower.

I am in peri, but I had a long period of severe sugar craving. I got better by going sugar-free and I found my moods were more balanced and the cravings went. I went off the wagon due to Christmas etc., but I am now trying again and hope that it will keep everything back in balance. Good luck.

Definitely happened to me - I'm trying to fight the urges to binge on sugary things but I really only want to eat carbs these days - I've put on weight as a result.

God yes 100%! I’ve never had a sweet tooth in my life now I could quite happily live on chocolate and haribo FML

Just stop eating it. Sugar is addictive. If I eat it, I look for it everyday. If I cut it out for a few days that feeling goes away.

Hormones probably don’t help, but sugar is properly additive stuff. Enjoy as a treat once in a while but it shouldn’t be part of an every day diet and it offers nothing nutritionally and even takes nutrients from the body in order to process.

My Garmin body battery plummets when I have sugar. It’s really made me think twice about it.

I felt like that 2 years ago (age 51) and flounced of sugar. Best thing I ever did. Interesting what @Wellthatwasodd said re garmin body battery as I’ve just got one and am finding that quite useful.

Things that improved with life without sugar:
hot flushes
night sweats
weight
strength
eyesight
fewer headaches
varruca’s that I’d had for years disappeared in a month

it’s been bizarre, I’m wondering a bit re weight at the moment as I do still have wine and have been eating more crisps recently so it’s crept up a bit but nowhere near the lack of control of 2 years ago.