Is Mindset the Missing Link? How to Break Up With Sugar Part 2

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If you’ve ever felt like cravings for sugar hit so fast and so strong that you have to answer them… this one’s for you.

In Part 1, we talked about blood sugar, hormones, and why cravings for sweets get louder in midlife. We talked about physiology. We talked about belly fat and why insulin and cortisol matter.

But today?

We’re talking about mindset.

Because the honest truth is that even when your blood sugar is steady, even when you’re eating Trim Healthy meals, even when you “know better”… cravings can still show up.

And when they do, it can feel like emotional eating is driving the bus.

I want to teach you the skill that changed everything for me.

The Mindset Shift That Changes Cravings for Sugar

For years, I lived in two extremes.

I either:

• fought cravings
• or gave into them

That’s it. Those were my two options.

I resisted. I white-knuckled. I tried to “buffet my flesh.” Or I gave up and gave in. And when I gave in, the guilt would spiral… which usually led to more emotional eating.

Sound familiar?

But there is a third option.

And this is where mindset becomes powerful.

You can allow a craving without obeying it.

I know. When I first learned this, I thought, “How in the world do you do that?”

But once I practiced it — not perfectly, but consistently — everything shifted.

Cravings for Sweets Are Not Emergencies

When a craving hits, it feels urgent.

It feels like:
“I need this.”
“I deserve this.”
“I can’t stop thinking about this.”

But here’s what’s actually happening.

A craving is a sensation in your body. It’s a vibration. It’s a wave.

And waves rise… peak… and fall.

Most urges last anywhere from 90 seconds to 15 minutes — if we don’t keep fueling them with our thoughts.

The craving itself is not the problem.

The story we tell ourselves about the craving? That’s where emotional eating gets traction.

This is especially important in midlife. Hormones are fluctuating. Stress is higher. Sleep may be disrupted. Belly fat feels stubborn. All of that can make cravings for sugar feel louder.

But loud does not mean powerful.

Why Emotional Eating Feels Stronger After 40

Let’s just say this plainly.

Menopause is a stress-sensitive season.

When cortisol rises, when sleep drops, when you don’t feel safe or rested in your body, cravings increase. Your nervous system looks for relief. And sugar gives quick relief.

That doesn’t mean you’re weak.

It means your body is looking for comfort.

But here’s the thing: relief and freedom are not the same.

Emotional eating gives temporary relief.
Skillful response gives long-term freedom.

And this is where we practice something different.

The Pause–Pray–Pivot Method (A Practical Tool for Sugar Cravings)

This is the tool I use constantly. Not just for cravings for sweets — but for any urge.

Pause.
Pray.
Pivot.

1. Pause

When a craving hits, don’t negotiate. Don’t judge. Don’t decide.

Just notice.

“Oh. There’s the urge.”

That moment of awareness interrupts autopilot. It activates your higher brain instead of letting your lower brain run the show.

Freedom lives in that tiny space between stimulus and response.

2. Pray (and Breathe)

This isn’t about religious performance. It’s about nervous system regulation.

Put your hand on your heart. Breathe in slowly through your nose. Exhale through your mouth.

And invite the Lord into the moment.

“Lord, I invite You into this. In my weakness, You are strong.”

A lot of cravings for sugar are stress signals. When we calm the body, we reduce the intensity.

When your body feels safe, it doesn’t scream as loudly.

3. Pivot

Now we choose an anchored thought.

Not “I can’t have this.”
Not “I’m terrible at this.”

But something grounded.

“I don’t have to fix this feeling.”
“This urge will pass.”
“I’m learning a new response.”
“God’s grace meets me right here.”

That pivot rewires the loop.

Over time, your brain learns: I don’t have to obey every sensation.

That is powerful.

Stop Shame with this Mindset Reframe

If you’ve been thinking:

“I should be past this by now.”
“Why is this still so hard?”
“I must lack discipline.”

Let me gently say this.

You’re not failing.

You just haven’t practiced the skill of allowing an urge.

And skill takes repetition.

When I was learning this, my coach told me, “It might take 100 times.”

At first I thought, 100? That sounds exhausting.

But then I realized — that means I’m allowed to practice.

And I began to see victories long before 100.

Not perfectly. But progressively.

Supporting Your Body While You Rewire Your Mindset

Now hear me clearly: this is not just a mindset issue.

Blood sugar still matters. Protein still matters. Sleep still matters. Strength training still matters.

Mindset and physiology work together.

If you’re under-eating protein, skipping meals, not hydrating, or running on four hours of sleep, cravings for sugar will be louder.

We cannot ignore the physical side.

But we also cannot ignore the mental and emotional side.

When you combine:

• steady blood sugar
• adequate protein and fiber
• strength training for muscle support
• nervous system regulation
• and a practiced mindset

You create stability.

And stability reduces emotional eating dramatically.

This is the work we do inside my Midlife Fat Loss Formula program — not just food plans, but mindset tools that help you stay consistent when hormones fluctuate.

What This Means for Belly Fat and Midlife Weight Loss

Here’s the honest connection.

If cravings run you, consistency breaks down.
When consistency breaks down, belly fat feels impossible to lose.When belly fat won’t budge, frustration rises.
And frustration fuels more emotional eating.

It becomes a loop.

Breaking up with sugar in midlife is not about demonizing sweets.

It’s about breaking the emotional reaction pattern.

When you can sit with discomfort without reacting, everything shifts.

You feel empowered again.

And empowered women make consistent choices.

What to do with An Urge

When a craving hits this week, try this:

Pause — notice without drama.
Pray — calm your body and invite the Lord in.
Pivot — choose an anchored thought.

And then let the wave rise and fall.

You don’t have to push it away.
You don’t have to obey it.
You can allow it.

That is strength.

Freedom from cravings for sugar in midlife doesn’t come from fighting harder — it comes from practicing a steady mindset, supporting your body, and learning to allow urges without obeying them.

Cravings are sensations. Not commands.

Emotional eating doesn’t define you.
Belly fat doesn’t define you.
Hormones don’t get the final word.

You are learning a new rhythm in this season.

And that rhythm is built on wisdom, not willpower.