You blame hormonal fluctuations for overeating at certain times. What’s in your control despite hormones?
The Short Answer
Hormones are real. Menstrual cycles, cortisol fluctuations, sleep-related hormone changes: these genuinely affect hunger and cravings. But hormones explain, they don’t excuse. Even with increased hunger, you choose what and how much to eat. Hormones may raise the difficulty; they don’t remove agency. What’s in your control: preparing for predictable high-hunger periods, choosing what food is available, deciding how to respond to cravings, and adjusting expectations without abandoning standards. Blame is pointless; strategy is useful.
Something to Sit With
When you blame hormones, is it explanation or excuse?
What’s actually in your control during your hardest hormonal times?
What would prepare you better for predictable difficult periods?
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The Hormonal Reality.
Let’s acknowledge what’s true:
Menstrual cycle. Energy intake runs highest in the luteal phase (post-ovulation), and carbohydrate cravings are reported premenstrually, particularly in women with PMS. Hormonal fluctuation genuinely influences appetite; that much is documented.[1]
Sleep deprivation. In twelve young men whose food intake was held constant, two nights of short sleep raised ghrelin, lowered leptin, and increased rated appetite. Left to eat freely, though, people on short sleep overeat while those same hormones read surplus; the extra eating has been measured, and in a separate study hunger ratings did not differ between sleep-deprived and rested people.[2]
Stress. Cortisol is proposed to drive cravings for comfort foods, and in one lab study of 59 women, high cortisol responders ate more on stress days and chose sweeter foods.[3]
Insulin and blood sugar. A review of experiments that raised insulin reports that the rise increased hunger and food intake.[4]
Thyroid and other conditions. Some people have genuine metabolic conditions that affect hunger and weight.
Hormones aren’t an excuse you made up. They’re biological factors that affect eating behavior.
The Problem With Blame.
But using hormones as an excuse is problematic:
It removes agency. “Hormones made me eat it” implies you had no choice. You usually still have a choice, even when it’s harder.
It prevents problem-solving. Blame can close inquiry. “It’s hormones” stops the search for solutions.
It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Expecting to overeat at certain times can become the permission to; that is this page’s reasoning, not a measured effect.
It conflates explanation with justification. Hormones explain why something is harder. They don’t justify abandoning your approach.
What Remains In Your Control.
Even during hormonally difficult times:
What food is available. If you don’t keep chocolate in the house, you can’t binge on chocolate, regardless of hormonal state.
What you put in your mouth. Increased hunger means eating more might happen. It doesn’t mean eating an entire pizza must happen.
How you respond to cravings. Cravings arise; response is optional. You can wait, choose something better, or have a small amount rather than a large amount.
Preparation for predictable patterns. If you know certain days are hard, you can plan: stock better options, schedule support, adjust expectations.
Self-talk and framing. “I always overeat during this time” is different from “This time is harder, and I’ll manage it as well as I can.”
Strategies for Hormonal Challenges.
Track patterns. Know when your difficult days are. Predictability enables preparation.
Adjust, don’t abandon. On hard days, maybe you eat at maintenance instead of deficit. Maybe you allow an extra snack. This is different from “anything goes.”
Pre-stock better options. If you crave chocolate, have dark chocolate squares available instead of relying on whatever’s around.
Increase protein. Protein helps with satiety.[5] On high-hunger days, emphasize protein more.
Allow for difficulty. Expect that some days will be harder. Build in margin for this without using it as permission for chaos.
Sleep and stress management. Short sleep has been measured raising how much people eat;[2] that better sleep and lower stress ease the pull is this page’s reasoning, not a measured result.
The Both/And Perspective.
It’s not either “hormones don’t matter” or “hormones control everything.”
Both are true:
- Hormones genuinely affect hunger and cravings
- You retain agency over your choices
The mature perspective acknowledges the difficulty while maintaining responsibility.
“This is harder because of my hormones” + “I’m still responsible for my choices” = realistic and empowered.
The Excuse vs. The Factor.
When hormones are an excuse:
- “I can’t help it, it’s hormones”
- Pre-permission to overeat during certain times
- No attempt to manage or adapt
- Blame without strategy
When hormones are a factor:
- “This is harder during certain times”
- Preparation and adjustment for those times
- Continued effort despite increased difficulty
- Acknowledgment without surrender
Further reading:
- Dye L & Blundell JE, “Menstrual cycle and appetite control: implications for weight regulation”[6] — Human Reproduction, 1997
- Spiegel K et al., “Brief communication: Sleep curtailment in healthy young men is associated with decreased leptin levels, elevated ghrelin levels, and increased hunger and appetite”[7] — Annals of Internal Medicine, 2004
- Adam TC & Epel ES, “Stress, eating and the reward system”[8] — Physiology & Behavior, 2007
Written by AI, directed and approved by me. How this is made →