Free 7-day Sugar Reset for hormone imbalances & PCOS

Why Do I Keep Craving Sugar in the Evening?

FREE FIVE-MINUTE PCOS CRAVINGS CHECK

Identify the pattern that may be contributing to your evening cravings and find one realistic place to start—without calorie counting, cutting out your favourite foods or trying to follow a perfect diet.

Evening cravings are not simply a lack of willpower

You may start the day intending to eat well, only to find yourself searching for chocolate, biscuits, cereal or something sweet later that evening.

This can feel particularly frustrating when you have PCOS and are already putting a lot of effort into your nutrition.

But evening cravings rarely happen because you are lazy, greedy or lacking motivation. They are often influenced by a combination of what you have eaten earlier in the day, how satisfying your meals have been, stress, tiredness and the routines you have built around food.

This short check will help you identify which pattern feels most familiar to you.

It is not a diagnostic test, and there is no “good” or “bad” result. It is simply a way to choose the most useful first step instead of trying to change everything at once.

How to complete your cravings check

Read each statement below and give yourself:

0 points: Never or rarely
1 point: Sometimes
2 points: Often or on most days

Add together your score for each section. The section with the highest score is likely to be the most useful place for you to start.

If two sections have the same score, this may mean that more than one pattern is contributing. Choose the one that feels most familiar or easiest to work on first.

Section A

Give yourself 0, 1 or 2 points for each statement.

I regularly skip breakfast, have only coffee or eat a breakfast that does not keep me going until lunch.
Lunch is often late, rushed, very light or missed altogether when work becomes busy.
I go for long periods without eating and arrive at dinner feeling extremely hungry.

Your Section A score: ____ / 6

Section B

Give yourself 0, 1 or 2 points for each statement.

My meals are sometimes based mainly around toast, cereal, pasta, soup or salad without a substantial source of protein.
I struggle to include enough vegetables, fruit, pulses, nuts, seeds or wholegrains across the day.
I often feel hungry, unsatisfied or ready to snack again soon after eating a meal.

Your Section B score: ____ / 6

Section C

Give yourself 0, 1 or 2 points for each statement.

My cravings usually begin once I have finished work, sat down in front of the television or finally have some time to myself.
Food feels like my main reward, comfort or way to switch off after a demanding day.
I notice that cravings become stronger when I feel stressed, frustrated, lonely, overwhelmed or emotionally drained.

Your Section C score: ____ / 6

Section D

Give yourself 0, 1 or 2 points for each statement.

My cravings are noticeably stronger after a poor night’s sleep or during particularly tiring weeks.
I often reach the end of the day without knowing what I am going to eat.
I make most of my food decisions when I am already tired, hungry or mentally overloaded.

Your Section D score: ____ / 6

What Does Your Highest Score Mean?

Your highest score does not identify one definitive cause of your cravings. Hunger, food habits, emotions, sleep, PCOS symptoms and your daily routine can all overlap.

Use your result to choose one manageable experiment for the next few days.

Highest score in Section A: The Under-Fuelled Day

You may be trying to eat well but unintentionally eating too little during the first half of the day.

Skipping breakfast, relying on coffee, having a light lunch or leaving long gaps between meals can allow physical hunger to build. Once you finally stop in the evening, your body may understandably look for quick and convenient energy.

This does not mean you have failed. Your evening hunger may be telling you that you need more nourishment earlier in the day.

Signs you may recognise

You feel reasonably in control while you are busy.
Hunger becomes much stronger once you arrive home.
You snack while preparing dinner.
You feel as though you could continue eating after your evening meal.
You sometimes try to compensate the following day by eating less.

Your first step

For the next three days, concentrate on the meal you are most likely to skip or under-eat.

Aim to include:

A source of protein
A fibre-rich carbohydrate or plant food
Enough food to leave you comfortably satisfied

For example, instead of relying on a very light salad for lunch, add chicken, salmon, eggs, tofu, beans or lentils alongside a wholegrain, potato or other satisfying carbohydrate.

If there is a long gap between lunch and dinner, a planned afternoon snack may also be helpful.

Examples include Greek yoghurt with fruit, an apple with peanut butter, oatcakes with hummus or cottage cheese with berries.

My first change will be: ______________________________

Highest score in Section B: The Meals-Without-Staying-Power Pattern

You may be eating regularly, but your meals are not always keeping you comfortably satisfied.

A meal does not need to be low in carbohydrates to be balanced. However, meals based mainly around carbohydrates, or very light meals without enough protein, fibre or healthy fat, may leave some people hungry again quite quickly.

There is no single perfect diet for PCOS. The aim is to create meals that are nourishing, enjoyable and realistic for your appetite and routine.

Signs you may recognise

You feel hungry again within a couple of hours of eating.
You regularly need something sweet to feel satisfied after a meal.
Breakfast or lunch tends to be mostly carbohydrate.
You are confused by conflicting advice about protein, fibre and carbohydrates.
You eat “healthy” meals but still do not feel properly fed.

Your first step

Choose the meal that is least satisfying and ask:

What could I add to give this meal more staying power?

Use this flexible meal structure:

A substantial protein source
Vegetables, fruit or another fibre-rich plant food
A carbohydrate that suits your appetite
A small amount of healthy fat

For example:

Porridge with Greek yoghurt, berries, nuts and seeds
Wholemeal toast with eggs and tomatoes
Lentil soup with seeded bread and cottage cheese
Chicken, tofu or beans with a microwavable grain pouch and frozen vegetables

Focus on adding what is missing rather than removing more foods.

The meal I will improve is: ____________________________

I will add: __________________________________________

Highest score in Section C: The Stress and Reward Pattern

Your meals may be reasonably balanced, but food has also become part of the way you recover from a demanding day.

This is very common. If you have spent the day working, caring for other people or managing a long list of responsibilities, eating may be one of the few reliable moments of pleasure or relief available to you.

You do not need to ban chocolate or remove every comforting food. The aim is to notice what you need and make the decision more consciously, without guilt.

Signs you may recognise

Cravings appear at a particular time or alongside a familiar routine.
You automatically look for food when you sit down.
You want something sweet even when your stomach feels physically full.
Food gives you a temporary sense of relief.
You feel guilty afterwards and promise to be stricter tomorrow.

Your first step

Before automatically reaching for food, pause for one minute and ask:

Am I physically hungry?
Am I looking for comfort, stimulation, rest or a reward?
What would feel supportive right now?

If you are hungry, eat something satisfying.

If you still want the chocolate, biscuit or dessert, you can choose it deliberately, sit down and enjoy it without treating the decision as a failure.

You could also add another way to mark the end of the day, such as changing out of work clothes, making a hot drink, taking a shower, doing ten minutes of knitting, walking the dog or listening to something relaxing.

The aim is to give yourself more than one way to switch off—not to remove the food you enjoy.

My evening pause will happen when: _____________________

Another way I could switch off is: ______________________

Highest score in Section D: The Tired and Unplanned Pattern

You may know what helps, but find it difficult to follow through when life becomes busy.

Poor sleep can affect appetite and food preferences. Tiredness also makes planning, cooking and decision-making harder.

By the evening, the quickest option will naturally feel like the most appealing one.

The solution is not a more complicated meal plan. It is having a simple backup plan for the days when your energy and motivation are low.

Signs you may recognise

You start the week well but gradually lose momentum.
Cravings are stronger after poor sleep.
There is little suitable food available when you get home.
You rely on last-minute decisions or takeaway food.
Planning and preparation feel like the biggest barriers.

Your first step

Choose three emergency meals that require very little thought or preparation. Keep the ingredients available whenever possible.

Examples include:

An omelette with wholemeal toast and tomatoes
A microwavable grain pouch with lentils, frozen vegetables and pesto
Wholemeal pitta with falafel, hummus and bagged salad
A jacket potato with tuna, beans or cottage cheese and vegetables
A simple stir-fry using frozen vegetables, noodles and tofu, chicken or prawns

These meals do not need to be exciting or perfect. Their job is to make eating adequately easier on your busiest days.

My three emergency meals are:

1. ______________________

2. ______________________

3. ______________________

Your Simple 24-Hour Cravings Plan

You do not need to address every score at once. Choose one change that feels realistic enough to repeat.

The pattern I recognise most is:

The one change I am going to try is:

When will I do it?

What might get in the way?

My easiest backup option is:

Try your chosen change for three days before deciding whether it is helping. Notice your hunger, energy, satisfaction after meals and the intensity of your evening cravings.

You are looking for useful information—not a perfect result.

Understanding the Pattern Is Only the First Step

You may already know that planning ahead, eating more regularly or building more satisfying meals would help.

The difficult part is often putting that knowledge into practice consistently when work becomes busy, you have slept badly or you have reached the end of a stressful day.

That is exactly what we work on inside my free 10-Day Evening Cravings Reset.

Join the Free 10-Day Evening Cravings Reset

Over ten days, I will guide you through small, realistic changes to help you:

Build meals that feel more satisfying
Reduce the long gaps that can intensify evening hunger
Include protein and fibre without following rigid food rules
Understand the difference between hunger, habit and emotional cravings
Plan for busy days and difficult evenings
Feel more in control around food without expecting perfection

The reset takes place inside a supportive WhatsApp community, with one practical focus each day and guidance from me throughout.

You will not be asked to count calories, cut out carbohydrates or completely stop eating the foods you enjoy.

A Note From Lisa

I’m Lisa Smith, a BANT-registered nutritionist and CNHC-registered health coach specialising in nutrition support for women with PCOS.

For more than a decade, I have helped women make sense of conflicting nutrition advice and build habits that fit around work, family life, appetite, symptoms and personal goals.

My approach is evidence-based, practical and focused on progress rather than perfection. I support women with concerns including cravings, energy, weight, irregular cycles and fertility preparation, including women using weight-management medication.

Important Information

This scorecard provides general nutrition and lifestyle education. It cannot determine the medical cause of cravings and is not intended to diagnose a health condition or replace personalised medical advice.

This page is for personal use only. All materials are copyrighted and created by Lisa Smith, Registered Nutritionist (BANT, CNHC).

Please do not share or distribute this content without permission.