Can’t stop at one biscuit? Chocolate calling your name at 9pm every night? Feels like addiction, doesn’t it? Everyone says sugar’s as addictive as cocaine — same brain pathways, same dopamine hit.
I believed it. Felt completely powerless around Hobnobs. One became half a packet. Must be addiction, I thought. Except when I actually looked at the evidence and tracked my own data, I discovered something different. My fasting glucose dropped from 6.2 mmol/L to 4.8 mmol/L over six months. The cravings? They faded. Not through willpower. Through a different fuel system.
The Addiction Myth: What the Headlines Get Wrong
You’ve heard it. Sugar lights up the same brain pathways as cocaine. A 2016 study (WMTWL-3456) showed similar dopamine responses. Headlines ran with it. “Sugar is as addictive as hard drugs.”
But here’s what those headlines miss.
Addiction means you’ll endure genuine pain to get the substance. Cocaine addicts steal from family. Heroin addicts lose everything they have. What do “sugar addicts” actually do? Eat a Twix at their desk when stressed. Finish the packet of digestives after a bad day.
That’s not addiction. That’s habit. That’s blood sugar instability. That’s using food for emotional regulation.
What Changed for Me
Before fasting: biscuits every night, 9pm like clockwork. Couldn’t stop once I started. The packet would be open, and twenty minutes later it was half empty. Classic “addiction” behaviour, or so I thought.
After six months of 16:8 fasting? I’m a lot more neutral around sugar now.
I can have two or three biscuits, then stop. Rarely stop at one — let’s be honest. But I often forget biscuits exist now. They’re not calling my name at 9pm anymore.
The data tells the story:
- Fasting glucose: 6.2 → 4.8 mmol/L
- GKI: Averaging 3-4 (fat-adapted zone)
- Blood sugar: Stable throughout the day
- Hunger: Rare
Not willpower. A different fuel system.
The Real Culprit: Insulin Resistance
Dr. Jason Fung’s research (WMTWL-0042) points to something most people miss. It’s not addiction pathways driving those evening cravings. It’s insulin resistance.
When your cells don’t respond properly to insulin, blood sugar swings wildly. Those swings create urgent cravings. Your body screams for quick energy. Biscuits answer the call.
Fix the insulin sensitivity, and the cravings often fade on their own.
I’m not “recovering from sugar addiction.” I’m working on insulin sensitivity through 18:6 fasting and non-UPF food. Different framing. Different solution.
What To Try Instead
Stop calling it addiction. Start calling it blood sugar instability.
Work on insulin sensitivity with 18:6 fasting and real food. Give it six weeks. Track your evening cravings — actually write them down. Note when they hit, how strong they feel.
They may fade when your fuel system stabilises. You’re not broken. Your insulin is.
🎯 Key Takeaways
- Sugar cravings aren’t addiction — they’re blood sugar instability and insulin resistance driving the behaviour
- Fasting improves insulin sensitivity — my glucose dropped from 6.2 to 4.8 mmol/L over six months, and cravings faded naturally
- Six weeks to test — track evening cravings while doing 18:6 fasting with non-UPF food; the pattern often shifts
Ready to Reset Your Fuel System?
If evening cravings are running your life, the issue probably isn’t willpower. It’s blood sugar stability and insulin sensitivity. The 14-Day Rhythm Reset Guide walks you through the exact approach I used.
👉 Get the 14-Day Rhythm Reset Guide (free)
💪 Want ongoing support? Join Rhythm Club for £30/month (includes FREE app access, community, and weekly accountability calls)
🔽 Read the Video Transcript
I Thought Sugar Was Addictive. Turned Out: Insulin.
Can’t stop at one biscuit? Chocolate at 9pm every night? Feels like addiction. Everyone says sugar’s addictive like cocaine. Same brain pathways, same dopamine hit (WMTWL-3456, 2016 study). I believed it. Felt powerless around Hobnobs. One became half a packet. Must be addiction, I thought.
Except addiction means you’ll endure pain to get the substance. Cocaine addicts steal from family. Heroin addicts lose everything. What do “sugar addicts” do? Eat a Twix at their desk when stressed. That’s not addiction. That’s habit, blood sugar instability, and emotional regulation with food.
Before fasting: biscuits every night, 9pm like clockwork. Couldn’t stop once I started. After six months of 16:8 fasting? I’m a lot more neutral around sugar. I can have two or three biscuits, then stop. Rarely stop at one, but I often forget biscuits exist now.
What changed? Fasting glucose dropped from 6.2 mmol/L to 4.8 mmol/L. GKI averaging 3-4 (fat-adapted zone). Blood sugar stable. Hunger rare. Not willpower. Different fuel system.
Dr. Jason Fung’s research (WMTWL-0042) shows insulin resistance drives sugar cravings, not addiction pathways. I’m not fixing sugar addiction. I’m working on insulin sensitivity with 18:6 fasting and non-UPF food.
Stop calling it addiction. Start calling it blood sugar instability. Work on insulin sensitivity with 18:6 fasting and non-UPF food. Give it six weeks. Track your evening cravings. They may fade when your fuel system stabilizes. You’re not broken. Your insulin is.
Educational only, not medical advice. Speak to your GP before changing fasting pattern, diet, or medication.
⚠️ Important: This is educational content based on evidence and personal experience. It is not medical advice. Speak to your GP before changing fasting pattern, diet, or medication.
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