This study finds that those who occasionally incorporate cravings into their diet in moderation have better long-term weight loss results. (Tyshchenko Photography/Shutterstock)
In a nutshell
- People who lost more weight and kept it off were more likely to see lasting reductions in food cravings, especially for sweets and carbs.
- One of the most effective strategies involved including small portions of craved foods in balanced meals, rather than avoiding them completely.
- Early success in managing cravings, within the first six months, was a strong predictor of long-term weight loss over the two-year study period.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The secret to besting the brownie might just be… eating the brownie. New research suggests that those who occasionally indulge their cravings as part of a balanced meal actually lose more weight than those who try to resist them completely.
Recent research published in the journal Physiology & Behavior reveals that successfully reducing food cravings during the early stages of weight loss strongly correlates with keeping pounds off for the long term. The study also suggests a powerful cycle: losing weight helps reduce cravings, and managing those cravings helps accelerate further weight loss.
Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found strong correlations between successful weight loss maintenance and reduced food cravings, with users of their craving control strategy achieving greater weight loss overall.
Unlike general hunger, which can be satisfied with various foods, cravings target specific items, like that pint of ice cream calling your name from the freezer. For many people struggling with weight, these powerful urges often focus on calorie-dense options like chocolate, cake, and other sweet or fatty foods.
In the 24-month study, researchers tracked 30 adults participating in a dietary weight loss program that taught specific strategies for managing cravings. Participants who lost more than 5% of their body weight showed consistent reductions in both the frequency and intensity of their food cravings throughout the entire two-year period. Meanwhile, those who failed to achieve significant weight loss showed no meaningful changes in their cravings.
Changes in cravings at just six months into the program predicted weight changes over the entire two-year period. In other words, early success at managing those urges for sweets and carbs foretold long-term success.
Most previous research only followed participants through active weight loss phases, but this study continued tracking participants for an entire year after their formal weight loss program ended. Twenty participants completed the full two-year study, with the most successful maintaining both their weight loss and their reduced cravings throughout.
One particularly effective strategy involved something counterintuitive: rather than attempting to eliminate favorite foods entirely, participants who incorporated small portions of their craved foods into balanced meals actually lost more weight and reduced their cravings more effectively than those who tried avoiding those foods altogether.
The researchers observed that participants who included craved foods into balanced meals achieved greater weight loss and greater reduction in sweet and high-fat food cravings compared to those who did not follow this approach.
The inclusion strategy wasn’t just successful in the short term. In fact, 66.7% of participants still following the program at 12 months reported using this approach. Over half agreed that it helped them stay focused on weight loss goals, and 50% said it helped them maintain a consistent meal pattern by avoiding eating craved foods randomly or as a snack.
While the precise reason behind reduced cravings during weight loss remains unconfirmed, the researchers propose that improved insulin sensitivity may play a key role. As body fat decreases, insulin sensitivity typically improves, potentially affecting dopamine signaling in the brain’s reward pathways. Previous research has shown that intranasal insulin administration can actually reduce cravings for sweet foods, lending support to this theory.
For those struggling with persistent cravings despite weight loss efforts, the study authors suggest stress might be the culprit. They note it may be beneficial to enroll such participants in a stress/anxiety coping program concurrently or preceding a weight loss program, as stress is closely linked to increased cravings for sweets and highly palatable foods.
Moderation, not elimination, may be the true path to sustainable weight loss. By acknowledging cravings and finding thoughtful ways to satisfy them within a balanced diet, we might finally break the cycle of restriction, craving, and regain that has frustrated dieters for decades.
Paper Summary
Methodology
The study enrolled 30 adults with overweight or obesity (BMI ≥25 kg/m², or ≥23 kg/m² if Asian) into a 12-month weight loss program followed by 12 months of weight maintenance monitoring. Participants attended 22 online nutrition education sessions over the first year, received individualized advising, and used a web application to track their weight from Wi-Fi-enabled scales. The program taught strategies for managing food cravings, including the “inclusion strategy” of incorporating small portions of favorite foods into balanced meals. Researchers measured food cravings using two validated questionnaires at baseline, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months: the Food Craving Inventory (FCI) to assess frequency of cravings for specific foods, and the Food Cravings Questionnaire-Trait (FCQ-T) to assess the intensity of food cravings as a general trait.
Results
Twenty participants completed the full 24-month study, with an average weight loss of 6.7% at the end. Those who achieved >5% weight loss (n=13) showed consistent reductions in craving traits and frequencies throughout the study, while those with <5% weight loss (n=7) showed no significant changes in cravings. Changes in cravings for general foods, sweets, and carbohydrates at 6 months significantly predicted weight changes over the entire 24 months, with the correlations persisting during the maintenance period. Participants who used the inclusion strategy (n=16) achieved greater weight loss and greater reductions in sweet and high-fat food cravings compared to non-strategy users (n=8). The researchers suggest a “virtuous cycle” where weight loss reduces cravings, and controlling cravings accelerates further weight loss.
Limitations
The study had a relatively small sample size (30 participants initially, with 20 completing the full two years). Since participants adopted multiple strategies simultaneously, it’s difficult to attribute outcomes solely to any single approach like the inclusion strategy. The researchers also didn’t assess stress and anxiety levels, which might influence food cravings, particularly for sweet and carbohydrate-rich foods. Additionally, as this was a single-arm trial without a control group, the specific effects of the intervention versus natural changes over time cannot be fully distinguished.
Funding and Disclosures
The project was supported by the Campus Research Board, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a grant (ILLU-698-936) from the US Department of Agriculture of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The authors declared no conflict of interest.
Publication Information
The study “Reduced food cravings correlated with a 24-month period of weight loss and weight maintenance” was published in Physiology & Behavior (Volume 291, 2025, Article 114813) and authored by Nouf W. Alfouzan and Manabu T. Nakamura from the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and Division of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The paper was received on October 11, 2024, revised on January 10, 2025, and accepted on January 16, 2025.
