Exercise/Carb Craving Connection?

Is there a connection between exercise and craving carbs? I've discussed this with co-workers and we've noticed this trend. This is purely anecdotal information, but I'll see what else I can find out about it. We've noticed that when we are exercising regularly it is much easier to control/manage appetite. Both cravings and hunger are reduced, and one exercising routine seems to make resolve to do the next easier. The complication is when the opposite seems to happen. If we are not exercising then we start having to deal with increased hunger pangs, even if we are eating. That's an interesting reversal. Exercising, reduced food intake, no hunger. No exercise, increased food intake, more hunger. That alone is reason enough to put a premium on setting aside time for exercise.

But our observation gets more specific and interesting. When we exercise it is easier to control/manage nutrition. If we neglect exercise, we noticed that we don't just crave food in general, we crave carbs, not good natural carbs, but highly processed carbs: sugars, breads, pastas. For me it's sweets. I get to that stage of "no thank you, I do not want A cookie, I want the entire package of cookies."

So, the take away is plan meals, plan exercise, and work the plan. Missing exercise has greater consequences than just missed burned calories. Whether this is a physical response, a mental phenomena or a combination of the two I don't know. I don't know if this is anything other than just a unique response true of just a few people. My intuition is that it is a hard wired connection (exercise controls cravings, no exercise brings on carbohydrate craving). What have you noticed. Post a response and tell me about your observations on this.