I ate carbs all the time (and I mean, ALL THE TIME...I don't think an hour would pass without me eating something) because I was hungry ALL THE TIME. The only time I knew I wasn't hungry was when my stomach was uncomfortably distended!

I ate carbs instead of much else because that's what I thought I should be eating...you know, whole grains? Fruit? Vegetables? Low fat dairy? Sigh....

It's only now, after a year of working very hard on LC living, that I can say the appetite/craving beast is firmly under control. Working through those initial carb cravings when going LC was very hard, and I often cracked...but I kept at it. I am absolutely convinced that LC is the ONLY way of living for me...it is the ONLY thing that has ever worked in controlling my appetite, and the scale shows it, and my clothes show it.

And hey...it's my TOM. First one EVER that I didn't crack! I stayed paleo all the way through it...did eat a lot though, but all allowed foods. What a victory!

Carb addiction is a physical addiction for some, just like alcoholism/drug addiction is. Some folks can have a social drink and not get addicted, and others can't. I know that I have to stay far away from carbs all of the time, or I will get very sick, perhaps die young, and cause my loved ones a lot of pain. In the book, The Diet Cure, the author addresses carb addiction quite well.

I could have written this myself. Word for word.

Just last night I had a completely irrational emotional craving for food immediately after something trivial happened to cause me stress. This cheapy necklace I've had for awhile broke, and I was bummed immediately. Instead of getting over it like a normal person, I found myself in the kitchen staring at my kiddos cereal and breakfast bars. It took me walking out, looking at my boyfriend, and verbally saying, "what am I doing?".

It's crazy how much I equate carby food binge with making me feel better during stressful or bummed out times. I HATE IT. I've actually considered therapy for it. Ugh!!

I may check that book out from the library, along with the Dr Phil one listed early.

Thanks!

Unless you understand and commit to a low-carb way of life, why wouldn't you eat carbs? They are everywhere, in everything, and the easiest thing to grab when you're hungry or on the go.

I don't think its so much an addiction as the norm in today's society. If you don't know any better, carbs are what you will reach for every time -- whether its from emotions, physiological urge, boredom, or convenience -- carbs are just easier.

Thank goodness we know better.

Totally. And the more you use them the more you want them.

I tend to graze on food when I'm lonely or tired. Now that I'm off refined carbs/starches I'm grazing on veggies and nuts, which isn't nearly as bad as the refined garbage I used to eat. And I'm more easily satisfied too, and I feel happy knowing that what I'm putting in at least is full of nutrients.