'The heart of the matter" -- is it about 'forgiveness' or about our carbohydrate addictions! It's really an important issue for all of us, this weight loss. It's fun to laugh and joke about our carbohydrate addictions and play and we never want to stop doing that but this thread is for serious discussions regarding weight loss and the curing of this disease! I don't know what could be more inspiring!

We don't know that(we) 'the whole world' are 'high' on carbohydrates, that's one of the biggest issues we face!

Once we realize that we are addicted to carbs, and that "one little taste" can be the cause of a full-blown binge, then we can get our eating and our cravings under control.

This nonsense about eating foods in moderation - it's ok to have one cookie, to have a "small" dessert, you know, the low calorie thinking - it's just as dangerous to eat the one cookie for a carb addict as it is for the alcoholic to have that one drink, or the drug addict that one high. The sad thing is, there are so many people who don't even know they are addicts!

In some cases, just a whiff of the food can cause uncontrollable cravings. I remember someone bringing a big oatmeal box full of fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies to the office. I opened the box, had a whiff, and wanted to go sit in the corner and just chow down on all of them. I was a good girl, though, gave them to the other 2 ladies here in the office. I've watched them slowly expand their girth, while I am happily shrinking. They never turn down goodies. They know I won't touch them. As difficult as it is to resist, it's possible, just look at the goal you aspire to, even if it's a mini goal, and remember you won't get there if you cave in to that addiction!

First of all, mad props for the Don Henley reference. I saw the Eagles' "Hell Freezes Over " tour twice and "Heart of the Matter" was one of the highlights.

Carb addition is like the Hotel California - you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave! It took me over half a century to figure out that I am a carb addict, and life in the low-carb lane is a lot more pleasant.

Carb addiction IS serious stuff! Any addiction is serious stuff! One societal problem is that like most of us, the majority of the American public doesn't have a clue that carb addiction is real or exists. Therefore when we exhibit a 'Zero Tolerance' policy for the carb overloads that are offered to us, most folks act like we've gone off the deep end. In addition, the rejection of carbs in social settings is equated to an 'anti-social' behavior. However, I would rather be ridiculed, belittled and even ostracized than to give up what I now know about developing my new lifelong healthy eating habits doing Low-Carb.

I am 54, so I am another not-so-proud-of-the-fact-LC'er that it took half a century to learn the evils and dangers associated with SUGAR, FLOUR and other equally evil refined carbs. I picked up SUGAR SHOCK by Connie Bennett sometime in June and I must say, I was totally SHOCKED by what I read! I must confess I've been more like a 'Sugar Freak' than a sugar addict. Anyhow, I started Protein Power on July 1, 2007, and the first three days I was in bed with 'sugar withdrawals'. It was like a severe case of the flu, but I was determined to tough it out.

I'm six weeks down the road now, and have lost 21 pounds. Not the fastest weight loss, but I'm not concerned with speed this time around. I'm in this thing for the long haul this time and if it takes me a year to reach my 100 pound weight loss goal, then so be it! I'm determined to make this a lifestyle.

The cravings are 97% history...oh what peace and relief! I'm no longer slave to food! I realize now, I never was addicted to food, it was carbs I was addicted to. And most folks don't realize that they are attempting to derail our success by continuing to insist and push refined carbs on us. I have come to the point that I hate to hear the 'anything is OK in moderation' line. That is so asinine! How about drinking hydrochloric acid in moderation? or how about eating salmonella contaminated food in moderation? And the list of absurdities goes on and on.

But as Dr. Atkins said, 'that first bite is the kiss of death'. We all know that all too well from other areas of our life in which we've gotten into extremes and excesses by participating in wrong things in moderation. And as the saying goes, 'what one generation does in moderation, the next generation does in excess'. This could apply to any kind of successful long term healthy living plan. Don't start bad habits in moderation and then there won't be any extremes and excesses to deal with!

As much as relearning how to eat healthy, comes the task of relearning how to 'socialize' with our healthy dietary lifestyle. Problem is that folks are too hung up on being 'Politically Correct' nowadays. This is a topic that volumes could be written about. However, I will reserve further diatribe for a new topic which we could start...such as "Social Etiquette of the Low-Carb Lifestyle" or "Politically Correct Low-Carb Dining in Social Situations". Of course, you cannot detect my tone of voice on a forum, but these remarks reek with sarcasm!

The 'low-fat' camp always manage to inject, or infect, their 'ever-so-right-and-authoritative' points of view upon anyone who dares to question their dietary choices. So, stand out in the crowd or not, I'm "doing Atkins", or "doing Low-Carb"...don't you just love ghastly look on their faces when you say such things. I love playing around with their replies as much as I enjoy 'messing with' telemarketers who annoy me when I am relaxing with a good LC read.

End of rant.............for now!

Ron

Tom, you are right about not knowing we are carb addicts. 'We' meaning humans.

I guess you only reason understand once you go through a detox to get rid of carbs form your diet.

To me, it's a big bio-chemical response, and there are a lot of endorphins involved.

Over the last few years I've realised that I used carbs in so many ways to lifet my mood. Everyone in society is doing that.

Just look at the way we 'celebrate'. In Australia there is a big cultural thing of drinking alcohol. Many people have alcohol problems.

Ron, I stand at attention and salute you. What a fantastic and inspiring post. You are 100% correct and I love reading your writings. There is nothing more to add at this point. You have said it all and said it better than well.
My hat is off to you, my friend!

Mary

WOW I think alot of us are in the same boat.........I know one bite can set me off and sometimes it's hard to forgive yourself as you feel like you have to set in a closet and eat/bidge by yourself because lord help me if my kids see me eating something I shouldn't............
(they really do look after me!!)

Gee, I dunno. Maybe some people like a low-grade sugar buzz as a WOL. If they are wired differently to me, then it just might work for them to charge up their circuits. I, however, have ADD, and I don't need the extra 'jazzing up'. In fact, the meds of choice for my wiring are amphetamines which paradoxically chill me out to the point of flopsiness.

I believe that low-carb eating is the best food plan ever. I also believe that Pink Floyd's "The Wall" is one of the most pretentious pieces of rock music ever recorded. There are those who will agree with me, and millions who will pelt me with overripe lemons for stating such untruths.

I'd be a liar if I denied liking chocolate cake, and poppy seed bagels warm from the oven. But I like feeling non-frantic even more. Others (who are not on this board) will find their mileage varies. But as they get comfortably numb eating Frankenfoods, I'll be doing what I have to do, namely to respect my body and its carb sensitivity.

The one big thing I find folks trying to convince me to eat is SUGAR, i.e. sugar laden foods. The second one is FLOUR, i.e. carb laden foods.

FACT: Both sugar and flour are non-nutrients.

FACT: Sugar is an addictive substance.

Most people do not know either of these facts, and if they do, then they don't care! Sugar does nothing positive for our bodies...instead it destroys. Flour, as we know it today, also does nothing positive for our bodies; it is such a non-nutrient that flour producers must 'enrich' their products with 'vitamins' in order to convince the public they are healthy.

Another word on the moderation thing. What foods are the 'moderation' advocates always talking about that one should consume in moderation? Sugar and flour laden 'non-nutrient', addictive, 'feel good' foods. Why don't they ever talk about eating 'real foods' in moderation, i.e. spinach, brussell sprouts, cabbage, kale, asparagus, arugula, onions, tomatoes, zucchini? Because, even though they've never thought about it, these 'real foods' are NEVER addictive. They are designed for our bodies.

Sugar is a man-made, foreign substance being introduced into our bodies. The 'symptoms' associated with addiction and addictive behavior are our bodies trying to reject that foreign substance...because it recognizes it as 'poison'.

Some may have enough self-control to be able to eat sugar and refined carbs in moderation, but they are few and far between. And they tell you they eat them in moderation, and you may even see them using moderation in public, but what are they doing with them when they are behind closed doors? Ya' see, there's an angle we really don't know about.

I'll be civil to the 'moderationists', because I know deep within they got there just a little bit too late to convince me that sugar is not addictive. But, it really doesn't matter what 'works' for them. It's what works for me that matters! And I know that moderation does not work for me, in more than one area of my life.

Apparently there are fewer people in this country than I thought that comprehend the addictive nature of sugar. It IS a stimulant...no matter how you try to package and disguise it. And NO stimulant is safe to be consumed...not even in moderation!

Ron