Are You Addicted to Carbs?

Am I Addicted to Carbohydrates?

One of the accusations I hear running around the low-carb world is that people can become addicted to carbohydrates, and that is why they are fat. That is why they cheat now and then, have trouble maintaining their loses, or got heavy in the first place. It's all because of the carbs. They simply cannot stop eating them. They crave them too much, or they lose control at a party or social gathering because they can't stand the thought of being deprived.

Now, whatever the exact reason is, carbohydrates always get the blame.

What is Addiction?

When low carbers talk about cravings, they usually are referring to a very strong urge to eat something that contains carbohydrates. Their mind says they want to eat that particular food because it will taste good, provide loads of enjoyment, and will satisfy them more than a leftover BBQ chicken leg or hard-boiled egg would. Being unable to make up one's mind and craving the sensation of taste is often called addiction, but for true addiction to be present, there has to be a continual pattern of activity.

In other words, the addicted person will find themselves cheating every single week.

However, even those who have a difficult time sticking to a low-carb diet might be falling prey to something totally different than carbohydrate addiction. Carbohydrates are a macronutrient. They are found is most foods, except for meats, so to be truly addicted to them, one would find a baked potato or cup of plain steamed rice just as tempting and uncontrollable to avoid as a piece of chocolate cake. If that's true for you, then you "might" be addicted to carbs. If it's not true for you, then you might be addicted to something else.

What Addictions Might Drive You to Eat Carbs?

The following are a few psychological addictions that might mask themselves as a physical addiction to carbs. Some of these addictions are very common, especially among those of us who don't have a lot of self esteem or those who struggle with insecurity issues:

Being a Victim:

For those who are overweight, this is a biggie. We believe that we have been victimized by carbs. If carbohydrates didn't exist in the world, we wouldn't be fat, so the idea is that carbs have somehow attacked us. They have mistreated us and made us fat. When a person is functioning from a victim mindset, the Life force will go out of its way to prove you right. Situations will pop up that will give you ample opportunity to cheat. If you cave in and go face down into the pumpkin pie, that reaction to food will support what you already believe. Yep. Carbs are out to get you.

Addiction to Dieting:

You can actually be addicted to dieting itself. Yo-yo dieters do this all the time. They get a high out of initially going on a diet, and fall in love that surge of energy and well-being that you receive when you first enter the state of ketosis. Once the newness loses it's hormonal potency and the body adapts to ketosis, you begin to feel a bit flat. 

Maybe the scale doesn't return the correct number that week, or you get bored with the food, or someone in your family is eating one of your favorite foods in front of you. You end up cheating for that sugar rush or you give up for a while. When you return to a low-carb diet, after a lengthy diet break, you'll once again experience that high that comes from thinking this time I'm really going to do this.

Discrimination Syndrome:

This syndrome is very popular among those who are overweight as well. We feel like we have been discriminated against because we are fat, and that it isn't fair that we can't eat the same foods that others can. Since energy follows the path where we place our attention, thinking about what we can't have and the unfairness of life will cause the mind to suddenly produce cravings for that very thing. The mind thinks that's what we NEED to be happy, must have to not feel inferior, so that's what it encourages us to do at the very next opportunity. Yes, it's enticing us to eat foods with carbohydrates, but only because we feel like it's unfair that we can't.

Addicted to Taste:

Taste is one of our 5 basic senses, and as such sets off a chemical reaction within the bloodstream whenever we experience it. Those who are addicted to the sense of taste don't feel good about themselves unless every single thing they eat gives them the ultimate sense of pleasure they are seeking. These people generally won't eat anything that doesn't taste really good to them because they are dead set on avoiding anything that causes displeasure. You won't find them eating foods that are just okay. Foods must produce a chemical high, or they'll push them away.

Being Sick:

Believe it or not, there are people who are actually addicted to being sick. This reaction to food restriction comes from a strong need for more attention, as well the need to play the victim. Instead of being responsible for one's food choices and avoiding foods that will make one feel sick, the person addicted to feeling bad will eat something they shouldn't whenever they are feeling neglected, ignored, unappreciated, or unloved.

I see this quite a bit on low-carb forums. Some people get literally sick when they eat foods that contain a high amount of carbohydrates. That's because the enzymes needed to digest those foods down regulates when we don't need it. But even though they know they are going to get sick, they do it anyway. Then they post about what they did on a forum or blog, so people can console them and tell them to pick themselves up and keep going. It's a strong plea for attention.

Consequences for Giving in to Addictions

When we go about our daily life unaware of what we are really addicted to, and sitting around blaming the carbs instead, we sacrifice our energy reserves, health, peace of mind, and sometimes, even our very lives in order to gratify our addictions and cravings. It's easier to blame the carbs than it is to turn around and take a good look at ourselves. Unexamined, our motivations for what we are eating, and the methods we are using in an attempt to have our way right now will cause us to do things we wouldn't ordinarily do if we were conscious of our thoughts and actions.

Smoked Chicken Leg Quarter and Healthy Lettuce Salad

Making our true motivations conscious, owning what we are doing, and taking responsibility for our choices will go a long way toward helping us reach our daily aims and ultimate goals. But we have to willing to take the risk of looking into our mind and not running away from what we find there. It's not going to be pretty. The false picture we have created of ourselves isn't real. Plus, most of us have never really faced who and what we really are. Most of us have hidden behind a variety of masks, personality bits, and false beliefs that are actually in control and have enslaved us.

Breaking free of our addictions is possible, but one has to have reached a point where every method of achieving pleasure and escaping all forms of pain has failed to work for us. Until then, we will keep on searching for rainbows that don't really exist.