My name is Jeff and I am a carboholic.
I began my Atkins lifestyle this past January 12th and have not consciously or willingly taken in any high-glycemic carbs since. The weight dropped off very fast at first and then slowed down to a more reasonable rate: 6 pounds in the past 30 days for a total of 30 pounds in the first 90 days.
The best part is that I am free of urges and compulsions. This leads me to the conclusion that I am extremely carb-sensitive and that I really need to never eat high-GI carbs ever again, lest I initiate a carb binge that could undo all my progress. I truly believe that high-GI carbohydrates made from refined flour and/or sugar, as well as potatoes, corn, etc., are foods I should never eat because they will trigger an extreme insulin response which will lead to uncontrollable eating and weight gain. On the 1 rare occasion in the past 3 months when I accidentally consumed even a small amount of those "bad" carbs, my heart raced and pounded so hard that it kept me awake most of the night, so this negative biofeedback has really taken away the allure that sweet/starchy/fatty foods used to have for me. I love carbs but they don't love me so the only way I'll ever get to a healthy weight and BMI and stay there will be to eschew all forms of high-GI carbs forever. To think otherwise would be as risky as an alcoholic thinking that he can have a social drink now and again w/o consequences.
Carbohydrate addiction might not be a medical term embraced by the AMA (yet) but I truly believe this condition really exists and that I am one of its victims. Being liberated from those demons is such a pleasure that the mere thought of ever feeling the extreme hunger and food obsession again that comes with an insulin response is so daunting as to take away whatever pleasurable attraction such carb-rich foods might otherwise have.
For the first time in my life I don't think thoughts like, "I can't wait to take a break from this boring diet and eat some bread or some sweets". On the contrary, eating such foods is so not on my radar that the thought that someday I will eat donuts or pizza or sugary soft drinks again is like thinking that someday I'll try heroine or crack cocaine. I truly hope I never fall off the wagon and go back to being in the grips of carbohydrate addiction because it has been so liberating to have broken that sugar cycle that the thought of ever going back scares me silly. I love the way I feel and have felt these past 3 months that I wanted to share it with you all as some of you encouraged me early on and you wouldn't be reading this if you weren't also carb-addicted and can relate.
I hope my success so far inspires some of you who are getting dispirited with low carbs, and I hope to be able to report back again in a few months to keep you all apprised of my progress. I expect to stay in the Induction Phase for another 9 months or so until I lose another 45 pounds.
Here's to our mutual success!
Jeff
My Progress
low carb
Linear Mode
