Why do we feel like we are entitled to carbs?
Imagine that you are talking to a person who is obese (for example, me last year). It doesn’t seem to matter if the person is 50 pounds overweight or 250 pounds overweight. The person proclaims that he or she would like to lose weight. So you say to the person, “well, if you would cut way back on carbs, chances are you would lose weight. You might even try eliminating carbs completely and see what happens.” Depending on where the person is on the dieting spectrum, the next question might be, “what are carbs?” And the answer is, anything with sugar, flour or starch in it: Cookies, cakes, ice cream, soda, breakfast cereal, pizza, pasta, rice, potatoes, milk, fruit juice, etc.
The reaction almost inevitably is, “Are you kidding? I can’t live without ___.” Pizza might fill the blank, or Oreo cookies, or whatever. You might even hear, “I would commit suicide if I had to give up ____. There would be no reason to go on living…” or something similarly hyperbolic.
So you say, “But look at yourself. You are 80 pounds overweight. You are a heart attack waiting to happen. You are probably pre-diabetic, and diabetes is a nasty disease. The carbs are addictive, and they are killing you.” That doesn’t seem to matter. Carbs are more important than health, even if the lack of health is obvious to everyone in the form of blubber.
I still lust for carbs when I see them (although I can now completely control the lust, and if I don’t see the food I no longer lust for it). However, I doubt I will ever be able to eat carbs again – I now know exactly how addictive they can be and how dangerous they are to my health and well-being. If I start to eat them again, I fear, it might be like a reformed alcoholic drinking a beer.
What is different about carb addiction? For example, the vast majority of people can drink alcohol without becoming alcoholics. But I think carbs are somehow different – more like nicotine – based on the fact that more than half of the country is now overweight. I have had people say to me, “It’s not carbs – it’s just the fact that Americans eat way too much.” But I really think it is the carbs. Now that I am not eating carbs, I no longer eat too much. I no longer pig out, or binge. I simply do not eat bowl after bowl of cottage cheese in the same way I would eat bowl after bowl of frosted flakes. There is definitely something about carbs that is different. I think I am “normal” in that, rather than “abnormal”, based on current statistics.
And the idea of entitlement and necessity that goes with carbs is quite bizarre. Why do people feel like they can’t live without carbs? This idea that we “deserve” the treat or reward of an ice cream cone or a piece of cake is weird. So is the idea that we would “die” without pizza (or whatever) in our lives. Is it purely psychological, jammed into our brains at the youngest age by birthday parties, Halloween, Christmas candy, lollipops at the doctor’s office and a Twinkie after every soccer game – Along with a million commercials for carb-containing foods? If so, how would we as a society go about deprogramming all or that in order to improve the nation’s health?
from Marshal Brain blog
So you say, “But look at yourself. You are 80 pounds overweight. You are a heart attack waiting to happen. You are probably pre-diabetic, and diabetes is a nasty disease. The carbs are addictive, and they are killing you.” That doesn’t seem to matter. Carbs are more important than health, even if the lack of health is obvious to everyone in the form of blubber.
I still lust for carbs when I see them (although I can now completely control the lust, and if I don’t see the food I no longer lust for it). However, I doubt I will ever be able to eat carbs again – I now know exactly how addictive they can be and how dangerous they are to my health and well-being. If I start to eat them again, I fear, it might be like a reformed alcoholic drinking a beer.
What is different about carb addiction? For example, the vast majority of people can drink alcohol without becoming alcoholics. But I think carbs are somehow different – more like nicotine – based on the fact that more than half of the country is now overweight. I have had people say to me, “It’s not carbs – it’s just the fact that Americans eat way too much.” But I really think it is the carbs. Now that I am not eating carbs, I no longer eat too much. I no longer pig out, or binge. I simply do not eat bowl after bowl of cottage cheese in the same way I would eat bowl after bowl of frosted flakes. There is definitely something about carbs that is different. I think I am “normal” in that, rather than “abnormal”, based on current statistics.
And the idea of entitlement and necessity that goes with carbs is quite bizarre. Why do people feel like they can’t live without carbs? This idea that we “deserve” the treat or reward of an ice cream cone or a piece of cake is weird. So is the idea that we would “die” without pizza (or whatever) in our lives. Is it purely psychological, jammed into our brains at the youngest age by birthday parties, Halloween, Christmas candy, lollipops at the doctor’s office and a Twinkie after every soccer game – Along with a million commercials for carb-containing foods? If so, how would we as a society go about deprogramming all or that in order to improve the nation’s health?
from Marshal Brain blog
I completely agree with this post! People don't realise what a danger carbs are. After only a few days on this diet I'm starting to see just how eliminating them has changed my attitude towards food.
ReplyDeleteCarbs are most definitely like nicotine. When I'm eating a cake or a biscuit or whatever, I'm not thinking about the one I'm eating, I'm thinking about the next one, and the one after that, and the one after that. Then once the packet has finished I find myself wondering where they all went.
With Dukan I fill up on my food and know that I'm satisfied and not 'craving' foods. Carbs make me crave things, to the point where my moods can switch.
I can honestly say this is the first time I've actually felt satisfied after food. No bloating, no 'space for dessert' i.e. a huge lump of cake!, no unbuttoning my trousers, I'm just content.
It's funny how people can say they're unhappy with being obese, but in the same breath can tell you they can't live without ... (insert favourite sugary, fried, baked, fatty snack ...)
Exactly...I still have 30 pounds at least to lose but losing the weight is not even what it is all about now. The freedom from craving and bingeing and not thinking about "what can I eat next" is worth more than anything. I feel good about myself and really actually feel that I could stay on this for the rest of my life.....
ReplyDeleteTruly FOOD PEACE....
Wow! This post was phenomenal and exactly what I needed to read right now. I still have weight to lose, but am getting the feeling you mention Cheryl - of not thinking 'what can i eat next'. However, I do think carbs are worse than cigarettes, as carbs are just EVERYWHERE, and I do worry that I will be like the alcoholoic once I take my first bite.
ReplyDelete