you are completely normal! I bet 85% of us go through these struggles at some point in our LC lives.

The thing is, carbs are addictive. Once you start, the cravings are there. They can be unconscious and insidious, too, apparently driving us to Burger King and supersizing it on their own!

It helped me to self-educate on this topic. The brain chemistry of carb addiction is very much like the brain chemistry of cocaine addiction or nicotine addiction. It takes some time off the drug--in our case, sugar and grains and fries--for the brain to heal itself. We are probably always going to be at risk for re-entering the full-blown bingeing stage of addiction, because we have that physical makeup. When stress, tiredness, grief, or many other emotions occur, we automatically reach for carbs, which we've drugged ourselves with for years effectively. It takes focus to NOT reach for them. With understanding, intent, support, and a healthy respect for the power carbs have, we can prevail.

It gets easier, I promise you. I seldom think of carbs any more. In fact, my life no longer revolves around food at all, and at a Superbowl party, all I notice is that everyone else is fixated on that topic. A friend brought over a microwave popcorn bag six weeks ago--I had forgotten about it until I ran across it in the cupboard yesterday! Even a year ago, that thing would have been haunting my every waking thought until I ate it. The longer we're abstenant, the easier it gets.

So please, forgive yourself! You're battling some powerful forces here.

Consider taking l-glutamine between meals and chromium with meals for a few weeks to help manage the cravings.

HTH