I've always wondered whether people who have 100 or more pounds to lose would be found to be carbohydrate addicts as measured by the Drs. Hellers. In fact, I've really been convinced that this is a large part of the problem for them; that people who are 100 pounds or more over weight are really at the mercy of their bodies' chemistries.

I'm curious where members fall on the Carbohydrate Addicts addiction continuum and would appreciate you taking the test here and reporting on your results.

Please answer the questions as you would have before you came to lc.

I am not trying to convince anyone to change programs!! I've just always been curious about this and got the courage today to try a poll format. I hope it's easier than I thought, lol!!!

Hi Zuleikaa ...

Interesting thread! I've wondered, too, since I don't think I have a carb addiction, although I know many successful low carbers do.

I scored 2 - Sometimes I eat when I'm not hungry and I've lost and gained weight many times in the past.

Well, after scoring a 9 on the quiz I guess you could definately put me into the Card Addict camp. The only one I didn't mark yes on was the question about repeated diets. That's because I never wanted to go through the frustration of dieting with little or no results and being hungry all the time. One problem with the questions is that I did have to answer yes because they put the question in terms of "sometimes." A couple of them I wouldn't say were really a problem but "sometimes" I do whatever is being asked about. Whether I am an actual addict or not, I know that I have problems with carbs,esp sweets. I feel very spacy after eating them and have no energy, not even the sugar spike.

Connie

I can answer the poll two ways. Thinking back to 18 months ago, before I started low carbing, I would answer yes to all 10 questions -- severe addiction. Taking it today, and responding as someone who eats very few carbs, I only answer yes to two of them -- I occasionally have issues with snacking at night and I have been on multiple diets and then regained the weight. That puts me at no addiction. However, I'm certain that the addiction would reappear if I significantly upped the quantity of carbs that I eat. I guess I am a recovered addict.

How should I answer the poll -- severe addiction or no addiction?

I've answered with my "before" persona -- and got 9. I had already figured out that I'm a carb addict and this just completes it. A recovered carb addict but from the number of times I have gained and lost weight, definitely an addict.

liz175
I asked that members answer with their "before" persona. That gives me a trueer picture. LC helps to correct carb addiction.

Sorry! I didn't read your first post carefully enough. You clearly did ask us to vote based on how we were before low carbing. I voted -- severe carb addict. I never thought of myself as a recovered addict before, but I guess I am.

While I scored very high on the addiction scale, I'm not convinced that those questions aren't measuring something else -- at least in my case.

I've only been doing this for 4-1/2 weeks, so it's really too soon to tell if things will change much, but, at least for now, I'm not sure any of the answers would change much. There is no question but what I often overeat, and tend to be unaware of when I'm hungry/full, but those issues have to do with other issues from my past rather than specifically what I eat, I think.

Ask again after I've been doing this for six months!

Marie H

Wow! A perfect 10. Ha!
Seriously folks, I agree with what Liz said. before I started low carbing, I would answer yes to all 10 questions -- severe addiction. Taking it today, and responding as someone who eats very few carbs, I only answer yes to two of them -- I occasionally have issues with snacking at night and I have been on multiple diets and then regained the weight.
This past weekend I made a batch of peanut butter fudge and ate all of it but 3 or 4 pieces. Weekends are bad for me. During the week, I'm away from home at work. No temptations. On weekends, I'm here at home and the temptations are tremendous. I can think of a million things I want and crave. I'll have to keep super busy from now on and not have the opportunity to do this again. It is emotional eating not hunger.

I scored a 3. It took me a while to figure out where the questions were at. Finally I saw your word HERE. hehe

Hi Zuleikaa,

I just took the test you suggested and found out that I am in the Severe Carbs range. I scored 9 yes and 1 no. Pretty bad I know.

I have been off this WOE since January and I am really feeling the bunt of it. I don't like it at all. I used to feel full of energy when I stayed on the induction part of the program. I stayed on it pretty much all the time and didn't mind it at all until that fatal Thanksgiving Day I broke down and had a regular dinner with desserts. I still stayed on the diet afterwards but gradually begin to nibble here and there and now I am only doing breakfast and drinking water, which is not much at all. I found myself last week noticing that I was really tired. So tired that I needed to take a nap and even that didn't help my tiredness. I just realized tonight that it is because of the carbs. It's the carbs!, It's the carbs!, It's the carbs! That is what is making me not have any energy!!!!!!!!! So I am coming back home to this WOE. I want to feel good again with energy. I know that I can do it because it is so easy when you have energy!!!!!


Ya'll pray for me to be able to stay on it because it could mean my death if I don't!! Thanks,

I started out doing CAD but due to my bulimic past I turned the reward meal into a binge. It was like me telling one of my alcoholic clients that they could drink as much as they wanted, but had to do it with in an hour per day. I started a half-assed Atkins program fall of 2002 but due to a strike I had no finances to eat LC; we were lucky to keep eating...sigh. Since starting Atkins in April I feel like I'm in control for the first time in my life and I'll be forever grateful.

Great thread!

Nicole

Same here.

BTW - pre-Atkins I would have been a 10. I don't think anyone who scores as severe could really handle CAD. As you said, it would be like telling an alcoholic or drug addict that they could still 'use' but only an hour a day.

I scored a 9 which didn't surprise me in the least. I could bathe in garlic mashed potatoes and make love to Hershey's Chocolate Syrup ::sigh::

Orchid

If it were possible to score an 11 on that quiz, I would have. "Ours go to eleven."

Starting lc and reading DANDR, I "self-diagnosed" myself as a carb addict. Not that this quiz is scientific proof, but asking the right questions certainly gives a clearer picture!

I was always a B student....should I print my quiz & post it on the fridge...actually, that wouldn't be such a bad idea for a deterrant!

But, if I were to answer the questions now living the lc life, I have such a different view of carbs and what my body "needs" now....amazing!

Thanks for the quiz & this poll...it was interesting