Carb addiction is real.

I saw a post by someone that talked about carb addiction being like any other addiction. Some of the members in the comments took umbrage with the poster and said they were tired of people treating carb addiction like other addictions. It wasn’t fair to those that suffer through real addiction, especially substance abuse.

My name is Michael and I am an addict. Six years ago I went to rehab for pain-killer addiction. I power lifted for nearly 20 years without knowing that I had degenerative disc disease. Right before I turned 36 I was doing a crossfit workout and ruined my back for good doing hang-cleans. The pain never went away. I was prescribed hydrocodone. I took one as prescribed by my doctor. It didn’t do a thing and all I wanted to do was get a good night’s rest. I never drank, never abused any other substance in my life. I didn’t understand addiction at all. Because I didn’t understand addiction or the “genetic” part of addiction I decided the next night I would take 2, it still didn’t work. I jumped to 4 pills and my life changed forever. I went from 4 to 6 and upped the dosage. I struggled with pain-killer addiction for nearly 9 years. I had no idea that if you had family members on one side of your family that was an addict or alcoholic you have a 50/50 chance of being one yourself. If it is on both sides of your family, you basically have the genetics to be an addict/alcoholic 9 out of 10 times. Alcoholism runs on both sides of my family. I should have been more careful. I have been clean for 6 years.

I am a carb addict. I can’t even have one carb. NOT ONE. If I do, the addiction explodes. The binge eating is insane. The emotional/stress eating is out of control. If I eat carbs the inflammation in my back will go crazy. My anxiety and depression will become paralyzing. The negative effects of sugar/carbs are so drastic that it is easy for me to stay the course. I tried keto and failed numerous times, eating “low-carb” did not work for me. I learned from rehab that I have to abstain, I cannot moderate. It doesn’t fit with who I am as a person. Some people can moderate, I can’t. I don’t know how mentally or emotionally. So, I have to stay completely away.

Eating zero-carb has changed my life completely. My arthritic shoulders don’t bother me anymore, my back pain is minimal. My anxiety and depression is completely gone. I love who I am now, I can’t wait for the future. I have said it before, but 4 years ago, I was okay with dying. Now, when I think about that it makes me sick to my stomach. I have lost over 100 pounds within the last two years. I am a year and a half from turning 50 years old. I am actually shooting for abs by Christmas. I am going to repeat that, “FREAKING ABS BY CHRISTMAS!”

No more joint pain
No more back pain
No more anxiety
No more depression
No more sleep apnea

I can’t wait for tomorrow, next month, next year. I have three beautiful granddaughters and a grandson on the way. Eating zero carb will be something that I will do for the rest of my life. When people ask me how I can just eat meat, I don’t think they really understand that this is my medicine. I really hope this post helps someone with the moderation versus the abstaining. I see so many posts with people saying they had a cheat meal and went off the rails, sometimes spending weeks and months trying to get back on it. Remember the saying in AA, “one is too many and 1000 is never enough.” That applies to carbs for me physically, spiritually and mentally. It never ceases to amaze me that some being has to die for me to be healed. I post a lot more on my instagram @zerocarb.roofer. Thanks for indulging me WCT.