I don't know if any of you LC'ers have heard of SAD. But let me tell you it's a carbohydrate nightmare.

I have SAD which is a deficiency in serotonin production. In the winter months - I have the same symptoms of a bear - literally I feel fatigued, I have a chronic headache, depression, I crave carbohydrates and I store fat (and water), I can't get enough sleep and have trouble waking up. As the days get shorter, my condition gets worse due to the lack of sunlight.

Subsequently I have a special lamp that I have to sit in front of for at least 30 minutes a day if not more to keep my system 'moving'.

Usually, this time of year, things improve for me. However with the cold and rainy spell we have been having in Ontario there is very little sun. So - you know what that means for my weight. I can't even tell you how many pounds I'm up - I'm so depressed. As I write this, I'm back on my light. Each day, my weight goes up one half pound.

I'm not sure why I'm writing. I just hope no one else has to go through this.

Nan, there is actually a subforum devoted to S.A.D. check it out, you'll find others dealing with this issue along with some resourses that might come in handy.

Fibromyalgia, CFS and SAD

HTH
Nat

I wonder if SAD can be avoided if one lives in a warmer climate?

It's not so much a warmer climate as a sunnier one. My SAD is much better since I moved from Boston, MA to Washington, DC.

I need a light for survival. I also switch between the Atkins and Carbohydrate Addicts diet plans. Atkins for sunnier months and CAD for gloomier months. I use Atkins to lose and CAD to lose very little or maintain the Atkins loss.

You actually turn into a bear and go into fat storing mode during the winter. The craving urges cannot be believed. If I smell something in the breeze, I get cravings!