Whenever I see a high carb food like ice cream, crackers, cakes, or even bread, I don't think of the food as well food. I see the food, can smell it, know it is there, but my brain perceives the display as a picture or painting of an object. Seeing and smelling the food doesn't make me hungry or bother me at all. It is the most amazing consequence of this diet. I just don't see those foods as foods anymore.

When I first started lc, I thought I wouldn't be able to handle being around other people satiating their carbohydrate cravings. But I can be around almost any carb containing food and not even think of it as food. The only exception was my mother's decadent chocolate birthday cake which I'll admit was quite tempting. My biggest weakness prior to this diet was chocolate in any shape or form. The cake smelled like heaven but resisting its power proved not to be too difficult. I breathed in deeply, took in the glorious aroma, and that was all I needed.

Has anyone else noticed this transformation in your perception of food?

Yes, I have noticed a definite transformation in my perception of food!

My fav's used to be bread & potatoes. I must confess I haven't tasted a potatoe since I started this WOE, but lots of bread..& noodles ( starchy foods ) smell just off to me. Kinda like something that is starting to spoil.

I have eaten bread though... But sometimes after a few bites...I'm done. My DH brought home a can of *pringles* chips the other day, and they actually smelled rancid to me. I had NO DESIRE to taste them

After all this time (since May 2002) I still have a love/hate relationship with the foods I shouldn't have. I really do find it easier now to pass them by, and I have found some lc alternatives that I enjoy.

On the rare occasion that I go off-plan, it doesn't usually taste as good as I think it will. I've given myself permission to have a non-lc treat once in a great while, and I find I am so "stingy" about using my allowance of carbs, that I often just pass it by. I don't want to chance losing ground for something that isn't REALLY special. I think it's a "forbidden fruit" thing. It's not the end of the world anymore, so I don't dwell on it, "feeding" cravings mentally!

I've been reading a lot about eating "cues" and self-talk in regards to cravings and staying on plan. It really helps to change my mindset, and stamp out that part of my carb obsession.

I think I'm well on my way to them just being "food"...

I drool over them, always will!

They don't exist anymore. Haven't touched them since January 27th.

When I reach my goal and maintain for a while I'll see if I can handle some of them (bread, rice) on rare ocassions but I don't think I'll ever eat refined sugar again. Then again - it's all about testing ones grade of addiction, right?
I suspect mine is very high......

Alina

I look at them like a cigarette, I don't smoke ( never have) and I don't each sugar or starch.

I'm definatly noticing a change in my view of high carb foods. Like Potato I'm also stingy about my carbs, and even if I'm allowing myself a treat I will try and incorporate the carbs in to my daily total. But those higher carb foods are losing there appeal more and more for me now.

I'm not counting carbs per se, but while I'm so far from a reasonable goal weight I'm all but totally avoiding specific HC/HG foods as well as anything that's a surefire emotional trigger for uncontrollable eating (like any form or formula of ice cream, cheesecake or chocolate). I know someday I should be able to tolerate very small servings of the healthier HC stuff again, or perhaps enjoy a modest-sized HC decadent treat on a few special occasions. So maybe that's why I don't feel tempted even though there's still a lot of that stuff around me. They don't look good or bad to me - they're just another food I don't want to eat. Maybe I'm not as fiercely reactive as some folks are, but I don't stress too much over small amounts of hidden carbs as long as I'm staying mostly clean and I haven't had many problems with that. I go by what my body tells me is allowable. It's been just over 2 months now since eliminating the worst stuff and I can make a pot of mashed potatoes, noodles or rice for the kids & my mom, or move the ice cream in the freezer to get to something else, and yet not even imagine having any. The really junky HC stuff I can just toss out now and wonder why I ever felt we had to have that garbage on hand. That's progress - me throwing out food!

So it's not the sight of HC food that tantalizes me, but I'll admit that the smells still do. Pop a cinnamon bagel into the toaster or make popcorn and the scent that goes through the house really gets my appetite riled up and my mouth watering. It's not that I really want that bagel or a big bowl of Orville Redenbocker, it's just the old comforting image they stir up. Popcorn and movies - fried dough and country fairs...

Hmm, guess I've got to make some better memories with other things besides food eh?

Aversion therapy works for me. I look at those foods I know are going to be really problematic binge-triggers, and picture them as illicit drugs being peddled by nefarious food-manufacturers in pimp hats and gold chains. I am not going to let a moment of weakness re-addict me when I've worked so hard to get myself clean. And I won't continue to make those guys rich on my weaknesses. Appeal to my stubborn streak of self-righteousness, and I can resist anything.

Even though I eat high-carb foods every day as part of my reward meal, I have still noticed a major shift in my way of looking at them.

Recently I was at a funeral reception and of course, they served platters of sandwiches and squares and cookies. A lovely display. My sisters were asking me if it was hard for me to resist them. I answered that no, it wasn't hard at all, they were pretty to look at, just like a photo in a magazine would be. And that was all. That was definitely a major change for me.

Even in choosing my dessert, I have become much more picky about which carbs are "worth it".

It is wonderful not to be at the mercy of food anymore.

Tracy

Depends on what the food is, what mood I'm in and whether or not I have PMS.

i look at them like they are poison to my body. i have not had any cake, ice cream, bread, etc since i started my wol. i don't miss those food at all!

I totally ignore the middle aisles at the grocery store without a problem. I do find myself wishing the local stores carried more of the low carb alternatives for ice cream though!!!

I look at them as something I used to eat, and like many others, I am too stingy with my carb allotment to allow them past my lips. It has to be something REALLY special!!

My food preferances definetly have changed. I'll see a cake or something and think "ohh that looks sooooo good". Then I'll take time to think about it and relize that it would probably be nausiatingly sweet, and really the last time I tried some it didn't taste as good as my mind built up.

Other things such as pastas are so-so. Some times I will crave certain specific things, but will only a small amount of pasta. Most of the time though I've found alternatives that are even better. For dinner tonight we're having lamb and turkey meatballs in marinara sauce on spaghetti squash.

Most carb thing (such as plain bread) seem to tasteless and boring looking I'm not tempted. With the LaTortillas I don't need much else

My worst thing is curiosity. I have never had Krispy Kreme donuts. There was some on sell today at the school though and I was tempted to get one, just to see what all the fuss was about. There is also a new Taco Bell grilled burrito that I am curious on how it tastes. I can usually control my curiosity, but occasionaly if someone gets a certain item I will try to have a bite or a sample. Once my curiosity is satisfied, I don't crave or want the object.

I've already noticed a difference in my attitudes about food, but the smell of fresh baked dinner rolls still makes me want to swoon.

Luckily my honey is there to head me away from the bakery goods -- he definitely has his uses.

Tonight we went to a buffet place and he decided that the baked chicken I was eating looked too dry, so he went to the buffet and got a piece of fried chicken and sat and peeled all the skin and breading off the chicken and then put it on my plate and said "from what I've read, it should be ok now"

Since WHEN is this man reading Low carb diet web sites???????????