Carbs/Genetics/Emotions - Is this you?

[TitianWasp]

5 months on this board, and a bit of personal experience has led me to theorize that the three main ingredients to weight gain are a) Family members with weight issues (genetic predisposition/culture) b) a preference for carbs versus savory munchies and c) emotional eating.

Do these attributes describe you? All of them? None of them? What do you think?

NOTE: you can pick more than one.

[not2late]

Re: Carbs/Genetics/Emotions - Is this you?

I have obese relatives and I am a carb junkie---my carbs of choice were potatoes, rice and pasta (as you can guess, I ballooned when I went on a low fat vegan diet because it included all my carbs of choice.)

[Alexa]

Re: Carbs/Genetics/Emotions - Is this you?

They all apply to me to some extent.

1) I prefer chocolate over any food (or I did), which is a carby food. No control over it.
2) My family have hypothyroid issues.
3) I think this can be learned from family, but with me I only really ate emotionally to a big extent once I gained weight because of 2). I got fat and then I began to overeat and got bigger.

Interesting poll.

[julirama723]

Re: Carbs/Genetics/Emotions - Is this you?

All three, to some extent.

1) I would bake cookies by myself, eating a few dozen before anybody got home. I could also eat a whole bag of potato chips by myself, or 1/2 a pizza by myself. I loved french fries.
2) My father's side of the family is obese, and my father, his mother, and all siblings have diabetes. We can't handle sugars! My mother's side of the family has thyroid problems, meaning our metabolisms are all out of whack.
3) Food was a REWARD, I assume that qualifies as emotional eating--eating because we're happy, or we've done something good. My reward for being good in church was a trip to McDonald's. My reward for a good report card was a pizza party. My reward for good behavior while going shopping was a treat like cupcakes or a candy bar or cookies.

Geez...thanks mom and dad! I think they were like this because they grew up very poor, and their families could not afford "treats." They wanted to give me all the opportunities that they never had...and that included loads of junk food, I guess.

[pearson]

Re: Carbs/Genetics/Emotions - Is this you?

I believe none of the above, but that isn't an option. I love food.

[bivium6]

Re: Carbs/Genetics/Emotions - Is this you?

Chalk up another one for all three:

1) I love all carb stuff, when I was short on money I'd live on popcorn for a couple days.

2) Most of my extended family is either very over weight or too skinny

3) And the biggest problem for me is emotional eating. Bad day at work, eat a pizza, feel all better (unless I made my stomach hurt, I never had guilt issues)

[TitianWasp]

Re: Carbs/Genetics/Emotions - Is this you?

Oh dear - it won't let me edit to add "None of the Above" as an option.

[pearson]

Re: Carbs/Genetics/Emotions - Is this you?

Don't stress. I may be in denial. I have hypoglycemia and require food every couple of hours. This is genetic, although I feel I am hungry and making good food choices.

[2BME]

Re: Carbs/Genetics/Emotions - Is this you?

I am all of the above. Great thread!

[*Emma*]

Re: Carbs/Genetics/Emotions - Is this you?

I just want two of the above, LOL

cant decide between emotional eating and body image issues

[TitianWasp]

Re: Carbs/Genetics/Emotions - Is this you?

I am hoping to get enough people to respond to this to actually rough out some real results. 100 would be nice (but I am not holding my breath).

[*Emma*]

Re: Carbs/Genetics/Emotions - Is this you?

oh it lets me choose two, ok i'm good!

[TitianWasp]

Re: Carbs/Genetics/Emotions - Is this you?

I just want two of the above, LOL

cant decide between emotional eating and body image issues

You can pick two. I think I set it up to do that.
I wish I could pick emotional eater twice.

[blue996]

Re: Carbs/Genetics/Emotions - Is this you?

Number one for sure...my favorite foods were sugary carb foods (balanced out by savory carb foods).

[mitzimarie]

Re: Carbs/Genetics/Emotions - Is this you?

All 3 for me.

My grandparents owned one of the best Italian restaurants in town for 52 years. I grew up in that place. Just about everyone on that side of the family is extremely obese. Grandmother died at age 69 from heart disease, grandfather followed shortly thereafter, due to complications from diabetes. All 3 of my mom's brothers are obese. One of them (aged 57) just had quituple bypass surgery... he still is having a hard time controling what he eats.

I am a carb addict. Always will be.

Emotional eating is getting easier to control. I just turn into a raving B*tch... but I'm not eating while doing it.