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Carbohydrate Addicts Diet
The Carbohydrate Addicts diet was written in 1993 by authors Rachel Heller MD, and Richard Heller MD. The success of the book has led to a number of follow-up books, many of which have been on bestseller lists.
The premise behind the Carbohydrate Addicts Diet (CAD) is that most overweight people are addicted to carbohydrates. The Hellers’ claim that most people fail to metabolize carbohydrates correctly, causing an imbalance of insulin levels. The elevated insulin levels cause a craving for food throughout the day.
Addiction to Carbohydrates?
Over the last few decades, refined sugars have played an increasing role in our diets. Authorities have esposed a low-fat diet – which has inadvertently lead to people eating far more carbohydrate than is necessary (given our generally sedentary lifestyles). It should be no surprise that many people have become accustomed to highly sweetened foods. Whether this qualifies as an addiction is up for debate.
Carbohydrate Addicts Eating Plan
At its foundation is a reduction of carbohydrate intake. The rules are strict, with the diet providing a long list of foods, that are on the “allowed” list. Anything not in this list must be avoided.
Each day is split into 2 main meals – 2 meals are made up of a protein source (fish, poultry, lean red meat) and fibrous vegetables. The 3rd meal is called the “reward” meal – this can be anything you want, but you should aim for a balance of 1/3 carbohydrate, 1/3 protein, and 1/3 fibrous (non-starchy vegetables). This reward meal must be consumed inside 1 hour.
The diet begins with a restricted 2 week phase, but then goes into a variety of eating plans – depending on whether you are maintaining or losing more weight.
Sensible or Not?
The book does start with a set of questions to determine whether you are a “Carbohydrate Addict”. The questions will deteremine whether the diet is appropriate for you.
Research over the last 5 years has shown considerable health benefits arising from moderating carbohydrate intake. However many find such diets difficult to sustain over the long term – much of our social eating patterns are based around carbohydrate foods.
Many people have found success with this plan (as with many low-carbohydrate approaches). Proteins and fats often lead to a greater feeling of fullness – leading the dieter to consume less energy as compared with a high carbohydrate diet.
Generally, we do eat too much processed carbohydrate (white flours, bakery foods, white rice and pasta, etc). This must surely be a contributor to obesity problems – but does not mean that all carbs are the enemy.
See Also
Carbohydrate Addicts – Carbohydrate Addicts official home page.
i love this diet.. thing is ive had side effects.. the first time i did it i couldnt believe my luck how great this diet was.. but day 6 i was throwing up and had migraines.. i assumed id caught a bug tht my son had but ended up comin off it as i felt ill.. 2 months later i did it again and on day 6 had terrible headcold and felt really ill.. i wonder if im dehydarted when iv done it and need to drink more water?? i love th diet and hope its just dehydrating cos its so easy.. both times i lost 5lbs in 1 wk and didnt feel deprived at all, felt great ..
Been doing the diet for ten days now and have only lost 1lb, is this normal? Oh and can you eat chewing gum?
I went on this diet back in 2000 and lost about 40lbs which is what I needed to lose. I also exercised while doing this diet plan. Since then I have gained it all back…due to going off the diet plan. I am starting it again today and know I will have success. This is the only diet that has ever worked for me and the continual progress keeps me motivated. From a chocoholic’s perspective the reward meal is great.
Going back on this Lifestyle Change today. Lost 35 Lbs I had gained when I became a Vegetarian. Little harder with no Fish Or Chicken though…It works!
I am Happy that I found this site. I just re-started the plan today. I did it VERY successfully 5 years ago. Since then, I slowly started moving away from the principles and over the years have regained some weight. I was very encouraged to see so many comments from people with similar stories. I know that of all the food plans I have ever been on – this one worked the best for me. I am happy to be back at it and am looking forward to wearing my Spring clothes that haven’t fit for a while.
I exercised for 30 min a day for almost a year & lost 5 pounds. I’m still exercising & now I’ve been on the diet for 2 wks (tomorrow), I’ve lost 7 pounds. I’m thrilled & I feel good.
I’ve read the book & now been on the diet for 2 days. So far, so good. Lost 1 1/2 lbs so far. I think I can live with this. Day one, wasn’t hungry. Day two,.. hungry, but keep thinking… I get to EAT anything I want in 3 hours! I’m sure it’ll get easier in a few more days, but it’s nothing I can’t handle so far.
It sounds as if it’s going to be a way of life & not a “diet”. I can live with that.
Thank you for your objective article on this controversial diet plan. I, too have had great success with this diet, even though I chose to go off it after losing 65 pounds. (I was working two jobs and didn’t have time to shop and cook.) I am now back on, and despite a knee/back injury, am losing again more slowly but almost effortlessly. I’ve streamlined my shopping and cooking to make it easy for me to stay on track.
I am the person who has to have the 6th piece of pizza (cold) at the office party, even though I was full at three. A box of doughnuts sitting next to the workplace coffee machine normally drives me crazy; I keep thinking about it, craving a doughnut I neither need nor really want. Now that I am back on the plan, I literally have a plate of cookies within arm’s reach all day long at work and barely notice it. That’s a diet I can stick for however long it takes to get to my size 10 or so.
At first I ate huge portions, and still lost. But then I found I wanted smaller portions. I don’t need quite as much butter on my vegies. I even skip a meal now and again! Because my preferred carbs are still desserts, I take vitamins especially B-vitamin complex. Food shopping is a pleasure, as I plan my delicious meals including dessert. I happen to adore vegetables which is a plus. This diet plan is the closest thing I have found to the ideal of eating without the feelings of deprivation, hunger, and intense craving.
Watch out for MSG and high fructose corn syrup. I have found as the Hellers point out that msg (and for me high fructose corn syrup) causes me to crave the foods containing them. I ate some supposedly msg free Chinese food, and spent the next 8 or so hours, like an addict in cold turkey withdrawl. I was so angry at the restaurant, I used my anger to get me through it and not give in and eat what my fullness told me wasn’t real hunger.
I really suffered, but at least thanks to the Hellers, I knew what was happening to me. Now losing weight is happening to me, and I’m starting to take an interest in whole wheat pasta for my carb selection, with a little spaghetti sauce and parmesan cheese on it–yum yum.
Joelle VanBuren
I was on this diet, 10 years ago. It was the best diet I every tried. Even though I was a first time dieter, this diet made me feel like this was a normal lifestyle with discipline about eating. I lost 30 pounds in 6 months. I stayed on the diet for 3 years, my choice, I lost too much weight though. Even at work I had many people noticing the weight I was losing and ask about what was I’m doing because they can see the transformation. Even my husband who teased me about the reward, how much food and junk food I was eating and still losing weight! We all did the diet,and my co-workers lost 20-30 pounds without exercising. Even after 3 years I gave it up, because I got too skinny that I slip through this crack on the floor at work, all the way up to my thighs, thats when I knew I went too far. After that my friends confess that I was looking bony. ( I even lost my @ss!!). Now 10 years later, I finally put the weight back on and thinking about doing the diet again. I don’t know. But for the naysayers this diet does work more naturally with out feeling deprived. Thank you doctors!!
I love this diet! I was on this diet/lifestyle for almost 2 years. I went from a size 12 to a size 4. However, I got sick and my doc perscribed a seriod and now I am back to size 12. I know I needed the medication to get better but man it feels like I am starting all over. All my “little” clothes are in the back of the closet now. So here I am starting at the begining again… sigh.
I lost about 20 lbs painlessly, years ago. I could eat normal,and I was satisfied. Then I got side tracked, and my reward meal became a binge meal. I believe it is truth, and a lifetime program, to be able to eat and be satisfied. It takes a little effort, but it is a whole lot easier than small meals, that just leave you hungier than when you started.
I am starting it today. 2009
I am on day 5 of the Carb Addicts Diet and I feel great! I am usually exhausted by lunch time and desperate for a nap. But for the last 4 days I have had more energy than I have had in a really long time. I am not hungry. I enjoy my meals, and if I craze sweets, I can put it off because I know that I can have something small for supper. I have lost 2 lbs. so far, and my weight doesn’t seem to be fluctuating as much day to day as it did on the carbs. I believe this may be the diet that can finally change me and that I can follow long term.
Jackie, if you see this reply, there are no phases, it’s really simple and I disagree with the review about the long lists etc, it’s actually simpler than that. Treat yourself to the book and you won’t regret it.. I used this ten years ago to stop a cycle of binge-eating after I went through a tough patch, and I’m back on it after getting careless. This works, and is much healthier than Atkins because you do get to eat carbs, just not grazing all day on them like the typical diet tells you to do.
Does anybody know if there are any phases to this diet? If there are what is the first phase like? I am very interested in starting this diet, seems very manageable
I think I may be able to do this one. I must do something and it seems almost impossible for me to lose weight.
I need help!
This is the easiest and the best diet I have ever been.Highly recommended.I was a carb junkie. This diet has really helped me control those cravings and my yo yo weight.
Just starting diet. Heard about this diet from a friend and her husband. Both husband and wife say this diet works great and they recommend it. So, hopefully in a couple of weeks I will be able to get on here and have some great news about how many pounds I have lost following this diet.
I tried this years ago,lost 20lbs.I am back on it again and am never hungry.I realize I love carbs but I can have some in the reward meal so it is something to look forward to.
I lost about 50lbs in 3 months on this diet. i went on vacation and ate what i wanted and still ended up losing about 10 more pounds. i just had twins and so i’ve gained a ton of weight….getting ready to start again. I’ll admit the first couple of weeks were difficult. I almost quit several times, but once you get past that beginner’s hump the weight starts to literally FLY/MELT, whatever you want to call it, off. Then, once people start noticing and giving you compliments it’s like someone lights a fire in the machine. Thats the way it was for me anyways and I was hooked. I’m definitely excited to be starting it again.
GOOD LUCK!!
The Carbohydrate Addicts diet works really does reduce food cravings. How can you argue with a diet that encourages people to eat low fat protein, healthy fats and veggies? The “cheat meal” sounds like a gimmick, and it is, but it also allows dieters to have SOME lush carbs like cake or pie, provided they eat a healthy meal FIRST and limit their splurges to once a day. For many people, that will be a HUGE improvement.
I LOST 40 POUNDS IN 3 MONTHS WITH THIS DIET. I READ THE CARBOHYDRATE ADDICTS DIET BY DR. HELLER & HELLER
I’ve used this diet twice: once in the 1990s and again this year. The first time, I lost 40 lbs and kept it off. This time, I’ve lost 20 lbs. I am terribly lazy and hate to cook, so I have a tendency to fall off the diet after a couple of months. However, the diet does work very well. I don’t crave carbs, don’t even miss them, and my energy levels and sleeping habits are much improved while eating this way. I have been diagnosed pre-diabetic in the past, and am still obese. I was a size 22W and am now a 16W and weigh about 225 (5′6″). I want to get down to about 150 lbs, so I’m getting back on it again tomorrow. I am still about 60 lbs lighter thanks to this — the ONLY diet that (1) works for me and (2) doesn’t leave me feeling hungry and deprived. Any other diet relies too much on carbs and I cannot start my day with any carbs (it only ends up making me want to eat more). This is a balanced diet that makes sense. And for those who are over age 40, read their newer book “Lifespan.”
i’ve had weight probs all my life, until a friend sent me r & r hellers’ carb addicts diet book within 9 mos, i went frm sz22 dwn to sz 6.. in ano 2 mos i was sz 1-2 & kept it off 9 yrs, til my stupid shrink presc’d meds that causd weight-gain & in less than 6 wks i was back to a sz 8, & now a sz 12. i’ve lookd for a copy of this book snc 2001. it’s the only diet that’s ever wkd for me.
based on what was given i thiink i may be able to work with that….i LOVE CARBS!!!!