Joe the Carb Bum

Joe the Carb Bum

Imagine you’ve got a new house and you’ve invited all the neighbors to a housewarming party. Everyone in the neighborhood is invited. You put up a sign in the supermarket, so all the neighbors show up and the party’s going great. But here comes Joe who lives behind the supermarket in the dumpster. Joe is stinky and smelly, and you think why did he show up. But you said on the sign that everyone is welcome. So is it possible for you to welcome Joe, without liking that he’s there? You can welcome him, even though you don’t like him. You don’t like his lifestyle, the way he smells, his manners. You’re not happy about the way he’s dipping into the punch and grabbing sandwiches. Your opinion of him is distinct from your willingness to have him in your home. Or you can decide that even though you said everyone is welcome, he’s not welcome. But as soon as you do this, the party changes. You have to throw Joe out, and then be at the front of the house, guarding your door, to make sure Joe doesn’t come back in. Or Joe is welcome as long as he doesn’t mingle with the other guests, so you have to keep pushing him into the kitchen. Now your party is about keeping Joe out of the house, or keeping him in the kitchen. Life is going on, your party is going on, and you’re guarding Joe. It’s not much of a party anymore. It’s a lot of work. Your carbohydrate cravings are Joe the bum. Your carbohydrate cravings are automatic, something that happen to you, in response to internal metabolic factors and external cues – like when you walk by a bakery or someone is eating a Dairy Queen. Your carbohydrate cravings are guaranteed to show up like Joe the bum at your door. Can you welcome them, even though you don’t like the fact that they came? If you don’t, what’s the party going to be like?