Then Leo over at zenhabits posted "Sticking to a Habit: The Definitive Guide", today which is basically a step by step process to making anything a habit. This, naturally, got my brain going about how I could possibly make not eating sugar a habit. The concept of replacing one addiction (habit) with another is not new but can you replace eating sugar instead of drinking with not eating sugar instead of drinking? Will that even work?
So I'm sitting her ruminating and rolling it around in my head when I should be working (it's Friday!) and the next post I read is my blogger friend over at ByeByeBeer (who I call Bcubed) who posted about her successful graduation from No Sugar January (yay) and where she's headed now that she's done. More importantly, she spoke about how alike the addiction to alcoholism and sugar is. Hmmmm...I'll admit to linking the two more than once but quickly shoving the link aside...ignoring it...stuffing that sucker right down.
But then she wrote this lovely post that dug it back up and solidified what I've suspected for a long time now. The reason I have so much trouble staying away from sugar is because, just like with the alcohol and the booze, I'm addicted.
My rational brain is screaming, "Well DUH!" while my addicted brain is thinking, "Oh shit...she's on to us...hide the cookies."
Now I'm in the place that Bcubed found herself...does that mean I can NEVER have sugar again?
In theory? Yes, that is exactly what that means. In reality? I'm not sure what it means.
Sugar is in every freaking thing on the planet. Either in a refined form, or the raw form, or the artificial form...it's out there. But, as the high fructose corn syrup people would tell you, your body really doesn't know the difference and so your insulin levels rise no matter what the form. (Including natural forms like fruit, but it metabolizes differently so while you should watch it so it doesn't trigger cravings...it's still healthy...in moderation...damn, I'm screwed.)
Anyway, that means that not only will I have to stay away from cookies and cakes and candy and such (no more baking???? Ugh!!!), but I may also have to give up Pepsi Max and my totally artificial but oh so good coffee creamer.
Of course I could (and likely will) try the moderation route when it comes to the artificial stuff like my Pepsi Max (I only drink 2 cans a day - the rest of the time I drink copious amounts of water) or my coffee, but we all know how good I am at the moderation thing. I suck at it. Really...really bad. If you look up "moderation fail" in the dictionary, there's a picture of me with my face in a chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting. #nooffswitch (I don't tweet but I like doing that.)
So I'm going to try and do this one more time (look through my old posts...this ain't a new revelation for me) and hope that this time it sticks. I think I'm going to try some of Leo's suggestions too and try to make NOT eating sugar an actual habit. I mean, if I can get out of control NOT eating sugar and I'm able to NOT moderate my lack of sugar, then I can do this thing.
Does that make any sense to you, cause it's giving me a headache.
Must be a sugar crash.
Namaste
Serendipity by Milo Adorno
My favorite restaurant in New York City.
My favorite word in the Shakespearean World.
My favorite game of the Lord.
My favorite word in the Shakespearean World.
My favorite game of the Lord.
Unexpected things happen by Serendipity.
Things that are meant to be unique in your life’s course.
I was looking for memories, and I found a new love.
Now my life has become full of beauty, full of splendor, full of glow.
Things that are meant to be unique in your life’s course.
I was looking for memories, and I found a new love.
Now my life has become full of beauty, full of splendor, full of glow.
Serendipity an action that is a gesture of divine kindness.
A message delivered in a beautiful but strange code.
Serendipity is God’s suggestion for a change that will satisfy your soul.
A message delivered in a beautiful but strange code.
Serendipity is God’s suggestion for a change that will satisfy your soul.
Milo Adorno
This sugar thing is building momentum isn't it. I know when I'm in a bad phase because I go to bed with a bowl of muesli and two desert spoons of sugar on it. Bad bad bad. That's crazy binging. I probably do it once every 3 months. The rest of the time, well I don't put any sweetner in my coffee, drink green tea, have the occasional biscuit or piece of cake or lolly but by occasional I'd say it's every 3rd day, and I've cut out all the sugary soft drinks that I was having every day. So what do I do now...? I want what BBB's got!!!
ReplyDeleteSugar and bread. Agh!
ReplyDeleteI feel bad when I eat them. My face breaks out. I get puffy.
I like cookies. What's a woman to do???
Occasionally? I'm going to try it. And by occasionally I mean go to the bakery, buy one of something, eat it at home. Not head to the grocery, buy a box of something. Then eat eight of them. Baking might be out of the question...
Someone brought a huge bag of Nestle Chocolate chip cookies to work today. I breezed right on by that bag, cause I knew if I had one I'd eat five more. Go me! And go you for thinking about it. Getting curious is half the battle, eh? :)
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ReplyDeleteIt's been about 7 weeks (roughly?) without sugar. In all forms - refined, agave, honey, corn syrup, maple syrup, sweeteners (there goes my coffee), etc. It is hard at times, and if you see the research out there, you will see that this stuff is toxic. Sweet....but toxic. I think that even a good healthy reduction would make a difference, but I'm an alcoholic, and I don't *do* moderation well when it comes to my little "pets". Sugar gets into the bloodstream, insulin comes in to clean up things, and oops! insulin stores fat away. My energy is great and I have lost weight, but it doesn't stop me from drooling over a Boston Creme donut. Obviously I am not going to get pulled over and arrested for having too many bite sized brownies in my blood stream, but it does do damage at some levels. And for me, the craving is sometimes as strong as it was with alcohol. Dastardly!
ReplyDeleteI wish you the best in your sugary endeavor. I pray you succeed where many of us (at least I) have failed. It's tougher than people think. But it's a great feeling not having a sugar hangover from the birthday party!
Reducing sugar intake is a great challenge and success is generally in the eye of the reducer...failure in a previous try is not a reason to stop maintaining the effort and most of all being aware of what you are doing when you are doing it...keep up the effort and the good work...I love you, baby..
ReplyDeleteHa!! Thanks for taking us through your deliberation. We get you!! Thing is, I'm no fan of sugar. Put salty snacks in front of me though, and I'm done.
ReplyDeleteSo, great success as you enter this challenge. Moderation, always your best bet!