One Week Sugar-Free

I made it! If there was a chip like the ones they give out in AA, I would get one! I have made it one whole week with NO SUGAR. This is huge! I have spent the majority of my life addicted to the sweet stuff and didn’t even realize it until a couple of years ago when I started to put on a bit of weight and my energy levels went way down. Even though I have known for some time now that I needed to rid myself of this alluring addiction, I never could muster the strength to actually do something about it…until now.

Granted one week may not seem like a long time worthy of any type of recognition, but considering the severity of my addiction, I am giving myself one big pat on the back. I have survived, and survived well these past seven days. Aside from a few minor headaches, I have enjoyed more energy, less sluggishness and an overall general feeling of accomplishment.
For most of my life I have never liked chocolate. I mean, I could eat a small piece of chocolate candy, enjoy a “fresh out of the oven” brownie or a creamy bowl of chocolate ice cream, but to eat an entire candy bar used to be an impossible fete for me…then I met some wonderful people who owned a chocolate shop…and it was over…they introduced me to the delicious, delectable and diabolically sinful confection. For awhile it was fine, but it wasn’t long before I began to notice that my size 2’s became 4’s which then turned into 6’s. So I decided that the insanity had to stop and I tried and tried only to realize failure at every turn.

So, how did I do it? Water and lots of it! I gave up soda completely and have been drinking only water…about 100 ounces a day to be exact…I will admit that the first week, I cheated (and I felt guilty)! I caved and gave into to my cravings, but for the last 7 days, I have been faithful and have experienced NO cravings at all! I also have lots of fresh fruit on hand; mainly fuji apples, as well as fresh veggies, nuts and I have upped my grains. If I need to sweeten anything I now use Agave, Real Maple Syrup or Honey. I also went through my house (yes, I had it hidden) and tossed it all! Hundreds of dollars (OK, maybe not hundreds...) of sweets and treats in the dumpster…Better to go to waste in the trash than on my body, right?!

So there you have it. I admit it; I am an addict. But now I know what to do and how to do it. It’s only been a week, but I will keep making a concerted effort to purge my body of this poison that has been coursing through my veins for more than half a century. I look forward to an increase in stamina and better health and wellness. Wish me luck;)