When I was battling the cold from hell, I lost 6 pounds. Other than endless ab exercises from coughing and sneezing, I got ZERO exercise. And, I completely lost my sense of taste. As a result, my texture-only motivated meal choices were mostly raw vegetables, fruits and copious amounts of clear liquids. Dairy, bread and sugar had no appeal at all... apparently the smooth texture of chocolate is not possible with the cold since I couldn't suck it slowly (too stuffed up to suck at all).
That was good news from an otherwise miserable month. Healthy foods, lost weight.
However as soon as my sense of taste returned, so did the sugar cravings -- with a vengeance!
The weight came back as quickly as it was lost. boohoo for me.
Here is the takeaway from the experience:
SUGAR - all by itself - causes me about 6 pounds of excess weight.
I am not alone in this revelation. My husband has cut out sugar since January - only sugar - and has lost almost 10 pounds! No increase in exercise, no decrease in wheat products or anything else.
My darling friend
Spider told me of her extraordinary health transformation more than a year ago after she gave up the sweet stuff, her results are lasting and truly incredible! I have to admit, though I respect and admire her life choice, I must not have TRULY believed it was for me, because I didn't embrace it for myself. Maybe I don't think I have the strength of will.... I am ridiculous about sweets, I crave them and ALWAYS have... sneaking baking chocolate to my room as a kid, eating more dessert than dinner at special occasions... Perhaps when faced with the idea of a change I talked myself into thinking I am different (after all isn't everyone's metabolisms slightly unique?).
Maybe the sugar has brainwashed me!
Today I stood naked in front of the mirror under the harsh bright bathroom lights and resolved not to eat ANY refined sugar product unless I was willing to eat it in front of a mirror. It's a bizarre idea, but not without precedence. That's why there are mirrors at safe injection sights, because facing yourself doing something destructive is very hard to do if you have any will to live. If it works for drug addicts, it should work for sugar addicts too, right?!
And I don't have to feel the panic that it is forbidden to me forever. If I follow the rules, I can eat sugar. But it will be inconvenient and ugly so I will likely leave it alone voluntarily.
It cannot be mindless consumption anymore. I deserve better than that, my kids deserve a happy, healthy mom and my husband deserves a wife that feels pretty.
The only reason I am sharing this publicly is because I want it to work.
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UPDATE: March 12, since posting this on the 8th, I have only twice gone to eat a treat, and I honoured my own rules and ate in front of a mirror. That really sucks to be honest. Inconvenient and unpleasant. There were other moments when I wanted a treat, but the idea of going through the hassle kept me from the sweet stuff. It's too early to tell if this will continue to work, but so far so good.
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