As of today I am 14 days sugar free! (Except I had a glass of Dr. Pepper twice, and about 4 bites worth of agave-sweetened raw-food dessert at a holiday party.)
It's been quite a struggle at times, and it's been really interesting to learn how much I rely on sugar as a mood stabilizer and booster. I find myself thinking things like "Man, I feel lonely, I need a cookie," which works in the short term for feeling better, but doesn't address the issue at all. I can see the silliness of it, but it doesn't make me want the cookie any less! Instead though, I'm learning to do other things to address my emotion needs, including just feeling the feeling and realizing it's just a part of being human and that it won't actually hurt me.
Some things that have been helping me out in this process:
It's been quite a struggle at times, and it's been really interesting to learn how much I rely on sugar as a mood stabilizer and booster. I find myself thinking things like "Man, I feel lonely, I need a cookie," which works in the short term for feeling better, but doesn't address the issue at all. I can see the silliness of it, but it doesn't make me want the cookie any less! Instead though, I'm learning to do other things to address my emotion needs, including just feeling the feeling and realizing it's just a part of being human and that it won't actually hurt me.
Some things that have been helping me out in this process:
- I have a sugar-free buddy. We quit sugar at the same time (actually, she is a day ahead of me) and we message each other online every morning and evening (and often in between!) for support and cheer leading and as a bit of accountability. That's been really great for me; I honestly don't think I would still be sugar-free without her.
- I have hypoglycemia and I noticed that if I have a small bit of unsweetened fruit juice in the mornings the rest of the day is a lot easier. I think it might be that my hypoglycemic body needs a little sugar jump-start in the mornings after the night's fasting, just to get things kinda evenly keeled.
- I'm not sure if this is a contributor, but for the past 2 days I've been drinking alkaline water and for those two days I have had fewer cravings.
- I am reading a lot of articles and books (I especially recommend the book "Sugar Blues" by William Dufty) about why sugar is so bad for humans, and its history. It's been good to have these constant reminders of why I am doing what I am doing for myself.
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