It's been over 80 days since I started this blog and my sugar-free journey. I can't say I've been completely without sugar, it has creeped its way into a few things that I've eaten, (like a couple of protein bars that had evaporated cane juice in them, a fortune cookie at the end of a Vietnamese meal, there was probably some sugar in the curry sauce, etc....) but I've been able to resist buying chocolate chip cookies at the Granary, muffins from Whole Foods, and I did not even have a single piece of candy at Halloween. So, overall, I'd say I am so pleased with my experiment, and I'd also say it was a success!
Here's where it gets tricky... Thanksgiving is 2 days away. There will be lots of pie. There will be candied sweet potatoes. There will be kuchen. There will be all kinds of sweet, tempting treats, and I am feeling that it is OK to indulge myself for the day and sample whatever I feel like. However... with this feeling is coming a sub-conscious "permission" to start now. The little sabotaging devilish voice in my head is saying, "You know you're going to have some sugar on Thursday, so why don't you go ahead and just get that pumpkin latte you've been wanting ever since they rolled out at the beginning of September? You've even got a coupon!" Where does that little voice come from, anyway?
Here's where else it gets tricky.... there will be leftovers, so I'm pretty sure that going "off" my eating plan for a day is going to turn into more than one day, anyhow. And then, it's only a month until Christmas- and one of my favorite things about Christmas is making cookies. I already have plans for 2 holiday parties, at which I know there will be sweet treats. It's not like eating any of them is going to be any kind of health issue, moral dilemma, or earth-shattering crisis, I'm really just interested in looking at my patterns, and trying to make mindful choices over the food I consume, and how it affects me on physical, emotional, and energetic levels.
What are your issues with food around the holidays? Feel free to leave a comment below. Somehow, just writing about it has been helping me to gain clarity around my choices, and having the writing be public makes me feel like I have to be accountable for my actions. So, to whomever is reading this blog, I thank you. You have helped me make a huge shift in the way I think and feel (and eat!) In yoga, this is called "matrika shakti," the power of words. The word matrika means "little mothers," and it means that your words give birth, so to speak, to your actions and your reality.
Happy Thanksgiving. I'll let you know how it goes for me!
~Cheryl
Here's where else it gets tricky.... there will be leftovers, so I'm pretty sure that going "off" my eating plan for a day is going to turn into more than one day, anyhow. And then, it's only a month until Christmas- and one of my favorite things about Christmas is making cookies. I already have plans for 2 holiday parties, at which I know there will be sweet treats. It's not like eating any of them is going to be any kind of health issue, moral dilemma, or earth-shattering crisis, I'm really just interested in looking at my patterns, and trying to make mindful choices over the food I consume, and how it affects me on physical, emotional, and energetic levels.
What are your issues with food around the holidays? Feel free to leave a comment below. Somehow, just writing about it has been helping me to gain clarity around my choices, and having the writing be public makes me feel like I have to be accountable for my actions. So, to whomever is reading this blog, I thank you. You have helped me make a huge shift in the way I think and feel (and eat!) In yoga, this is called "matrika shakti," the power of words. The word matrika means "little mothers," and it means that your words give birth, so to speak, to your actions and your reality.
Happy Thanksgiving. I'll let you know how it goes for me!
~Cheryl
Wow, I'm so impressed that you kept going! It sounds like you have the perfect mindset to manage your new healthier habits. The fact that you have been able to have a little bit gives me hope. I thought it had to be all or nothing, so maybe I can finally try it also.
ReplyDeleteHi Janice,
DeleteAll or nothing was necessary for me at first, to break the pattern/cravings. But to be sustainable as a way of life, well, once in a while, you just gotta have a piece of chocolate, you know? Happy Thanksgiving!