Hi Lovely Souls,
Out of all the changes I have made in my eating, and I have made many, limiting sugar was the most drastic. It is a step that I was afraid of taking because I loved sugar so much and did not want to feel deprived. What I discovered is that instead of deprivation I found freedom. This is my sugar story, I hope it will inspire you.
My childhood was filled with sugar.
My mother came home from work every day with chocolates.
My father bought us candies by the cases.
There was always a freshly baked cake in the house and breakfast was often coffee and cake.
We would eat bread with chocolate spread as an afternoon snack.
And ice cream in the evening.
And cookies anytime.
Sweets were expressions of love.
It was my parents way of saying we think about you.
It was also a way they compensated when they did not have enough time to spend with us and enough attention to give us.
By the time I became an adult, sugar was a part of every meal and every snack.
I would start the day with coffee and a pastry.
I would have a candy bar after lunch and again in the afternoon.
And I would eat ice cream after dinner.
Coffee and cake was a favorite weekend treat.
The more sugar I ate, the more sugar I wanted.
In my thirties I started to experience sugar binges.
I would be at home and would be overcome by an overwhelming craving for sugar. Go out to the corner store and buy 5 or 6 candy bars.
Return home and eat them one after the other.
My energy was erratic. I would feel a high after eating a sugary food only to crash later. I could not get out of bed in the morning. In the afternoon I was feeling so lethargic and sleepy that I could not go through my day. And at night I was so wired from all the sugar I ate that I could not fall asleep.
I was riding the sugar roller coaster and it was an extreme and scary ride.
Besides getting more tired I was becoming more irritable, foggy, forgetful, depressed and I was constantly gaining weight.
I used sugar as a way to medicate myself and to numb myself.
I did not want to feel what I was feeling.
I was not fully living my life.
Forward to today:
I still eat sugar occasionally, it is more a choice than a compulsion.
I am aware of the affects and know how to stay off the sugar ups and downs.
It is a once in a while treat and not a daily part of my life.
My life has changed in many powerful ways since sugar and I have parted.
I get up early in the morning with energy for a productive and active day.
I do not have insane cravings anymore.
I sleep better and have a more restful sleep.
My mood is more stable, I don’t overreact and have a better perspective.
I feel mentally sharper and able to think better about my life.
I lost over 100 lbs.
And if I get pulled back in, I use the following 7 steps to get myself into balance again.
Sugar no longer owns me. I am free!
I Would love to hear your sugar story, struggles and triumphs.
Please e-mail me at contact@healthnutgirl.com.
To learn about the 7 steps many of my clients and I use check out the Freedom From Sugar Addiction workshop.
Wishing you a sweet life!
xoxo
Rachel
Please share.