Last Night

Last night was a miracle. No sugar but I can't take full credit. I got in a fight with my husband and went on a sweaty walk. I was actually so irritated that I wasn't craving sugar. If I was sad or tired it could have been a different story. I can definitely be a emotional eater, just not an angry one. So, I went for a long walk to the capitol, got eaten alive by mosquitoes and stumbled upon a pat benatar cover band. Who needs cookies? I did have a revelation on my nighttime stroll. I thought about how I could write a book on how to beat a sugar addiction.

- Keep a food journal. Write down everything you eat, record how you feel before during and after.
- Do something different to occupy your time. Knit, sew, nurse a baby bird back to health.
- Recognize the activities you partake in while you are eating sugar. If you watch t.v. while eating sugar, try a new activity to relax.
- Do yoga, meditate.
- Drink lots of water.
- Remind yourself that the first 3-30 days are the hardest! The cravings will decrease!
- Write down your goal.
- Tell a friend about your goal.
- Don't tell a friend.
- Read a billion books on why sugar is the anti-christ. (I recommend "Skinny Bitch" and "In Defense of Food").
- Obtain a diagnosis of pre-diabetes to scare yourself away from sugar.
- Go to an island to do yoga and meditate for 8 hours a day, where there is no sugar because all of your meals are prepared for you.
- Eat baby carrots.
- Read the blogs of other sugar addicts
- Read Steve Pavlina's blog
- Throw away all the sugar items in your cabinets (I do this one about once a week)
- Pack your own lunch and bring snacks with you everywhere.
- Address any underlying mental illness (ie depression), and take antidepressants that do NOT stimulate appetite.

I have done all of the above. NONE OF THIS WORKS!!!!

But, I already knew that. The only way to beat any addiction is to first acknowledge the following:

You will have to bite your way through it. Fight your ass off. Sweat. Grin and bear it. Cry. Feel like crap. Feel alienated. Feel worthless. And, at the end of the day, trudge on through it. The only certainty is that there is none. And that is your only comfort. Once you accept these mantras, you are ready to proceed. Last night, I surrendered.