Had you told me about a year ago that you thought I was a sugar addict, I would have laughed at you... (a little). I would have told you, that you're out of your mind and to mind your own business. And then I would have gone home, open the kitchen cabinet with my delicious candy and eaten it all. Of course it would have happened in "installments". That means, I would have cleaned, then returned to the cabinet, then unloaded the dishwasher, then returned to the cabinet... etc etc... until it was all gone. Then I would have felt guilty. I would have whined at my husband about how I just don't have any control over myself, and that something's gotta give.
A year later and about 4 months into changing not just my diet but adopted a whole new lifestyle, I know and admit, that I am terribly addicted to sugar. Sugar is the bad guy, sorry to say. It keeps you coming back for more. It messes with your body. And it is in just about everything. Oh, and gluten is also the bad guy, since we're at it. Because gluten gets converted into sugar, once it's inside our gut.
As you know by now, my cravings for sugar have disappeared, and I feel like a better human being all around. All is well. The End!
Wait, not so fast... while it is true that the cravings are gone, they are also not gone. How is that possible? Well, recently I found myself splurging a little more than necessary. A little chocolate here, a little piece of something there. Really nothing to worry about. I stayed with my 90/10 rule. Until yesterday... Yesterday of course, was Easter. And I'm a good Germany mommy, who only buys German crap for her children. Yep, aren't I all that and a bag of chips? I made sure to keep my children's Easter baskets small-ish. The rest of the candy, and there was plenty of it, I put... in the cabinet. Can you see where this is going?
I went for a 7.2 mile run with my friend in the morning, felt like a vegetable for the rest of the day. Later in the afternoon, everyone was out and about. The kids were playing with their friends, my husband ran an errand, and I watched "Father of the Bride". And then I remembered the chocolate in the cabinet and decided there really was nothing wrong with having a piece or two. Well, a piece or two turned into a binge of gigantuan proportions. I felt awful, was ashamed of myself... and flushed down the sorrow with a glass of wine, and another one.
Wow, didn't see that coming at all. It hit me like a brick smack in the middle of my face (and my poor, achy stomach). After 4 months of living a really awesome paleo life, I have to admit to myself, that I still need to refer to myself as a sugar addict, and that, in order to keep living my life the way I want it, I have to stay from the sugar trap for good. Today I'm still feeling a little sick to my stomach.
But what's probably the most important about it all... I had to forgive myself. It happened. Nothing I can do about it. Now I have to move on. I had eggs for breakfast and a cup full of blueberries. Delicious. I'm going to be drinking plenty of water. My body is craving it.
Have a great Monday, everyone. And if you splurged yesterday, well, so be it. Get over it and move on. :)
Hallo meine Liebe, da ich zwar englisch lesen kann, es mich aber doch immer etwas anstrengt, bin ich mir nicht sicher, ob Du mit dieser Paleo-Methode GAR kein Zucker mehr essen möchtest. Also, so ganz und gar nicht? Habe ich richtig gelesen, dass Du ein schlechtes Gewissen/Gefühl hattest, weil Du wieder Schokolade gegessen hast? Denn dann fände ich das tatsächlich nicht so prima ;-D Ich habe immer meine Probleme mit radikalen "Ganz-oder-gar-nicht" - Dingen und dem anschließenden schlechten Gewissen, weil Du es noch (mal!) gegessen hast.
ReplyDeleteIch habe keine Ahnung, ob ich auch ein Zucker-Opfer bin, schätze aber tendenziell eher nicht. Meine Schokoladen-Tafeln reichen locker eine Woche oder länger. Mehr als einzwei Stückchen am Tag mag ich nie essen. Auch sonst esse ich vermutlich hauptsächlich Zucker das im Essen schon reingestopft ist. UND zwei Löffel Zucker in der morgendlichen Tasse Tee. Das einzige was mich rettet, um frühs etwas runterzubringen und nicht umzufallen weil wacklig auf den Füßen. Mit Essen am Morgen habe ich es nämlich nicht.
Jetzt schreibe ich so einen Roman *sorry*, aber ich finde es immer "alles in Maßen" - und auch mal Schokolade, ist okay. Und eine schöne Frau wie Du, muss sich nicht gleich mit schlechtem Gewissen plagen.
Ganz liebe herzliche Grüße aus dem Hessenland, in der Hoffnung, das englische richtig verstanden zu haben ;-D
I have often thought of myself as a sugarholic. Like an alcoholic. Once I start, I can't stop. Is that the definition of an addict? Could I stop if my very health and well being depended on it? My LIFE? (So far? I have not been able to....)
ReplyDeleteAnd the NY Times magazine has a GREAT article (from last week) about the damage sugar does to ones body (which along with your posts has finally nudged me to the brink of total abstention).... Think of sugar literally as poison!
But, yes, you MUST forgive yourself for the transgression!
Onward!