My shocking realizations after living sugar-free for a month
I was finally able to go more than 2 hours without eating. My blood sugar stabilized itself.
Sugar had covered up some negative emotions that I had to take a look at. I had some frustrations to work through and I tolerated boredom too often.
I couldn’t believe that the “chronic” pain in my back went away. I thought it was a product of too much desk work and just plain getting older, but lowering my inflammation magically cured it.
There is more to family events and outings than just eating. I woke up to the fact that I was so distracted by the promise and consumption of my treat that I didn’t always pay attention to the people and experience at all.
Lots of people wish they could cut down on their sugar consumption. When I mentioned it to people, so many of them shared that they were concerned about their sugar addiction, too, but it seemed so hard to give up.
The difference between hunger and an urge. I thought they were the same thing. When I wanted a donut, I was hungry. But actually, I had urges that had nothing to do with hunger signals. It was my mouth and my mind that wanted it.
I am a pretty nice person. I had been on such a mood rollercoaster while dependent on sugar, disgruntled and impatient had become my norm. I was relieved to see I had other sides of me, too.
I wasn’t so panicked at the sight of treats. The proximity to something sweet had made me so anxious because I knew I was powerless to resist. But I took my power back! It is just inert food and I can make the best decision for me.
I didn’t have to save feeling proud for after I succeeded. I felt proud of myself as soon as I committed to it, and every day I stayed committed. The feeling of proud helped me get through the month.
I astonished myself by my developing self-integrity. When I say I am going to do something, often what I mean is “I’ll try.” And “try” is really code for probably not. It was amazing to me that I stuck to it. Now I feel like I could do anything.
Sugar is everywhere. Our culture is full of it and has normalized it. When I opened my eyes to it, I realized that it was no wonder I wanted it so much.
