It’s January 17th. This month has dragged by, shouldn’t January be almost over? One reason January always drags for me is the cold dreary weather. Once Christmas is over I’m ready to be back outside. But this year, there’s another reason. Back in December, while I was happily stuffing another piece of delicious Christmas fudge into my mouth, my daughter mentioned to me that she and a couple co-workers were going to give up sugar, processed foods, and fried foods for the month of January. In a moment of guilt over the mass amounts of sweet Christmas treats I had consumed the past several weeks, I said, “Can I do it with you?”
“Of Course,” my daughter replied. She proceeded to set up a group text so that we could all keep each other accountable. As January 1st loomed in front of me, I thought “I can do this.” I’d always heard the benefits of a sugar cleanse. The processed food, fried food parts would be a breeze since I rarely eat either of those. I do like sugar. A candy bowl with delicious dark chocolate sits on my desk and most nights I enjoy a bowl of ice cream or frozen yogurt while watching TV.
The first couple of days were fairly easy. I missed sweet treats, but I was excited to get started. But the days dragged on . . . It was about at the one week mark, where the cravings really set in. I would kill for just one little piece of chocolate! My first trip to the grocery was also depressing. Do you know how many products have sugar in them? Ketchup (one of my basic food groups), Salad dressings, cereals, “healthy” snack foods. The list goes on and on. I wanted to give up, but I’m not a quitter. I haven’t cheated yet.
The more days that have passed, the harder it’s gotten. Just when I was about to give up, yesterday I realized I’d passed the halfway point 🙂 All down hill from here. I could make it. I have to admit that I’ve had more energy since stopping sugar, I’ve lost a few pounds around my waist, and I’m sure it’s been good for the rest of my body.
Will I continue once the month is over? Are you kidding me?!?! You can bet I’ll be at Dairy Queen come February 1st. But seriously, I do hope that maybe I will cut my sugar consumption to some degree and be more aware of what I do eat. Thank God it was only for a month!