Confessions of a Sugar Addict and mini holiday

Day 11/42. Well, I feel tired. A bit overwhelmed.

The last couple of days I haven't been feeling too flash. Feel a bit better today though.

My in laws had the kids on Friday night and my hubby surprised me by taking me to Paihia for the night.

We stayed in a lovely place, ate at the restaurant and bubba joined us. He was good, despite it being way past his bedtime, and all the other patrons doted on him.

We met four other lots of people who had a direct correlation to very prem babies themselves...

in fact, one, Mr Woods, bought us a bottle of champagne and had it sent to our room! haha. it felt very American.

We were very well accomodated for, I dont think ive ever stayed in such a friendly, hospitable hotel.

I was true to my fast and remained sugar free for our stay. Not always easy!

I stumbled upon these tasty looking treats... discovering that they are actually soaps made by a woman with NINE kids- called the soap patisserie. This is her evening crafty hobby. pics below...

My prayer for today is that God would show Himself strong on my behalf, so I may be strengthened in this time and able to live in victory. And that He would enable me to learn keys so i can release victory to others!

Confessions of a Sugar Addict day 8/42

Eight days in. It's easier.

Most people are genuinely accomodating of my sugar fast and don't mind me skipping many little luxuries to just eat my chicken salad...

I am satisfied, and I am barely craving a sweet treat after dinner. A cup of hot peppermint tea suffices if I need it.

I'm enjoying plain unsweetened yoghurt with a small amount of fruit, and salted peanuts with a few raisins as a mini treat. Yum.

I feel good, and feel thin on the inside, which goes hand in hand with proper nutrition. No more bloated, overfull or heavy tummies... satisfied, fed, and happy tummy instead ;-)

I've even lost a couple of kgs.

Day eight: day of continued endurance
Feel: good, clean, more balanced. Still have challenges everyday.
Temptation: the other night it was the tiptop 2L tub ice-cream on sale, and thinking of it smothered in caramel sauce and chopped nuts. I left the supermarket WITHOUT it.
Realisation: God is surely helping me in my moments of weakness. I actually can do life like this, have hard and bad days with they kids and not need a sugar fix. 
Prayer: Father I want a breakthrough that impacts me for life. Do away with this addiction completely and help me to find balance in food. Give me new eyes and transform my thinking. Help me give my body good fuel. I surely know the statement 'you are what you eat' is true.

And that's me!  Ps. I even had a yummy creamy homemade Indian curry this Week (I make authentic Indian from scratch) delicious!

X

Confessions of a sugar addict - day 3/42

Onto day three....

Feel: tired, a bit low energy, know my body is changing its sugar for energy conversion to a fat for energy one.

Temptation: everything sugary is calling my name today. Biscuits, muesli bars, icecream. I'm looking away and pressing through by keeping true to myself.

The other night, I dreamt of all kinds of sugary treats- like I was eating them. I kept waking up full of guilt and wondering if i had actually cheated or if it was just a dream!

Prayer: oh God. Help. Give me grace to get through the days that are hard, like today. Help me overcome. May I end these 42 days with a renewed mind when it comes to food and nutrition. Change the way I think!

Below- tandoori beef with coconut cream, my morning coffee with cinnamon and cocoa, and a pear and nutty snack :-)

39 days to go!

Confessions of a Sugar Addict

I'm a sugar addict.

A real life addict.  Sugar is sooo sweet.  It tastes so good and feels so satisfying as it passes my lips, drips down my tastebuds and finally reaches my stomach.  Pure delight, heaven in my mouth.

After a recent hospitalisation and compulsory fasting for 48 hours, then one meal, then more compulsory fasting - I found myself going OVERBOARD on food.

I would eat something then think - "what the heck did I just do that for!"

Having a hard day?  Must eat chocolate.
Having a good day? Must eat chocolate.
Kids finally in bed? Must eat chocolate.
End of the week? Must eat chocolate.
Night in with the hubby? Must eat chocolate.
Out with the girls? Must eat chocolate.
Friends over for tea? Must eat chocolate.
Easter? Must eat chocolate.
Birthday/Christmas/Celebration?  Must eat chocolate.

OK you get the point.  Well, you could take chocolate and replace it with dessert or any other baked delicious goods, sugary awesomeness - or just add it, which is probably the more likely event.

Anyway, I recently was feeling like I need to kick this bad habit.  Feeling 'prompted' to do it.  Well, my response, "I don't want to".

I think this is one of the very first times in my life I have actually wrestled with and deliberately chosen to NOT do what God has asked of me.  For three weeks my response has been, I'd like to, or I know I should, but I just don't want to.  I just "don't want to."  Most unusual for me.

On Sunday something at church finally struck a chord in me, when the Pastor said "I don't do things because I feel like it - I do them because I know it is the right thing to do!"  and I was like, oh, heck, I need to sort myself out.

And so, finally, I have decided I need to deal with this LARGE problem.  In my disobedience I have actually got worse than I have ever been - to the point where I scare myself.  I just don't want to go there.  I've been there before, I vowed to myself that I would never go back there.  I never want to see 'that' number on the scales again.  The number that says this is an epidemic on legs.

So, it leaves me here.  Day ONE of a 42 day sugar fast.

No sugar.  No added sugar.  No sugar replacement.  Unless I don't have an option, no food with added sugar.

This is pretty similar to previous things I have done.  I am a low carber and enjoy it.  But this time, it's different.  While low carbing, I have always allowed myself a couple of pieces of chocolate at the end of the day.  Good chocolate.  Or the odd treat.  This time, it's ZILCH.

It's a fast.

I can't fast completely because I'm breastfeeding.  But I HAVE to kick this.  A month is too short.  Two months is too long.  So 42 days is good.

This will be a stretch.  I need to overcome this... my addiction.  And have sugar as a semi welcome treat but a treat, not a staple part of my diet.

I will try to keep a note of what it's like in very brief terms, and take a few pics of my boring (or not so boring) food and post in semi regularly with updates.  You can follow me on instagram if you want #42daysugarfast

Day one: today is the day of motivation. 
Feel: optimistic yet overwhelmed. 
Temptation: the brown sugar from the family breakfast was sitting on the table screaming my name.  I eliminated it by putting it in the pantry.
Realisation: you can enjoy the quality of real flavours and food when it's not full of sugar.
Prayer: Lord, help me to realise that you truly "satisfy me more than the richest of food" - Psalm 63.5

Talk to ya soon
Arna