The Sweet Rush of Giving Something Up
There’s a feeling of power… a certain rush that you get from giving something up. There’s an odd sense of control it brings to your life. It makes you feel that you are in control of your desires… that you are the boss of your wants. It’s like mind over matter. Maybe there’s an appeal in being a monk. But no, I wouldn’t wanna give that up forever…
I recently decided to give up sugar, including artificial sweeteners. The effects? I’m not sleepy at bedtime anymore. But this is certainly a positive because it means I have more energy that lasts all day. It means I don’t fall asleep on the couch anymore and wake up at 3am and then have to take a shower, brush my teeth, and then go to bed. At which point, I’m not even sleepy anymore.
The other effect is my main goal — losing weight. I’ve lost 5 lbs since Tuesday! Today is Saturday. If past experience is any guide, the weight loss probably won’t continue, but there’s a strong possibility it will.
Because this is a MAJOR change for me.
All my life there’s no food I’ve craved more than dessert. I mean the filling kind, as in cakes… and brownies… and cheesecakes… and ice cream. Not just carriers for sugar like tootsie rolls and hard candy. More specifically I like chocolate desserts, although I do like a lot of fruit cobbler-y type things too. I have recently become addicted to a store that sells the best cookies in the world, imho. It’s called Crumbl…
If I can give that up, I CAN CONQUER THE WORLD!
Additionally, I’m addicted to Splenda. I have used it for probably 20+ years to avoid real sugar. My sister has ribbingly said that when I die and they cut me open, piles of Splenda will pour out. Although it made me laugh, in a way I didn’t appreciate that comment very much — it is a tad macabre, but it’s probably not far from the truth!
I have read many times that artificial sweeteners only make you crave sugar and sweet things more. I don’t know for sure if that is true, but if many researchers say it, I’m sure there’s some validity to it. So I’m giving that up too!
I haven’t set a weight loss goal, but there is something empowering about the journey itself. It’s the journey towards denying myself something I have been vulnerable to for 45+ years, and then one day being able to say that I’ve dominated, pulverized that craving for something that tastes and feels good but only harms me!
I’ve tried many, many, many… (did I say many?) other diets before. The previous one, the keto diet, nearly killed me. I lost weight for the first two weeks, but it raised my blood pressure and my cholesterol numbers and it made my chest hurt. I woke up in the middle of the night with my heart racing. And isn’t that when your heart is supposed to be the calmest? Whether my heart was dying or not, I’m not really sure. But it sometimes felt like it. And it scared me. I got off keto as quickly as I could once I got those foul health numbers. Who knows? — Maybe it was my fault and I was doing it wrong.
Photo credit: Rodnae Productions at Pexels.com
I’m not sure where this sugar-free lifestyle will lead me… but I hope — along with the resistance training I have been putting into overdrive since April— that it will lead me to my health, fitness, and most importantly… sexy-hot-bod goals!