The Good Fight

Once there was a princess with a crown upon her head,

She lived on cake and pastries (she had never heard of bread);

She developed diabetes, which thing did plague her sore,

And now the crown-ed princess can’t eat nothin’ anymore.

-K.B.H.

If you were to ask me what is one thing that I would change about my life/habits if I had more willpower, my answer would be that I would only eat sugar twice a year, in the form of pumpkin or pecan pie for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I have spent countless hours listening to the research on sugar and its effects on everything from anxiety to the prevalence of moles. I know that it increases my risk of Alzheimers, cancer, and heart disease, in addition to limiting my current quality of life with brain fog, mood swings, skin breakouts, etc. (not that I can attribute all of that to sugar, but I’m sure it would make a noticeable difference to cut it out). But even with all of that knowledge I still reach for the after-lunch dessert (a Magnum dark chocolate raspberry ice cream bar? Guys… they are unreal) and sometimes the before-bed dessert as well. And if I am able to abstain for a day or two, I invariably consume such massive amounts of fruit as to nullify any positive results. (And yes, I do distinguish between “sugar” and fruit… I think if I were living up to my ideals I would still allow one serving of fruit per day.)

Stanton can tell you that this is my form of yo-yo dieting. The rest of my eating habits are pretty consistent, but every couple of weeks I plop down on the couch in his office and proclaim my resolution to cut sugar out of our lives completely. This is unfair, as Stanton is much more moderate in his approach to sugar and can leave a bag of cookies in the cupboard for days, even weeks, only opening them to enjoy a small snack here and there. My brilliant strategy is to eat it all at once, and then I don’t have to worry about it tempting me anymore (note: not a great life-hack).

We have tried a few sugar schedules in the past. ‘Weekends only’ is a regular resort, but it only lasts until we are invited somewhere midweek that has delicious desserts…or we decide to “trade” a day so that we can indulge on a Friday date night, and then forget about the switch. Similarly, a “special occasions only” approach has been disastrous, as everything is suddenly worth celebrating. (Honestly that distinction would probably go better if it were limited it to the days that I wear mascara. I hate mascara.) I have tried going cold turkey, and had good success for a few months: I felt great, I didn’t crave it anymore, and could say no when it was offered to me. But something in me has a really hard time thinking of never eating sugar again. I think I have too many positive memories tied to sugar, and I feel like I am depriving myself of those experiences by permanently avoiding it. So that’s where I settle on the two times a year.

Why am I telling you all of this? Not for accountability - I am not ready to attempt another no-sugar challenge. (Are you kidding? There are still Magnum bars in the freezer.😆 ) I’m not sure, except maybe to give huge kudos to anyone fighting the good fight. And to share why I am eating frozen grapes before bed tonight - because I already had chocolate cake with lunch.

-Kiera