Sometimes I think that sugar is an evil thing. We have a love hate relationship, sugar and I. I love it, and I hate that I love it. Hello, my name is Heffalump, and I am a sugarholic.
Okay. Admitting you have a problem is supposed to be the first step to recovery. When an alcoholic seeks help for their addiction they are eventually required to stop partaking of alcohol all together. I haven't heard of many plans that say, You can just cut back and only drink on the weekends and you will be okay. Or, just drinking on holidays or special occasions is acceptable. Treating alcohol addiction is not like going on a diet. Its cold turkey.
I am not ready for cold turkey (although a nice roast beef sandwich with swiss cheese and stone ground mustard sounds good right about now).
I know that some of you are probably thinking that addiction is too strong a word for my relationship with sugar. Because I knew you would be thinking this, I looked up the definition of addiction in the dictionary. Here is what I found.
ad·dic·tion /əˈdɪkʃən/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[uh-dik-shuhn] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.
OR
The condition of being habitually or compulsively occupied with or or involved in something.
Okay, so the second definition could pretty much peg you as addicted to anything in the world. For instance, I habitually and (when the smell is bad enough) compulsively change stinky diapers on a daily basis. I would not actually say that I was addicted to it though.
Sugar though...in many forms it calls to me. Maybe I am not beyond saving though. I haven't sunk to eating sugar in its pure and overly processed form. Maybe there is still hope.
Maybe if I stop going anywhere or doing anything I can overcome it. Alcoholics would need to avoid going to bars, or liquor stores. I would need to avoid going to Costco or to any grocery store. Heck, even the craft store has those impulse candy items right at the register to tempt people.
I think sugar addiction runs in my family. As long as I can remember my Dad has tried to distance himself from sugar, only to succumb to the siren call of a candy bar, or a bowl of ice cream. Other family members have gone on diets only to make special exceptions for events like Christmas, Birthdays, and Anniversary celebrations. If there were an alcoholic at a special event where booze was served like dessert, would you think it was okay for them to have just one or two drinks since it was a special occasion?
Am I making light of my sugar addiction? Is it just a big joke to me? Well, I am making light of it a little bit. But I am also concerned about it. There are times when I am feeling pretty down, and a nice Lindt truffle sounds better than a hug from my kids. That is just not right.
I have been trying (halfheartedly) to get in shape and lose some size for a couple of months. Most of my family (sibs, spouses, parents) are doing the same. The first week of it, I had cut way back on the sugar and chocolate. I was being strong...I knew that eating one oreo meant eating ten, so I didn't eat any. I spiraled deeper into depression. I didn't lose any weight because I was just sitting there all day, doing nothing. Then I couldn't take it anymore. I went to get oreos, but they weren't on sale. (Take hope that while I am addicted, I am not willing to pay any price for my bad habit...it has to be on sale...I am thrifty first). So I contented myself with a box of ding dongs from Costco...and since candy bars were on sale for 5 for $1 at Fred Meyer, I bought an assortment and proceeded to try to have willpower. I wrote a blog about my love of oreos, feeling sorry for myself that I couldn't have them. One of you, not knowing that my love for oreos was really a horrible addiction to the cream filling and the sugar in it, kindly sent me two boxes. (Don't feel bad, you didn't know, and THANK YOU SO MUCH!) That was the dark day. The day I ate oreos, ding dongs, a candybar and some lovely cookie dough ice cream (which is another addiction on its own because it not only has cookie dough in it, but the icecream itself is cookie dough flavored). I weighed myself. And I was actually a pound or two lighter! For a brief moment my tortured mind hoped that I could enjoy a diet of chocolate and cream filling and still lose weight. Alas...a month later, that is not the case.
My struggle continues. All I have to say to all of you out there, is when you make a wonderful dessert when company is coming, or you offer to share your cookies or candy with a co-worker or a friend...you might be enabling a sugar addict. Because we are everywhere...are you one of us?
I will close with a quote from my good friend Sans Auto, who left a comment on this blog a few months ago that included the words. "Nothing says I love you better than a veggie plate." Think about it. And if you come to my house, and I serve you a rich and wonderful dessert, just remember that sugar makes me feel loved...and I am just passing that love along to you!
Okay. Admitting you have a problem is supposed to be the first step to recovery. When an alcoholic seeks help for their addiction they are eventually required to stop partaking of alcohol all together. I haven't heard of many plans that say, You can just cut back and only drink on the weekends and you will be okay. Or, just drinking on holidays or special occasions is acceptable. Treating alcohol addiction is not like going on a diet. Its cold turkey.
I am not ready for cold turkey (although a nice roast beef sandwich with swiss cheese and stone ground mustard sounds good right about now).
I know that some of you are probably thinking that addiction is too strong a word for my relationship with sugar. Because I knew you would be thinking this, I looked up the definition of addiction in the dictionary. Here is what I found.
ad·dic·tion /əˈdɪkʃən/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[uh-dik-shuhn] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.
OR
The condition of being habitually or compulsively occupied with or or involved in something.
Okay, so the second definition could pretty much peg you as addicted to anything in the world. For instance, I habitually and (when the smell is bad enough) compulsively change stinky diapers on a daily basis. I would not actually say that I was addicted to it though.
Sugar though...in many forms it calls to me. Maybe I am not beyond saving though. I haven't sunk to eating sugar in its pure and overly processed form. Maybe there is still hope.
Maybe if I stop going anywhere or doing anything I can overcome it. Alcoholics would need to avoid going to bars, or liquor stores. I would need to avoid going to Costco or to any grocery store. Heck, even the craft store has those impulse candy items right at the register to tempt people.
I think sugar addiction runs in my family. As long as I can remember my Dad has tried to distance himself from sugar, only to succumb to the siren call of a candy bar, or a bowl of ice cream. Other family members have gone on diets only to make special exceptions for events like Christmas, Birthdays, and Anniversary celebrations. If there were an alcoholic at a special event where booze was served like dessert, would you think it was okay for them to have just one or two drinks since it was a special occasion?
Am I making light of my sugar addiction? Is it just a big joke to me? Well, I am making light of it a little bit. But I am also concerned about it. There are times when I am feeling pretty down, and a nice Lindt truffle sounds better than a hug from my kids. That is just not right.
I have been trying (halfheartedly) to get in shape and lose some size for a couple of months. Most of my family (sibs, spouses, parents) are doing the same. The first week of it, I had cut way back on the sugar and chocolate. I was being strong...I knew that eating one oreo meant eating ten, so I didn't eat any. I spiraled deeper into depression. I didn't lose any weight because I was just sitting there all day, doing nothing. Then I couldn't take it anymore. I went to get oreos, but they weren't on sale. (Take hope that while I am addicted, I am not willing to pay any price for my bad habit...it has to be on sale...I am thrifty first). So I contented myself with a box of ding dongs from Costco...and since candy bars were on sale for 5 for $1 at Fred Meyer, I bought an assortment and proceeded to try to have willpower. I wrote a blog about my love of oreos, feeling sorry for myself that I couldn't have them. One of you, not knowing that my love for oreos was really a horrible addiction to the cream filling and the sugar in it, kindly sent me two boxes. (Don't feel bad, you didn't know, and THANK YOU SO MUCH!) That was the dark day. The day I ate oreos, ding dongs, a candybar and some lovely cookie dough ice cream (which is another addiction on its own because it not only has cookie dough in it, but the icecream itself is cookie dough flavored). I weighed myself. And I was actually a pound or two lighter! For a brief moment my tortured mind hoped that I could enjoy a diet of chocolate and cream filling and still lose weight. Alas...a month later, that is not the case.
My struggle continues. All I have to say to all of you out there, is when you make a wonderful dessert when company is coming, or you offer to share your cookies or candy with a co-worker or a friend...you might be enabling a sugar addict. Because we are everywhere...are you one of us?
I will close with a quote from my good friend Sans Auto, who left a comment on this blog a few months ago that included the words. "Nothing says I love you better than a veggie plate." Think about it. And if you come to my house, and I serve you a rich and wonderful dessert, just remember that sugar makes me feel loved...and I am just passing that love along to you!
5 comments:
I don't know if this helps (hey, I'm not exactly Dear Abby here and my advice is rather limited) but if I can channel my ice cream addiction into something like non-fat yogurt, then life is better. Or sugar-free hot chocolate with a shot of sugar free caramel syrup instead of a candybar. Hey, I know it's inferior but it helps me :)
you just can't help yourself, can you...I mean the blogging...wich I am going to to read so I can leave a cheeky and informed comment.
Okay..yesterday in the evening I was feeling sick. It might be because I ate 1/2 Krispy Kream donuts and coffee for breakfast, snack, lunch, and snack, and some tator tots for dinner. Maybe. And today I had...hummmm coffee, two donuts...Reeses Peanut butter cups...and some spagetti dinner. Do you think I might have the same problem? Is there a group? Honestly, Scales are evil. I don't weigh myself except at the doctor. And then I don't look. I lost about 7lbs over the winter, my jeans are loose, the most important man in my life dosen't seem to notice. If he dosen't notice maybe....wait. Should I post this on my own blog?
1/2 dozen, that's six, just to clarify....
I understand what you mean about sugar addictions. When I don't get my sugar I literally get grumpy and moody and irritable and I find myself going for anything that's sweet in the house, even if it's just hot cocoa. I can't even go a couple days without sugar! It's insane! So I do indeed feel your pain. We'll work something out though.
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