Quit sugar

I blew it weeks ago and started eating the stuff with a vengence. I feel like total shit! I’m back on the wagon as of right now.

It’s been two weeks since my last taste of processed sugar. The cravings are gone, finally, and I’m getting it under control. Every once in a while it’ll come back strong, usually due to pressure, but I know what it’s like now and can control it. I figure I can claim victory if I go for a month, then I’ll start on my wheat problem.

I have the graveyard shift taking care of our new triplets. I’m told that because of the disruption in my sleep patterns, my stress level will be much greater. This feeds into the cravings. Writing about it helps. Also, I look at my kids and think about why I’m really doing this. That helps too. I’m 43 and want to be strong and healthy as they grow and not some decrepit old fart by the time they’re 20. After I lick this I’m moving on to the processed wheat. I want that COMPLETELY out of my life too. It is already greatly reduced, but it’s still there. I’ve failed in the past because I always do too much at once. I’m realizing for the first time, duh, that I need to really break things down to a molecular level, in everything I do. That way it’s all manageable. I’m even incorporating this philosophy at my job. One thing at a time. They don’t like it because it looks like I’m doing less. We’ll see.

Cravings are still there but not as over powering. They’re more like in the back of my mind now. Every once in a while they leap to the front like a surprise attack when my stress levels go up and then the urge is very strong. So far I’ve been able to control it. I think if I can do it for 30 days I’ll have a good chance of having it licked.

It’s been 5 days since my last fix of processed sugar. The cravings are just now starting to subside. The only sugar I get in my diet now is natural, from fruit. What a big adjustment. I have to read everything that I buy to see how much they lace the product with. Believe me, the number one ingredient in thousands of products is high fructose corn syrup. It’s in everything from baked goods to spaghetti sauce.

Anyway, I’ve got the cravings under control and now I just have to follow through. My big job now is not to get complacent. That’s what has screwed me in the past.

My wife, who is a researcher by training, thinks that I have a long standing yeast infection and the cravings come from the infection demanding sugar to keep itself going. Who knew? I didn’t even know guys could have a yeast infection. Apparently they can. She showed me the literature. It’s very common. Especially in people with compromised immune systems, like me.

I didn’t mention it before but I have Crohn’s disease. It’s not a severe cause, I’m very lucky in that respect, but I still have it. When I was first diagnosed, the doctors prescribed all sorts of medications that really screwed me up, especially the steriods. I didn’t trust the medicine so my wife and I looked for a different solution. That solution turned out to be my diet.

We went through everything I ate, one thing at a time, and identified what the trigger foods were that screwed me up. We found out I had intolerances for numerous spices, wheat (gluton), milk (whey), and now sugar.

If my life sounds like it sucks, it doesn’t. You just learn to adapt. I had to discover a whole bunch of new foods that I could enjoy, mostly fruits, vegetables and nuts. Thank God I can still eat meat. More soon…I think I can do this.

I FELL OFF THE WAGON!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Now I have to get back on and start all over.

Shit.

I read something recently that made me think. It read, “If you could do something that you knew would significantly change your life for the better, why aren’t you doing it?”

Where do I begin? That statement sounds so “Dr. Phil” but I think it’s true. So I started to think about what I would do. It’s not like I have only one thing I could do to change my life. But I could start with one. So I picked my sugar monkey. It’s now day three of my life without processed sugar and let me tell you…

OH MY GOD IT’S SO FUCKING HARD!!! I can’t believe how hard it is to get sugar out of my life! It’s in everything and it’s everywhere! You’d think that something so innocent sounding would be a stroll in the park, but it’s not.

On top of it, I’m suffering withdrawals. Believe me I know what withdrawals are and what they feel like and these are withdrawals. After the first day I was experiencing flu like symptoms and feeling like shit! I think about my favorite candy all the time. It’s interfering with my daily routine! And what make it worse, IT’S EVERYWHERE!

Every corner I turn at work, someone has a bowl of M&Ms or something on their desk. Every packaged food that you eat is loaded with it. This is gonna be really tough.

I’m a wreck.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a problem with sugar. It seems so stupid and innocent but it is a real problem in my life. I know that I use it as a comfort for stress and because of it my health is deteriorating. I can’t pass a bowl of candy without my hand automatically reaching for some. At work it’s the worst.

At my job people are always bringing in sweets, especially chocolate. When I’m stressed, I’ll find myself trolling the departments for it.

The easiest solution wouod be to remove myself from that environment, but I can’t. I can’t quit my job and they’re not going to change for me.