Grieving my New Year’s Resolution: Facing the sugar addiction

I’ve had a relationship with sugar virtually my entire life.

 

Many of my fondest childhood memories involve sugar, but “innocent” memory-making has turned into over half a century of ingrained habits, extra pounds, and increased health risk.

 

How do I just up and quit eating sugar without letting go of those “sweet” ties to little girlhood?

 

 

  • Birthday cakes: the very first one (and many, many since) — chocolate with sugary-sweet chocolate icing

 

  • Drinking “coffee” with grandparents — milk with a little coffee . . . and a lot of refined sugar

 

  • Butterscotch milkshakes at Dairy Queen with Granddaddy; Grandmother’s cakes; Brach’s wrapped candies

 

  • Cherry Coke with Uncle Joe

 

  • Candy cigarettes and Chick-O-Stix . . . Sugar Daddies and Slow Pokes . . . Peanut Butter Logs and Pixie Sticks — all nicely arranged down low in the grocery store checkout lane where all good little girls are tempted

 

  • Cut-out sugar cookies:   painted with Grandma . . . frosted with Mom and with my own daughters

 

 

  • Hershey’s miniatures — back in the day when the shiny foil wrapper was separate from the outer paper. Krackel, Mr. Goodbar, milk chocolate, dark chocolate — in that order — until there were no more left in the candy dish.

 

  • Nestle’s Quick chocolate milk

 

  • Hershey’s Kisses:  This little girl quickly learned how to carefully unwrap the silver foil and “whish” out that cute little white paper strip with blue letters.

 

  • Grandma’s divinity:  carefully layered in white shirt boxes stacked high . . . every last bit gone before the end of the holiday. The same for dozens of “oh, how I’d love one today!” pecan rolls.

 

 

  • Ribbon candy

 

  • Fizzy, bubble-popping Coca Cola poured over ice any time I wanted it (and I wanted it a lot) at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. Ice . . . first wrapped in a dish towel then crushed with a hammer outside on the carport. The hammer in the little broom closet near the back door. The ice, frozen to the cloth, slivered into glass-like shards.

 

  • Aunt Barbara’s chocolate chip cookies in the huge Tupperware container

 

 

  • Lemon-filled donuts

 

  • Cotton candy

 

  • Cracker Jacks

 

  • Red Velvet cake

 

  • Candy corn and little orange pumpkins

 

 

  • Lucky Charms, Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes, Alphabits, Post Super Sugar Crisp

 

  • Butterscotch candy

 

  • Fig Newtons

 

  • Silver dollar pancakes . . . drowning in syrup

 

 

  • Maple nut goodies at the Sears candy counter

 

  • Jelly beans:  green and white

 

  • Licking the beater:  Always

 

  • Fudge

 

 

 

  • Homemade ice cream:  taking turns turning the crank on the old wooden freezer

 

  • Grandma’s Italian Cream cake

 

  • Homemade chocolate sauce:   warm over ice cream — or a cold scoop (or three) when leftover in the ‘frig

 

  • Chocolate chip cookie dough:   homemade or store bought

 

  • Brownies:  Always from scratch

 

 

  • Taffy at the ballpark . . . and grape snow cones

 

  • Snickerdoodles

 

  • Cinnamon toast

 

  • Marshmallows covered with melted chocolate chips, Eagle Brand milk,and pecans. Sister and Mom call it Rocky Road. I call it Heavenly Hash. Where did I get Heavenly Hash?

 

  • Buttermilk Pound Cake:  The perfect recipe that never fails — ever . . . until the last time I baked it!

 

 

  • Aunt Mary’s Cherry-o-Cream Cheese Pie

 

  • Banana pudding . . . from scratch. Always from scratch.

 

  • S’mores

 

  • Cheesecake:  plain, turtle, chocolate, lemon . . .

 

 

  • Icee:  Coca Cola, of course

 

  • Ice cream sandwiches

 

  • Hot fudge sundaes

 

  • Candy: Heath, Skor, Butterfinger, Payday, M&Ms (plain, peanut, mint) . . . Snickers, Milky Way, Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups, Tootsie Rolls

 

 

  • Candied pecans

 

  • Pecan pie, chocolate meringue pie, Rocky Road pie, Ritz Cracker pie, apple, pumpkin, key lime …

 

  • Pineapple Upside Down cake

 

  • Angel food cake with lots of Cool Whip

 

  • Cream cheese pastries

 

  • Kolaches

 

  • Chocolate chips by the handful

 

 

  • Bluebell ice cream:  vanilla, chocolate, peppermint, Tin Roof

 

  • Lime sherbet

 

  • Karo syrup and Eagle Brand milk:  straight up

 

  • Chocolate-covered graham crackers

 

  • Toffee Trifle

 

 

Click on the picture for two trifle recipes; one savory and this SWEET one

 

  • Twix

 

  • York peppermint patties

 

  • Caramels

 

  • Crazy Cake

 

 

  • Peanut and pecan brittles

 

  • Peanut patties

 

  • Pralines

 

  • Homemade Texas Millionaires

 

  • Chick-fil-A holiday-time peppermint shake

 

Progress… I didn’t get one this year!

 

  • Girl Scout cookies:  Thin Mint

 

  • Starbucks white chocolate mocha:  iced or hot

 

  • Ghirardelli squares:  Dark & Caramel, Dark & Sea Salt Caramel, Intense Dark . . .

 

  • Lindt Lindor truffles:  extra dark

 

  • Brazilian flan

 

  • Cupcakes

 

 

Again this year . . .  Vintage tins filled with holiday sweets were stacked high. I enjoyed discovering what the rest of the family brought to the celebration. Generations of sweet treats.

 

I admit: I’m addicted to sugar—have been for decades—and the thought of never again eating certain foods makes me want to sit right down and cry.

 

But the thought of staying on a path that could shorten my life and my memory-making time with family . . . well, that’s unacceptable. Something has to change.

 

I have to change.

Oh, I’ve tried the “will power” method many times, and I simply don’t have any. I’ve removed the enemy from the house more than once . . . and invited it back in.

 

But there’s one thing I’ve never tried:  I’ve never grieved the loss.

If you think that’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever heard, then congratulations—because you’re not addicted to sugar. Some of you know exactly where I’m coming from, don’t you?

 

I’ll admit something else: I shed a few tears as I took this “sweet” trip down memory lane.

Some were for loved ones now gone; others came while mentally beating myself up for letting anything so detrimental become so all-consuming. But I took the trip so I could face my fears and failures. So I could say goodbye to old friends. Perhaps some of them will be able to come back on occasion for a very limited period of time; perhaps not.

 

For now, I hope I’ve made my peace with a lifetime of overindulging. I’m going to say “thanks for the memories”—and move on. I’ve done that in many other areas of my life, so surely I can do it once more—before my health is affected. Before it’s too late.

 

Anybody care to join me?

Grieving is hard work, and sometimes you just need to know you’re not alone. Trust me. You’re not alone!

 

In just a few hours, 2016 will be no more. A new year lies ahead with all of its unknowns and opportunities yet to be discovered. Perhaps it’s exciting . . . or unnerving—or both. Some years start out like that. Whatever challenges you’re facing as you read this, I hope you’ll be encouraged. Remember that what you see here in Blogland is often “prettied up”and not representative of reality. Sometimes it’s easy to feel like you don’t measure up. Trust me. You do!

 

Perhaps the first few days of 2017 would be well spent grieving past poor choices—and putting them behind you. It’s time to stop beating yourself up. It’s time to move forward and make better choices. If you need extra help, don’t be afraid to get it. And if you need more encouragement, keep stopping by. The goal here is always to inspire, encourage, and challenge, and I’ll do my best to be here for you in the year ahead.

 

In the meantime, I wish each of you a very HAPPY NEW YEAR. May the days ahead be “sweet”.  😉

 

 

 

Comments

  1. Hi Susan!
    I SO relate to this post! I too am a sugar addict! I have recently come to the realization that I am going to have to treat it as the addiction that it truly is and quit sugar all together and you are right grieving the loss is the beginning of the process! So In jointing you on this difficult journey for 2017! Best wishes to you and yours!

    • Cindy, I’m glad to have company on the journey—but so sorry you have to take it as well! Thanks for letting me know we’re in this together. It’s not going to be easy… but it’s oh, so necessary! Blessings to you and yours in the year ahead.

  2. I have already past the point of no return in health management. Last spring when faced with some bad news I panicked and all those luscious foods you mentioned had to disappear I thought I just cannot do it. What do people have for breakfast if not two short bread cookies. So I prayed. I knew I did have the power to give it up so I prayed The Lord would remove the desire And he did. I still remember the taste and the thrill. But I love the doctors report. So PRAY

    • Nancy,

      Seriously… What DO people have for breakfast if not two short bread cookies? (BIG smile!)

      Thank you for the encouragement and wisdom. I, too, have the Power to break this sugar addiction, and I’m praying God will remove the desire. (If I happen to come to mind, please pray for me as well!) I’m so very thankful your health has improved!

  3. Once you get it out of your system, you really won’t crave it and it will taste sickeningly sweet if you have some. I’ve done this before and did clean eating – no sugar and preservatives – and lost 20 pounds. I felt better than I’ve ever felt and had no headaches. Energy galore! You can do it. I’m going to do it again. I backslid when my husband had a bad accident and I didn’t have time to cook. I learned that we should only eat what our livers know how to process. It’s really pretty easy after you get into the swing of it. Best of luck and Happy New Year!

    • Martha, thank you for the encouragement! I hope to “get the swing of it” quickly and get the same great results you did. I’m sorry to hear of your husband’s accident and hope he’s much better now. Not having time to cook definitely makes healthy eating difficult.

      Thanks for stopping by. You’re always welcome at My Place to Yours. Happy New Year to you and yours!

  4. I’ve found that by paying close attention to how my body feels after eating some of those sugary things that have been so important I can see that they really have been negatively affecting my body. Several years ago my son commented to me that soon after eating several cookies he would feel really really tired. I hadn’t noticed that with me, but his comment made me recognize that the same thing happened with me. Also I notice that the day after eating sugary things I have less energy and feel some aches and joints don’t work as well – all things people seem to commonly attribute to “getting older.” If I don’t eat sugary things those go away.

  5. Susan,

    I had a “come to reality” moment in late December 2016. I started watching Dr. McDougall videos, Dr. Esselstyn videos, Dr. Lisle videos. They are not Christians, that I know of, but their research of the body and the mind was astounding.

    I chose a Daniel Fast that started 11 January 2017 and will be broken 01 February. I put my body under subjection to my Spirit. I deleted refined oil (they’re all refined), dairy, animal, caffeine and refined sugar and high glycemic fruit until ideal weight is achieved.

    I awakened to the fact that wisdom is my sister and understanding is my kinswoman, and that my body is to reflect my relationship with my Heavenly Father. Presently, it was shouting, “I’m addicted to sugar,” and my Father was not at all pleased. I’ve chosen to stop ignoring His feelings and opinion and feed my temple foods He designed for my wellbeing.

    This is my journey and no one else’s. Not my husband’s, not anyone who lends a listening ear. I will give an account for every talent God has given to me. Will I hear that I have pleased Him and done well?

    Being “an informed patient” is up to me. Did you know that addicted comes from the Latin ”addictus”? It described the stretch of time an indentured slave had to serve his/her master. The servant with the sentence was called “the addict” (Mary Aiken, PhD: “The Cyber Effect”).

    It’s over, Susan. We’re done. We’re wiser. We understand what is really going on. The bondage is done. Greater is He that is in us than he that’s in this world. Break the chains of slavery.

    I eat lots of plants now. Until I achieve my ideal weight, it’s all about plants and restoring “normal” to my body. Chewing my food. Quitting when full. Putting wise choices into my temple. No, it’s not been easy but I was on a fast track to nowhere. I’m not headed there anymore.

    After 01 February, not many changes will happen. I will still depend on plants for flavor, filling and nutrition. Often I’m just thirsty for water. Alcohol addicts and heroin addicts who are drying out don’t keep booze and drugs around. Hello. I had to clean house big-time, and when you love to bake, oh! But the joy of the Lord is my strength.

    *hugs*
    Kelley~