I went the entirety of the holiday season, from the middle of December to present, without eating a single sugary snack. No cookies, no brownies, no fudge. No white chocolate covered Oreos, no candy canes, no truffles, no gingerbread, no candy. This doesn’t necessarily make for the most festive season, but this year I felt it necessary.
The list above wasn’t plucked from nowhere. I had plenty of access to each of those things, and it wasn’t my lack of desire for them that kept me away. I didn’t feel like losing a grip on what little progress I have made with my weight so I stuck to the plan. I stayed away from the sugar and largely minimized the damage. I’m right around where I was before we left town to visit family. I didn’t make any progress, but neither did I lose ground. For this time of year, I’ll take that as a big win.
You’re my fucking hero. I need to do this next year. The season from Halloween to New Years is always when I gain weight. It’s a stupid ratchet that needs reversing.
J, the other aspect is that I find moderation way more difficult than prohibition. It was difficult to avoid the eating of this stuff. It would have been nigh unto impossible for me to eat one or two cookies then stop. Once I broke the seal, it would have been bedlam. So, not a one.
Why did you feel it was necessary, Dave? For weight maintenance, or specific health concerns, or both?
I’ve been trying hard to not overeat in the wake of quitting smoking. I’ve had a few chip binges, but was able to not overdo it with the sweets. Increasing power walks has helped a lot with the weight – I’ve even managed to shed a few pounds since quitting!
Good job, Becky Billingsley, keep it up! On the smoking and the weight, both good things.
I stopped eating wheat on the 26th. I made no other alterations to my diet and don’t go out of my way to avoid carbs themselves, just wheat-based foods. Amazing how much lower my average blood sugar is. I’m using about a third of the insulin I was. That is a very small sample size, though.
Proud of you, Dave!