Tuesday, January 4, 2011

My First Small Challenging Day:

Today some ladies heard me talking to a friend about the No Sugar No Soda blog. A little while later one of the ladies saw me eating some “chocolate” and said, “So what part of the No Sugar and No Soda category does that fall into?” I looked at her and held up the wrapper and said, “It;s Sugar Free”.
“So actually you are just substituting and not giving it up then” she said. I said, “No, I am breaking a habit that helps me stay away from eating the sweets.” Then I made the mistake of saying, “I know I can do this because last year I lost 70 lbs and I feel like it was largely due to giving up sugar and soda for 86 days. This year I want to lost 100 lbs.” She said, “In addition or total?” I said, “No in addition” and I realized I opened my mouth when I should have shut it. She just said, “Hummm” and I could see the wheels grinding.

Many thoughts have run through my head today as I have thought about this incident. It's not the first time in my life I have encountered it, nor will it be the last. I know we each have a different story to tell. I have heard the snickers, and whispers, and remarks my whole life. I have never been a small person nor will I ever be. My goal is to get smaller and healthier. And if I can help others by encouraging them then I will do that as well. This is not over when we hit Valentine's Day hit, it will only be a break.

I know my weight issues have have come from my childhood and my background. For years I have done all the diets, and they worked for a while, but when I went off the diet, the weight came back and then some. Then there are the emotional issues I have had to deal with. On top of it all, it is society's perception has beaten me to a pulp because I was not the norm for society or anything close to it.

I did what I had to do to survive in this world. I know part of my weight was my protective wall. I have used my weight for a lot of excuses. One of the main ones I am seeing is it gave me an excuse as to why no one loved me. Oh sure people said they did, but I knew they didn't.   Little did I know they did, I had to learn how to love myself and be loved in order to know I was loved in this society. Once I began learning these things and fixing the inside, only then could I begin to work on the outside. Learning those two things goes along way in the weight battle. Food is a comfort and safe place for many of us, but we need to figure out what is going on in the inside. If we don't fix the latter, I think our weight loss efforts will be a relvolving door that will never stop.  
 
I was very proud of myself today. For one, usually my feelings mentioned above would have sent me to the nearest chocolate (which there was nearby today) BUT it didn't. Because I have set my own rules and guidelines for me on this journey. It doesn't matter what any one else thinks, this is my journey not theirs. Just as it is your journey!! We are all in this together!!!

I can tell you from experience, for me last September I had to gain a bit of control of my life and this was the only thing I could control—the sugar and soda. The weight loss was a huge benefit I always forget about when I do it. Now I realize it is also the base of helping me get back my life, emotionally and physically. I was glad I had my Sugar Free Chocolate with me today, it came in handy when I needed it. As I have said, THIS IS YOUR JOURNEY!! Do your best, don't give up and keep trying, it will all come!!

Has anyone else had any challenges yet? Or has it been smooth sailing?


10 comments:

  1. I'm sorry you had to encounter that today. Some people are just that way. It's usually from their own insecurities. You handled it perfectly. Not eating sweets is a hard thing to do.....did you invite her to take the challenge?

    So far it hasn't been too terribly difficult for me. I know if it weren't for the blog here I probably would have said "forget it" by now. Right now I really am wanting some hot chocolate. I don't think I have any cocoa or I would try to make some with Stevia. I don't care for the sugar free ones in the packets.
    I'm just going to go crochet and take my mind off of it.

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  2. So Bev would this work? Once I was with some friends, and Larry wanted some hot chocolate. He took some small Hershey Candy bars, melted they a bit, and then put them in a mug of milk and heated it a bit. So what if you used some Sugar Free Hershey Chocolate Bars? Try to come up with a creative way to do this for yourself. Find a new recipe to try. I will be anxious to see what you find.

    Oh and yeah I invited them all for the challenge, and one said, No I have birthday Parties!! LOL I just know I cannot let people get the best of me or bat me down. I have come too far. And honestly, I don't think this person meant to do it, but it is just the way society is in how we have to judge everything and one. It's all good!!! I made it through the day and I am not beating myself up!!

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  3. Good for you. You handled that one very well and you should be very proud of yourself. Right now I am trying to cut sugar and carbs from my diet. I do fine for a bit then I slip...Holidays are rough.

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  4. Pam You can do it!!! In January of 2002 I cut out all sugar, carbs and soda. All I ate was meat, fruits and veggies and walked a mile a day. By February when I started volunteering for the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics I had lost about 40 lbs. I found for me then just like now I had to have a backup plan. I had sugar free gum and mints, nuts those kind of things. I know it is so hard to give up everything.....but you can do it!!! And thanks for your kind comments!!! I felt I took a few steps forward today instead of backwards.

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  5. Congratulations on making some right choices. From the way you handled the way a rude lady made the startling comments to the choice to forgo soda and chocolate.
    I would love to join you as you and I conquer some issues. Chocolate is not a concern rather soda. So Pam thanks for your blog and help.

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  6. For the past 4 days I have not bought a Pepsi or any junk food...I crave the Pepsi when I am stressed out.
    I have read that dark chocolate -- but not white chocolate or milk chocolate -- is good for you. Lowers high blood pressure. Just don't eat to much of it. Soda is more addictive.

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  7. You're amazing. Good for you for your courage and hope. I love this blog. I can tell that you are an amazing person! Thank you.

    I can understand Bev...I absolutely adore homemade hot cocoa. That is my downfall. Maybe I should try Stevia.

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  8. Thank You Laura...Another Laura WOO HOO!!! I will tell you, when I decided to do this again and this time do a blog I never dreamed it would be this much fun. I am learning so much from everyone!!! I see you are an RN...please give us any pointers and stories you can!!! Thank you again for joining us and welcome!!!

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  9. Good for you Laura!!! I have had a horrible time with Soda I get horrible caffeine headaches. I am trying to slowly stop because otherwise I will end up in bed with a migraine.

    I have been doing good with sugar even when the kids had M & M's at the movies. I went to the cafeteria at work and was very proud of myself for getting tea and not soda. Then it dawned on me that it was sweet tea so full of sugar. I am frustrated with myself. I would love to lose 100 pounds this year. I always joke that I need to lose a person and a half. But the painful truth is that I really do need to lose at least that.

    Thank you for this blog.

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  10. Laura, you handled it brilliantly! Congratulations! I THINK that my immediate first reaction would have been an angry one, like, "lady, what part of "f" "u" don't you get? but you were gracious and moved on. Good for you. As a diabetic, I must stay away from sweets, sometimes it is more difficult than at other times. I left pop years ago, and I felt 1000% better. Now, I still fight with sweets and carbs. Thanks for being an inspiration. I hope to be able to follow you and the others in turning my back on sugar! :-)

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