So I have an addiction.
I’ve known about it for years, but it didn’t seem like a big -or even uncommon -addiction, so I’ve let it slide.
It’s sugar.
My body needs it… which is to say: I NEED IT.
A few months before getting pregnant, I was doing really good about watching it. After pregnancy and morning sickness hit, it was a sort of free for all. If it tasted good, I ate it. Did I eat Fruit Loops? Yes. Even though I knew it would send my body into a weird blood sugar place that left me in a fog, exhausted, and on the couch for the rest of the day? Yes.
I am sad.
After my birthday came and went, I realized with a little gentle help from my husband that I need to get a grip. Saturday I did better. Sunday I did better.
Until.
Smack dab in the middle of church -minutes before I was supposed to present Sharing Time -I was hit with a wave of cold sweat and shaking. I had no choice but to get home and eat something (which ended up being a PB and J with a side of cookie dough. Fail!).
Don’t you hate that phrase? “I had no choice.”
It’s the phrase of damnation, I tell you.
I want to have a choice, so I kept trying. After Sunday came Monday. I did well Monday. Was it easy? NO! I had the hardest day! I struggled to get my house clean because my body was lagging -withdrawing! It wanted sugar. I gave it a peach (or two). I spent a full hour in the early afternoon on my couch, a bundle of nausea.
My cleaning day was labored, at best. I only got it half done (but you should see my fridge!) and today I’ve got my work cut out for me.
BUT. I only had one sugar cookie topped with a little frosting (FHE treat, we also used it as part of our lesson on gender).
Anyway.
“I’m tired of people acting like they’re better than McDonalds. It’s like… you may have never set foot in a McDonalds, but you have your own McDonalds. Maybe instead of buying a Big Mac you read US weekly. Hey, that’s still McDonalds. It’s just served up a little different. Maybe your McDonalds is telling yourself that Starbucks Frappuccino is not a milkshake. Or maybe you watch Glee. It’s all McDonalds. McDonalds of the soul. Momentary pleasure followed by incredible guilt eventually leading to cancer… I’m lovin’ it!”
~Jim Gaffigan, comedian
Sugar is my McDonalds.
In an effort to ditch my McDonalds, I’m using a combination of prayer, yoga, reading, recipes, productivity, and yes -even elements of the 12-steps.
Extreme? Not really. The 12-steps were recommended to me by a friend, and they are -without a doubt -mind blowingly awesome. Game changing. Life changing. As in: everyone should use them to conquer their McDonalds.
Speaking of productivity: I deactivated my facebook again.
I’m lovin’ it.
I really like that quote. Gaffigan is a funny guy.
Have you done your glucose tolerance test yet? I just did my 3-hour since I almost failed the 1-hour. But I crave the crap out of some sugar, and I’m worried it might be GD…
I did! Well, I had to do one when I was 9 weeks pregnant because I had Gestational Diabetes when I was pregnant with Trenton. My biggest motivator for trying to kick the sugar habit is the baby… I really don’t want gestational diabetes again! I felt so tired and sick the entire pregnancy and I had to pee… all of the time! We’re talking: I would go before bed, lie down in bed, get right back up, go back to the bathroom… It was nuts. This time it doesn’t seem so bad, so I’m hoping for better results (fingers crossed), and I’m trying to exercise more. It’s really hard, and my body is going through withdrawals. BUT I’m having some really good experiences (like being able to wake up earlier, not having as much nausea…) so I’m working hard to stick with it. Also, if you do get diagnosed with gestational diabetes, they don’t have you watch sugar content in stuff, they actually have you keep track of your carbs which I thought was interesting. The diet they put me on was easy to follow and I ended up not gaining nearly as much weight as I did with Lacy’s pregnancy -so there’s that. I do another glucose test next month (at 28 weeks, I think). I hope your results come back good :) If not, I’ll send you some low carb snacks, haha :)