Amy BoughnerA little while ago I made a list in on of my notebooks of all the good reasons to try and give up sugary foods. It was a good list, and I thought it would help me, but the fact is that I have had a “sweet tooth” since I was a kid. I have been allowing myself chocolate and candy daily for over 20 years. I used to spend my allowance at the corner store, stock up on ‘treats’ and hide them in my room.
When I was a kid I would eat frosting out of the can, I would make cake batter and cookie dough just to eat it raw, it was like I needed a fix and I would take anything sweet that I could get my hands on.
I am addicted to sugar and I can give it up for a few days, maybe a week, but once I start allowing myself a little bit here and a little bit there I have more and more trouble saying no.
So I want to share my list here and ask for reminders and support, because I have a little girl and I want to be here for her, and I need to be strong enough to run after her and play with her.
Reasons to stop eating sugar:
- It makes my PCOS worse, and if I don’t keep my PCOS under control I’m facing any number of complications, including ovarian or uterine cancer
- Being fat puts me at risk for heart disease, which runs in my family, as well as diabetes and many other diseases I’d rather not encounter
- I’m setting a bad example for my daughter and I don’t want her to be facing the same struggles 20 years down the road.
- It’s bad for my teeth and cavities and root canals are painful and expenses
- It depresses my mood and that’s the last thing I need
I’m not prepared to try the no sugar diet that some people I know have been doing – I can’t handle trying to read every ingredient and plan every meal that strictly, but I do want to say no to my cravings, get candy out of my house, and start fresh. I’ve done it before, I can do it now, I just need to remember the harm I’ve been doing.