While I haven’t officially announced this, every month of my 30-day challenges, I have also given myself an additional 30-day goal that is more traditional.
During December’s “See Ya, Bucko” Challenge, I didn’t spend money on coffee for 30 days.
During January’s “Gelf-Care” Challenge, I didn’t watch TV for 30 days.
During February’s “Trust” Challenge, I gave up sugar for 30 days.
That last one is the hardest for me. I have created a whole storytelling series around my homemade ice cream cakes called Yum’s the Word, so, as you can imagine, sugar is my biggest addiction.
For the past two years, I have tried to give it up before during what I like to call “No Sugar, November,” and I’ve always cheated here and there. I know I shouldn’t be so hard on myself, but these extremes (or let’s call them “boundaries” - whatever makes me feel better) help me tremendously.
During past “No Sugar Novembers,” I have let myself have sugar in my coffee, but that’s it. This past month I didn’t even do that and I didn’t have dessert. That was a biggie for me. I did, however, have a few sugary drinks while I was away, but since alcohol is not a vice for me, it seemed like a fair free pass.
When this past month’s 30-day challenge ended, I wondered if I would go back to dessert. There were so many times when I was really tempted to have dessert this past month, but I managed to resist it and for that I’m proud.
On Saturday, I decided to keep going and see how long I can do it. Well, see if I can do it for at least another 30 days.
I’ve tested myself with sugar in another creative way. For years, I was obsessed with Swedish Fish (primarily the yellow and green ones.) I hated the red ones, but I didn’t want them to go to waste, so I’d eat those first followed by my second least favorite flavor (orange) followed by the yellow and then green ones.
After a breakup, I started eating them in huge quantities every night and continued to do so for a year and a half. They sold them at my local grocery store in a plastic container that read “Sweedish Fish,” and that spelling seemed apropos given that it was my version of weed.
Finally, after downing more Swedish Fish than can probably fit in the sea, on the 4th of July in 2016, I told my friend, Jenn, that I was declaring my independence from Swedish Fish.
I haven’t had one since.
Does that mean I’ve stopped eating candy altogether? Of course not. I still eat Sour Patch Kids, Twix, Mike & Ike’s and more. Remember, I make ice cream cakes.
So what does that have to do with saying no?
Hey cookie, sorry, not sorry I had to say no to you, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles.
Well, yesterday I was sharing my 30-day challenges with a small group of new people I had just met. Just as I was about to tell one of the women about my current 30-day challenge, she offered me some of her cookie. I instantly said, “No” and then realized she was my challenge for the day. It was a very meta moment for me and I was very excited that she and the others got to see it in action purely by accident… or was it?
All I know is that I was excited that the answer “no” came to me so quickly without hesitation. Maybe my current sugarless life will help me in other areas of my life. We’ll see. In the meantime, know that life is surprisingly still pretty sweet (you’re welcome) without my daily sugar addiction.
Do you have trouble with sugar? Do fun names motivate you to get something under control like they do for me? Do you have trouble saying no or does it roll off the tongue like a gummy bear that hasn’t been chewed yet? Like what you’ve read? Please share it and subscribe below. Thanks!