What brought me here

 

THIS was how I woke up on February 22, 2014.  To top it all off, I had to head out to help my friend with a bridal show at Powell Gardens in MO.  Yes!  THIS was how I looked when I left to go to that show.  My job was to give out CAKE samples.  Oh sure....I'd love to!  Hook me up!!
 

It was on this day that I determined that soothing my stressful life with sugar had to come to an end.  There would be no more driving through Starbucks to have that delicious Hot Caramel Apple Cider, Hot Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate, the all too delicious Salted Caramel Brownie, cake pops, monster cookies (which I LOVE from Whole Foods), cakes, more cookies (chocolate chip is a fave), sugar drinks, soda, chocolate (of any kind), ice cream (my biggest weakness during the holidays is the Haagen Daz Peppermint Bark Ice Cream and my usual....Chocolate Peanut Butter!!!) plate after plate of holiday cookies from friends, biscotti dipped in chocolate, pastries, chocolate milk, ohhhh the list is ENDLESS! 

Maybe this is why I decided to call this blog, "Breaking Free".  I need to break free from this addiction!  The reason I made the blog address "disolvingthecube" is because it is going to take time to dissolve this addiction which I relate to the solid and all mighty sugar cube.  Here we go....


My first week was simply hell.  ALL I thought about was sugar.  I dreamed sugar.  I drove my car past my sweet stops and thought of how much I was going to miss having my usuals.  The grocery store!  What a nightmare!!!  Everywhere I looked there was sugary goodness staring me right in the face and all I could hear was, "you're here alone, eat it in your car and dispose of the evidence and still claim sugar victory!"  LIES!  How in the world could I or SHOULD I confess to be off sugar in word but still consuming my usuals in body?  NOT GONNA DO IT! 


The thing that I believe got me through the first week was how aweful I felt.  My face was swollen and my body was itching.  I HAD to make this choice be real! 
 

Here's what I consumed during my cravings;  COPIOUS amounts of blackberries.  I mean, I ate 1-2 little cartons a day!  I ate all sorts of fruits; apples, oranges, bananas, and even frozen fruits.  Natural sugars, one might say that naturall sugars are still sugars and can still do things to the body.  Well...getting off natural sugars wasn't the goal.  The goal was getting off and busting through the white stuff.  The processed junk foods that create addiction. 


My friend emailed me a recipe for a pink smoothie which I found to be a life saver!  It was made with Coconut water, dates, frozen strawberries, carrots, and a piece of a beet.  It SAVED me!!  It was delicious! 


I have sweet treats in my cupboard for my littles that come to grandmas house.  All grandmas have sweet treats!  Ask me if that wasn't a difficult task to stay out of those delicious little sweet morsals!!  But I DID IT!! 


Yes!  I'm well on my way now.  I am, however understanding much more about recovering from addictions than I ever thought I would.  I'll post that in my next chaper in Breaking Free.