Everyday Systems: nosdiet: message 2645 of 3212

Note: This is an archived message from our old discussion software. Join the current discussion here.

    

Hi Nancy -

Learning is what it's all about! If we don't start by learning about 
ourselves, nothing will ever change. And...(here's my obvious statement for 

the day)...change isn't easy.

I know what you mean about the sweets. Snacks was my #2 nemesis but I think 

he's fading away from neglect--at last. Sweets is still #1 but over a 
couple of years of more-or-less low-carbing, I'm thankful to say my 
quantities have gone way down. I don't think I could get through a hot 

fudge sundae even if I wanted to. Large quantities of sugar now make me 

feel sick. (I never thought I'd be saying that!) I think...though I'm not 

sure...that my body changed as I kept trying to avoid sugar, and becoming 

more successful with each attempt. Now it can't tolerate the sugar-abuse it 

used to take. Your body really does know best, if you give it a chance, 

"listen" and trust it. Now I don't like things I used to like, and I've 

gotten pickier and pickier about which sweets are even worth the bother of 

eating. Dark gourmet chocolate, yes. Hershey's milk "chocolate," no. I 

could tolerate M&M's in the old days, but now they just taste like waxy 

sugar and I can't get past the first one. I'm generally not a food snob, 

but I think it's okay to be snobby about desserts!

I bet sugar was (and is) as big a deal for me as it seems now for you, so 

I'm hoping that my experience will encourage you. One thing that helped me 

for a long time was to use some of the sugar-free chocolates available now. 

Many (not all) of them are really good. I feel they are useful as a crutch, 

rather like other aids to habit-breaking (nicotine patches, for example). 

You're getting the chocolate but not the sugar. They are also self-limiting 

because if you eat too many you will wish you hadn't! (Gas. Sometimes 
amazing amounts. Effectively prevents repeat offences.) I feel that the 

new sweeteners are safe enough--that there are worse things we're already 

eating and not knowing it! At one point there were some SF chocolates I 

honestly liked better than the "real thing." (And they don't leave that 

yukky taste in your mouth 10 minutes later, like the ones with sugar do.) 

One or two was all I "needed." Now, interestingly, I can't be bothered to 

buy them any more. I look over the selection in the store...I've tried them 

all...and now I always conclude that I just don't want them.

I do still have one jar of Nuggets (chocolate mint) on my desk at work, 

because I like to share with co-workers, and occasionally I have one, or 

two--only when feeling very stressed or very bored!--but I hope to stop 

doing that soon. I justify it on NoS by saying it's the sugar I could put 

in my coffee but don't. =P But they're not great--still not worth their 

sugar!

I am learning to appreciate fruit and I think I will start working more on 

this. I found that dependence on sweets took away my taste for fruit, but 

after staying sugar-free for a long time, the first time I have a piece of 

any kind of fruit, it's incredibly sweet and flavorful. I'm just out of the 

habit of eating fruit--and buying it. But if I get serious about 
eliminating the last few bits of sugar I'm having on weekdays, I think I 

should also be serious about eating a couple of fruits per day. Fiber, 

vitamins, lots of good things in them! I do already eat as many vegetables 

as possible, because I think they're even more important, but I'm sure God 

had a reason for creating the amazing variety of fruit that exists.

You sounded a lot like me and asked for advice, so now you know what I've 

done and what I'm doing. I know we'll lick this if we keep learning and 

trying.

Diane


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "crazymom23boys1girl" <gobrien25@...>

Well, my first week of No-S is behind me and I have to admit I
didn't do very well at all. I was very good the first day, but it
went downhill from there. However, I feel I learned some things. For
example, I realized I really don't have a problem with two of the
s's--snacks (at least in terms of chips and crackers) and seconds.
My problem is strictly sweets. I hadn't realized how much I depend
on sweets for comfort, to relieve boredom, etc. So with that in
mind, I'm hoping to spend some time this weekend thinking about what
I can do to satisfy those needs more constructively.

If anyone has some advice to offer, I'm all ears! You folks have
been very helpful already.

Anyway, I hope you all have a good weekend.

Nancy