Good afternoon on the 18th of January! I am catching you in between appointments! I love what I do and I am very blessed to find time to journal here every day as well! I am listening to voiceamerica.com right now and I am loving what I am hearing on the Health and Wellness Channel. Someone mentioned to me the other day when I was whining about some cravings that it only takes 21 days to break a habit. So, have I broke the habit of consuming sugar; and if I have what does that mean exactly?

I want to explain to you my idea of success with this SugarSobriety gig. I am realizing that the habit of going for sugar is much more deep seeded than I care to belief or admit for that matter. It has nothing to do with the sugar but more of WHY am I reaching for the sugar WHEN I am reaching for it. I have a good idea and I have been writing about WHY I think I have been reaching/craving it. It has to do with self love or the lack of and the belief that I don’t deserve to be healthy. My background consists of me abusing my body for a very long time, and in the process breaking my parents hearts, my friends as well as affecting my children BIG TIME. So, why should I deserve to be healthy? This is the surface, and I will be brief, make sense so far? That’s why I had such strong cravings the day I was looking and feeling so good last week. Those cravings lasted a few days, and so did my whining! Sorry about that, but that’s what you’re here for!

My idea of success with SugarSobriety is NOT consuming sweets and any blatant added sugars in packaged processed food. FOREVER, not for a few weeks, or a few days but FOREVER! See this little girl? She is my Granddaughter. I don’t get to see her much, however she is a large part of my WHY.

I know that if I do not consume sweets and packaged foods that contain added sugar I will live longer and be less likely to contract the “C” word. I KNOW that, like I KNOW that. My version of success may not be what your version of success is and with that – there are some changes happening with my body, and they have to do with hormones. Brandi Mahan has given us another article on this subject and I posted that yesterday! If you missed it, here it is: Sugar, Simple Carbs & Hormones

Day 23 – Success and habits (cont.)

Today is January 19th and its early in the morning. I have to tell you that this is getting easier at this point. There were some “hairy” days there last week and I made it through them using this tool and writing about what I was experiencing. I think this is true with anything that happens to me in life. If I were to write about issues, hurts, successes, and I could go on, it helps me to process things better and in a more positive way. When I read back over what I have wrote, I understand and see things from a different point of view. I try to see it from YOUR point of view. Therefore, it’s easier to process and my perception changes. I was always told when I was in the program of AA that addiction and alcoholism is a disease of perception. “You just have to look at it differently, Trudi.” When I GOT that, everything changed. Looking back now, I don’t think I really “got it” back then. I do believe I am learning more and more as time goes on.

My perception of consuming sugar has changed in ways over the past 22 days that will forever change my life. I feel as though I can REALLY do this and make this a lifestyle choice. It’s not a matter of doing it forever, OMG, not having any more sweets the rest of my life. This is a lifestyle choice, and a choice that I have made in order to feel better, live longer and actually be able to “live”each day instead of “making it” through each day. Doesn’t that sound better than “never having sweets again?” It’s up to me to change my perception of my choices. It’s up to me to look at things a different way. It’s up to me to make it positive or negative. My thoughts and ideas cause that – NOTHING else causes that. It’s up to me to be happy with my choice.

I am so grateful that I have made it this long, it’s been a long ride, and the rest of my life is going to be amazing because of this choice! Thanks to Darren Hardy, Stacey O’Byrne, my TEAM Referral Network Chapter, Wine Women & Wealth Carmel Mountain, Five Rings Financial, my amazing friends (you know who you are, I hope you’re reading this) and my husband for this wonderful life I have. Someone said to me last night, we know it’s bad for us, but yet we still do it. Why?

It’s simple. We choose NOT to do what is good for us because in our mind we think it will “hurt too bad to stop.” We simply do not want to do it. I’ve got news for you – successful people do things they don’t want to do. PERIOD. That’s it. You don’t want to go to the gym? Do it anyway. You don’t want to cut out a few bad things for you? Do it anyway! You don’t want to go to work in a good mood? Do it anyway! You don’t want to cook dinner? Do it anyway! You don’t want to loose weight? Do it anyway! I could go on, I think you get the point. My problem was thinking! I thought about sh*% too much! Stop thinking and do it! This has proven to be successful for me. Darren Hardy talks about tracking what you want to change. This works really well for me. I track my gym visits and I track the food that I put in my body. EVERY SINGLE DAY. It helps me to make choices that are conducive to the results I want to achieve.

Today, I will continue my journey to SugarSobriety with much joy and happiness about my decision to lead this type of lifestyle. Question the decisions you make about your lifestyle today. Are you asking the right questions to get the right answers? Or are you asking questions that net excuses? Get real with yourself. No one else is going to do that for you!

Make it a great day! You can do it! Ask yourself – what’s it going to take to make this a great day – and then DO IT!

Until tomorrow…….