Big Tiny Steps

So now that I’ve weaned myself off of Adderall, and am feeling great, I’ve decided to tackle my next addiction – “recreational sugars” or sweets.

I’m not going to do the whole “no sugar” and trying to stop putting BBQ sauce and ketchup on food. I think that’s a bit over the top and not realistic, in my case indeed. Where I am running into problems is the all-powerful allure of Reeces Peanut Butter Cups, stale chocolate from the supermarket bulk bin, and going to town on the host of grain-free cookies that we keep in the house for the kids.

My Big Wakeup Call

I was disappointed and not even one bit surprised to learn last week at my annual physical exam that I had gained 20 lbs since my last visit a year ago. Because I am pretty tall, the 20 lbs hasn’t radically affected my appearance, but I notice that my clothes are getting tighter, and I am feeling worse about myself for it.

Plus, the sweets I am eating are just plain junk that “lowers my vibration” and sends out to the Universe an “energy signature” of denying love to myself.

The Weaning Plan

This is subject to change, but my overall plan is to first become fully awake to what it is that I am getting out of behaviors like sneaking sweets when I got by myself to the gas station or gobbling up cookies when nobody else in in the kitchen.

So the first, and if necessary, second, week will not involve any reduction of sweets, but simply, if and when I do eat sweets, what thoughts and feelings I was expeiriencing that led me to eat them.

But I won’t restrict this recording of thoughs and feelings to actually eating the sweets, but I also plan on recording those moments when I simply get the craving but don’t act on it.

“Repeal and Replace”

Like I did with my Adderall addiction, I am going to need to find some “new batteries” to replace the sweets. Here are some things I can give myself in the place of sweets:

• Listening to a fun, not necessarily educational podcast/Youtube show
• Trying out a fruit I’ve never purchased before
• Journaling and the excitement, confidence, and well-being that come with the self-discovery and changing of unhealthy habits to more self-loving habits

A rough outline of the plan

Each phase will likely last about a week but I want to have some flexibility in case certain phases take longer or shorter than a week.

• Phase 1: Journal my thoughts and feelings leading up to eating sweets or having the craving. I will write down:
  • The feeling I had that led to the craving
  • If I act on the craving, what it is I got out of it, good or bad
• Phase 2: Buying and secretly eating sweets specifically when going to the supermarket – replacing the sweets with one of the “Repeal and Replace” activities about
• Phase 3: Buying and sercretly eating sweets specifically at the gas station with “Repeal and Replace”
• Phase 4: Buying and sercretly eating sweets on ANY other errand accompanied by an “R & R” activity
• Phase 5: No more for the kids’ sweets from home, doing R & R instead
• EXCEPTIONS: If there is a birthday or some other special occasion, I can enjoy some sort of sweet such as a single cookie, piece of cake, or cupcake as long as I am not alone

So, ok, that’s the plan right now. I’m sure there will be more details to come, but my journey begins today with journaling, which I will do in this blog, hopefully with a post each day.