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Tuesday 1 July 2014

Quitting the sweet poison

Enjoying a 'gelato' on honeymoon in Sicily (and finally breaking my wedding diet!), 2013

I am addicted to sugar. There I said it! I am totally, utterly, completely addicted to the "white death". 

Apparently sugar is more addictive than cocaine and even heroin! But unlike Class A drugs, it's cheap to buy, readily available in every corner shop and is 100% socially acceptable. So it's understandable that over the years I've developed a dependency on sugary treats. I rely on them to perk me up in the morning, energise me during the inevitable mid-afternoon slump, and comfort me when I'm feeling bored or if I'm having a rubbish day. Of course sweet treats also come out at times of celebration (see photo above!) like birthdays, Christmas etc. So there really isn't a time when I don't feel the urge to indulge my sweet tooth.


A few years ago I was miserable working in Financial Services in a role that no longer challenged me where I was going out of my mind with boredom and frustration. To cheer myself up I would eat junk throughout the day which temporarily made me feel good and then shortly afterwards would leave me feeling guilty, jittery, tired and eventually craving another sugar hit. At my worst a typical day would look something like this... a Starbucks luxury hazelnut hot chocolate and a chocolate croissant for breakfast, a chocolate bar mid-morning, pizza for lunch, biscuits in the afternoon and then a healthy dinner at home to try and make up for it all. 

Of course you can't make up for eating all of that rubbish! Obviously I was very unhappy and looking for any way to make myself feel better. Thankfully I'm not anywhere near as bad as that now. Last year I went on a massive health kick in the run up to my wedding and managed to lose 2 stone before the big day which was an incredible achievement for me. Now that I've left behind my City career I feel much happier every day so I'm finding myself less inclined to overindulge as I don't need cheering up! Sadly, without the wedding to motivate me I have slipped a fair bit with the diet to say the least and lots of unhealthy carbs, cheese and the odd sugary treat have managed to lodge themselves firmly back into my routine. But enough is enough!! I can't go on this way!

So, in the spirit of this blog, which is all about challenging myself to get out of my comfort zone and improve my life in every possible way (career, health, mindset, happiness etc), I have decided to take a bold move and attempt to quit sugar. Completely. Forever! For me this is possibly even scarier than quitting my job without a clue what comes next! 

To help me get started on my terrifying mission to ditch the white stuff I have signed up for a 28 day programme to give me a plan to follow, extra motivation and some moral support. The programme is run by Fit for a Princess, a fantastic outdoor fitness and health group aimed at women, which is local to me in South London. 

From reading widely around goals and habits on wonderful blogs like Zen Habits and The Happiness Project, I know it's helpful to be accountable when trying to reach a goal or make a habit change. So I hereby announce on my blog that I'm going to attempt to lose 8lbs by 31st July. I intend to blog about my progress and will give more info as I go about how the programme works, then I will post my results at the end of the month.  

Wish me luck!  

6 comments

  1. A really honest and open blog, Ceals... good for you! I'm behind you every step of the way! :-) ... best of luck!! CJ X

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    1. Thank you! So great to have your encouragement for my blog and for me! x

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  2. I agree! Honest & motivational! I'm hoping to join you in your journey xx

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    1. Thanks Anne! So glad you found my post motivational - I know you can do it too if you put your mind to it! I haven't had any sugar at all this week and I'm feeling proud of myself although I've had sugar withdrawl so not feeling all the positive effects just yet but hopefully that is just around the corner! Thank you so much for commenting on my blog, it means a lot xx

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  3. stephanie staton young3 July 2014 at 21:56

    Darling daughter, Luck is for lottery tickets. This is about accessing and hanging onto your will power and using your determination as a weapon against the daily ( hourly) temptations that lure all of us. I know what you can achieve once your mind is set. So, instead, I wish you fortitude, courage and steely tenacity. I will watch with loving interest and cheer you as you progress. Love, Mumma

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    1. Thank you mumma! Love it that you have commented on my blog :)

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