Day 4 Changing Habits

Last night DID pass and today I feel happy and healthy.

When I gave up wine, I changed a lot of my socialising patterns. Some I've re-introduced again as they still work without wine, others I've allowed to dwindle. I no longer arrange a weekly Girls' Night Out with one of various sets of friends. This was always instigated by me and always on the pretence of 'catching up' when really it was about creating an opportunity to drink more than on a normal night. I didn't fully appreciate that at the time. I always drank a lot those nights and regretted it the next day when the excitement had long passed and was replaced with a grumpy, munchy, irritable person who thought everything was RUBBISH and whom I did not like very much.

So, in giving up sugar I realised my routines would have to change too. Today is my day off work. I had an appointment at 9 and afterwards I would usually have arranged some scone eating: be it meeting a friend in a cafe or buying 2 and bringing them home (1 for the freezer for another time, but always eaten before it froze). My self-indulgent time would not be complete without a scone and jam or some other sweet treat to tide me to lunchtime. Lunch would be minimal to allow for biscuits afterwards. I continually spent a lot of effort micro-managing calories to accomodate and restrict in some way, the biscuits which littered my day. I ALWAYS wanted more. I used to think I was just greedy; even after my toast and jam at breakfast I would immediately want more. I would hardly be finished one biscuit when I would be off to get the next. I now wonder if, this was truly the sugar -inducing- sugar -seeking-cycle?

Today I progressed from porridge and had brown toast with sugar free jam. (sweetened with sorbitol and made for diabetics). It was nice, sweet, and for once did not leave me wanting more. When I got home at 10 I kept myself busy rather than immediately having a cup of tea (and wanting another biscuit). I stopped at 11 and had 2 cheese flavoured oatcakes (80 cals) and once again, managed to stop at 2 without herculean effort.

The proof is in the scales and I have not yet weighed. I would be disappointed not to have lost weight and would be tempted to jack it in. I'm sticking to my plan, staying within my calories and looking forward to the day I no longer want the sweet stuff. I may weigh in next week, let's see. Rx