Giving Up Alcohol Was Hard, but Giving Up This Was Even Worse

Confessions of a Sweets-Lover

Thanks to all who commented or contacted me after reading last week's post about my Polly. I appreciate your compassion and support. It’s time to lighten the mood over here, and talk about sweets. If you enjoyed this article, hit the ❤️ button.

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I have written about giving up alcohol, and the topic hit a nerve with many of you. Although I quit four and a half years ago, sobriety continues to test my commitment, even today. I stand firm that alcohol doesn’t serve me, but I take it one day at a time. Still.

One day at a time, or even one minute at a time, is a great way to live.

But it turns out that those pesky pebbles in your shoe are like whack-a-moles.

You eject one, and another pops in its place.

I allowed my sweet tooth to run wild as a reward for giving up wine. I was already doing a hard thing, so why not cut myself a little slack? What used to be a glass of wine while I cooked dinner was replaced with lemonade or cookies.

The good news is that the substitutions eliminated my reliance on alcohol, but the act of replacing one thing for another grew legs and feet.

One might say I went overboard. 🤣 🤣 🤣

Twelve years ago, while drinking regularly, I received a pre-diabetes warning at my physical. So I lost a few pounds, which fixed the problem, or so I thought, but I got another warning from my doctor recently.

My A1C count was in the pre-diabetic range. The A1C test reveals your blood sugar levels for the past two to three months, so being "good" the day before your blood test will not fool the doctor. Yes, at age sixty-one-and-a-half, a grown-ass woman (me!) is trying to scam her primary doctor into believing I am the epitome of virtue and health.

Sour Patch Kids flavored Rita's Water Ice and Johnson's Caramel Popcorn coated my hemoglobin proteins with sugar. Blood tests do not lie.

My chiropractor advised that I go on a keto diet for one month to reset my insulin system.

I despised every minute without carbs. I ate salads instead of pizza, eggs instead of yogurt, and cauliflower rice instead of potatoes.

No bread.

I love bread.

Did I say I couldn’t eat bread? 😭 😭 😭

I was forced to eat a lot more meat even though I don’t particularly like it. I am a former vegan/vegetarian, and I begrudgingly went back to eating fish and chicken because I was worried about losing muscle and bone mass.

Because of the stringency of the keto diet, I had to whip out my cheaters and read ingredient labels carefully because sugar and carbs were hiding everywhere. I also hadn’t realized how portion size has grown and how food has become more fattening.

Keto overhauled my thinking about food.

I know sugar feeds cancer and inflammation, but I didn't realize how much I consumed and how addicted I was to it.

After finishing my one-month keto experiment, I brought carbs back into my life. I'm handling my sweet tooth like I handled my wine cravings—I'm avoiding even one bite. If I eat one cookie or M&M, I will talk myself into another one. And that will be it.

I finally know me.

It's taken six decades for me to figure out how to deal with my addictions. I'm a slow learner. I wouldn't have changed my carb-o-mania if the doctor hadn't stepped in.

I'm glad I'm off sugar. I'm happy to have reduced my carbohydrate load.

But man-oh-man, it is one day at a time. (Put that on my headstone, ok?)

Have you tried giving up something important to you, whether it’s food or a habit? I'd love to hear from you in the comments!

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ADDENDUM: This post is a repost from November 2023. My A1C is still in the danger zone, despite having eliminated sweets and reduced my intake of other cars. I’m determined not to get Type 2 Diabetes. If you have suggestions, please comment or DM me. Thanks, friends!