Might as well face, you're addicted to...Sugar

I can't get enough of that sweet stuff.  My taste buds dance at the thought of a freshly baked cookie a few minutes after it has come out of the oven.  I look forward to birthdays so I can have a piece of delicious birthday cake.  I crave ice cream when it's 7 degrees outside.  The holidays are the best time of year because I am surrounded by sweets and nobody looks at you twice for sampling all of them.

It's terrible.  So terrible that my husband declared this week a "No Sugar" week in our household.  Hold. The. Phone.  So you're telling me I can't have those two Reese's Christmas trees sitting there staring at me?  Or the oatmeal chocolate chip cookies I baked for New Year's Eve? Not even the white chocolate peppermint bark left over from Christmas. As reluctant as I was to take part in this excruciating endeavor, I knew I needed to do it for the sake of my way in the future children (or something).  So I did.

I'm on day 5 and the sugar plums dancing in my head have not subsided.  I am, however, proud of myself that I have not had any sugar in FIVE FREAKING DAYS!!  I'm pretty sure that has never happened in my life.  Ever.

Day 1 was pretty tough...especially because I was PMSing hardcore (too much information?  oh well...) and just wanted to eat everything sweet in sight. But I will say, it has gotten easier to say no.  The desire is still deep inside my soul, and the first thing I want to do on Sunday is bake a batch of brownies, but I think this week has made me realize how much I grab a mini candy bar when I'm bored and dismiss the effects it has on my health.

After reading a few articles about different kinds of sugar and sugar alternatives, I have reached a conclusion.  Am I going to cut out sweet food forever?  Nope.  But I am going to be smart about when I do eat sweets.  As a woman who loves to bake (it is like my therapy), I will try better forms of natural sweeteners (I've heard coconut palm sugar is the best natural sweetener) instead of the white processed kind.  I will also make fewer servings so that I will be tempted less to snack on them (i.e. I usually make the entire batch of 5 dozen cookies...I will cut it down to one).  I am telling you all this for accountability!

It's all about moderation people.

From my heart (and taste buds)...