Giving It Up For Lent
February 13th, 2013 by Sonja

So … I’m giving up sugar for Lent.

To be absolutely clear … I’m giving up any food which has sugar (or one of it’s counterparts: honey, syrup in all it’s variety, molasses, etc.) as one of the first 5 ingredients listed. There is one exception, dark chocolate. I can have dark (70% coca or greater) chocolate in sparing amounts … 1 oz. per day. But I can’t save that up. If I don’t eat an ounce today, that doesn’t mean I can eat 2 oz. tomorrow. If I have it I can eat it.

Other than that exception, no more sugar for 40 days. I feel as though I am casually wandering into a food desert. No more sugar. Gack!

No Jif peanut butter, no jelly … thus no pb&j sandwiches, which I love. No ice cream. No cake (including LightBoy’s birthday). No pies. No cookies. No brownies. No store bought bread. No Frosted Mini-wheats. No store bought granola.

I am quickly discovering how much of our processed food contains sugar (or one of it’s variants). It’s really quite remarkable … and not in a good way.

On the other hand, I am also looking forward to the adventure of it all. What will I discover as I wander down this road? How will I manage cravings? And (most importantly) will I see any health benefits from this? Will those benefits encourage to me or discourage me?

I have no idea what I will find down this road, but I’m hoping to find my way back to certain places in my heart. That cutting out sugar will force me to face some things and let them go, rather than eating my pain, anger and frustration. That I will learn new and more healthy habits … not just with eating, but with life.

Who knows … I might even find myself darkening the door of a church again.

Don’t hold your breath.


4 Responses  
  • Patrick O writes:
    February 28th, 201310:50 pmat

    So, two weeks in… how’s the sugar fast?

           
  • Sonja writes:
    March 1st, 20138:42 amat

    Glad you asked. I think I managed 5 days. I am a sugar addict and it doesn’t help that I have teenagers in the house. They live on sugary treats. However, I have significantly reduced my sugar. And I’ve added regular exercise to my days. I’m going to keep reducing the sugar and hope that I can get a week of no sugar before the end of Lent.

           
  • Patrick Oden writes:
    March 1st, 20133:22 pmat

    Yeah, that’s how my sugar fasts go. I’m good about not buying sugary things, but when sugary things are around I snack on them.

    Sugar really affects my mood (causes depression) among other things so I keep saying I’ll cut back, then wander by some jelly bellys and have a hand full. The times I really do hold to the fast, even if just for a week, really does seem to make a difference.

    My general goal is to just have less sugar. :-)

           
  • Sonja writes:
    March 1st, 20133:46 pmat

    LOL … I’m generally pretty good, except (like you) when there are cookies or something around. Then I have very little control.

    I’ve joined SparkPeople to help with reaching my goal of less sugar (and less of me while I’m at it). 😉

           


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