Monday, December 12, 2005

Give It Up

I'm thinking of giving up sweets. I'm serious.

I know this is a really bad time to do it (with the holidays and all) but I would like to approach this in the same way I approached vegetarianism. I decided to not eat meat for 21 days, because that amount of time forms a habit. I don't eat fried foods, like, at all anymore either. So, can I go 21 days without cookies and cake and brownies and chocolate and cinnamon Pop-Tarts?

I got the idea while watching the Vicar of Dibley. It was the Easter episode, and the Vicar gave up chocolate for Lent. Sweets have been the bane of my existence since I live in a fucking gingerbread house (thanks to my mother). There might as well be sugar coming out of the walls.

I will make an exception for decaf coffee with exotic creamers because I really, really like that and lite creamer doesn't have a lot of calories/fat. Also, I'm allowed a small taste of my Pecan Slop, because that's a tradition and I don't want the world to come to an end. (Maybe I should allow myself a tiny taste of holiday sweets, but not actual pieces or portions? Hmm.)

This is not even about weight loss; it's about my health. My grandmother (the evil one who called me fat) has diabetes. My mother's blood sugar is high, so she has decided that it's a good idea to personally not eat sweets anymore but to continue buying it for the rest of us in the house. *Bangs head into wall* I don't want to die, so I think the cookies have to go.

And, you know, I am finally starting to relate to Wendy Shanker, the author of The Fat Girl's Guide to Life. Just read this:

"All the ass-backward diets . . . I can't smell a beet without feeling faint because of the diet when I just ate beets, hot dogs, and vanilla ice cream for three days straight" (78).
Oh my God, I so did that diet... at least ten times. It was disgusting. (Cynic, remember Dr. Bubba?? I bet he wasn't even a doctor.)

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I forget, who's Cynic? Anyways, I remember Bubba. Toldja that was crap when you first mentioned it.

This is why ya should listen to me more. ;-) I DO seem to know what I'm talkin' about.

sojourness said...

You are. How could anyone else be 'Cynic' but you? ;)

Anonymous said...

Yeah, but I'm always justified. AN' it's called bein' a realist, babe.

Andi said...

I need to give up the sweets. I'm starting to crystalize.

sojourness said...

You were originally dubbed 'Cynic' in regards to religion, so it's not an insult.

Andi, I know what you mean!

I just read a quote from Shanker's book that made me laugh at loud. She's talking about a skinny therapist who teaches a Binge Eating class, and she says, "I'm guessing that her idea of a binge is eating BOTH Pop Tarts in the foil, instead of wrapping one up and saving it for later."

Ahahahaha.

Anonymous said...

21 days to form a habit, huh?when u first wrote that that was my motivation for sticking with the gym. did i tell u my buff gym teacher got fired? so im guessing he won't be calling me.

are u doing this diet AND that glamour/self/some_magazine stuff i sent u?

sojourness said...

21 days forms a habit according to Pat Robertson. I swear, that's where I got it from. The 700 Club was, at one time, watched in my house.

I haven't started it at all, and I don't think it's probable I will start soon. But it was an ambitious post, no?

Do you know why he got fired...?

What glamour/self/some_magazine stuff did you send me?

Anonymous said...

i joined the self.com fitness challenge. i sent u a link to it. u put in ur goals, and it recommends exercises (has graphics, #of reps, etc). you can log into the site to track your progress. it also has a section for a food diary. Honestly, i haven't logged back in since the night i found it. BUT i did put all the exercises into a powerpoint presentation, lol.

turns out he quit and that's why the gym had that angry note cancelling his class. another instructor told us that he just didnt show up one day, the next day she sees him (randomly) and he tells her "tell our boss that i quit".
btw, the angry note on the gym door read:
Due to the unreliability the boxing drills instructor, and his lack of professionalism....i saw it and thought WOW, he could not have left on good terms, u think?

sojourness said...

lol... that's funny.

I don't remember the Self.com thing, I should go check it out. I have used the USDA website but that stresses me out.