I have no idea what I’m doing

springlering62 wrote: »

Marilynsretired wrote: »

Most people believe that if you make a change for the positive for 21 days it becomes a habit.
I have read a book re science research on how the brain handles food - and in it it says to form a habit actually takes 66 days. So say you want to not eat sugar - stick to the plan of no sugar for 66 days and it should be a habit - but remember if on day 70 you have some sugar - you really have to go back to day 1 as sugar is addictive and even a small amount will tell your brain you need more - so remember 66 days.

If I can be of help further on this let me know

I agree on allowing time for form new habits. I read once (whether it’s scientifically true or not) that it takes six weeks for form a habit. So everything I tried, whether improving diet or eliminating other bad habits, I made myself allow six weeks, and found that time span to be very effective.

But, I disagree muchly on the sugar.

I do agree that some of us have something akin to an addiction to sugar. Sugar spirals some of us. I had to have a sugar hit for an energy boost, which was shorter and shorter as the years went by, necessitating a constant flow of sugar. I ate several pounds of candy, cookies etc per day, rationalizing that I “needed” it to function. It finally reached the point that sugar no longer lifted me for more than a few minutes and then the let down was hard and extremely physical. Utter exhaustion.

Going off sugar, however, wasn’t as hard as I expected. I booted all sweets from the house and made sure I had lots of fruit, cheese sticks, jerky, etc on hand. I made smoothies with a few grams of molasses as sweetener and those were my sweet for the day.

Today is Day 1001 on MFP.

Yesterday, I went way over on some treats from Sugar Hut and from a local diner famed for its cakes.

This morning-as I do every Sunday morning- I had a giant, sugar encrusted apple fritter.

Several times a week I enjoy a 45 calorie Oreo candy cane (yeah, I bought a case at Christmas) before or between workouts.

Does this mean I’m going to answer the call of siren sugar and fall back into my evil ways? Hell, no!

If the last 1,000 days have taught me nothing, they’ve taught me that I am in control of what I eat, and also that going off plan every so often isn’t a bad thing. I get to try treats I've missed, perhaps even say, as I do often do now,”Meh, that wasn’t worth it. I’d have rather had my fruit and cottage cheese.” (Sugar Hut treats, I’m looking at you!)

Splitting a giant piece of coconut cake doesn’t mean I’ve lost control. If anything, it proves to me that I am in control.

It was getting beyond the mindset that sugar made my decisions and I had no control that made progress possible.

Create the goal of controlling sugar, formulate a plan including alternatives (fruits, sugar free products, yogurts, etc), allow the length of time you think, and get yourself over that sugar lump, I mean hump.