Did you know that research has shown that sugar can be as addictive as alcohol or cocaine?
Did you know that the average American consumes 22 teaspoons of sugar a day?
Do I binge on sugar everyday? No!
My love of sugary treats....bars, cookies, cakes, and candy have always been my best friends when I had to push uncomfortable emotions away. The worst is anger, I swallow my anger in the form of sugar. Does this make me feel better? Yes, until I have realized I just ate a whole box of Reeses Peanut butter cereal in one sitting! Then I just get this sick bloated feeling and most times the next day I have what I call my sugar "hangover".
Not everyone knows this about me. I can hide it very well. Those of you that have had an experience like this know what I am talking about. It's not pretty. Unlike most other addictions there is really no social stigma with it unless you are very overweight or binging and purging. Remember I am not doing this everyday just when I cant deal with certain emotions.
Most of my life I have wrestled with an extra 20 to 30 pounds. I did have a period of almost 3 years when I was a perfect size 8 and was eating very healthy and exercising. I was in my early 30s at the time before I became pregnant with my daughter. I felt wonderful and content with myself. Now that I am almost fifty, suffer from Hypothyroidism, and on the border of high cholesterol. I need to really do something to turn my life around.
Last September I went on the Dukan Diet and successfully dropped 11 pounds and felt terrific. I did well for 6 weeks and I let myself slip at a wedding in October and had one cupcake. This sent me on a very slow downward spiral that less than a year later left me with all 11 pounds gained back, feeling terrible and binging on sugar again.
So the question for me is always why can't I just have a little like a normal person? Everyone tells me that the secret is to allow myself a little and I will be satisfied. Really? In my experience that does not work for me.
This is wear the book The Diet Cure comes in. The thing that caught my eye was at the top of the book were the words No Willpower Required! The Diet Cure by Julia Ross is an 8-step program to rebalance your body chemistry and end your food cravings, weight gain, and mood swings-naturally. I was sold.
So after taking a short quiz at the beginning you find out which of the eight steps you need to focus on to rebalance your body. This is done through taking certain amino acids! Best thing was, I could see results for my sugar craving almost instantly through taking the amino acid L-glutamine. Almost unbelievable! Since I had none of the conditions listed in the book that would require my doctors approval, I decided to give it a try and ordered a list of amino acids. What harm could it do since you just stay on them for a short period of time until your body is regulated and you find your cravings are gone without taking them (usually a period of up to 3 months).
So I take the L-glutamine for cravings, L-tryosine for energy, DLPA to enhance feelings of comfort and pleasure, and 5HTP to improve mood, sleep, and PM cravings.
I have to say that I questioned the speed as to which the L-glutamine was suppose to work, but it did work almost instantly. My cravings disappeared. I actually could go to a reunion last week and not even bother to wonder over to the dessert table. Better yet, it did not bother me one bit when everyone around me was eating dessert!
I have lost 4 pounds so far and only weigh myself about once a week, but I feel great and have energy to exercise everyday. I know it is a slow weight loss but I see that as the best kind right now cause I am changing my life and not on a "diet". The book is so full of all kinds of information and I will go into it more in later posts. For now though I am really happy with my progress and know that it will not be easy. If I can get past the 2 month mark it will be a milestone for me.
I should say not say if, but when!!
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