A stuffy amount of sugar

Hello November.

Though I woke up off and on between 2am and 4am before finally getting up from a sinus infection, I knew what this morning would bring. A tiny drop of sugar. With lots and lots of coffee.

As I was walking down the hall to the kitchen, imagining my little drop of sugar in my coffee, I see my mom baking my ‘surprise’. Pumpkin bread to welcome me proper. She’s quite excited October is over so we can enjoy the sweeter things this holiday season and in a way, so am I.

I’m not wanting to indulge whatsoever, but it sure will be nice to grab a cracker when I want a cracker.

The month turned out to be fairly easy toward the end. All the chocolate I made thinking I’d need it, still sits in the freezer waiting to be eaten. My sweet tooth has pretty much gone away and overall, I’ve felt really good. No bloating ever.. TMI? But despite my lack of working out…at all in October, my stomach has stayed flat, pants are looser and I never feel gross after meals. Ever.

I still recommend anyone to take this challenge for themselves to see how much it’ll benefit them. And again, I don’t recommend doing it during the holidays (just too much temptation), but at least cut the sugar down greatly, if you can’t do completely. Of course (as I know we’ve all heard), the processed foods, because, why not. We all know they’re horrible.

So November starts out right. Pumpkin bread. A dollop of sugar. And a sinus infection.

The two cancel out the one, for sure.

Happy November and Happy Friday to you, my friends. Thanks for the support throughout October with cutting out sugar. I wish you the best weekend!

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9 days left

I’m so close, friends. I can smell the delicious cookies, they’re almost in my grasp. I have to say, I haven’t really been craving sugar anymore. I don’t think about it really, and don’t have much of a temptation anymore. So technically, I’m totally cured. If I never have another drop of sugar again, I’d be completely fine with that.

Alright, so that’s not true. I do look forward to having a little in my coffee. And I do look forward to eating a cookie. And I do look forward to having a cracker. And I do look forward to, well, no restrictions whatsoever. It’ll be nice. In truth, beyond this whole no white sugar thing, I’m eating almost like I used to when I lived alone…it’s just that pesky lack of white sugar that’s different.

Still going strong though. For anyone still thinking of the idea..wanting to do it themselves at some point (not now…don’t do it NOW), just know, it gets easier. You’ll really lose the crazy cravings, and you’ll lose the obsessive thoughts that fill your first 10 days, and it becomes bearable, then manageable, then livable.

So, over the weekend I only left the house to take the garbage to the street. That’s normal, right? Why leave if you don’t have to is what I say. I did important things still..like eat a ton of broccoli, watched a proposal that had me laughing and crying at the same time, (it’s long but TOTALLY worth watching), and other important things like that.

And can I just say how making a phone call is worth it sometimes? You know when you put off calling a company because of the hassle you think you’ll go through? The long wait, or the irritating rep, or one who’s not interested in helping you…so many reasons to avoid calling them, but a month ago, I got a letter from Verizon saying a discount I received for having worked for the state was coming to an end.

by the way, if you work for the government, you’re entitled to a discount..it’s amazing.

Any way, I was really sad! I’ve gotten this discount for 8 years, at least! I attempted to “prove” I was still working for the state by sending a paystub to them, but they rejected it saying retired employees don’t qualify for it. I was sad. It may sound really silly, but I was really sad this amazing discount was coming to an end.

I let it go and prepared myself for my upcoming bill, but I kept getting notifications and mailers from Verizon saying FINAL NOTICE to submit proof… uh, thought I was already denied, but whatever…salt in a wound.

So on a whim, I called yesterday. I almost hung up 5 times while going through the automated steps, feeling it was completely worthless to talk to them, but I got a guy, and I told him I was still getting mail after I was told retirees don’t get the discount. He confirmed retirees don’t, but then put me on hold to talk to his supervisor. And just like that, he came back to say I DO in fact still qualify for the discount, and again, it may sound so arbitrary to you, but this made my entire day.

Had I not called, it would have been removed and I would be paying a much larger bill come November, but 5 minutes of my time, ended up saving me a ton of money.

We dread calling phone companies, credit card, cable companies, but the amount of savings we can get from a 5-15 minute call could be huge. Heck, I’m saving my parents $80 a month by {making them} switch their phone and internet services…from a company they’ve been with for 10 years!

Totally got off on a tangent but since we’re still on phones, I finally updated my iTunes to the new software, but haven’t put it on my phone yet.. is it worth it? Is it annoying? I read these 18 tips for the new update, but am still a little slow with wanting to put it on my phone.

So fill me in, friends. Is it great?

Oh and I was playing around the other day and here’s a small taste of that. More to come on what I was actually doing. I had quite the fun…if its not obvious.

Happy Monday!

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Quieting the internal weeping (Day 10 of 30)

I’m starving.

all. the. time.

I should say I’m starving less these days, but I’ll get to that in just a moment. If you are seeing this and thinking ‘uhh, just eat something if you’re hungry, crazy!’, read what this crazy is doing >here<

So, I’m on day 10 and my eyes have been opened, my mind cleared, and I’m singing hallelujah for the clarity that is life.
kidding

It’s been a rough rough road going without any kind of sugar. Day 2 was tostados and if you know anything about tostados, fried corn tortillas are involved. I almost cried from being denied the foundation of the tostado as I ate my “safe” beans with all the fixin’s by themselves…just not the same friends, its just not the same without that crunch.

I unknowingly slipped up and on day 3, had white rice. *gasp*. I was even so proud of myself for calling it a ‘sugar free’ dinner and after finishing it, my mom casually mentioned that white rice is a carb that turns into sugar, and can we just say instant deflation?? …not to mention me giving her the side eye for watching me make AND eat my “sugar free” dinner without saying a word until I was finished.

That’s right! I don’t take any responsibility for any of my actions.

So, how has it been going these past few days?
I’ve had headaches, but thankfully they only lasted the first 3-4 days. My sugar…haha I mean COFFEE (I really did that on accident) is tasting better with each day with only my 1/2 and 1/2 in it. On the rare moments I’m having crazy sweet cravings, I’ll make a cup of coffee at night to soothe it.

I also am heavy on the fruit smoothies as my lunch. Fruit really helps kill the sweet tooth I get.

I've noticed my skin is clearer. Honestly, I can’t tell if this is because of the lack of sugar clogging me up, or if this is just my skin doing it on its own, but either way, I’m not complaining.

One thing I learned is fruit smoothies SHOULD NOT replace actual food. This is a major reason I’m hungry all the time because it would be my lunch and nothing more until 6pm or later for dinner which wouldn’t consist of much.
>my fault< (look at that, I CAN take responsibility for something)

Another thing I learned is I crave carbs, breads, rice, breads, breads and more breads MORE than actual sweets. I have this thing for breads! So that was the most difficult thing I had to cut out…until my mom decided to make a pumpkin drop cake with a buttery sugary crust that filled the house up with it’s delicious smell for hours…and I mean HOURS!

Torture is how I best describe those many hours.
my mom just laughed..

Smelling it was my way of “eating” it.

By day 6, I decided to weigh myself on a whim. Not because I was hoping to lose weight (this girl DOESN’T need to lose weight) but because I was concerned I had lost weight. I was surprised to see I had lost 6lbs in those 6 days.

I realize some might not like me saying that I don’t need to lose weight nor the fact I easily lost 6lbs but that’s just how it is for me..

Once I saw I’d lost so much weight, I decided it would be best for me to start eating carbs again. Still staying off white sugar and sweets, but incorporating carbs back in. I haven’t gone crazy with it, in fact I’ve hardly had any in the past 4 days, but when it comes to the dinners, I don’t think twice about eating the rice or bun with my burger and I feel so much better for it. More full. More satisfied. A lot happier.

Who knew I was so cranky!?

So even though I’ve put myself back on small amounts of carbs, I’m still going strong staying away from desserts and white sugar. I will say these past 10 days have been the slowest of my life. They felt like 30! but I think the next 20 will go by smoothly…well I hope so any way.

Happy a wonderful weekend everyone. Eat a cookie or slice of cake for me..no pie..I don’t like pie.



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What have I done!?? Day 1 of 30

It started out very simple. My friend and I were texting back and forth about her workouts and eating habits and I made the small suggestion of tweaking her diet to see if that would further her goal to get fit.

Cutting out sugar was mentioned, she said it would be very difficult for her, and before I knew what my fingers were doing, I asked her if she’d like me to join her in cutting out sugar, to help keep her motivated and she came back with yes.

::panic::

You know when you casually suggest something for moral support but weren’t exactly prepared to follow through with it? Or at least have the other person come back with an “are you sure?” to have that little out?? That didn’t happen, and I was in the thick of it. So YES I said, I’d be happy to help her because it would mean “helping me”.

Yes, I actually fed that line to myself.

Now don’t get me wrong. I need this. She needs this and I agreed excitedly (if not with a little fear) because we could all stand to rein in the sugar intake. She’s going to have just as difficult a time as I will so we can lean on each other when we’re in the fetal position suffering major withdrawals.

Once I told my mom of this, she wasn’t all that thrilled. (sorry mom). The entire month of October? This is the month of FALL. Of homey warm deliciousness, of baked goods and comfort foods…how on earth could I possibly of all the months in the year, do this to October??

::hangs head in shame::

Knowing that, it will be tough. Even before knowing that, I knew it would be tough, but I’ve committed to my friend, and no {refined} sugars will enter this mouth for the next 30 days. Dear Lord, this will be a detox like no other. All I can say is thank GOODNESS I’m down to a 1/2 a spoon of sugar in my coffee. If I had agreed to do this while still taking 2 mounded spoons of sugar, I honestly don’t know what would have become of me.

It wouldn’t have been pretty, friends.

So, today marks day 1.

Any words of wisdom, strength, prayer, uplifting quotes, poems, passages, supportive words, virtual hugs you have to spare to get me through this time is begged for welcomed.

                                                         cue dramatic music for the many steps to climb.

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Marriage is horrible

Or so I keep getting told lately.
via

It saddens me there are so many married women (and men) out there who feel its necessary or even appropriate to “warn” single women from getting married. As if every marriage is going to be like their unhappy one.

I think a lot of people believe that about marriage. That it all goes to hell in a hand basket over time and there’s no way around it. So prepare for being miserable with the ol’ ball and chain.
{I do hate that saying}
It immediately sets you up for failure, in my opinion. Guys joke with other guys that all she’s going to do is drag you down, keep you from having fun and partying and…what? hookin’ up?

I don’t get it.

One girl…who ironically was the one calling me a “B” on Sunday, came up to me out of the blue and said, ‘you wanna see what marriage is all about?’ and showed me a text her husband sent her. It was an angry text laced with a pretty foul word. She walked away but not before mumbling, don’t ever get married!

A co worker of mine was on the phone with her husband in an argument and after hanging up said, ‘I hate my 'f****** husband!’ She said it just loud enough for me to hear in hopes I’d make a comment, but I walked away pretending I didn’t hear a word.

I’m not going to encourage you to trash talk a man I’ve never met in my life because you had a disagreement.

Another woman who’s been married before is in a long distance relationship with her boyfriend. He’s about 3 hours away and she was saying how she only sees him every 2-3 weeks and a few days at a time at that because after a few days, she can’t stand him anymore and wants to go home.

People laughed but I find it far from funny. Why be with him then!?

I can’t wait for marriage. I’m realistic, I know there’s going to be ups and downs (as evidenced in my dating relationship with G-man) and its going to take work, some days more than others and loads of communication but darn if I don’t look forward to it all…and darn if I have the confidence to pull it off, rather successfully I might add.

So many married couples don’t respect each other anymore. If they did they wouldn’t happily bash their husbands to all their girlfriends. Getting the proverbial “amen” when they tell another, ‘I hate when my husband does…’ story.

In all the years I’ve been with G-man, never once have I bashed him to any of my girlfriends. If I don’t have something cheery to say, I just don’t speak. It does our relationship no good to do that. Believe me, I’m not a saint by any means. I’ve had things I’ve wanted to say but it isn’t worth harming my friendships or relationship.

Any way, I can’t figure out what makes a person want to trump someone’s happiness in their marriage? You know there’s those who, once you say how happy and great your marriage is, scoff. Give you that look of disbelief and say, ‘just wait. you’ll sing a different tune soon enough.’ What do they gain from that? Are they jealous? Are they wanting to bring you down to their unhappiness level??

I hope more women stand up for their marriages and their husbands. If they’re unhappy, to actually talk it out with their husbands and no one else to hopefully make a step toward change. Who wants to be miserable their whole life?

Have you had someone give you that speech or similar? Telling you it won’t last. The honeymoon phase will fade quickly.

What are some ways you respond?

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My fox lent

Tell me I’m not the only one who says fox instead of faux, for fun?

I don’t do lent. Never have, and honestly, I probably never will. A lot of people do, for all different reasons, but its just not for me.

With that said, I realized there’s been something I’ve stopped eating. Something that I love. If you know me, you already know what it is because I’ve declared my love for it over and over again. I would eat it every single day, sometimes twice..sometimes three times a day, that’s how close we were. Not to mention I’ve sworn on it, to keep a promise.

Cheese!

I didn’t do it intentionally at first. Once I got back home from HI, I had no food and it was too expensive at my local stores, so I vowed to wait for the big Costco run to get it. But then by day 6 of not having it, I started thinking about not getting any at all.

I was telling my friend over the weekend how I’ve stopped eating cheese (by cheese I mean my sharp cheddar cheese), and I went on and on about it until she said, ‘except for that pizza you had Wednesday.’

Darn! Would you believe I completely forgot there was cheese in pizza?!!

Well, that one day I had 2 medium sized slices, I felt horrible. I don’t know if it was the pizza itself or the cheese but I certainly didn’t feel well after.

Every day before and after, I’ve felt great. Flat stomach, no bloating (TMI?), light and generally good. I’m still figuring out whether or not it’s me cutting out cheese as the reason or that I’ve been eating pretty healthy but I like the way I’m feeling.

I’m going to see how long I can go without having my beloved cheddar cheese. Some days are pretty tough, especially when I see my tortillas and tortilla chips sitting there all sad and lonely, wondering why I haven’t had nachos or quesadillas since I’ve been home, but I’m hopeful I can overcome!

Did you give up something for lent? Or in general just to do it?

I’m learning that the older I get the more my body doesn’t like certain foods. Maybe it never liked them and I would ignore it but I can’t ignore it anymore.

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It’s not a resolution

I’m not a resolution setter. Haven’t been for many many years. I see too many resolutions being made only to quickly see them get ignored with the old way of living quickly returning. I saw it plenty in my own self when I used to set little goals or resolutions each year. They’re just taken too lightly, in my opinion.

Beyond the masses making resolutions, I’ve also been seeing a ‘word for the year'. Picking one word that you want to be centered around for the year. Interesting concept. I hadn’t heard of doing this until I joined the blog world.

But for me?? I’m eliminating one word. Weeeeell, reducing. I’d like to look at it as a commitment rather than anything else, because when I, my own self, get tired of hearing a word constantly come out of my mouth, I think, ‘surely, everyone else is tired of it.’
{don’t call me Shirley…}

So, *clears throat* I hereby announce I will be reducing my use of the word:

DUDE!

No joke.

Dude is my go to word when I’m frustrated with someone, when I’m shocked over a statement, pretty much any opportunity I can use it…at the tv, at G-man, at a kid, at the driver in front of me…it gets said.

No more, I say…no more.
oh wait….before I commit..
Dude, seriously, that’s Michael Buble and he totally slapped my hand when he walked by! Aaaaaaaawesome!!


oh oh and Dude! ya gotta check out this sah-weet picture of bacon I took with my brand new 35mm lens I got from my love for Christmas. It’s epic.


There. All better.
What one word would you pick to reduce from your vocabulary? I fear, all you momma’s, when you ask me if I’m going to the potty or that you have to go to the potty (when no child is around but adults…) you might want to consider joining me… just sayin’.

Cause I will heckle you. Fair warning.

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