Wild Chocolate Dreams

I didn’t know I had a problem. I mean, I am not a foodie. And I don’t have a REAL sugar problem, like OTHER Americans. I don’t drink soda or eat cereal for breakfast. I eat ice cream now and then, a few cookies here and there, sure. I knew chocolate was addicting from getting headaches when a bag of M &M’s ran out one time, so I made sure not to eat ‘those things chocolatey’ everyday, just to be sure.

So, just for fun (maniacle laughter) I decided to cut all my treats out. It actually started when I happened upon a piece that stated if you stopped eating sugar, you would stop craving food. I didn’t have food cravings, but I forwarded it to John, I suppose because I am bossy. And he said “Hmmm” and seriously cut back his sugar intake.

Oh. Okay. Well. I am the healthy one, right? So I am going to support him in his cause. I mean, that would be pretty jerky if your husband stopped eating sugar because you told him it would be good for him, and then you eat ice cream in front of him, right? Right. I also knew that other countries that savor their food more eat less sugar, so I thought if I ate less sugar then maybe everything else would taste better.

So, the first week went pretty fine, besides being boring. I ate some juice popsicles now and then, even though the article I read said to cut out juice. I ate a lot of apples. But I normally eat a lot of apples.

The problem came after I ate 2 cupcakes. It was my son’s birthday. And they were lemon. And I ate them with milk. Mmmmm….

Okay, so after that? Yeah. I kept thinking about cupcakes. I wanted to cry when I cleaned out the fridge and came upon mini snickers bars. But the last week there has been a definite theme- chocolate. Several times a day I find myself thinking about how much I could get along with a – Reese’s peanut butter cup…. A really huge S’more…. Vanilla Breyer’s ice cream with Almond Joy’s smashed up in it (this one keeps repeating).

So it has been a week and a half since those cupcakes. The daydreams are declining I think.
But what about my happiness? Can I be happy without chocolate? If I eat some and try to stop again will I go crazy? (hello, S’Mores, my little friend…)

I started this with the intention of eating a treat once a week, but I don’t think that is going to work.

It is like one of your typical sci-fi themes: you are on a paradasiacle alien planet- everything is hunky-dory until you let them know you want to leave.

Am I going to get off the planet, or become one of THEM? (chocolate freaks). I am going to give it a few more weeks and let you know.



PS. It has been almost a month since I wrote this, and I am still chocolate-free (but not sugar-free). Why? I am not totally sure! Some reasons 1) Sugar is not that enticing for me without it's side-kick 2) I don't want to spend a week thinking about chocolate if I decide to quit again 3) I am stubborn and enjoy being wierd. ;)

Hip Hip Hooray for Katie today!

We have a kid's book called "Hip, hip, Hooray for Annie McRae" by Brad Wilcox. I rarely buy things new, but this is a classic to me. Annie has great days because her family and teachers cheer for her when she does good things. Then one day, they are all too busy. She has a really sad day. It is sad. But THEN, the next day, she cheers for herself! It ends with "'What? What's that you say?' 'Nothing, Grandma. How was YOUR day?'" So then she cheers for other people. Get it? It is really cute and an upper for me.

Kate has been having potty training problems, like most pre-school aged kids. She learned how to do it, then we stopped cheering and giving treats, and her interest waned (seriously). I tried cheering for her again when her pants were dry "WOW! Your pants are dry!" And it worked. But as soon as she got back into good dry-pants habits I started neglecting my cheerleader duties. She still keeps her pants dry, but has been trying to get me to come with her by pretending she can't pull her pants down or is scared.

So the other day she hollered from the bathroom- "I went potty!" and I said half-heartedly "Yay for you." And from the bathroom I heard "Hip, hip, hooray for Katie today!"

She has done it a few times since then. She is great at turning a frown upside down- this is a natural talent she has that I need to emulate. She is my sunshine!