September 21, 2015 - Alex
Day 1274
The date was January 22, 2012. I had just stepped off a cruise ship with my fiance, my best friend and his wife. It was a good cruise. This is a blog about sugar addiction, so I think you know what I mean.
I was the heaviest in recorded history. (Sounds scary and dangerous, doesn’t it? It was.)
That day, I made a pact with my buddy that we were “going on the diet.” We vowed to do it together, supporting each other, encouraging each other, and getting it done. We both had some pretty good motiviation to get us to our goals: I had previously lost 50 lbs. (and 7 inches off my waist) by eliminating sugar from my diet, which left me feeling like a million bucks. And Paul had responded to a Type II Diabetes diagnosis by dropping a whopping 100 pounds, which produced a conversation months later that ended with, “I don’t know what you’re doing Paul, but keep doing it. I don’t see any evidence of Diabetes in your tests anymore.” Yay Paul.
That was Day 0. Now it’s Day 1274. Let me say this: We’re still talking about that diet.
I called Paul yesterday and told him that I was starting over. “I have a plan, man.” I hate even hearing myself say it. It’s Day 1274. How many plans have I been through?
I can’t say that it has been due to bad information. I’ve studied the best. The latest plan, starting today, comes from Dr. Mark Hyman, author of the bestselling book The Blood Sugar Solution. It’s a great book. I read it cover to cover. And I’m about to read it again – starting on Day 1274.
So, any sugar elimination diet wouldn’t be complete without the requisite Last Supper, complete with tacos, rice, soda and dessert. Life was good. Real good.
“I’m ready.”
“I’m so tired of failing.”
“I’m going to do this time.”
“I’ve never been more motivated.”
“I know what I did wrong before.”
Even I don’t believe myself anymore.
It would appear, however, that there is one event — one decision-making moment — that happens in every one of these win/lose diet cycles that is the key to the whole kingdom:
Subject removes sugar (and its unhealthy conspirators) from their diet.
Subject reaps major benefits, feels better, starts losing weight.
Subject falls into the trap by enjoying one seemingly-harmless bite of something sugary.
Subject immediately begins the fail cycle.
Paul’s story of success is inspiring and intoxicating. 100 pounds lighter, he’d walk out of work and without a second thought, he’d run to his car (which he intentionally parked in the farthest space from the building). Paul, like all of us, swore that he’d “never let himself get back to his old self.” So, what caused his downfall? A death in the family? A divorce? Losing his job? Nope.
A piece of taffy.
Wow.
We’ve all been there.
So, going forward with my newest effort, I need to remember this. Maybe I’ll hang a picture of a piece of taffy above my desk as a reminder. No, on second thought, that will just make me want taffy. Bad idea.
I want a life free from sugar and its destructive effects. I want to be that guy who proudly boasts about how I “never touch the stuff” and how “I gave it up years ago.” That’s what I want. And that’s what I need.
It’s go time.
(EDIT: Mmmmmm. Taffy. Saw it later that day.)
