My Oola Journey: From Fat to Fabulous

Hi!  My name is Lisa and I'm a sugar addict.

How many years have I been battling my weight?  More years than I care to count.  It has been a struggle since childhood!  I am, an example, of the yo-yo-dieter.  Yet, I still believe I can do this.  Let's face it, I've been blogging for three years and have I overcome it?  No...not yet.  But I realize that there is something exceedingly complicated in my relationship with food.  And make no mistake, there is a relationship! 

Here's the problem.  Food is something we need to survive.  Unlike alcohol or drugs, it is what keeps us alive.  Yet, studies have shown that sugar lights up your brain on an MRI in the same way as drugs.  "The part of the brain that lights up is the very same part of the brain that’s triggered by cocaine or heroine, according to research by Dr. David Ludwig, M.D., Ph.D" (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/07/fed-up_n_5281670.html)

There it is.  Those of us who use sugar (highly refined, processed sugar rather than the natural sugars in fruits) as our "drug of choice", we are indeed as culpable of addicts.  But, just like addicts, we can indeed kick this habit.  The truth is, I have done it in the past.  It requires abstinence.  Pure and simple.  Just like an alcoholic cannot drink, so too, one who has a sugar addiction needs to abstain.   Now, there are no studies on this; it is, just my humble opinion.  But I can back it up with this -- when I abstain from sugar I go through definite withdrawal.  Headaches, nervousness, hunger, cravings  -- my body will do anything to make me think I need that piece of chocolate.  BUT after abstaining for a week, the craving lessens.  When the craving comes back as strong as before, just as it does with alcoholics and drug addicts, continue to abstain.  It does, in fact, weaken over time.

I have done this in the past.  Do you know what I've discovered?  Over time, my body not only gets slim -- svelte as some have called it, but it also remains slim.   I lose weight in those difficult places such as my abdomen and hips; especially my hips.  Again, these are just things I have observed.

So, for me, there is no Donut Day --  The last time I ate a donut, it was after a 40 pound weight loss.  It was at the behest of a "friend" who said, "one donut won't hurt!"  WRONG!  Unfortunately, my Donut Day becomes a Donut Month and on into the year as I embraced my return to sugar.  Truth is, I gained back all 40 pounds rather quickly.  No, dark chocolate is not my friend.  Rather, giving up chocolate is the way I have to go.  Trust me, it is hard.  But after three weeks, the results are worth it.

So, if you find yourself craving the "hard stuff" -- sugar --I challenge you to go without for three weeks.  See what happens.  I think you'll be surprised at the results.