My fun size secret.....

As with most fine things, chocolate has its season. There is a simple memory aid that you can use to determine whether it is the correct time to order chocolate dishes: any month whose name contains the letter A, E, or U is the proper time for chocolate. ~Sandra Boynton

I keep candy in my office for my residents (I work in a retirement home). Normally I have the most self-control of almost anyone I know when it comes to eating healthy and I never TOUCH the stuff. It's tucked away in my closet, far from reach. I am the go-to person when people seek nutrition advice. I love that people look at my eating habits and think they "I want to eat like her". But sadly, things have changed.

It all started when a piece of "fun-size" candy fell from the bag. One piece, no harm in eating that right? It was an almond joy. It was heaven. The next day another piece fell. This must be a sign that I am getting too skinny. I'll go ahead and eat that one too. Then later a Reeses PB cup fell. Wow. I didn't realize those were SO good! I ate it up with delight. I realized that the bag was slowly tipping over, but I didn't care. These little pieces of falling candy were coming straight from heaven and I was a happy girl.

Then one day I came to work and the entire bag had finally fallen. I thought "Great. It's gonna take me ALL DAY to eat this candy." And that is when I realized.... I had a serious problem. No, I didn't eat ALL the candy, but the "fun size" pieces were all adding up. And 300-500 calories a day from candy is really not what my body needs right now.

Most people who eat junk gain weight because they eat it in addition to their normal meals. Not me. I was eating candy, and my fruit and veggies were going bad. I don't like wasting food. And I DO NOT like eating junk. It's not my style. So I decided to give up sugar. Done. Adios. Get out of my life!!!!

I am getting my bodyfat testing next week. I am really excited. It hasn't been tested in several years. The last time I was tested I was 16.2%. I am 3 pounds lighter and much leaner now, so I am looking forward to the results.

I've realized the worse part of giving up sugar is the insane abundance of energy that I have. It's really abnormal. You really are what you eat, and when you eat healthy wholesome foods, your body will adapt and give you more and more energy. I don't have sugar crashes anymore. I've got WAY more than the normal amount of energy required to get through the day plus training. Personally, I think it's the absence of high intensity training. I asked Coach and he said "normally people are tired from the volume" Um yeah. I am NOT the norm!

So no one has perfect eating habits. We all do things that are less than optimal for our health. But keep in mind that little things ADD up. Yeah, the creamer isn't horrible for your coffee, but the creamer everyday is. One glass of sweet tea? It won't make you gain 5 pounds a week but think about how much sugar that adds up to on a monthly basis.

Take baby steps to clean up your eating habits. Reduce things one piece at a time instead of making drastic changes. It will pay off in the end! Trust me!