Step 2: "Hello Dessert, it's nice to meet you!"

In my goal for Breaking My Sugar Addiction I mentioned the steps that I planned to take in order to accomplish said goal. I deemed step 1 a success (going off desserts and treats completely for 4 weeks). Overall I felt more energized, I was sick to my stomach less, my skin became clearer (that could be attributed to the changing hormones of pregnancy too), and my mood improved. My cravings went up and down. Some days they were non-existent, other days I was tearing my hair out wanting a cookie. However, I did feel like it got better the longer I went without desserts.

Unfortunately, following my four week break, Mitch and I went on vacation to Utah--and basically it all fell to pieces. It was hard not having control over what I ate for meals, and (to be honest) I really wanted to just relax and have a good time with my family. I guess I still need to learn the art of celebrating without completely relying on sugar. After returning home to AZ though, I've just kinda jumped right back in (minus my Ben and Jerry's misstep) and I'm ready to continue in this goal.

Well, I am happy to say that I am moving on to Step 2: Reintroducing desserts as TREATS. Here's the game plan. I present to you:

I get to plan a dessert or special treat for Sunday EVENINGS. I emphasize the evening part because I don't want Sundays to turn into a splurging 24 hours where I make myself sick gorging on all the treats I wanted to eat throughout the week.

My whole hope with these goals is to redefine my relationship with sugar. I don't want to label sugar as something BAD and off-limits, because that will only cause guilt and shame when I do indulge. My new relationship with sugar needs to be one of . . .  well mutual respect, where I can enjoy my sweets in moderation, and continue to have a healthy well-balanced diet.

I can't reach these relationship goals if I continue in a restrict-and-then-binge pattern. So I'm gonna start with a moderate sized dessert on my Sweet Sunday Evenings and start training my body to really enjoy and savor the ONE cookie, or half a cup of ice cream, instead of going overboard. Eventually, my hope is to not have to worry about limiting my sweets at all, that it will just be natural for me to eat them moderately and occasionally (because what's life without cookie dough every once in a while?). 

Wish me luck!