A Shout Out to the Ladies

     Oh, that special time of each month when sugar cravings send forth their strongest warriors to the front lines. You all know what I am talking about. It is the point where we send up the white flag of defeat and surrender to the familiar enemy we know as chocolate. Ladies, this month it hit me. I will be perfectly honest, I just about made my way to one of my enemies campgrounds (DQ) to declare my defeat. For many of you chocolate is not hard to resist, but there is always something lurking around the next corner, just waiting for your will power to grow weak. I did a little research on why we all feel this need to surrender once a month and what I found was very interesting. There is no scientific proof to explain the cravings.  
               As good ol Sylvester once said....

Why we have these cravings is beyond me, but we must acknowledge that they are there. Otherwise, they will continue to eat away at us until we give in. I believe that the first step in any change we want to make is to first acknowledge our weaknesses. When we acknowledge those weaknesses we become stronger. There is a verse in the Bible that I really like and it comes from 2 Corinthians 12:9, "Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me." This verse tells me that even in my weakest moments, God is using me to do his work... all I can say is... Wow! Every month, at the same time I know that even when I want to make a trip to Dairy Queen, God is somehow using that moment of weakness for a purpose. 
     Well it has been about a month now that I took the challenge to let go of my relationship with sugar, and I won't say that it has gotten easier, but I can say that I have gotten stronger. I was challenged by my family to exercise three times a week, and up to this point I have been focusing on my sugar detox but I think it is now time to acknowledge another weakness of mine....exercising. To be honest ladies I hate it. However it is now time to start burning off some of my newly found energy. I encourage you all to join me. To get you a little motivated I will leave you all with a Video that has gotten my exercise juices flowing. 

Got the Munchies?

     Have any of you ever had that moment when your brain, taste buds, and stomach are all plotting against you? hmm that cookie looks really good (brain) yeah it does (taste buds) I'm sure that cookie would sure like to visit me (stomach)... It is a reoccurring scene in "Attack of the Munchies," "Afternoon Grumbles," or my favorite, "Three o'clock Misery." For all of us there comes a point in the day where we either sit and stare at the vending machine, gaze into the refrigerator, or scan the local fast food joints for something that will fill that need to munch. When giving up sugar the need to munch usually revolves around something sweet. Veggies just won't do, the apple looks good but I ate one for lunch. Hmm well there are all the ingredients in my cupboards to make those awesome chocolate chip oatmeal cookies... wow that Reese's Peanut Butter Cup looks fantastic... yes a Frosty at Wendy's looks good.... No no no! With every minute your stomach gets louder and with every minute your will power will decline. Believe me, I have been there. So what is the solution? How do we fix our need to munch? How do we get that sweet fix we are looking for? Here is my suggestion :) Tonight I made Honey Chex Mix. It is a recipe my mother gave me not long ago. One half a cup is all I need to make my stomach, taste buds, and brain happy. I made a batch tonight and am going to bring it with me to school tomorrow. The last two days were hard for me, but not tomorrow! I am going in with a plan and a small bag of Honey Chex Mix or what I like to call my afternoon Munchy fighters. Enjoy!

Honey Chex Mix

Ingredients:

*Chex Cereal (8cups) [corn or rice] ~ I use rice

*Mini Pretzels (2cups)

*Plain Cheerios (3cups)

Butter (2/3cup)

Honey (1/2cup)

-combine * in a large bowel

Directions:

     Melt together in a saucepan 2/3 c. butter and 1/2 c. honey. Toss with above ingredients*. Spread in 2 jelly roll pans (roughly 10 x 15) and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Stir once and rotate pans once (if on two baking levels) during baking time. Cool 3 minutes in pan then pour unto wax paper. Mix will become more crunchy as it cools. Store in airtight container.

A walk through the past

     Today my husband and I went for a evening stroll with our little puppy. As we walked I looked around and smiled. The soft glow of the street lights, the snow crunching beneath my feet, the cars murmuring by, the lights of local businesses, and the stars in the sky... all Gods wonderful gifts. On our walks Will and I always pass Burger King and a gas station, two places that tempt me each day. In the past each Thursday before work I would stop at Burger King and order Cini-minis and a small coffee. I did a little research and it just so happens that one little order of Cini-minis contains 490 calories, 18g of fat, and 39g of sugar. Unbelievable right? Further along our walk we passed a gas station which took me back to my UW River Falls days when Will and I would walk to the gas station and get cookies, donuts, candy, Swiss cake rolls...etc. Hundreds of grams of sugar and calories consumed because I thought I needed it. Test tomorrow... work issues... friend issues... boyfriend issues... roommate issues... you name it, sugar fixed it. Next Monday begins my final semester of college. I know from previous experience that school brings out my sugar cravings like none other. Test after test, quiz after quiz, assignment after assignment, I get so stressed and sugar was always my friend, or so I thought. I read a verse today from 1 Corinthians 10:13 and it said, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." God always provides a way to endure it, a phrase that brings me peace and hope for the days ahead.
      As the cold kissed my cheeks and I took the final steps home I couldn't help but want a warm cup of hot chocolate, but since the stuff I had was loaded with sugar I opted for a glass of water and a hot shower. We will always be tempted but like my craving for hot chocolate God will always provide us with alternatives, as long as our eyes are open to seeing them. 

A Good Breakfast

    This morning was a special morning. I awoke to my little puppy earnestly telling me he had to go outside and potty. I groaned and  looked at the clock.... 9:00 am Whoa! As nice as this sounds it wasn't what made my morning special. Turning back around I gazed at the face of my husband of 4 months and smiled. I don't remember the last time we both slept without an alarm as our wake up call, it was truly a blessing. 
       The only downfall of sleeping in until 9:00am is the noise my stomach makes when I get out of bed. **growl... gurgle...pop...snap...growl** something like that. Thank goodness I had a solution! When I ended my relationship with sugar I ended my relationship with all of my favorite cereals. Cinnamon toast crunch... Honey bunches of oats... Wheat puffs... Captain crunch.... *tear tear* So I needed to come up with a new game plan for my morning rampage into the kitchen. Looking into my recipe box (thanks mom) I found my breakfast. Refrigerator Muffin Mix, a recipe my mother past down to me when I got married and it has become one of my favorite things to make. Now I know I know it has sugar in it which you are all going to yell at me about... BUT! this recipe makes dozens of muffins and there is only 1 cup of sugar in the whole batch. Meaning the amount of sugar in each muffin is not enough to count. Normally this recipe calls for 3cups of sugar but my mom told me switch out 2cups of sugar with 1cup of honey :) Yum Yum! 
     Each morning I grab 1 muffin (which is loaded with fiber) 1/2 cup cottage cheese (lots of protein), 1cup of fruit and a small glass of apple juice (no added sugar). A simple breakfast that is fast and filling. I hope you enjoy. 
     

Refrigerator Muffin Mix

Ingredients:

~ Bran Buds (3cups) 
~ Raw Oatmeal (3cups) 
~ Boiling water (2cups) 
~ Margarine (1cup)
~ Sugar (1cup)
~ Honey (1cup)
~ Eggs (4)
~ Buttermilk (1qt) - I used skim milk and add 4T of lemon juice
~ Salt (1Tbs)
~ Baking Soda (5tsp)
~ Flour (5cups)
___________________________________________________________________
Instructions:
1. In a gallon sized bowl mix the bran buds, raw oatmeal and boiling water. set aside.
2. In another large bowl mix together the margarine, sugar, and honey. Add the eggs and beat well. Slowly add the buttermilk while beater is on low.
3. Combine the 2 bowls and stir in the flour, salt, and baking soda.
4. Spoon batter into Pam sprayed muffin tin. Bake for 20min at 400 degrees. 
5. Enjoy!
Note: Batter can be stored in the Fridge for up to 6weeks (make sure to cover). Use as needed. I usually make 12 muffins at a time :)

1 missing....hmmmm now who could have eaten that? :) ....*cough cough William*


  A friendly note: These muffins are high in calories so don't eat 5 in one day :) They are very high in fiber so they fill you up. I recommend eating them for breakfast or for a mid afternoon snack to tie you over to supper. These little guys really do a number on my sugar cravings. 

A Note of Encouragement

     Today marks the beginning of a new year, and the end of another. In church today my pastor quoted a verse that encouraged me and I am hoping it also encourages you. It comes from Philippians 3:13 and it says to forget the past and look forward to what lies ahead. ("Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead."). When I look back on 2011 I tend to remember the big events but more often I remember my shortcomings and failures... why is that? It occurred to me that at this time of year the custom is to make new years resolutions, and when we make new years resolutions we often think of our failures and shortcomings and aim to improve them in the next year. My mother always tells me to look for the little blessings in life. I love this piece of advice because it pushes me to concentrate on the good in life and not the bad. 

     Forget the past and look forward to what is ahead....look for the little blessings in life....a year with no sugar....

     Sugar used to define me in the past but not in the future. Today I discovered that my puppy has tapeworms, what a mess. In a moment of frustration all I could think about was how good a bowl of ice cream would taste. That's right my mind went straight to sugar, not to actually solving the problem in front of me. Forget the past... Frustration = sugar. Look for the little blessings... Tapeworm is not fatal, it is not hard to treat or eradicate. A year with no sugar... I will not let sugar define me. 

     Each day is a new day to conquer, each day is just another day in our lives. Forget the past and look forward to what lies ahead. I find this very encouraging. 

     

The Beginning

      Hello everyone, I am creating this blog to share my struggles, victories, ideas, and progress as I give up sugar for a year. Now you are probably thinking to yourself that it cant be done... well 4 years ago myself and my cousin were living proof that it is possible to live without sugar for a whole year. Four years ago my mother came to me with a proposition. She told me that if I gave up sugar for a year she would reward me with 100$! Whoa! yeah I would have been a fool to turn that challenge down. 

     The deal was that I couldn't eat any processed sugar for the next year, which meant no ice cream, cake, cookies, candy (of any kind), and anything that contained more that 4g of sugar. On a happier note I was allowed to eat all of the "Natural" sugar I wanted, which meant I could have fruit (any kind), milk, honey, pure maple syrup, 100% juice, and some products that contained artificial sweeteners **sigh** what a relief :). 

      By now I am sure you are asking what happened after the year was over?? Well... I went right back to eating sugar and am now more addicted to it than I ever was before, which is why I have chosen to rid myself of the awful stuff again :) Thus begins the adventure. So now as I march forward I will share fun "no sugar" recipes, ideas, and encouragement to anyone who is willing to start this adventure with me. 

Another Year with no sugar... bring it on :)!