Pennie Hunt
  • Home
  • Blog~ Corner of Spirit & Brave
  • BOOKS
  • BIO
  • Presentations
  • Social media
  • Contact Pennie
  • Love-Life
  • Pennie's Ponderings ~ Quotes
  • Pennie's Life Lessons
  • Videos
  • Pennie in the News
  • Meditations
  • Testimonials
  • UPCOMING EVENTS

​WHAT I LEARNED FROM BREAKING OFF AN AFFAIR

3/4/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
​WHAT I LEARNED FROM BREAKING OFF AN AFFAIR

I decided to break off an affair I had secretly enjoyed for years.

I would not eat sugar for 30 days.  Coming from a woman who loves sweets and believes chocolate should be a food group, this was a big deal.  I am going to share with you what I learned from this experience.


   1. I get derailed by defining and
        justifying things.


​At first, I made the proclamation that I was not eating sugar for 30 days.  Then I realized that is hard to do.
Sugar is in EVERYTHING! It is not just in chocolate cake.  It hides  in foods where we least expect it to be- there it is tucked in our healthy protein bars and our breakfast smoothies.  It became clear that it is close to impossible not to consume some sugar…even if it isn’t intentional.

I decided, well, I won’t eat dessert for 30 days.  What does that mean? In my mind dessert was an after dinner treat, so if I eat pie for breakfast does that count?

I looked up the definition and found this:
Dessert: A usually sweet course or dish, as of fruit, ice cream, or pastry, served at the end of a meal.

My mind played games with this thinking… could I justify pie for breakfast or a donut at 10 AM because it wouldn’t be at the end of a meal…and fruit is healthy, I don’t want to cut out fruit.  

I became so derailed with trying to define my mission that I almost gave up.  I came to the conclusion that what I wanted to do was cut as much sugar out of my life as possible, not eat sweets and definitely no more treats with my coffee after dinner.  This included even sugar-free desserts. I would do this to the best of my ability without making myself crazy…a handful of grapes in the evening was not going to make me a failure!

       2. 
My mind and emotions don’t
            agree.


The first two weeks were a battle between the two! My logical mind knew that I have a history of diabetes in my family.  My mind knew I was not getting younger. My mind knew that I didn't feel good when I eat sweet desserts.

My emotions told me not to break up with sugar.  The love affair had gone on too long, the romance and temptation of mint chocolate chip ice cream made me flutter inside, made me happy and made me feel loved.

    3. 
It’s easy to listen to my self-talk
         and hard not to.


My self-talk is nasty.  It told me to be angry that my sweet delights had been taken away from me. It told me this was a stupid idea.  It told me I could cheat if no one saw me.  It told me I was punishing myself by taking away sweets and I deserved dessert!

Then I remembered a quote from Jim Rohn, “What is easy to do, is easy not to do.”

It has always been so easy for me to eat dessert, to say yes to not one, but 3 or 4 cookies, and to buy donuts to enjoy with my coffee after a grocery shopping trip. 
I realized it was in my power to make it just as easy to say, “No thank you,” when the waitress asked if I wanted to see the dessert menu.  It was in my power to reach for a banana instead of a handful of cookies. It was in my power to walk by the bakery in the grocery store and head right to the apples and oranges.  It could be just as easy to do.


   4. Going back is painful.

After my 30 days, I went out to dinner with girlfriends to celebrate one of their birthdays.  Of course at the end of the meal 4 pieces of chocolate cake were delivered to the table.  Not just slivers, but giant ooey gooey layers of chocolate goodness divided by oozing chocolate frosting.

The smell was intoxicating.  Memories of my past love affair took control as my fork attacked it, after all my 30 days were over –
I never made a lifetime commitment.  Four bites into it I stopped.  I had enough and pushed it away. 
​
In the middle of the night my eyes flew open.  My head throbbed, my legs were shaky, my stomach felt sick.  My body revolted against the sudden shock of chocolate and sugar.  I shuffled through the next morning like I was drugged.  I remembered the old familiar feeling of regret for what I had done the night before and the sugar hangover that I had subjected my body to for so many years.
 
As I write this it is now day 54 since I broke off my love affair with sweets. 
It takes time to learn hard lessons. 
On one other occasion I allowed the seduction of a few bites of chocolate to tempt me, playing out in the same outcome as before. This time I picked myself up out of the sugar coma and said, “Enough!”

I am better without sugar and sweets.
I like feeling good when I wake up in the morning.
I like not worrying about blood sugar levels and insulin shots.
I like not craving sugar and allowing it to control me.

Will I ever taste chocolate again? Probably.  But it is no longer one of my major food groups.  I no longer dream of my time together with sugar like the adventures of a romance novel.

It really is true, we can learn to retrain our minds and emotions. If it’s easy to do, it’s easy not to do. 
              ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
    
“If it’s easy to do, it’s easy not to do.”
              ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
​

***Since we all learn from each other, I would love to have you share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  Thank you!***
                                                               All Rights Reserved
                                                      Copyright © 2017 Pennie Hunt
                                       This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
                                                             Feel free to forward this post.
                                       Please keep the entire message intact, including
                                            contact, logo, and copyright information.
                 If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission       
                                                 please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com

                                                                             Thank you!

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    There is a certain magic about where I live both physically and spiritually – on the crossroads of Spirit and Brave. 

    It seems appropriate that my writings be found under the sign that locates my life.  I wish for all of you the ability to live in your Spirit to experience a life filled with love and gratitude and be Brave in the learning of your life lessons. 

    Enjoy!
            Pennie


     

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    Categories

    All
    Addiction
    Beginnings Endings
    Beginnings & Endings
    Beginnings & Endings
    Change
    Failure
    Father
    Father's Day
    Fear
    Forgive
    Forgiveness
    Gratitude
    Grief
    Happiness
    Healing
    Hope And Cope
    Hope And Cope
    Judgment
    Kindness
    Life Lessons
    Life Lessons
    LOVE
    Meditation
    Mindfulness
    Opioid Epidemic
    Risk
    Success
    Trust

    RSS Feed

Picture
PLEASE NOTE: This page does not provide medical or legal advice, professional diagnosis, opinion, treatment or services to you or to any other individual. Through this site and links to other sites, Pennie Hunt provides general information for inspiration, encouragement and educational purposes only. The information provided in this site, or through links to other sites, is not a substitute for legal, medical, or professional care, and you should not use the information in place of a visit, call or the advice of your lawyer, physician or other healthcare provider.   

​
 Copyright © 2012- 2023  Pennie Hunt -  All Rights Reserved
Photographs by Pennie Hunt and Materpiecebysarah.com                          


  • Home
  • Blog~ Corner of Spirit & Brave
  • BOOKS
  • BIO
  • Presentations
  • Social media
  • Contact Pennie
  • Love-Life
  • Pennie's Ponderings ~ Quotes
  • Pennie's Life Lessons
  • Videos
  • Pennie in the News
  • Meditations
  • Testimonials
  • UPCOMING EVENTS