The Sweetest Farewell

In the past, I have found a sick pleasure in the amount of white sugar I add to my coffee, the number of maple laden pancakes I can fit in my mouth and my ability to work off a dozen snickerdoodles by running around the block. I grew up on sugar cereal and soda pop, you know back in the 80's. I was a huge fan of Smurf cereal, which was blue sugar coated in sugar with marshmallows on the side and my Halloween favorite, Count Chocula. White sugar has always been a staple in my diet and it wasn't until I married a diabetic that I was forced to purchase diet drinks, Splenda packets and sugar free cookies. (What's the point?) Good thing I'm not diabetic, I thought, because you couldn't pay me enough to eat that shit.

That was a decade ago and while I have given up my addiction to Dr. Pepper, I haven't shaken my love for the white stuff. It hasn't been a problem until this year, the year I turn 35 (yikes!!) and I look perpetually pregnant. I have planked, sat up and ran, all with the benefit of a six pack that is clearly covered by a layer fat. I could call it baby fat, but my kids are both in school full-time, so it's time to get real....I have old lady belly fat and I can't get rid of it. I am also struggling with a few extra pounds that I added when I  gave up running due to knee pain. Now I have swapped yoga for running and I am not burning the calories I devour in sweets. I add tablespoon after tablespoon and then wonder why my scale is being such a little bitch every morning. Age is catching up to me and I can no longer eat whatever I want, exercise and feel great about wearing a fitted tank top. I want to burn all my fitted tank tops and choke out the person who coined the phrase 'muffin top'. I am the epitome of muffin top these days and I don't like it. It's a personal thing and while I have accepted a larger size of jeans, I can't accept the fact that my mid-section is making it hard to feel fantastic in my clothes.

There are many diets out there and I have tried my fair share of weight loss pills and drastic diets that make me feel hungry and are not meant to last a life time. The majority of my calories are coming from white sugar, so I am going to slowly, painfully taper myself off. My first step will begin this Monday when I will cut out white sugar from my drinks. No more syrup coffee or refreshingly sweet iced tea. After a week of that abuse, I will be cutting out sugar filled goodies. I am not a candy bar gal and I don't keep hard candy stashed in my purse, but I love my macadamia nut clusters, my mom's homemade cookies and ice cream. I fucking love ice cream. I will be adding honey to my coffee and tea while reading up on some yummy sugar substitutes (not you Splenda, NutriSweet, or Sweet and Lo...you guys are banned). My goal is to give up white sugar all together and become that annoying shopper who stands in the aisle reading labels on every package she picks up. My hope is that this small (HUGE) change will assist me in being able to feel confident in my fitted clothes and avoid being named Muffin Top Mom Of The Year.

Here's to a life without you, white sugar...you sweet little bitch.