My Sugar Addiction Part 3 of 3

 Instead of just summing things up or writing about it from a 2 year point of view, I thought sharing my own words from when I was going through this would be more valuable/helpful.

Below is excerpts taken from my journal where I recorded my new journey- one without all the treats.

Day 1- Received Heaven's help today. I was able to make Carol's choc. chip cookies and NOT be tempted to sneak into it or have a taste of either the cookie dough or a cookie. Baked them up for Ruben's Cub Choir which had their Christmas Concert tonight. He was asked to bring 2 dozen cookies. After the concert, I helped open a bunch of store bought cookies and was around the treats but didn't partake and really didn't have much of a desire to put that stuff in my mouth.
     Remembering the dream I had this past week has helped me in staying focus....I have given up sugar treats and know Heaven will help me.

This isn't about will power, but rather being meek, mild, humble and depending on the tender mercies of the Lord. Faith, trust, and obedience.

My body is a temple and I should treat it as such. 1 full week of being sick. On the mend now.

Day 2- ...Ruben's dinner choice for tonight was tacos and milkshakes. I choose water to drink instead. My immune system is more important then my taste buds getting a "fix". I value my body, my health, and choosing wellness...

Day 3-Helped Cliff make healthy and yummy Oat Nut Burgers. It's a recipe Bob gave me almost 3 years ago.......Let the kids have leftover choc. chip cookies (from Thursday). I choose not to partake. Later I took a small bite of Derek's cookie without thinking. Then when I was aware of what I did, I spit out the tiny bit in the garbage can.

Day 4 Sunday Dec. 15th, 2013
For my 1st weekly treat, I choose a strawberry yogurt and had 2 small slices of toast with honeybutter. At church today I handed out Ann's cinnamon rolls but for myself choose to gracefully decline. Was tempted for a few minutes tonight to eat one of our choc. chip cookies. But then I REMEMBERED the dream I had about the new path I am on, and had given up the treats and made a covenant with Father. Very tired today, but (my)lungs don't feel as heavy or maybe I'm getting used to it. No longer on fire. ....

Day 5-Did pilates this morning. Did some emotional clearings. Cookies are taking longer to eat because I'm not eating them. Upside down pizza for dinner. Waiting for my immune system to be restored and get my strength back...

Day 6- Forgot to call Scott (my oldest brother) and wish him a happy Birthday..Had a piece of toast and honey butter for snack tonight. Did pilates this morning. Felt good to stretch...Grateful for my body-a covering for me. I am an eternal being that has been spiritually reborn "Baptism of Fire" (I am child/daughter of Christ)
I know I will be a Joint-Heir with Christ. That knowledge is sure. Waiting for the 2nd Comforter and to enter into the "Rest of the Lord"

Day 9- Made peanutbutter balls for the Ward Christmas party. During the making process I absent mindedly tasted a tiny bit that was on my finger. Other then that I had no processed treats. The fudge looked good as well as the mint chocolate cake but I chose not to partake. Tonight after coming home I choose my dessert- A bunch of grapes. They tasted so good. I didn't work out today...

Day 11- Shared my new journey with Cathy, my mom, Cliff of course (my hubby) and today shared it with Bishop Lemmon and Mara. Mara thanked me for sharing with her my journey so far...She told me how a few years ago we talked about food, diet, ect and how I told her I had a sugar addiction and that I needed to probably change.
  Today during RS the teacher taught the lesson"Jepordary Style" she had treats for reward. The candy didn't interest me at all. The candy dish, was almost depleted with 10 min left of class. I said to Cathy-"Maybe I should refill the candy dish." She said I should. So I went to the cabinet and unlocked it and grabbed a couple bags of left over Halloween candy and spent most of the time left passing candy out between the 2 teams.

Soon as I knew that we would be playing the game for RS the Spirit let me know I needed to stepdown/not participate very much. I tend to be VERY competitive and knew I needed to not let myself get carried away. So I didn't answer the first few questions. I rang the bell a couple of times and reached over once causing a fellow RS sister to laugh at me. Another sister early on  told me the following, "Sally, you need to answer the questions so that I can get MY CHOCOLATE". I told her if she needed chocolate that bad, I would just go and open up the closet and hook her up with chocolate. She later made a comment how chocolate made her happy. I corrected her and said chocolate can't make you happy, I know this!

 After church I was offered a sugar cookie from Jason, but I declined. Now I need to focus on early to bed and early to rise and NOT eating right before bed.

Thank you to my Father in Heaven & my Savior Jesus Christ. I could not do this without them.

Day 14-Christmas Day I had 2 or maybe 3 small sliced of pumpkin bread. A small taste of Mom's pie. No candy or other sweets..planning on Pilates and  Body Flex tomorrow.

End of Excerpts

 

Update

 

From that time until last Thanksgiving I had no "treats". It felt great to no longer think, crave, dream about those things. As a bonus, I have had more energy and I lost 5 pounds. Last Thanksgiving I did have a sliver of pumpkin pie, on Dec 30th, my 16th Wedding anniversary I splurged and did have a small piece of cheesecake. This pass year I have had a handful of treats the most recent in October a few dark chocolates. I was reminded why I needed to stay away from that in the first place. That urge/desire to have more came back. The only temptation I had was after Halloween and seeing my favorite candy bar or rather my former favorite candy bar (it's been 2 years since having one) Milkway candy bars floating around in my children's Halloween bags, with even 2 full size bars. None of my kids care for those. (Probably because I have always snagged them up and they never really had the opportunity to eat them.)

 

I still give thanks to my Savior for helping me, for rescuing me from this addiction. Now on to my dairy addiction. Cutting back on that but still have a ways to go. But with my Savior at my side I know this will be taken care off. First is the desire to change. 

My Sugar Addiction Part 2 of 3

 

 

Next month will mark 2 years since the Lord (Yeshua) intervened and my addiction was broken. My answered prayers came in a way I was not expecting. I started to get sick, I mean really REALLY sick.  Heaviness in my lungs and they felt like they were on fire. I knew I was getting pneumonia (no I was not diagnosed by a doctor and didn't seek out medical help) but knew I could be healed (if it was God's will). I told him I had the faith to be healed. I fully expected that the Lord would approve this righteous desire of my heart and I petitioned the Lord. But the following conversation is what I had at the time. Although I didn't recognize it or rather the clarity wasn't there like it is now.  I heard his voice (thought to thought or spirit to spirit. I didn't hear an audible voice) however, it is a still small voice and I can recognize his voice now.

Yeshua- No my daughter, you will not be healed in this moment and in fact you will be sick a whole week. I am answering your many prayers.

me-Sick a whole week? (my spirits/hope was dashed).Which prayers will be answered,  what are you talking about?

Yeshua- Your sugar addiction/sweets

me-Oh, that!

Yeshua- It will take the whole 7 days for your body to detox. By being sick, it will help loosen your cravings for the sweets.

me-OK- (I didn't like the idea of being sick, but I really wanted the bands of addiction broken.) I submitted.

I usually don't sleep well when I am sick and when I dream while my body is sick it usually offers no solace or peace. So I was surprised when I woke up on the 3rd day and had a very powerful and vivid dream. One that was written upon my heart. I know now, that dream was given to me to help me later on when those temptations came. I would remember the dream I was given and the great strength in it.

Dream from Sat Dec 7th 2013
 I was in this little restaurant with a friend of mine. Society and he himself labeled him as "Gay". He had a dart board full of little balloons on them. For every balloon popped he would roll out his dough on the counter and make 2 biscuits, or was it doughnuts? I don't remember which one it was upon waking. There weren't a lot of costumers. He would go straight up to the board and hit the target. I told him that was cheating and he needed to wait for others to come and do it. Every 3rd turn would be his.
  Some people thought we were engaged because we were so close. They were uncomfortable with the "gay man" and even MORE disturb that me being a Mormon would have and surround myself around "Gay/Homosexual People." I told him I didn't accept his behavior. I told him (my friend) -"We live in a fallen world with fallen bodies and they come with tendencies, attractions but that is not US and through the Atonement of Christ HE can change our fallen nature. (We are all given our own "thorns of the flesh".)
I told him how him being attracted to his own sex was HIS thing he needed to work on (with Christ help) and not to yield to temptation and partake and go down the forbidden path. For me, my body was predisposed towards sugar, my addiction and how it wasn't UNTIL I turned to my Savior was I made whole. I knew I must stay away from it (the sugar). How it started with "store treats and candies' to cutting out homemade treats. In the dream my diet was fruits, veggies, nuts and bread. I loved my bread and the Lord told me I could keep it. Once a week I would have a treat that was yogurt with berries and whipped cream on top. Fresh cream that was whipped up.  This new way of eating had taken place 2 years prior to me talking to my friend. (It was a promise/covenant between the Lord and me).
      At a table my mom and other family members were there. Without even thinking about it I took a bite of dessert. Then I realized what I had done and started to spit it out and clean my mouth out.
 End of dream.

Excerpt form Journal 12/11/13

 This addiction is a thorn. I have turned to food, especially sweets for comfort and love INSTEAD of turning straight to God. I realize now that the Savior has invited me to lay my burdens at his feet and now I am doing just that!-End of excerpt

 

It isn't about Will Power or being Self-Reliant but being God-Reliant that truly counts.

 

I am forever grateful to a wonderful friend who is also my Lord and Savior that has broken the bands of this addiction for me.

 Now the real test came to see if I would keep this gift and continue down the new path or to turn back to my old patterns and lifestyle. Here's another way of putting it: like a dog that returns to his vomit.-2 Peter 2:22 comes to mind.