Day 9 - Spring Cleaning: I Can See the Finish Line and I Don't Like It!

Read my previous Sugar-Cleanse Blogs:

Day 1 and Introduction

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9: Ahhh!!! I've finished the second last day of my cleanse (and I'm on the last day as I write). I can hardly believe it! I even attended a pot luck last night full of glorious goodies - particularly some fluffy pink marshmallow salad - the kind that's been around at church pot lucks since I was a kid, and I ADORE! But I was strong and only ate a plain hamburger patty and some cucumbers and grape tomatoes (super boring meal and I probably looked like an obsessed dieter, which is totally not me!).

One thing I realized as I near the end of this sugar cleanse, is that I actually fear leaving the confines of my strict diet! I've always been the sort of person that craves rules and standards, and I love to put myself into "boot camp" type situations where I have to work hard and feel like I'm being forced to work at something. I don't know how many times over the years, from the time I was a teenager, I would write up a rule list for myself for one goal or another that I wished to accomplish.

Although I will soon be able to eat anything I want, I'm not sure whether I want to swallow the first sugary item I see. I don't want to just eat sugar for the sake of eating sugar. I also have been thinking of restricting myself to a "treat day" every week, so I don't feel like I have the freedom to become my former candy crazed self.

Even with the normal carbs - pasta, bread, white rice - I'm thinking of taking it easy on those for a while too. I imagine my best response would be to limit the quantities of those items, and replace them with far more vegetables than I would normally have eaten in the past. I think that would show for a successful change in my life.

So, it has become very easy to do this sugar-busting cleanse, because I didn't stumble at all, even in the face of desserts at a pot luck! However, just like an animal that was scared and is used to his/her cage, I'm feeling trepidation and caution about leaving the confines of my new habits.

I'll go back to enjoying the safety of this last day... perhaps when I write tomorrow, there will be much slurring of speech and incoherency because of the sugar affecting my brain. Or maybe I'll still be sugar free?!