New Habits - Week Three

Good morning!  I'm entering my third week of trying to develop new and healthier habits.  And, I'm feeling pretty good.  Although, last week (my first week of no sugar) was a pretty emotional week for me.  I'm not sure if I should chalk that up to some spiritual questions and some other issues I was wrestling with, to mid-life female hormones, or to sugar withdrawal.  Maybe it was a combination of all three.  But, I was definitely an irritable mess last week.

To recap:
Phase One eliminated caffeine (specifically coffee) and adult beverages
Phase Two eliminated sugar

I have to clarify that I am not giving up these items in their entirety FOREVER.  I am giving them up FOR NOW.  It's part of detoxing my body and eliminating my dependence on these things (for energy, for relaxation, etc.).  And, hopefully when I do decide to add them back in, I can do so in moderation.

Moderation is something I have struggled to achieve all my life.  I'm hoping that old dogs CAN learn new tricks.  I  know the power that old habits can seem to hold over us.  But, I'm trusting that God can help work a breakthrough in this area of my life.  I sure haven't been able to do it in my own strength.  God's been working on me in a lot of areas...not just those related to my physical health, but also to my spiritual health.  So I'm moving forward as I cling to Him.

It's hard to believe it's only been two weeks that I've been doing this so far.  It seems longer.  I guess that's because each day...sometimes each moment of each day has been a struggle. I desire something & then I have this inner dialogue where I argue with myself about whether or not I can allow myself to have what I want.  I mean would one coffee derail all my goals?   The other morning my husband made coffee.  The smell tantalized and taunted me.  There is something so soothing and wonderful about the ritual of morning coffee.   I WANTED that coffee!  But, I reminded myself that this is just for now & not forever and I pushed through.

I have allowed myself some hot tea over these weeks.  I've been trying to stick to caffeine free teas, but I've also had some green teas that have some caffeine.  And, while tea can be soothing & it's nice to have a hot beverage on a cold day, it's just not the same.  I can't imagine having the same visceral response to a nice cup of tea as I have to a cup of coffee.  Tea doesn't make me say 'Aaaaahhhhh'.

My Downton Abbey tea for my Downton Abbey viewing.  The English sure drink a lot of tea.  I wonder if they love their tea as much as I love coffee.  

So this week is
Phase Three:  Eliminating night-time snacking.  Goal:  Eliminate unnecessary calories.  Go to bed & wake up feeling lighter.

This simply means I won't be eating anything after dinner.  Sounds simple enough.  But, night-time snacking is one of those bad habits that has become another form of relaxation for me.  After the kids are in bed my husband and I will often sit down to watch a show together and that inevitably involves some serious noshing.  All that noshing carries a pricetag....in the form of pants that I can't fit into without feeling like a sausage and that I can't button without squishing and pinching my stomach all day.

And, I know that when I don't eat at night I actually sleep better.  I feel better the next day.  And, I just feel lighter and less weighed down in general.

So, let Phase Three commence!