Day 122

Just finished elliptical for 30 minutes. Today was definitely tougher than yesterday. But I remembered how hard the first week of no sugar was, I felt physically sick the whole time...I know I feel better when I exercise, both physically and mentally...so why is it so hard to get up and going...Perhaps 5:00 and the dark have something to do with it.

Anyway, I did it and that's what counts.

Made some super yummy banana/chocolate bread last night..no sugar but still too rich..and really chocolate wasn't that great.

The next two weeks are going to be challenging with exercise..first Seattle, then Utah for five days. Both places I can walk or they have at least a treadmill...it's just harder to do when you're out of your routine.

I think I can confidently say I won't eat any sugar at the New Year's Eve party tonight, but I don't' want to get cocky ;-)

Day 121

1/3 of the way through the challenge! Four months without sugar...that's incredible.

I just finished 30 minutes on the elliptical and when I felt the mental wall at 21 minutes I told myself, "You've gone four months, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas without sugar..you can do this." And sure enough I could.

Day 120

No sugar added today...handing out chocolate to all the delivery guys today to get rid of it though ;-) So tomorrow is 1/3 of the way through this challenge and I've decided to up the anty for myself a bit.

The sea kayak is based only on the no sugar.

This next goal's reward is ballroom dancing lessons with John. I'm going to report in here just so I have the same sense of obligation to this goal as I do the no sugar.

30 minutes on the elliptical each day. Once the weather warms up, I may change that to a walk or hike...but for now it's 30 minutes on the elliptical every day.

Day 119

No sugar added today.

Day 118

No sugar added on Saturday!

Day 117

No sugar added today. I spent boxing day hanging out with friends in Cold Stone Ice Cream shop. Lest you think I partook of the minty chocolate, fudge, brownie delight that is very appealing, the answer is no, I went over to jamba juice and got a small, fruit only smoothie with no frozen yogurt or sherbet it it..fruit only. Mango and pineapple and it was very tasty.

Day 116

No sugar added today...not even when Caeleigh was sitting there eating carmels in front of me saying, "You know Grandpa's carmels are the best thing ever..they're so creamy and lusious." And while I know this is a true statement, I did not break and made it home still sugar free.

Day 115

I'm going to type No Sugar added...and then do all I can to avoid my dad's homemade carmels tonight...I can do it.

Day 114

No sugar added, just a new nephew!

Day 113

No sugar added today..even though there were brownie bites in the conference room :-)

Day 112

No sugar added today..just a lot of fun with family.

Day 111

No sugar added today, even with all the goodies in King Soopers laid out for the holidays.

Day 110

No sugar added.

Day 109

No sugar added today. No brownie bites during our pizza lunch. I just pass em along. I am wondering if I could make John some carmel shortbread without eating any...that's his Christmas treat and he could take them to work...that would be the ultimate test of will power because I love them too.

Day 108

No sugar added today. The leftover mango chicken stir fry I made for dinner last night was delicious for lunch today.

Day 107

No sugar added today...it helps that there isn't any at home, that everyone at work knows not to offer me any and that when I offered to make Johnny a trifle for Christmas he said, "not this year." That helps a lot.

Day 106

No sugar added. Just staying away from holiday goodies.

Day 105

No sugar added today, just trying to stay warm in the artic blast that we've been hit with.

Day 104

Yeah for us, no sugar added!

Day 103

I'm really glad it's Friday and happy to report, no sugar added.

Day 102

No sugar added. So we are running low on supplies for lunch. So I didn't have a lot to choose from today. I dumped a bunch of things into a bag and hoped for the best. And what do you know, I've been ejoying my mini meals. I go and pick a piece of fruit out of my bag when I get hungry or a yogurt and then I'm not hungry again for another hour or two...not bad.

Day 101

So is it weird that Christmas doesn't feel like Christmas this year and I think it has something to do with sugar? We've put up the lights, we're going to buy a few presents this weekend and still nothing..it feels flat. I've been trying to figure out if it's because the quarter just ended, I moved a library and we're working extra hours every day because of manditory overtime for John, or is it because I haven't made any fudge, carmel shortbread or cookies?

Christmas is a celebration of Christ's birth, so why in my mind is it tied to homemade carmels, 7 layer bars, sprtiz cookies, frozen fudge and trifle? Could it be because I really enjoyed baking with my parents at this time of year. That we all snuck out to the freezer in the garage to eat frozen fudge, until we had to cook another batch?

Or is it that my Grandma Bessie would bake her self into a near coma before we would arrive for Christmas? I've realized for years that cooking was my grandma's way of showing she loved you. She wasn't a very huggy kind of person, so instead of squeezing you tight and telling you how much she thought of you, she'd put out a plate of divinity and rocky road to tell you were special...cause really if you weren't would she have gone to all the trouble?

In the past few years, I've learned to make really good fudge (it's the secret ingredient ... chili poweder, it enhances the chocolate flavour) and I've learned to make John's favorite millionare shortbread which soon became one of my biggest downfalls, butter shortbread, homemade carmel and chocolate, what's not to like? Does my husband feel less loved because I'm not making him a triffle for Christmas this year like his mother did? Is it wrong to take away this tangible reminder of his mother's love on his first Christmas without her?

Why am I tormented by sugar this time of the year? The damn sugarplum fairies need to move out of my head. Now.

Day 100

Well look at that, day 100 snuck right up on us ;-) Excellent milestone feeling kind of day, stressed about school..but not eating the stress, just trying to get the paper done. Nice.

Day 99

No sugar added...I felt quite virtuous picking the M&Ms out of my trail mix and tossing them in the trash can so that I could eat the raisins and peanuts without distraction. I also asked Vicky to move the box of chocolates away from the reference desk so I wouldn't be tempted.

Day 98

No sugar added today. Closing in on 100.

Day 97

No sugar today...I'm feeling sad today and have really wanted some chocolate, but I said no and went back to my books.

Day 96

No sugar added today, even though I want some more than I have in months.

Day 95

No sugar added..I wanted a hot chocolate something awful today, it's 4 degrees here in Cheyenne and I have an awful chest cold thing going on...but I didn't succumb. Yeah for me.

Day 94

No sugar today. Although, I'm currently sitting in my beautiful hotel room with two boxes of chocolates given to me by the sweet Cheyenne Branch librarian..one dark choclate mix and one pecan truffles. My goal...to take them home still wrapped in their wrapping paper.

Day 93

No sugar added today, just a huge Wyoming steak...yummy.

Day 92

No sugar added...just a really stuffy nose. This week's challenge...a four day business trip, with free cookies everywhere..and finding an elliptical to keep up my workouts.