Yes - Overcoming Sugar Addiction, version 2, is now up for sale. What’s different? In this book, I talk about what I learned in traveling a sugar free path for the past 3 years.
Enjoy this excerpt from the updated version of Overcoming Sugar Addiction. Learn how self-trust can impact your sugar abstinence – how you care for your body, your health, and what you eat:
Control, will power and discipline were how I stayed sugar free for several years, until that fateful day when a can of raisins (yes, an entire can!) called my name.
Deep down, I didn’t trust myself. I still thought that I had to control my behavior. I was fearful and anxious – not so anxious that it tripped me everyday, but enough that when life got hairy, and stressful, the anxiety seeped out. It seeped out and wanted soothing and raisins were how I responded.
What I really needed, beyond any surface healing with food, was kindness. I needed to believe that I was good – that I wasn’t a bad child with “bad” impulses.
This belief in a “bad self” creates a false story that says, “Because I’m bad and can’t be trusted, I have to be watched.” You control, tame, stuff, hate, loathe. You treat yourself like a criminal that will do wrong at every turn. All your behavior is observed through this lens.
This is exhausting. It’s like walking a tightrope, where we’re always watching for a slip.
We lose faith in our natural goodness. We look at our untrustworthiness, our hopelessness, our history with sugar and we feel terrible – that who we are is horribly flawed. What we are most terrified of is mercy – which is why we keep chastising ourselves and whipping ourselves into shape and scathing ourselves with our inner critic.
We’re terrified that if we forgive ourselves and show ourselves compassion that we’re giving ourselves license to keep indulging in our painful behaviors. We think that holding ourselves kindly – instead of healing the painful patterns – will perpetuate them.
How wrong we are. It’s compassion that softens are hearts and makes us responsible – able to respond. It’s what helps us find the inner goodness and courage and wisdom to let go of the bingeing, the comfort eating, the sugar, the attempts to control, the fear – and find freedom.
For more help on breaking free from sugar addiction, go to our new site, sugaraddictionbook.com. You’ll find resources to break free from sugar addiction such as my book, Overcoming Sugar Addiction, small group classes, and a class you can do on your own.
Karly I love this. You are right I am afraid if I forgive myself I will be giving myself permission to binge.
After a lot of work in your overcoming sugar addiction class I have decided that I need to take a month or two to care for myself. My youngest son is now 15 and I think that I can take that time for me. As much as I feel quilty there is part of me that thinks that it will also show my three children that taking care of yourself is good and healthy. I owe this new outlook to you. For that I am so grateful.