I CONFESS...on Monday I ate 6 chocolate covered almonds! There is a story behind it, of course, but I'll save you the details. I just hope I don't throw anyone else off, because I'm back onboard and doing well. Monday night, the kids let me play the bubble game on the Wii. Has anyone played it? I love it, but I haven't played it since we first got the Wii, which I think was 3 years ago. Anyways, it first does a body check, and I've lost 10 pounds since 3 years ago. That motivated me to get back on track with sugar, and add a diet to it. The only way I know to lose weight is to track every morsel that goes in my mouth, which I started yesterday. Sparkpeople is recommending 1400 calories, very doable...if I have things on hand like papaya, bananas and squash which fill me up without too many calories.

Maybe more information than you wanted to know, and sort of a strange thing...but all of a sudden I realized yesterday that my hemorrhoids have not bothered me for weeks. I am also sleeping better with less hot flashes. Imagine what could happen if I also took my vitamins and exercised?

I was sort of disappointed as while to me my stomach looks not so round, when I measured my waist, and compared it to like 6 years ago, it is an inch bigger. Maybe I really tightened it a lot the last time? Those are the things that can really discourage me, because I want the pounds and inches to fall off as I get this area of life under control by God's grace. But whether they fall off or peel off ounce by ounce, or whether I stay the same, I know I'm being obedient to what God wants me to do with getting rid of the sugar. I KNOW I need to add exercise, vitamins and track calories. And maybe it is time to add one of those! But all three overwhelm me right now.

Day 26-ish: Yesterday, I pre-meditatedly ate a mini Hersheys (with toffee) that my sister Dawn sent down. I had been eying it in my closet for over a week. It was in celebration of finishing my 2 weeks no sugar, plus an extra 11 days without sugar that I did with my sister Beth. I have to tell you, while it was yummy, I was happy to note it wasn't as yummy as I remember chocolate being, and I'm back on my NO sugar diet. I don't want to stop. I feel better, I have more energy, and I think the weight is coming off, although slower than I would like. I still suffer cravings, but they come and go pretty quickly and have not been overwhelming. I attribute all to the power of God, who gives strength to the weak (of which I am the weakest). My will power in the past has been zero-zilch. So why the change? I don't know exactly. God can transform our minds, and He took the desire for sugar away as He helped me purpose not to eat it.

Day 18: Well, I took my 11 year old daughter, Meleah, out for a date yesterday, and caved a little with some frozen yogurt. (Sorry Bethie, hope that doesn't make you cave, too!). I ate probably 2 or 3 tablespoons, exactly 6 half-spoon fulls of these small spoons off of her dish, hey it was 1/2 off!! I wish I wouldn't have. And in the end it may have been a good thing, because it was NOT worth it, it did nothing for me, and I am back on board full-steam ahead. Not posting real regularly these days, but am still happy with this choice to kick sugar out of my life. I am feeling really good. It has definitely helped with the afternoon slump, I just wish it would give me more energy at night, but by about 8:30, I am still one grumpy Mom. A friend of mine cut out sugar AND coffee. I had just been thinking maybe it was time to cut out the coffee, but just don't know how I'd get through the morning, probably a sure sign I need to do it. So if you see a 2 week No Coffee Challenge up, you'll know where it came from. But give me a year or two to mull it over.

Day 15: The temptation was a little harder yesterday as Lydia and her friend made some great looking choco-chip cookies, and I was so so hungwy. Aunt Dawnie Pooh sent a box with a tupperware container FULL of chocolates!! But she also sent me a new PJ top, short sleeved for these hot flashy menopausal nights, and when I slipped into it, it was all worth it! My tummy bulge is way less, and if I had tried it on 15 days ago, I'm sure I would have put it in the give-away pile. So fun to have new lounge pants and PJ top! Weight slinked just below 140. Roughly 9 pounds to go!

How did I withstand the temptation, well, it was the Lord again giving strength when I had none, and providing me with a delicious papaya, LAAARGE, which Sophia and I ate yesterday...the whole thing! Also, having a partner helps. I'm so glad to be doing this my little sister Bethie, because that's what kept me motivated yesterday...I CAN'T let her down!

Day 13: I don't know what happened to Days 11 and 12. I really don't. Life is busy, isn't it? Anyways, the night before last I dreamed something...all very vague now...but something like I was making cookies with the kids, and I first took a little finger- dip-ful of dough, then another, then scoops of it, then polished off like a dozen cookies. I woke up feeling like "Rats, I REALLY blew it big!". I cannot tell you the joy I felt when I realized it was just a dream!

Today went fine...I had to go get copies made for Sunday School, and have some books spiral bound for a fellow teacher. As I waited and waited...and waited and waited because a) customer service is not what it is in the states, the lady seemed to be twin to a turtle, and b) they all kinds of printer problems, she cleared the same jam like hundreds of times, the candy they sell looked more and more tempting. The hour was getting later and later and I was getting more and more hungry. Good thing I had Meleah with me, who is also doing the no sugar challenge, or I might have caved under the excuse of buying a snackie-poo for whatever child I had with me. Instead we went to the dollar store, and I got her a pair of binoculars, and took her out to look at the stars. Of course, it had to be a super cloudy night, so at best we got a clouded view of the moon. But hey, the cheesy moon IS sugar free! Side note, I'm very proud of Meleah, because when I told her that her Aunt Bethie was just starting the 2 week no sugar challenge, and that I was going to go it with Bethie, adding on 10 more days, she said she wasn't going to stop either.

Sounds ridiculous, but I am dreading when they try to pass me the sugary drink after teaching Sunday School tomorrow. So far that has been the hardest thing to pass up. I do bring a bottle of water, but by that time I'm always parched from trying to maintain control of 17 zero-eight year olds and am usually rather hungry because my snack alarm starts to go off.

The good news today is I noticed a definite improvement in my desire to snack between breakfast and lunch. I didn't have (or want) a mid-morning snack today! And I've lost like 4 pounds. Still have about 11 to go, so not great, but I'll take it. I'm back to my pre-United States trip weight! Buy-buy BurgerKing Blubber!

Days 9 and 10: Yesterday was our anniversary...14 years of marriage! I can only say I'm doing this with God's help...it is NOT my strong will power, I am so weak when it comes to succumbing to sugar! I associate dates with David with ... ice cream! There is a yummy ice cream store...American quality...in the mall that is walking distance. We went to the mall and got something to eat, but I didn't glance at the ice cream store. It was a bit hard as I think 90% of the people who go to the mall go to get ice cream, so it seems like you're always seeing something yummy go by in the hands of someone.

As a snack, we got some arepas, and we asked first if they had sugar in them. The guy said they don't add sugar, but that they use sweet corn meal. Well, we ate them, and so I'm not sure if I cheated or not.

Today has been easy.

The only strange thing is that I have felt slightly nauseous ever since about 2 days into this. Not terrible, just a slight nausea, and not all the time. I stopped taking my iron supplement, thinking maybe that was doing it, and I don't think it has really helped. Not even sure it's related. Maybe it's a virus or I have some nice parasites or something, who know.