Sugar, Sugar

Sugar, sugar. 

The definition of myth is, "a widely held but false belief or idea." Holding onto a myth is a convenient way to not have to take action or to change something. 

I had bought into the belief that sugar was addictive, and made the excuse that ever since my exposure to Christmas cookies last year, there was little I could do to pass up anything sweet. I knew that trying to maintain my weight loss was more challenging when I included dessert throughout the week. 

Last week at Weight Watchers the topic was about sugar, and how technically there is no evidence that sugar is actually addictive. Remember, the cure for addiction is to cut that substance out of your diet completely, except sugar actually occurs naturally in many foods. It would be quite difficult to eliminate it completely. 

Of course, you can certainly limit the amount of sugar you consume, by eating less foods with added sugar, and that is probably a healthy habit. Weight Watchers advices this type of thinking, "I'm not really addicted to sugar. If I were, I'd have to cut it out entirely, including fruits and vegetables. I just have a habit of eating it, which I can learn to manage."

This aha moment made me realize that my Christmas cookie exposure eight months ago had basically just become a habit. The reason for that is simple, sweets taste darn good, and are quite pleasurable to consume. 

What I love about Weight Watchers is that there are NO forbidden foods, it's just a matter of making them work with your program. Have that lucious dessert, but not everyday. Plan for it, and thoroughly enjoy it without guilt. 

For me being a student of life, I learned the lesson that your beliefs, true or not, can color your actions. Now that I'm letting go of the sugar myth, I need to curb my habit of too much sugar. No excuses, now!