Sugar Junkie Blog by Rebecca Hill

December 19, 2010

Okay, we are NOT going to discuss the night I drove through Randy’s doughnuts because I was “craving a maple flavored doughnut.” Nor are we going to discuss the day I went through the McDonald’s drive through to get some fries “because I was mad that I had to stand in line at the post office for 20 minutes.” What we are going to discuss is TODAY because today was a pretty good day.

Following up on our “Holiday Challenge” assignment from last week:

I meditated once this week. (But am still committed to making it a part of my daily routine.)

I did keep a food journal today:
No fat milk and a handful of almonds for breakfast.
Strawberry smoothie with protein powder for lunch.
Thin crust pizza for dinner (this is where the “pretty good” part of my day comes in).

How about you guys? How did your week go?

One of my friends who reads this blog told me she is too busy right now to work on the holiday challenge that Kiana and I have been putting together for y’all so we’re going to put that on the back burner for the next few weeks. We’re not abandoning it because meditation and tracking/ journaling our food and thinking about why we eat what we eat is important – VERY IMPORTANT – but Kiana and I are not grinches! We hear you that you need a little respite from our “Holiday Challenge Assignments” this week so let me just ask you a simple question:

WHAT DO YOU WANT SANTA TO BRING YOU THIS YEAR?

I asked this question to several women I know and here’s what they said:

Mamatha said she wants “to learn patience and understanding.”

Maryanne said she wants Santa to bring her, “a stress free family environment” and my fellow Curves trainer, Candice, said she wants to “eat everything and gain zero pounds!”  (Wouldn’t that be nice!?!)



A beautiful woman named Marsi said she wants “to radiate love into the world.” When she told me this I said, “Wow, very cool. I was expecting health and fitness responses but this is awesome too!” Marsi said, “This is a health and fitness goal. I’m tired of being so critical. When I say I want to radiate love into the world, I mean for others and for myself. If I can focus on love, I think I can create really positive scenarios in my life – health and fitness wise, and otherwise.” That really sunk in to my heart – I’ve actually been thinking about Marsi’s response all week.



The glamorous, Nicole said she wants her “sanity.”

And, Rudolph – well, Rudolph said he wants Santa to “browse through Kiana’s website and lose a few pounds pronto so that damn sleigh isn’t quite so heavy on Friday night!” (I’m not making this up, I’m simply reporting what the red-nosed superstar said when I interviewed him.)



So, Kiana and I’ve heard from Mamatha, Maryanne, Candice, Marsi, Nicole and Rudolph. Now, WHAT SAY YOU?

12/21/10

HI REBECCA!

OKAY HERE IS MY "DEAR SANTA, I WANT..." PIC....XOXO KIANA



Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of y’all!

Sugar Junkie. Part 2. by Guest Blogger Rebecca Hill

Last week was wonderful but I did face 2 big challenges on my quest to break my sugar addiction:

On October 27 I celebrated my 41st birthday! I am thrilled to still be here and feeling good at 41 so that was reason to celebrate; however, my birthday did bring up a big question. No, not the meaning of life (I know many people start to contemplate that as they get into their 40s and 50s) but that's not the big question I faced. The big question I faced was, "Can I handle eating a single cupcake on my birthday without it starting a food rampage?" I really (REALLY!) like cake. In particular, I like white cake with white frosting. Learning from past disasters I knew I could not handle having an entire cake in our home so my husband, Tom, and I decided we would just go out and buy me a single cupcake on my birthday.

Because eating one cupcake often leads to me eating a dozen cupcakes I was nervous about this plan. I reached out to Kiana on the morning of my birthday and she suggested that I get a "cupcake made with stevia which is a natural plant extract. Tastes exactly like sugar and no after effects....Now only if they had a similar fix for wine....."  I loved that suggestion and headed to Whole Foods. At the bakery the employee explained that their healthy cupcakes are made with fruit juices not stevia. I was so worked up for a cupcake that I knew a cupcake made with sugar juice wasn't going to do it for me. I thought about going to a "normal bakery" but fortunately was deterred because I had a massage booked. After my birthday massage, I got pressed for time. Tom and I went out to dinner and I opened all of my presents (all the while thinking about the cupcake. I had decided that finding a cupcake made with stevia was going to be too difficult (I give up easy when it comes to sugar and cupcakes) so I decided that Tom and I would go to Suzy's Cakes in our Brentwood neighborhood and buy me one REALLY GOOD cupcake! I told Tom this plan and he agreed it was reasonable. (I knew I would not be in danger if Tom was with me because I never eat 6 cupcakes in front of other people; that kind of behavior is reserved for when I'm alone in my car.) So, we got dressed - went out and (cue the horror music) found out that Suzy's Cakes had already closed for the evening! There is a good yogurt store next to Suzy's cake in Brentwood so we got yogurt instead. I act like a normal person when it comes to yogurt and ice cream so I could be trusted there. Crisis averted! (and I had a great birthday!)

My next challenge is universal to all sugar addicts - Halloween! As always, I went to Woodland Hills to take my little friends Allie & Billy trick-or-treating. (Allie dressed up as Elvis. Billy was Bruce Springsteen. And I was their "backstage security officer.") I had a plan. (HAD being the key word in that sentence.) Through discussions at my Weight Watchers meeting, I knew that a Blow-Pop lollipop and a few small tootsie-rolls would be good choices for me in terms of their calorie counts. I also knew from past research that as far as candy goes, Peppermint Pattys are the least evil of the candy bars. I knew this but when I saw all of the Butterfingers, Snickers and Twix bars, I lost my mind! I started eating without thinking. I unconsciously unwrapped and ate at least 30 candy bars while carving a pumpkin. My first thought was "these are just minature bars - they can't cause too much trouble." Then I stopped thinking all together and just kept eating. Within an hour, little Billy and I both acknowledged having stomach aches while Allie (and their parents!) looked at Billy and me in bewilderment. See, that's how things go wrong. I stop thinking and just keep eating! This is why a food journal is crucial to my success. There are people (like Kiana and my husband, Tom) who just naturally monitor themselves and how much food they are eating. But I need to write down what I'm eating in order to stay conscious of what I'm doing.

So, my birthday went well. Halloween was very fun but not a victory in terms of incorporating a healthy lifestyle and reasonable, moderate consumptions of treats into my celebration. Guess I should have policed myself better (see attached photo) - ha ha!

Well, it's a new day - and I'm off to my Weight Watcher's class. Hope all of y'all had a Happy Halloween! Did anyone have an experience similar to mine on Halloween? Did anyone do better/ have more success at having fun while still staying on track in terms of their sugar consumption? Kiana and I would both love for you to share your stories here on the Fit Mom TV website. We want to hear from you because we're all in this together!

Rebecca Hill is the author of "Confessions of an Innkeeper" and "Don't You Worry, Don't You Cry." Her writing has appeared in Redbook Magazine and she frequently contributes to Chicken Soup for the Soul. Her most recent story appeared in the new Chicken Soup for the Soul book, "Thanks, Mom!"

Sugar Junkie: by Rebecca Hill, Guest Fit Mom TV Blogger

Okay, it's Monday. The start of a brand new week. I'm feeling strong today. I've already had breakfast (2 glasses of skim milk and a handful of unsalted almonds). No sugar cravings so far - though that's really nothing to write home about given that I've only been awake for 15 minutes.

Last week was a tough week for me. Without burdening you with the details, I had a blowup with a family member which led to my feelings getting hurt. Within one minute of this altercation I fled to the mini-market behind my apartment and bought and ate 4 cookies and a pack of licorice before I could even walk back home. Needless to say, I am addicted to sugar. I use it to "feel better" when I'm sad, I use it to "celebrate" when I'm happy.

I'm a sugar junkie and like all junkies I tend to get out of control when I need a fix. I've been in treatment (i.e. - Weight Watchers) for several years and it does help. For days - sometimes even weeks on end - I'm under control. I can have small treats like dark chocolate and even a scoop of ice cream because I like those things but I don't LOVE those things.

What really sets me off is baked goods which is a problem because one of my part-time jobs is working as an Innkeeper at Channel Road Inn and The Inn At Playa del Rey (where we bake homemade cookies and breakfast cakes for our guests on a daily basis.) Each time I'm making cooking dough and using superhuman strength to resist eating it I think, "Boy, this is really stupid. Me working as an Innkeeper is like an alcoholic working as a bartender. What am I doing?" But, I love my job. I love the guests. I love Channel Road Inn and The Inn At Playa del Rey. They're both beautiful Bed and Breakfast Hotels! I also love my co-workers. It's a great job!

My other part-time job is working as a trainer at Curves. I love (absolutely love!) that job too. I love working at Curves because it gives me an opportunity to help women work on their health and fitness goals and in return they help me work on mine. By being in an environment where health and fitness is the common goal, my focus is consistently brought back to where I want to be/ who I want to be - which is a healthy, in control, strong woman.

Kiana is my hero! We've eaten together on numerous occasions and I am constantly amazed how she (seemingly) effortlessly makes healthy choices and only eats until she's full.

When it's time to order desert Kiana inevitably says, "Oh good, dessert - do you want to split one?" I hear my mouth say "yes, great idea!" but inside I'm thinking "No! No, Kiana - I want you to go to the bathroom or get an urgent production call so you'll go outside on your cell phone and I can consume 2 pieces of cheesecake ...and then, when you come back - THEN - we can "split a dessert.")

As the one dessert with the two forks arrives at our table I force a smile which eventually leads to a look of incredulity as Kiana takes two, maybe three small bites of the dessert then says "Yummy!" and puts her fork down. It makes me want to pull her hair to make sure she's really human. (I'm known to get violent when I'm in the throes of a sugar fix. Just ask my husband, Tom, who tried to keep me from eating Halloween candy last week!)

Okay, it's a new day. It's a new week. It's an opportunity to be the person I want to be. Everyone has their demons - sugar is mine. I can conquer this. One day at a time. It's going to be a good day. It's going to be a good week! I can just feel it.

Rebecca Hill is the author of "Confessions of an Innkeeper" and "Don't You Worry, Don't You Cry." Her writing has appeared in Redbook Magazine and she frequently contributes to Chicken Soup for the Soul. Her most recent story appeared in the new Chicken Soup for the Soul book, "Thanks, Mom!"