Hi Brooke,
Thank you so much for all you do. Love the SCS program and am very grateful to be involved in it.
Since January 1st, I have dropped the sugar and flour and have been IF, with an eating window of 7-8 hours. I have been managing my physical hunger sensations just fine. I was surprised to find that they really do come in waves (I thought that the hunger feeling just keeps getting more desperate and awful…..hunger was always an emergency for me in the past). I have not had any major cravings for sweets – my go-to for everything in my life up until now. I have lost 9 pounds (yay) with a long term goal of losing 50. Furthermore, I have been miserably sick with a yucky cold for the past two weeks. In the past, my misery would have led to comforting myself with lots of carbs and sugar. But -I am doing great! Yeah me!! However, I have this nagging feeling that things are going too well, and I’m worried that I will have big upcoming problems.
My question is about my thinking. What should my thoughts be when I am confronted with an indulgence that in the past I would happily eat, but now I ignore. I don’t feel that I have tension in resisting the sweet at all. I just think, “nope, that’s not for me, no sugar or flour” and move on. I can watch my children or husband indulge in a treat while we are all together and still, I don’t have that longing for sweets that I used to have. There is still a mild thought of “hmm, that probably tastes good, but I really don’t want it.” Where is my River of Misery? Am I doing this wrong? Should I be trying to feel my old desire for sweets? When I let my mind go there, I feel like I am strengthening my desire for indulgences!
Second question: my husband and I have a date night dinner planned for Valentine’s day. The restaurant we are going to has one of my favorite desserts ever. I was planning on having a joy eat on that night and try to slowly savor it. Is this a bad idea? I feel kinda bad, breaking my so far perfect record of no sweets this year. I also worry that eating an indulgence will bring back my stronger desires for sweets.
Thank you for your help!
Ivy
