As pigs fly by...

Remember ten short days ago when I boldly proclaimed that the only way I'd run up a hill was if there was ice cream at the top? Apparently it's a good thing that I specified that the ban applied to inclines and not flat surfaces, because it allows to save face just a little. I cannot believe I am typing this and I still don't know how she did it (my current favorite theory involves hypnosis via the pendulous swing of a watch made entirely of carne asada marinated in spices that just happen to make the subject lose all memory), but somehow my neighbor/walking buddy cajoled me into running when we went on our track walk this afternoon. I'm not saying I ran far and I won't pretend I wasn't wheezing like a geriatric asthmatic after a few feet, but I actually ran and it did not even kill me! Tomorrow, she claims, we will run a little further. I am cautiously optimistic, but would be happy even just continuing with our walking regularly.

Things have been going pretty well on my food crackdown. It has now been twelve days since I've consumed any refined sugar or flour. My meals are mostly consisting of salads, fish, chicken, fresh berries, nuts and lots of non-starchy vegetables. The best part is that it seems to be having a good effect. Some of my clothes are already fitting more loosely. Moreover, except for the one day when I accidentally found myself at a chocolate tasting (leave it to me to get invited to a product preview that is in large part a chocolate tasting a few days after starting a diet!), it's been pretty easy. Still, I'm pretty pleased that my resolve is strong enough to withstand even a room full of chocolate.

That's always been the surprising thing to me when I've given up sugar in the past. It is so difficult at first. You crave it to the point where you think you could roll naked in it then marry it, because you know deep in your heart that sugar could never be just a one night stand. When you first give it up, your head hurts, your energy flags, and sometimes you want to cry, because you know you will never love this way again. Then, suddenly you wake up one day and you just don't care about sugar. You can think about marzipan and swiss chocolate and the biggest thing it arouses is "meh". Instead, foods that are naturally sweet, like small, juicy red strawberries actually seem like a huge treat, even when they are not surrounded by chocolate and served in a cushion of soft ice cream nestled in Dairy Queen blizzard cup.

While I'm not claiming that I'll never eat sugar again (I've learned from my proclamations on running!), I am finding how good it feels not to be weighed down by foods. I find myself feeling so much more energetic than I did even just a few weeks ago, and that's a good feeling. It makes me feel hopeful. I might still be a fixer upper, but I've got potential (and slightly sore calves with a smattering of gimp foot, but that's ok)!