David Vanadia

Too Much Too Fast

January 05, 2006

There was free pizza at the office today. I had three or four slices (not sure since they were sliced double thin) but still I overate.

Yesterday I didn’t have so much food with me and felt better. Today my stummy was stuffed.

According to an article on MSN, eating slowly can reduce acid reflux. I wish had that in mind during the holidays! My eating has been fast and frequent. There is no doubt that a few pounds have crept under my belt.

While I’m not eating sweets, it certainly doesn’t feel like my overall consumption is under control. More to come…

Posted in My Personal Journal on 01/05/06

I made it through Christmas!

December 28, 2005

I didn’t eat the Oreo cookies (2 extra large bags) sitting on the top of the refrigerator. I didn’t eat the Tasty Cakes. I didn’t eat cheesecake or apple pie. I refused the offers of ice cream and what’s more is I didn’t eat the ice cream cake, the kind with chocolate on top and vanilla on the bottom with chocolate crunchies and chocolate syrup in the middle.

The other night I seriously considered binging on the bag of Oreos with milk. But I didn’t. Instead I ate cheese and apples. Tasty apples really make the world of difference.

Posted in My Personal Journal on 12/28/05

Everyone is Sweet

December 25, 2005

Merry Christmas.

Since I’ve stopped being sweet it has become more and more obvious just how much people are sugar coated. Perhaps I’m hyper sensitive, but I’ve watched as parents give their kids cookies, candy, fast food, soda, and sugary cereals.

Adults are unknowing addicts too. The office from last week had a free soda machine and employees drank from it daily. They shared cookies and sweets and sat behind their desks staring at computer screens all day long. Exercise was getting up and going to the printer, or asking questions of a coworker.

Meanwhile, I’ve been overeating. I can’t say no when someone offers me food and I’m astonished at how flavorful things taste. My stomach has been bloated for the past two weeks from my eating when I’m not hungry. The other night I had a strange craving for sweets, but only in my mouth. I wasn’t hungry and I didn’t need energy. I’m getting tired of feeling like my belly is too full.

I hope your Holidays are going great. Consider a resolution for 2006.

Posted in My Personal Journal on 12/25/05

Happy Holidays!

December 24, 2005

During the past two weeks I worked on a contract position. Each day I’d bring my lunch with me to work. Each day there were cookies and sweets available but I didn’t eat any of them. In fact, it was easy.

Earlier tonight (Christmas Eve) I was on an airplane picking through the snack package that the flight assistant handed out. I skipped over the sugar cookies and ate two crackers. There was a package of granola. I opened it and shook a bit into my hand. I tasted it. It was super sweet and I threw the rest back into the package and was done.

The interesting thing was how sickly sweet the granola tasted. Of course it was laced with sugar of some kind, and contained bits of dried fruit coated in fine white. Gross.

Tomorrow is Christmas day and I’m certain I will not eat sweets. I don’t want to. Ideas of performing some kind of past holiday ritual have run through my head. I’ve imagined eating cookies from my favorite home-town bakery. I’ve imagined making cookies and eating them and writing about how it feels in this blog. I’ve even imagined doing so to make this blog more exciting. But I won’t be eating sweets, especially for the purpose of interest.

You cannot stop being sweet if you don’t want it. If not eating sweets sounds like a good idea, like something you “Could” see yourself doing, then you’ll never stick with it. Many people have written to me and said they want to quit but they don’t want to give up their trigger foods or their beloved favorite daily sugar addiction. That’s the first step.

Part of my purpose in quitting was to show you that eating healthier is possible if you want to be healthy. For those of you who have tried, and feel as if you failed (because you had a little snack or are full out binging again) keep in mind that if at first you don’t succeed…

New Year’s eve is one week away. What a great day to start anew.

Posted in My Personal Journal on 12/24/05

Treat? Or Trick?

December 17, 2005

This past week I began an intense project which will last until the end of the year.

On Friday one of the women in the office came to the door and invited my colleagues and I to help ourselves to some “treats” that were on the table in the next room. When I walked to the copier peanut butter Christmas cookies with Hershey’s chocolate kisses on top, oatmeal cookies, and slices of (my trigger food) chocolate chip banana bread leapt up and tried to jump into my mouth!

The thoughts ran through my head but I didn’t eat any of them. Each day I’ve brought plenty of healthy and sugar free foods to snack on so that I remain full. Had I been hungry when those “treats” were presented I might have caved.

The most interesting thing about the whole event was that I noticed something about sweets. The girls in the office were clamoring around the table. Despite the fact that there was a larger portion of cookies in the break area, we were only informed when everyone else had their fill.

The snacks were called “treats”—as if cookies are rare and hard to come by.

Friday is dress down day at the office and it is also common that there’s some kind of “treat” (including being able to wear jeans, oh!) for the staff. Little bowls of candy rest on people’s desks and one lady in particular has offered her candy bowl to everyone who passes.

Sharing sweets is a common social event signifying the end of the work week. Sugar is the reward for a hard earned paycheck. A plate full of cookies reduced everyone to yappy children for having “done good” and they ate it up—quite literally.

Imagine if the treats were cigarettes.

Imagine if the treats were cans of soda.

Imagine if the treats were nice sandwiches.

Imagine if the treat was a bonus.

Posted in My Personal Journal on 12/17/05

About David

I realized I had a sugar problem back in 2003 after a weekend-long binge on raw chocolate chip cookie dough and chocolate covered pretzels. As a result, I began trying to quit sugar but kept failing. Finally, I figured out a way to stay off sweet junk food for good. Read more.