Following on the wide variety of weight-loss tips and advice I'm getting from my readers, one common thread seems to be the need to "cut out all sweets and sugar".
And my gut reaction whenever I read that (because it's not the first time I've come across that advice)? PANIC. Sheer panic. I can't contemplate the thought. Addicted? Oh, you bet. I've known that for years. And before you all start telling me how much I would benefit from going to Overeaters Anonymous, here's the thing: do I want to live the kind of life that is all about denying and restricting? That seems like such a negative energy to live with. I absolutely do NOT want to continue to live in fear of food! I am now living in a culture that is ALL about what I consider to be a VERY healthy relationship with food. The French, they adore their food, and they have learned for the most part to enjoy what they want, in moderation. I like this concept a lot because it seems much more balanced than the all-or-nothing approach we Americans seem to take to weight loss.
Isn't there a happy medium somewhere with regard to sweets? Do all of you who have ever successfully lost a significant amount of weight, do you REALLY just never eat sweets again? I mean, SERIOUSLY?
So the question I ask myself, the question where I have yet to come up with an answer, is this: why does the idea of "no sugar" worry me so much? What's up with that? If there are any shrinks in the audience, I'd be most curious about your 2 centimes on that one.
