Quick intro if this is the first post you are seeing on this subject
I'm writing about my year before I turn 50, which happens in June, 2020. I was inspired to make my own “bucket list” which was more about personal development and decluttering than adventure and scary things. If you'd like to read other past posts, they are all on a list here: (just click the link and you'll be taken to the page) https://rebeccatervo.com/my-journey-to-turning-50/
This first month I've chosen to work on the following things off my list:
BOOK: “The Year of Less” by Cait Flanders
HABIT: Release Sugar from my regular diet
DECLUTTER: Clothing and Office
HABIT UPDATE:
Today is day 14 without sugar and day 43 without flour (except for planned exceptions).
As I wrote in last week's post, releasing flour from my diet didn't feel that hard at all. Of course, I think the reason for that was that I was able to eat as many peanut butter cups as I wanted!
This past couple weeks without peanut butter cups has been a new ballgame.
I've always had a struggle with chocolate. My favorites are anything with peanut butter and chocolate together.
I've used these kinds of “treats” as entertainment. Many times when I'm feeling bored, I like to find an excuse to take a ride to Target and walk down the candy aisle. Sometimes, the whole bag of candy would be gone before I got back home.
When I started on this 50th year journey, I wanted to really start to honor and take care of my body. There are probably very few who would agree that eating a bag of chocolate every day is remotely healthy in any way.
I'm considering this an experiment. What happens when I go mostly (96% of my food) without sugar and flour? How many of those annoying problems I have with my body or my skin or my digestive system will be solved? I'm just curious and paying attention to it all.
So far, I had several days of headaches last week when I totally stopped cold turkey.
Then I noticed the desire come up to stop at the store and buy candy every time I was driving around.
I know this is totally a learned behavior. Whenever my brain desired candy in the past, I rewarded it with candy. I built that desire up so much over the years, that my brain has a superhighway between the desire and the reward.
I've been practicing this new thought when the desire comes up.
“Yes, I used to be the person who bought bags of candy all the time. I don't do that anymore.”
This thought has been serving me well right now. I haven't given into any urges to buy bags of candy at all in the last 14 days.
The TWO Weddings
In these past 2 weeks, I've had 2 weddings to go to. At the first one, there was a taco bar and chips and fruit salad with doughnuts and wedding cake. I'm not a doughnut fan, and most wedding cakes are not my favorite dessert. I had no issues sticking with the taco bar and fruit.
Yesterday, the wedding food was a little bit trickier for no sugar/no flour. But there was still PLENTY to eat! One thing I would've eaten in the past was whatever they were offering as “pre-dinner goodies”. Yesterday I didn't partake in any of the Laffy Taffy and bowls of snack foods. That was the first time I reminded my brain that I don't eat that anymore.
Then we went through the food line. There was pasta and rolls for the meat that didn't fit in my plan. I skipped those and happily had fruit salad, raw veggies, an italian veggie type of salad tossed with italian dressing, baked chicken and some deli meat and cheese.
Then there was the cake and cupcakes in the corner. Initially, I had thought I wouldn't have any. But then, as the champagne and wine (I don't drink alcohol ever anyway) were being poured for the toast, I decided I would allow myself a cupcake if one of the flavors was something I really wanted to have.
There were 6 flavors. Up until the time of the cake cutting, I fully thought about my choice to right now decide to make an unplanned exception. I wondered if this would put me on the wrong path and lead me back to eating a bunch of sugar again.
I decided that I would not, under any circumstance, take my eating a cupcake as an excuse for going out to buy candy. And, I decided to eat the lemon raspberry cupcake. It was really yummy! And, I felt fully satisfied and didn't even entertain the option of getting another one.
I am aware that not planning an exception 24 hours in advance can become a slippery slope. I am determined to be mindful of when I really want to have an exception. But, for now, I feel OK that I ate the cupcake, and don't feel a need to run out and buy candy.
DECLUTTERING
My 2 places to declutter in this month were my clothes and my office stuff. I got all of that done in one day! I talked about the clothing in my last blog post.
Today, I'll talk a little about my office.
My niece, Anna, came to stay with us for 5 weeks in April/May. During that time, I cleared out my office so she could use it as her bedroom.
Here's what that office currently looks like:
I'm taking the opportunity to redecorate before moving my stuff back in. Last weekend, I did a big organization/declutter of my business paperwork. Here is the stack of papers that were all over my current desk area. I took them all into the kitchen in a big pile and just sorted through everything. I ended up throwing about 1/2 that stack away, and then filed the rest.
My current office area is in the loft above our living room. It feels much more organized and spacious at the moment.
My new standing electronic desk is arriving this week! YAY! I'm so excited to move back into my office where I can close the door and feel like there's privacy.
I'm so happy I am well on my way in the habit of the month as well as done with the decluttering. My months end in Mid month, so I feel ahead of the game for this first month of my 50th year!
Kendra (my 20 year old daughter) is coming home from Columbia, SC (where she's a student as USC) for the week, so I'm looking forward to taking some time away from my business and the decluttering work and spending the 4th of July holiday with her and my family.
IF we ever find beach weather this week, that's where I'll be, finishing up the book of the month “The Year of Less”.
Until next week….