Monday, January 18, 2016

A post about camping, and sugar....

Just back from a week camping - 7 nights on an airbed! Not for the faint hearted. But actually it was lovely and relaxing. The kids had complete breaks from their screens and rode their bikes around the campsite making friends. Mr D played cricket with them and read books and played his guitar and swam and went running, and I read books, swam in the sea, pottered around our campsite (because pottering around my 'home' is what I love to do best, I am very much a housewife!) and generally we all had a nice break away from our house. We played lots of board games and card games too.

I didn't have a complete break from the screen because I never take a break from running Living Sober. I had my iPad and checked in a couple of times a day - keeping an eye on the Members Feed (our scrolling real-time communication space) and answering emails from people who were having trouble registering. The site is still very busy and humming along nicely - such a warm, kind and supportive community.

I didn't miss drinking while we were camping. Mr D had the odd beer but not much. We had some friends join us for a few nights and they're hardly boozers either. Most nights we all went to bed (kids included) when the sun went down which was around 9.30-10pm. I wondered whether if I was still boozing I'd be more likely to sit up having 'adult' time drinking wine and chatting? Quite possibly. But I'm not sad I don't do that any more. I am very content with my sober life.

Lovely waking up in the morning with the birds chirping, the sound of the sea nearby and the odd person wandering around the campsite. I'd light our portable stove, boil the jug and make myself a mug of green tea - sit in a deckchair and contemplate the surroundings.

I'll admit I did have some guilt over my chocolate consumption while away - which came hot on the heels of my piggy Christmas period at home - so now I am on a juice fast.

Who am I kidding I'm not on a juice fast. I could never do a juice fast. I tried the 5:2 diet once and it didn't work for me AT ALL (the days I fasted were hell and the other days I just pigged out even more than usual).

Sometimes I feel like a complete failure as a person because I can't get on top of my food (particularly sugar) and wouldn't it be good if I could be as good an advocate for a sugar-free lifestyle as I am for a booze-free lifestyle? But fuck me I just can't get on top of it for any considerable length of time. I'm all or nothing. Off the sugar completely for a while or just on it like a madwoman.

At least I can draw some comfort in knowing I'm not alone in this - seems to me like loads of people also battle with sugar. I read an article with Marian Keyes in a women's mag while camping and it could have been written by me - I could SO relate. Here's a snippet "I’m an all-or-nothing person. There’s no such thing as ‘just the one’; I’m a binger, so sugar and I can never ‘just be friends’."

I hear you Marian, I hear you.

Anyhoo, I've no choice but to forge ahead reminding myself constantly how brave and amazing I am for not drinking alcohol ever, I'll try to make myself lots of lovely green juices, I'll dig deep to resist sugar cravings knowing that after 3 days they are greatly reduced (and will have to remember not to dip my toe in again!), and life will go on. Yes it will and it's ok really.

Really, it's ok.

Love, Mrs D xxx


7 comments:

  1. Mrs D - what a great photo, I love it. That's camping to a "t" for me. I'm from the UK but spent a few glorious weeks camping in NZ about 10 years ago; your campsites over there are fab. Anyway - re: the sugar- I'm only on day 18 of being AF but my sugar consumption has skyrocketed. But just being sober is so, so good, and your achievement is so awesome, maybe we can just forgive ourselves the sweet stuff..? Red xx (Redrecovers.wordpress)

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  2. Just read your post, co-incidentally after eating 3 brownies after dinner tonight. I too am battling sugar, and not winning. I was going to throw the brownies away today, as it's garbage day, but I couldn't bring myself to do it, and as long as I know they're in the house, I'm toast. Oh well, at least I'm sober, and in good company. Thanks for the post.

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  3. Dear Mrs. D,
    I went on a 3 day juice fast and only lasted one day!
    I was starving!
    Now, I just eat mostly nutritious food, but some days are better than others.
    I just love that you are sober and showing us contentment!
    xo
    Wendy

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  4. Your camping trip sounds wonderful. And I really love this picture of you! What a difference, when you think back to how you described yourself when you started this blog to the you in this picture! I love how peaceful and happy you are here. xo

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  5. I love your blog! Been watching quietly for a while now. Thank you!

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  6. Mrs D, please consider checking out Weight loss Apocolypse on Youtube. Her recent videos are really eye opening. You are not addicted to sugar. There is a different answer and it's not what you think.

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  7. I read your article with interest as I also love camping and am trying to cut out sugar. It seems like the most difficult thing to cut out of your diet as its in everything. However if you stick with it you will see many health benefits such as better concentration and more energy.

    Andrea Wilkins @ Getaway Outdoors

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