When was the last time you consumed industrial crack? By industrial crack, I mean the most addictive stuff that’s in damn near everything we consume. I’m of course talking about the little white devil. Sugar, this sweet little crystal has started to put this great country into an unbreakable rear-naked choke hold. We are suffocating in the greatest addiction known to man, and this stuff is literally everywhere you look.
I planned to break the shackles that sugar has had me locked in for so long. A few weeks ago, I decided to give it up. I quit cold turkey. I needed to rid myself of this addiction to take back control over my mind, body and soul.
Looking back on my life, I can see how this addiction got so far rooted. Whatever money I made was spent at the local gas station. There I would splurge on candy and soda. Dumping out the money I had earned to indulge in the mouth puckering sour candies while I washed it all down with the sweetest soda known to man. I spent most of the time with canker sores for all the sour candy I consumed. The sour candy never left my side, but I threw out the soda for high sugar energy drinks.
The first day without sugar was hell. One hour didn’t go by without thinking about just saying fuck the whole challenge bullshit and grabbing a massive Rockstar and five-pound bag of Sour patch kids and stuffing my face till I felt like dying. It’s all I could think about. Nothing mattered I needed my fix. I couldn’t bear even looking at a gas station without the urge. Driving to and from work was torture. The first day I consumed nearly a gallon of water and engulfed a metric ton of meat and veggies to make sure I was full. My cravings for candy was the easiest part.
The craving for sugary drinks still rages on. Everywhere I go there’s either a soda or an energy drink staring me into my soul. I know that even one little drop will be giving into the instant gratification the sugary bullshit gives you. I’d rather wait for the triumph of beating this addictions ass. I’ve found that carbonated water drinks and tea have been the cheat codes.
Sugar had a secret weapon waiting for me. Withdraw headaches, I didn’t see them coming. They trampled my melon for the first ten days. They were constant and seemed like they would never back down. This is how I completely knew I was winning. My body made me think I needed the sugar, but I refused to give it want it wanted. My body was throwing a tantrum. Aspirin was the only thing to dull this pain.
This war is nowhere near done, but at this point it’s all a mental game. There are no more hardcore cravings. No more withdraw headaches to complain about. The fight now is within my mind and the clock. After this challenge is finished, I will have defeated my deepest addiction I’ve ever had and the main thing I’ve learned is that beating the addiction is easy if you convince yourself it’s easy.
Carl
Twitter @HeavyMetalCJ
Instagram @HeavyMetalCJ
I have been avoiding sugar for years, occasionally giving back into it, gaining weight and feeling like again. I kicked for good about 6 months ago and I’ve never felt or looked better. It’s well worth the struggle.