Hi Fiona,

I think those experiences where we eat sugary stuff and get the consequences, especially later on in the steps where it's clear that's what they are from, are so valuable. I got to a point on step 6 where I'd look at a picture of cake or cookies and be unable to see it as just the flavor--it's a whole package that includes unstable moods, bad temper, dark voice in my head, addiction. There is no such thing for me as a simple brownie or candy bar-it has a reaction included. Of course, there's always program friendly substitutions for any sweet food I ever wanted. The black bean sugarless brownies were something I made a few times and enjoyed.

And it gets easier to make a non issue of your special body's needs, at family gatherings and restaurants. Soon all the uncomfortable energy on your part will be gone and people react with no energy either. The only thing I ever get now is curiosity and interest.

Good job noticing and keeping up your program!

JoEllen

: Fiona, I love reading about your
: progress and how you are learning
: to handle different situations.
: Your posts also show that progress
: isn't always linear - sometimes
: there's a step backward but then
: you learn from it and keep moving
: forward. It's really inspiring to
: read and a great example of what
: doing the program is all about.
: Allison