Changing my relationship with.....

Chocolate!  That's right, I'm working on changing my relationship with chocolate.

It's been a rather interesting venture.  I gave chocolate up for Lent.  I guess that would have been about 6 weeks ago.  At first it was hard.  I would open the cupboard to eat something and see something with chocolate in it and cringe.  I didn't realize how many things I ate had chocolate in them.....granola bars, brownies, candy, cereal, ice cream, desserts, etc.

For the first 2 weeks, I craved chocolate.  Then, I got used to my new eating patterns.  I started to find new foods to eat that didn't have chocolate in them.  I was controlling my cravings and it felt good.  By the end of Lent I was looking forward to eating chocolate again but wondering how much I would eat.  It was very interesting to me that I wasn't constantly craving chocolate.  I thought it would be the hardest thing to conquer but it wasn't.

This has all made me think.  If I can stop eating something that I have used as a pleasure and comfort food for so long, then I can stop eating anything.  Should I go back to eating chocolate?  Of course.  One of the reasons that I love doing the WW plan is that there is nothing forbidden.  I don't have to give up dessert, sugar, carbs or chocolate.  I just teach myself to eat those things in moderation.

Moderation is the hard part for me when it comes to chocolate.  Of course on Easter Sunday my house was flowing with chocolate.....chocolate bunnies, chocolate eggs, chocolate cake with chocolate icing, chocolate cheesecake.  For a house that saw only a little chocolate for 6 weeks, this was overload.  I ate some and then more.  I gradually realized that it eating it wasn't filling that chocolate void that I thought I had.  I am now realizing that I can eat chocolate but don't need to eat it regularly.....especially since it has always been a trigger food for me.  It triggers me to eat more of it and anything else too.

Now that I have had a chance to assess the situation for a couple of days I am starting a new relationship with chocolate.  The reason that I gave up chocolate to begin with was to strengthen my relationship with God.  I realized that I could think of God instead of chocolate when I was tempted.  Now I can continue forward with a stronger relationship with God and weaker relationship with chocolate.  It just shouldn't be that important.  Many of the chocolate options that I chose to eat these past 2 days weren't even worth it.

I am going to focus my chocolate energies on something else more productive in my life.  Right now I am focusing a lot of my extra energy on preparing for our Homeschool Conference coming up.  I have never been a speaker at a Homeschool Conference and this year I will be speaking.  I'm excited and of course nervous.  If any of my blog readers is interested in going to a Homeschool Conference I will include the details at the end of this blog.  You do not need to be homeschooler to attend.

Is there anything in your life that you need to change your relationship with?  Maybe it will give you something healthy to focus your energies on.

I'll keep you posted on my progress.  Somehow I know it wont be as easy now that Lent is over but I will continue to keep God in the picture and it will be so much easier.

I hope you are all doing well.  Comment below to tell me how you are and what you are working on in your journey

Happy Easter!
Corinna


“Celebrate the Faith!” Catholic Homeschool Conference & Vendor Fair, Friday &
Saturday,  April 27 & 28, at the Tommy G. Thompson Youth Center on State Fair
Grounds. Nationally known speakers, dozens of great vendors. Mass on Saturday,
8:00 a.m.; Bishop Donald J. Hying, celebrant. Register at
www.gmcheconference.com by 4/12 for early-bird prices. Priests and religious
attend free.  All families welcome!

"Then Peter began to speak to them: 'I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.  You know the message he sent to Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ - he is Lord of all.  That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced:how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him." -Acts 10:34-38