Seven years ago, I made the decision to stop drinking. Giving up alcohol wasn’t easy, but once I got there, it stuck. The road to that choice was filled with bargaining—I’ll just drink on weekends. I’ll only drink beer. Spoiler alert: that never worked for me. But once I realized that alcohol didn’t serve me, I quit. And I’ve been sober ever since.

But addiction doesn’t disappear when you stop drinking. It often finds another home.

For me, it’s sugar.

For years, I barely gave sugar a second thought. Candy at the checkout? Easy to ignore. Candy at the airport? Never crossed my mind. But these days, sugar is a non-negotiable travel essential. Reese’s Pieces are my kryptonite. I tell myself I’ll just have a handful, but once I start, I can’t stop.

And I know it’s not good for me. I can feel it—physically, emotionally, spiritually. Over the past few years, I’ve gained 15 pounds, mostly around my middle. And while I know that weight doesn’t define my worth, I feel the shame. The sting of judgment when I see myself in the mirror, or when I compare myself to others—especially the lean, toned people I see at yoga or on TV.

I’m almost 50. I don’t need to look like a 20-year-old. But I do want to feel good in my body. I want to move freely, run easily, and swagger in my jeans.

In 2025, I’m approaching my health with a new mindset. This isn’t about a quick fix or chasing society’s version of beauty. It’s about playing the long game—building a healthy lifestyle that I feel good about, one step at a time.

Here’s what’s different this time:

1️⃣ No More Yo-Yo Diets

2️⃣ Small, Manageable Steps

3️⃣ Asking for Help

For years, I resisted the idea of surrender. I was raised to believe I was never powerless. But here’s the truth: I am powerless over sugar. It has control of me in a way that alcohol once did. And that’s hard to admit.

But this year, I’m asking for help—for the first time.

• “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” – Romans 7:15

• “With God, all things are possible.” – Matthew 19:26

I’ve turned to scripture, prayer, and a higher power. I’m asking for guidance to make self-honoring choices. And so far, it’s working.

This step—the first step in AA—is one I never fully understood until now. Surrender isn’t weakness. It’s strength. It’s saying, I can’t do this alone, but I don’t have to.

I’m also asking for your support. I know

that this journey isn’t something I can tackle in isolation. Sharing this struggle—my love affair with sugar, the shame, and the surrender—is a way of saying, I see you in your mess too. Because we all have something we’re wrestling with, don’t we?

Maybe for you, it’s not sugar. Maybe it’s alcohol, work, parenting, or the guilt of not being where you think you should be. Whatever it is, we don’t have to fight it alone.

So, here’s my ask: What are you wrestling with right now? How can this community support you? Let’s be a space where we bring our mess, where we find connection in sharing the parts we’re tempted to hide.

This is the magic in the mess—the moment when we name our struggles, ask for help, and discover that we’re not alone.

If sugar (or anything else) has been your Achilles’ heel, I invite you to join me in No Candy January. It’s not about perfection or shame. It’s about taking one small step toward self-honoring choices.

And if you slip? That’s okay. It’s about progress, not perfection.

Here’s to surrendering what no longer serves us and leaning into the magic of asking for help.

Asking for help isn’t easy. Surrender feels counterintuitive. But it’s where real growth begins. I’m discovering that I can’t do this alone—and I don’t have to.

Let’s wrestle with our mess together. Because this journey is better when we’re not walking it alone.

#MagicInTheMess #NoCandyJanuary #SugarAddiction #RecoveryJourney #SelfCare #LongGameHealth #SurrenderToWin #AskForHelp #ProgressNotPerfection