Y’all I have a confession to make. I have a major sweet tooth. I am always lookin for something sweet after a meal, and anywhere in between. A lil chocolate here, a baked good there, and the next thing you know, you basically need a dealer for sugar. I found myself almost being held prisoner to this need for something sweet all the time. One day I decided enough was enough and thus the no sweets challenge was born.

I love a good challenge, and I figured this would be the perfect way to start cutting sugar out of my lifestyle. The first one I did was in November last year, and it lasted ten days. The second one I did was in the beginning of December and that time it was for two weeks. I found that it really helped me become cognizant of just how much sugar I was really consuming. Not only how much I was consuming, but how mindlessly I was consuming it.

One day I was leaving work, and there was a box of cookies sitting on the break room table. As I was walking by I grabbed the box and went for a cookie. I stood there holding the box in midair and realized that I wasn’t even hungry or wanting something sweet, I just grabbed it because it was there. My craving for something sweet had surpassed being a physical craving, it had become a habit. It seems silly but it was actually a pretty powerful moment for me. I wasn’t listening to my body any more, I was telling myself that I wanted it.

The no sweets challenge serves a greater purpose than just giving myself a break from sweets. It exposes the root of a greater problem. Basically, I was talking myself into eating something, even when I didn’t want it. There are always plenty of reasons why you can you eat something you shouldn’t be eating (or engaging in a behavior you are trying to cut back on) like holidays, birthdays, pressure from friends or family to have a bite of something because one bite wont kill you. And this time I am hosting the no sweets challenge over a “holiday”.

The no sweets challenge for this month will take place for three weeks, and will start January 25th and end February 15th. Valentines day happens to be the day before the challenge ends, and this is very intentional. I want to get away from making something like Valentines day all about an opportunity to have as much candy or chocolate as I want. So, is a sweet tooth something you struggle with? Then join me on this challenge!

You can sign up for the challenge below! I’ll be checking in with you on Instagram stories too, so be on the look out!

Click here for the No Sweets Challenge Sign Up!