Reflections on 10 Days of No Sugar & Alcohol

Last week I shared that I felt God leading me to give up sugar and alcohol for 365 days, starting on my 41st birthday. You can read about that decision here!

Thank God for brave women who take my passion and meet me there!

Melissa, you know who you are! Melissa sent me a message on FB, and said she wanted to join me for 365 of no sugar and alcohol. We began texting one another with scripture and check ins each day to hold each other accountable!

I don’t believe in accidents. I believe God meets us where we are on our knees in front of Him and gives us what we need!

Faith Reflections

I think the beginning of any commitment is the easy part. Excitement is high. Conviction is strong. That fresh feeling of needing to do something trumps any struggle or doubt.

I know you know what I mean. You’ve committed to a diet, giving up that stronghold for ____ days and you feel capable of ANYTHING!

Well, that’s not how this felt.

There was no high. No surge of “I can do this!”

It was just a simple, confident step into what I know will be 365 days of growing closer to Jesus.

I don’t share that to say this will be easy or to sound super spiritual… I say that to portray how CLEARLY God laid this decision on my heart. I have no doubt that this is from Him.

Will it get hard? I’m sure.

Will I struggle? Most definitely.

But am I confident this is the road I’m supposed to walk? Without a doubt.

How My Body Responded

I started my period 7 days into this fast. I have spent a lot of 2021 cleaning up my diet and aiming to heal my gut. And that has helped my PMDD tremendously!

But I was still SHOCKED at how silently my period came and went during these first 10 days.

No mood swings.
No feelings of loneliness.
No fraudy feelings.

I am in AWE of how God designed food to fuel our bodies well!

Public Perception of My Decision

On day 2 of this fast, Henry and I left for a youth retreat in the mountains. It was an entire weekend of being with our youth group, fellowship, and traveling to DollyWood in Pigeon Forge, TN. It was a wonderful weekend and so much beautiful time with the Lord and our church family.

Even with my seven years of coaching and eating healthy under my belt, I was surprised at how many times I had to say, “I am not eating sugar” and how many times people looked at me like I had two heads. Not only that, but once people KNEW I was committed to no sugar (obviously, no alcohol on this youth weekend), they avoided me at meal times or jokingly hid their plates from me over and over! I was in NO WAY offended or hurt, but it did make me heavy hearted for the shame associated with food.

My intention is NOT to shame anyone into eating the way I do. I am passionate about EDUCATING women on the effects food has on our bodies, our gut and our hormones. But in NO WAY is my intention to make others feel bad about what they eat.

Sugar is such a prevalent NORM in our society today. It’s in our coffee, our drinks, our breakfast, our snacks, and especially the desserts we consume like our life depends on it… (I say “we” because I am part of society, yet trying to break free!) I just want women to know how GOOD WE CAN FEEL WITHOUT IT!

I’ve caved to social pressure to eat or drink what eveyrone else was, but I knew that I didn’t have that option anymore. It was an oddly peaceful and confident place to stand as I said “No, thank you” again and again.

(I’ll share more about the food I’m eating next week!)

Satan Knows When You Surrender

But there was also conflict. I was faced with a bombardment of new challenges I didn’t expect in other areas of my life as I entered this fast.

Isn’t Satan crafty like that? Go ALL IN in one area, and he hits you in NEW ways you don’t expect.

I won’t go into detail, but know that new, unforeseen struggles in my faith and heart came at me hard. Yet, I was ready. My heart was in a place of surrender before the Lord, and it made it easier to handle this conflict in my heart!

STAND DOWN Slew Foot… I’m hip to your game!

My Prayer Journal

I started a prayer journal on Day 1 to record a scripture verse each day and a reflection at the end of each day. My experience is that if I don’t arm myself with God’s word each day to fight the battle, I won’t end strong. As well, if I do not REFLECT on each day – the struggles, the wins, how God showed up – I won’t remember the victories and HOW God is carrying me. And to be clear, it’s ALL Him!

• He placed this goal on my heart.
• He gives me the strength to carry on each day.
• He provides the clarity when I need to remember WHY I’m committed to this journey.

There will be some things I feel led to share here and some things I know are just between myself and Him. This isn’t for show but to provide hope for some of you who need to know what you can do through Christ alone!

Looking Ahead

I believe it’s important to be EXPECTANT about what God can and will do when we turn over our lives to Him. Because of this, I want to share with you each week what I anticipate about this fast. It’s easy to look back and see God working, but I want to CLAIM the victory each week even before it happens!

Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

I am CLAIMING God’s victory in this area of my life in the week ahead with the knowledge that I will face NEW and UNIQUE temptations.

I am traveling to the beach for my annual team retreat, and social situations are my weakness. I love a glass of wine with my girlfriends. I love that special sweet treat while on vacation. It’s tempting to swing through a Starbucks and grab a quick flavored coffee (sweetened with syrup).

But I’m declaring I WILL STAND FIRM with Holy Spirit power instead of caving to my own desires.

Again, I do not think sugar or alcohol are “bad”. It does not bother me to be around people who are consuming them while I am not! This is just something God has called me to in my walk with Him.

Until next week!

Rach