Every Friday I’ll indulge my order-crazed brain in a list of randomness. Welcome to my Friday Fives.

I’m closing in on Day 19 of my 30 Day No-Sugar Challenge. Amazing. Two-thirds of the way there! Thanks to those doing this challenge with me and those that text or call asking for updates. I appreciate all of the support. It certainly hasn’t been nearly as bad as I was feared, but it’s nice to know people have my back in this.

Here’s an update on how it’s going:

5. Hide and Seek

Sugar is hiding everywhere. Some days I feel like I’m eating a raw-foods diet because so many processed foods have sugar. Salad dressings..forget about it. Cereal…OMG. Yogurt…wow. I feel like it’s stalking me.

4. Steps for Success

I was pretty thoughtful before I started this to figure out ways to eliminate certain temptations, like Instagram. I stopped following half of my list since they were bakery owners, ice cream makers, {desserts} food bloggers. I didn’t want to look at all of that sugary goodness all day every day. But, the exception to this rule has been Pinterest. I still love browsing through it every few days and somehow the never-ending scrolling past treats doesn’t bother me. It even makes me feel better some days. Isn’t that strange?

3. P.E.

Like I mentioned after Week 1, physically I feel awesome. It’s been such a learning experience for me, these weeks. To see that I don’t have to be irritable when my blood sugar drops…that my blood sugar doesn’t have to drop…that I don’t have to eat snacks to have more energy. I feel stable and consistent. Not exactly the describers I was going for when this started, but definitely ones I’m happy to have and keep.

2. Emo

Somehow during stressful times, or wake-up early times, I’ve equated sugar to feeling good. I’ve convinced my mind and body that to keep up with work and schedules and, during the summer, long rehearsals and performances, I needed sugar to keep me going. Totally not true. I knew it then…that’s why I’m doing this…but it’s so much more apparent now that I’m in the thick of it. Sugar does not bring me reward, relief or rest. (This has been my new mantra.)

1. To Be Continued…

I’ll do another recap when this is all said and done, but at this point I’m not sure when that’ll be. I don’t think I’ll have a binge on Day 31. I do think I’ll have cereal again, though. But, maybe I’ll keep some parts of it going longer as I figure out what’s next. To process what I’ve learned and channel my energy into making healthier choices and feeling better. I haven’t quite figured out what that looks like yet, but that’s my goal for this week.