Sugar, You Are No Longer Invited to My Party
For years, I was chasing control—over my body, my food, my life—through every diet, every plan, every “perfect” meal. And yet I felt stuck, exhausted, and powerless. Little did I know, true freedom was waiting for me…and it wasn’t about food at all.
My life looked delicious: pasta with homemade sauce, warm breadsticks, dessert…always dessert. But then I had to contend with the aftermath—bloating, thick middle, fatigue, frustration, achy joints. I tried to learn everything I could about nutrition, how to enjoy food but stay slender. But even at my “goal weight,” I was on a hamster wheel—working hard, eating all the things, losing and gaining the same 5-15 pounds.
Then came January 2017. I tried Whole30. It made sense. I liked how it felt. I liked planning my meals—but I still couldn’t find peace. Then my cousin told me about Dr. Susan Peirce Thompson and Bright Line Eating. For two weeks I went into research mode, literally consuming everything I could from Dr. Susan. I understood everything she said but I sure as heck did not want it to apply to me.
Susan taught me:
I rank 10/10 on susceptibility for food addiction.
Sugar is my drug.
This was devastating to me. Remember, I wanted to live and eat fun foods. Eating fun food has always ranked super high on my To Do List.
So when I tell people I became a wellness coach, it’s not because I’ve “figured it out.” It’s much deeper than that—I’ve been delivered from that cycle, and I want to help women find the same kind of freedom I found—freedom for their bodies, their minds, and their hearts.
In this post, I share a bit more of that inner journey (taken from old journals and posts) for those who want freedom too. So if that is you, keep reading.
The Day Sugar Took Over
March 2017 brought a wake-up call. My son’s 17th birthday. I was in the kitchen, making all his favorite foods, including his requested birthday treat: a strawberry pretzel dessert. I knew I’d eat it—I even used gluten-free pretzels so I could. I bet you could write the rest of this story: I had one little itty bite of the crust. Then the saltiness of the crust just begged for a little sugary goodness. So I had one bite and it turned into ten.
I stood by the counter and I could literally feel the dopamine fireworks. They were cascading all over my brain, and it felt fantastic.
I didn’t want to stop.
I am not sure when I realized,
I.couldn’t.stop.
I felt weird but oddly defensive about it. Like if you came into my life at that moment and tried to reason with me, it would be like trying to take a piece of candy from a toddler. (Cue the screams and kicking fits.)
This is from a blog post from 2017:
This morning, I woke up at 5 a.m. and let everything come together—the lessons I’d learned from Dr. Susan, my own life experiences, and, most importantly, the events of yesterday’s food fest and crash.
And in that quiet moment, I finally admitted it to myself: I am truly a sugar addict.
It’s interesting because now that I admit it, I can work on it. The first step towards freedom is admission, right?
I am grateful for yesterday because for the first time in my adult life, I truly understand, on every level, that I cannot eat sugar or grains. They mess with my brain and cause things to happen that are better left not happening.
Since I value being in control, I am making, as Susan has directed me, a Bright Line.
I am not going to eat sugar or grains. I am not worrying about tomorrow. For today, I am not going to eat sugar or grains.
I love what Susan has taught me about will power. I can fight the urge to eat sugar and grains, or I can just draw the bright line and say,
Those Are Not My Foods.
Those are not my foods. They are Delilah Foods, meaning they look good but bring death.
Some of you reading this will think that the dementia has started early.
Others of you will say, “I am your sister.” And you will understand every.single.word.
Both groups are my people. I just like the second group better.
So today, a new Journey Begins. I won't write about it like a crazy person, but because this is my blog, I felt the need to share my guts.
No self-sabotage. I will take care of myself. I will nourish myself with plenty of water. I will take breaks to breath. I will write. I will stretch. I will eat only the foods on my plan. And I will put an X on my calendar tonight when I eat only the foods on my plan.
Most importantly, I will stay connected with the people that have walked this road.
I want to get to a place called I Love to Create Amazing Meals that Truly Nourish and My Family Loves. I know it exists. I have seen postcards.
But that journey is for another day. For today, I will work on myself. I am worth it.
Oh people, reading through that makes me want to weep. I want to go back to that girl, to my 2017 self, and say, “Hold on, honey. The freedom train is coming. And it will pick you up soon…” But before that happened, I needed several more shifts to occur:
How I Changed My Identity Around Food
A few months later, June 2017, Dr. Susan taught me something that stuck. Instead of trying to say no to sugar, I needed to: Change my identity around sugar.
If someone offered me a cigarette, I’d easily say, “No thank you, I don’t smoke.”
Not, “Oh, I wish I could, but I’m trying to be good today.”
I’m simply a non-smoker.
So why not take that same approach with sugar?
When I decided to remove processed sugar from my life, Susan encouraged me to identify as a non-sugar consumer and actually say out loud, “I don’t eat sugar.”
Sometimes I just say it in my head. Like the time I stood in front of a table with sixteen different desserts—some even gluten-free. I could have grabbed one, but it was a non-issue. I looked at the table and thought, I don’t eat sugar.
It wasn’t deprivation. It was identity.
Isn’t this cool?
I was no longer the woman “trying to be good.” I was a non-smoker of sweets.
The Turning Point
That identity shift was powerful—but the deeper, most pivotal, long-lasting, amazing change came in 2018, when I had a reversion into my Catholic faith.
I call it a reversion because it was not a conversion. I was already a card-carrying Catholic. I was living out my faith. I was doing the things often and well. But somehow I had sort of missed the first part of the Gospel Message, that part that says, “I have come to claim you and you are my beloved one.” I sort of thought I had to work my way in—or at least bargain/earn/beg my way.
My whole world shifted. It was miraculous. And I mean that sincerely. I walked around smiling, happy down to my toes. Read more about that in this post: My New Conversion.
Knowing who I am in Christ changed everything. Stepping into that identity (see how he prepared me with the sugar identity moment? Such a tender God…) meant I no longer had to white-knuckle my way through willpower or performance in life. My eating choices flowed out from who I was eternally: I was His favorite. He told me and I believed him.
That’s true liberation. And yes, that understanding still brings me to tears. Grateful. Grateful. Grateful.
Where I Am Now
Today, I’m a wellness coach, and I get to help women discover the same kind of freedom I found. Through my company, The FASTer Way to Fat Loss—yes, named that because intermittent fasting is a foundational part of our approach—we offer meal plans that are gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free. Exactly what your brain and body need for true food freedom.
I am living this postcard life: I Create Amazing Meals that Truly Nourish and My Family Loves. And yes, I do have “sweet treats”, but they are not full of processed sugar. Rather, my treats are things like dates and almonds or an “ice cream” made in my Ninja Creami.
But friends, it’s about so much more than food. We dive into faith, identity, and the deeper truths that hold it all together. Because when you live from who you truly are, everything changes. And yes—you are pretty wonderful.
If this kind of transformation speaks to you, I’d love to invite you to our 21-Day Reset, starting Monday, October 13, 2025. This isn’t just another program—it’s your first step toward freedom, strength, and joy.
Prefer watching over reading? I made a short video on this topic: 👉 Food Freedom Starts Here.