Last night, I intentionally broke my diet. I binged on an 85% Lindt chocolate bar and a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Dairy Free Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream.
I’d been planning to have at least one binge during my “down time” while I recovered from hernia surgery. I thought about pizza, Mexican food and ice cream. But since cheese and dairy wreck me so much, I didn’t give in.
Well, now I am certain that chocolate, sugar and dairy free ice cream wreck me too.
Within minutes of my binge, my heart started racing. 4 hours later, it was still pounding so hard I could feel it in my eardrums. I had an upset stomach all night. I tossed and turned and could’t sleep. I’ve got a relentless pounding headache that started an hour after eating and has continued for more than 14 hours now.
What a bummer.
I thought that eating chocolate without dairy might be a way for me to enjoy an occasional binge.
I was wrong.
Back when I got sober, we had a saying about people who were reluctant to quit drinking (including ourselves). We said, “Keep drinking. Pain is a great motivator.”
Because we had all experienced it. Once the pain and consequences of drinking became too great, we were motivated to never drink again.
A day and a half of a nonstop headache is pretty painful.
And thus, I think last night was my final chocolate binge.