December, unsweetened, No. 10

12/14: Pretty sweet deal!

This blog chronicles the author's attempt to endure the month of December, 2019, without eating sugary foods or drinks.

This is going to be a problem.

I like Panera Bread shops, especially the one near my apartment. I like the ambience. I like that I can order online, from any table in the place and have my meal delivered to my table. I like the people, who always seem well trained and very pleasant.

Paneras have become, to me, what Howard Johnson's were to my parents—a go-to restaurant. I'm a card-carrying Panera Rewards member. So, I flinched a little when I heard the local shop was going to be renovated inside and expanded to include a drive-thru lane outside. I've always had an if-it-ain't-broke-don't-fix-it attitude.

That, however, turned out not to be a problem.

It has been a couple weeks, now, since the renovations were completed and I'm fine with the changes. Yesterday, though, I received a flyer in the mail. It announced the new remodel and encouraged me to check it out.

As an incentive, two coupons were included on the flyer, one of which was (gulp) for a free pastry or sweet with any purchase. My mind leaped to thoughts of Panera's Chocolate Chipper cookies, which are often available warm, from the oven. When I get one, I'll often sit and inhale the aroma for a minute or two before taking a bite.

The problem, of course, is that each cookie contains 30g of sugar. Having no idea what a gram looks like, I used an online calculator to convert them to something I could better visualize. As it turns out, 30 grams is equal to two tablespoons, which, I had to admit, surely qualified it as the kind of sugary food I'm trying to avoid.

For better or for worse, the coupons expire Jan. 31, 2020, four full weeks after my commitment to avoid sweet treats expires (Jan. 2, 2020). The question is whether I'm going to want to start avoiding desserts and candies after my period of denial is over, or if I'll rush back to the sweet, welcoming embrace of sugar.

The truth is, I'm going to have to feel a helluva lot better, by the start of the new year, to convince me not to redeem that Panera coupon.