December, unsweetened, No. 1

12/1: Declaring my intentions

It happens every year. After stuffing myself like a turkey on Thanksgiving, I resolve to dramatically control my food intake throughout December. And fail. Pretty spectacularly. From December 1 until the last college football game is over on New Year's Day, I gain at least five pounds.

Then I conceal the evidence of my failure under sweatshirts and any other piece of clothing that drapes well over my waistline. When warm late-spring weather returns, without even trying, I seem to slowly drop my December add-on pounds and hold steady until the holidays roll around once again.

This December 1, I've decided to get serious about changing that scenario, which I've relived annually for the past four decades, or so. I've resolved to take on the greatest dietary challenge of my life. From December 1, 2019, until January 2, 2020, I vow not to consume anything that would be considered a sugary treat—cake, pie, cookies, ice cream, candy, hot chocolate.

Torture, right? December is the month when people are baking, serving and making gifts out of all sorts of such sweet delights. Forget sugarplums and figgy pudding. I'm pretty sure I've never attended a holiday party when either of those were offered.

But 'tis surely the season for more common Christmasy desserts, like sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, Russian tea cakes, pecan pie and a mug of hot chocolate with a candy cane hung over the rim. There are sugary temptations everywhere you turn.

My No. 1 sweet weakness, however, is stollen*, sliced, toasted and buttered. It's a traditional German Christmas bread made with raisins, almonds, citron, marzipan, eggs, butter, rum and ... did I mention sugar? I gained two pounds just listing the ingredients. Hey, you have a favorite holiday dessert of your own, don't you?

To help me resist such sweet seductions, my sweetheart, Holly, graciously Googled the benefits of limited sugar consumption. The list of potential health benefits—both physical and mental— is long, indeed. Easing up on the goodies apparently helps guard against many problems, from Alzheimer's to zits.

The most coveted benefit, of course, is weight control, which is also the most easily measured. So I stepped up on a scale this Sunday morning, Dec. 1, and will begin my not-so-sweet holidays at an even 159 pounds. To try to determine other possible benefits, I'll keep a daily journal and share it in this blog.

It remains to be seen if I'll be able to muster up the will power required to make it through this December, unsweetened. Holly, who is my greatest sugar enabler, has promised to support me by eliminating her usual dessert offerings. Other friends and acquaintances, unaware of my quest, will continue to generously offer me treats, which I'll gladly accept ... and put in the freezer until January.

Perhaps, when the new year begins, I'll be somewhere south of 159 pounds and, possibly, discover that life really can be sweeter without sugar.

*I'd never attempt to make a holiday stollen from scratch, but the best one I've ever had is made by the Cassis Bakery in Beverly, Mass.  They take mail orders.