This year, I chose to give up sweets for Lent. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a sweet tooth and cannot resist a bowl of froyo and a late night movie. However, with summer around the corner, I wanted to do something that would be a challenge and would help me work on my summer bod.

I wasn’t allowed to have ice cream, froyo, candy, cookies, cake, and essentially all baked goods. I went 45 days without sweets and here’s what happened as a result:

1. I lost weight

Apparently, cutting out sweets makes a difference in your diet. Who knew?

2. My skin cleared

Cutting out sweets cleared up my skin. Minimizing the amount of junk food in your diet makes a huge difference in your complexion. I highly recommend making changes in your diet if you are always breaking out.

3. I paid more attention to the things I did eat

When you cut out so many foods during the time of Valentine’s day, all your friend's birthdays, and work parties, you start to pay a lot of attention to what you do eat. I started counting calories and looking for healthy choices when it came to meal prep.

4. I had cravings

There were days when I was sad and all I wanted was a bowl of ice cream and a cheesy movie, but I didn’t want to cave when I had come so far.

5. I felt better

For once, I felt so much better about my body and about myself. I started to feel more confident knowing that I was making healthier choices and bettering my body.

6. I was motivated

When you start seeing results, you start to feel motivated to keep those results going. Who knew one decision would make such a difference?

The whole giving up sweets thing was a challenge, but it was definitely worth it and I would highly recommend trying it.