One week Sugar Free

So.

Last week I gave up processed sugar.  I didn't get crazed about it, but I tried really hard to avoid eating anything with processed sugar in it.

Day one - Sunday, I missed the boat by ordering a smoothie that had sorbet in it.  I'm pretty sure that meant processed sugar.

Day two - I missed again by eating cheerios.  I've now learned they've got sugar in them.

While I didn't keep close track, it's likely that I slipped up a little bit almost every day.

I had salad, with salad dressing -- upon review of the label, it had sugar.

I caved on a hungry day and put my bratwurst on a bun (sugar) and used catsup (more sugar).

I yielded to temptation while dining with a group and joined them all in a margarita.  While it's possible that the frozen raspberry margarita was made without any added sugar, I doubt it.  That night, I did resist the call of flan (sigh).  But I caved to the lure of 88% chocolate made with beet sugar. 

Looking back over the week, I'm pretty impressed with myself.

For a gal who drank 3-4 cups of cafe aul lait with sugar a day, and ate chocolate EVERY day, and ice cream most days, my record this past week is awfully good.  If we add in that I also regularly ate bread, bagels, salad dressing, cereal with some (not lots, but still some) sugar in it, flavored yogurt, and thus ate processed sugar all the time, I think my record looks even better.

I'm down to about 1/2 a bottle of water joe a day, and am not having any caffeine withdrawal symptoms either.  I did have coffee (a latte) on Saturday, but I used honey to sweeten it a little.

The result: except for right after dinner when I DO want a sweet, I'm not craving sugar.  I don't miss it much at all. That's not to say that if offered, I wouldn't want ice cream, but I'm not sitting around pining for it.  I'm just annoyed at how difficult it is to find things that have been prepared that don't have sugar in them (and how hard it is to eat in restaurants with any confidence that your food hasn't been sweetened for you -- did you know that they put sugar in French Fries??).

Additionally, I've lost a few pounds. 

As week two is under way, I'm enjoying plain yogurt with fresh blueberries on it -- and not needing to sweeten it with honey.  The yogurt you buy with fruit already there is too sweet.  Yay.  I'm enjoying oatmeal with milk -- no sugar.  Amazing.  All it took was taking a break from the sugar over-load that is part of life in America to discover that I all sorts of things taste pretty good without it.  Who knows, I might even make it to coffee without sweetener if I keep this up.

In a couple of days, I'll be celebrating my independence from the Cane along with our country's independence. 

 

 

Comments

[Marlita Hasbargen]

Good for you, Helen! It is a huge accomplishment!

[Angel]

How is that a sugar free week? How is that a win? If you actually cook, you won't be eating prepared store bought food that's full of sugar, chemicals and heaven knows what else.