A year of no sugar. Again.

Well I tried this three years ago and then each year since I’ve made the big attempt to give up sugar completely. I have t been 100% successful at all but have made major strides in the right direction.

I don’t use any sugar in my coffee, tea, oatmeal, etc. I don’t drink soda or juice with the exception of orange juice (natural) maybe a few times a year. And I might have a diet soda a few times a year also…

I don’t like sweet drinks or food. My issue is mainly chocolate! If it’s available I will eat it. Or at least try it. Unless I’m being super strict which I try to be as much as possible. I let myself have treats on special occasions but I know when I’m starting to spiral hahaha.

It’s doesn’t bode well for Jack when I am “off” sugar because then our household is pretty sugar free. Except right now Jack has a giant bag full of Twix bars. Thanks Santa (LOL)….

I wish I didn’t just remember that.

Anyway…

me: Jack, guess what, the day after Christmas is going to kick off a month of no sugar. Just letting you know.

Jack: Didn’t you try that like three years ago?

me: Yes.

Jack: And last year?

me: Yessssss.

Jack: And you’re trying it again? If you just stopped eating sugar you wouldn’t have to keep starting to stop.

me: Hand me the fudge will ya?

1 month, no sugar

So THAT happened. We (mostly) avoided all added sugar for one month. Jack had a few ice creams at school but that was it. I had nothing for one whole month! And I felt great! Thinner. Smarter. Able to leap tall piles of clothes and toys in a single bound…

Until yesterday.

In September I said “let’s make it through one month.”

And of course I said “then we can have our Halloween candy as a treat.” Yay.

“It’ll be great.” I said.

Ask me how I feel today? Ugh. I have a sugar hangover.

I had cereal for breakfast yesterday with Jack. Carbs. Then at work the candy brigade started. A peanut butter cup here, a Hershey mini there. I was not hungry for lunch at all. And I had a wicked buzz going on. But not a good productive kind. More like I had ADHD Jack was at school still eating healthy so his buzz wouldn’t be coming for a few hours.

I ordered pizza for everyone that would be coming over before we went out trick or treating. I ate some. More carbs. I don’t think I had a gram of protein all day! I had a headache and then got nauseous. But it faded and I had a few more pieces of Jack’s candy when we got home at the end of the night. Wouldn’t you? It was my free pass day.

Ugh. I told Jack how I was feeling and said he might not like how the candy made him feel.

Jack dug into a Butterfinger and a Hershey bar and I told him that was it for the night. He still had a few friends over to trade candy and play games, so they were pretty occupied now. And wired!

me: So how do you feel?

Jack: I don’t think the sugar did anything to me. I feel the same.

I looked at the clock. 11:45 and he was still going. Uh huh, no effect at all.

Btw, I hid his candy and so far he hasn’t asked for it. A friend slept over and he hasn’t asked for HIS bag either! And today I had an egg white and spinach omelette.

Next allowable sugar day: THANKSGIVING!

The boys are currently making ipad videos that start with “Hey YouTube, Jack here. And, BOY did I eat a lot of beans last night…”

Sigh…

First days of No Sugar… Sorta

Jack and I finished the Fed Up documentary and decided together that we were going to do it. Greatly lessen, if not eliminate all added sugar. Within reason. Still allowing ourselves to be human, etc. I’ve been doing pretty well all week, I’ve gotta say. I’m impressed with myself. I’m a complete textbook chocolate addict and to finally start to see the cravings fade…well it’s obviously great!

I told Jack that the next time he would have candy or sweets would be on Halloween. He really didn’t freak out about it either! I’m not buying any more sugary treats so that will make it easier at home . At school Jack gets to make his own choices and I’m not going to completely forbid him to get an ice cream or something, but I did pack his lunch today (no school yesterday) and he had the following: (this also includes a snack and the fact that he eats like a beast).., egg salad sandwich on whole wheat, broccoli and carrots with Bolthouse yogurt ranch dressing, cantaloupe and strawberries, pretzels, cheddar cheese and sliced hard salami.

Not bad eh? Jack said he was getting water because of the milk situation. Though the 12g of sugar in skim milk is not added in…

For breakfast Jack had Rice Krispies with skim milk and bananas. Then he kept eating out of my bowl of plain oatmeal with flax seed and almond milk. He really liked it.

Last night we had homemade turkey burgers, which Jack always insists are his FAVORITE, and roasted cauliflower. Plus French bread.

For dessert I blended a frozen banana, frozen strawberries, almond milk and plain yogurt to make a wicked fruity “ice cream” and topped it off with whipped cream. Jack loved it too! Win win!

Are any of you eating sugar free or low sugar? Let me know!

I’m going to read Sweet Poison next by David Gillespie, as soon as I finish Year of No Sugar (which autocorrected to Year of No Duggar, and that’s funny if you know who the Duggars are. A year never goes by without a Duggar!)

me: Jack, do you think we can do this no sugar thing? It should be easy if we pick the foods that we love that don’t have sugar.

Jack: Can I have cranberry juice?

me : No you can have water.

Jack: Sigh.