Oh sugar. I knew I would miss you. I just didn’t know how much I would miss you, which tells you that there was a slight problem that needed to be addressed.
I’m on day 4 of my 5 day challenge. It has been easier in many ways than I thought and harder in others.
My biggest challenge? My morning coffee. I’ve tried vanilla almond milk (unsweetened of course), coconut milk and regular milk, all to no avail. I like my coffee a little sweet. Yesterday, I bailed on a second cup of coffee because I just couldn’t stomach it and had a cup of green tea instead. I am very much looking forward to Saturday a.m. when I can put my 3-6 g of sugar back in my java. (I generally use the Coffeemate Naturals or So Delicious Hazelnut Coconut Milk Creamer.)
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Breakfast
Breakfast hasn’t been as hard as I thought it would be. I know five days isn’t a long time, but when you love cereal the way that I do, the time CRAWLS by. Most mornings I start with a bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats (11g of added sugar) or Special K Protein (7g). This week I’ve had eggs, oat bran and oatmeal. The oat bran and oatmeal were both enhanced with a little bit of vanilla almond milk, which made them palatable. If berries were in season, I would have added those.
Snacks
I really had no idea how much I snack throughout the day until this week. I eat 5-6 different times throughout the day, which has been much harder to do this week. Take yesterday for example. I went to the gym at 5:30 a.m. and had half a banana before I left. When I got home I was famished so I ate some oatmeal for breakfast. By 9:45 I was ready to eat again. Typically I would have grabbed a protein bar or yogurt, but those are not options now. I went to grab some peanut butter and stopped myself. The only kind we have has 3g of sugar per tbsp. I need to just make my own. I finally opted for a piece of toast (no sugar!) and spinach hummus (less than 1g).
In the afternoon, I’ve been reaching for fruit, veggies or popcorn. This is when my baked goods or candy craving kicks in, but I’ve managed to avoid a run to the grocery store. I’ve also ignored the open bag of M&Ms in the pantry and the chocolate milk in the fridge. WOOHOO!
Lunch
I’m a sandwich girl. It’s quick and easy. The lunch meat we buy is Boars Head and contains no sugar, so I’ve lucked out there. Monday and Tuesday, I wrapped up cheese and alfalfa sprouts in a few pieces of turkey and avoided bread altogether. Yesterday I branched out and made a baked potato with salsa and a little sour cream. (Remember I’m allowing myself sugar that is naturally occurring in fruits and vegetables.)
Dinner
Dinner has been the easiest because I don’t typically use many ingredients that contain added sugar anyway, and the ones that do, I replaced with a substitute. I had to buy a new spaghetti sauce as Prego contains up to 20g of sugar per CUP (YIKES!). I also bought a different cream of mushroom soup for my Tater Tot Casserole.
Last night, we had burritos and soft tacos. I filled mine with shrimp, arugula, cheese and a little sour cream. Delicious.
Late night
This is my sugar time. There is nothing more I enjoy than sitting down with the hubs to watch a show or a movie with a bowl of ice cream, cookies or a big mug of hot chocolate. I MISS IT! I’ve been having a cup of tea instead and let me tell you – IT DOES NOT CUT IT!
So what happens now? Well, I have today and tomorrow left. Tonight I’m going out to dinner with friends, so this should be interesting. I’ll probably stick with a salad to avoid any pitfalls and maybe add some protein.
I am not going to just go back to the way things used to be. I consume too much sugar. That’s fact. Monitoring it has been eye-opening, to say the least. Next week I’m going to do this again, and then I’ll see how I do on my own with no “rules”.
I might need the “rules” but we’ll take it one day at a time.
GJ says
I did without most sugars for years (during my weight lifting life). The trick, for me was to have one day per week that allowed for anything I craved (within moderation). It worked and I stopped craving sugar and salt after a month or so. I also ate a lot of fruits and protein. It made it hard when eating out but you get used to it.
I’m happy too hear that you guys are working on eating healthier. Yay!!!!
Andrea says
This has been a really interesting week! I am going to try and write a recap over the weekend but I can’t BELIEVE how little I eat when there is no sugar. And I feel totally full. I have cut calories a million times but always had cravings. I never paid attention to the sugar if I was within my calories. This has been eye-opening for me.
Brandy says
THIS. I just finished my 10 day challenge. I am already a crazy person about tracking my food because i love data but i noticed I was having like 400-500 calories left after dinner…and snacking less.
For oatmeal, I made steel cut this weekend with blueberries and a mashed up banana. That banana sweetens it right up.
for snacks, gotta remember to anchor them. Carb and protein. So fruit and cheese was my go to. It did the trick.
Biggest for me overall was just the major carb cutting. I fell in love with zoodles and HOLY SHIT YOU SAVE SO MANY CALORIES! A whole zucchini is like 40 calories and makes TONS of noodles. By avoiding sandwiches and breads, i saved so many calories and realized I didn’t really mind.
One thing i kept missing though? Ketchup. Sweet fuck it is coupled as a taste with so many things.
Good Luck!
Kimberly @ Red Shutters says
You resisted the M&Ms!
I could NEVER do that. Hurrah!
And congratulations for getting this far!
Emily says
kudos to you. Small steps count and it may take longer to get the sugar craving out of your body. Good luck continuing!
Lori Popkewitz Alper says
You’re doing an amazing job. I know how challenging it is to give up sugar. It’s an addiction! I did a 21 day cleanse last year and the first few days were the worst. After that it actually became easy. I really love how you’ve documented what you’re eating and paid careful attention to the amount of sugar. I need to do that-but I’m afraid!
Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious? says
You are rocking it and almost there. My tip (because I like to give unsolicited advice)…pick up some frozen berries at the store. They are frozen in season and taste really good. Perfect for oatmeal and cereal, too!