It’s day 12 of no sugar. Surprisingly, I’m really enjoying this challenge. Of course there are moments here and there that I think about chocolate or putting honey in my tea but I don’t crave it. Fortunately so far, there haven’t been any times where I’ve succumbed.
Before the challenge my main limitation was chocolate. I LOVE chocolate. But what I’m realising is that I don’t need it. The fact that it’s 34 degrees Celsius also helps. When it’s hot I feel sick eating sweet stuff.
The heat has also led to eating smaller portions. There’s really no point in cooking full meals when it’s easer to put a quick salad together or have some tuna on whole grain toast or a bowl of rolled oats with berries, almonds and cold milk regardless of whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner. It’s a different story when you’re on the other side of the world and it’s snowing with -6 degrees outside and a cup of hot chocolate is very inviting.
What makes this challenge is easier than others is that it’s not cutting out entire food groups. I love carbs, protein and a little bit of fat. Cutting them out would be disastrous. Sugar on the other hand is isolated and can be avoided while still maintaining a healthy and balanced diet. Full fat dairy is on the menu. So are quinoa and buckwheat. There’s no need to stress over a slice of bread. It’s OK to have a latte or one glass of wine. At no time do you feel like you’re missing out.
The strange thing is while I’ve seen the numbers shift downwards on the scale I don’t feel lighter. Since Christmas I’ve been feeling bloated constantly. I’m guessing it’s from all the food I ate and the fact that I haven’t done much physical activity other than walking since Canberra. It could be just that my body is adjusting. Today was the first day that it felt semi normal and I’m really looking forward to the next 38 days of the challenge.
