I’ve always been a believer in that you should always finish what you start. Recently, that belief has been turned upside down. While I see the merit in finishing each tasks, goal, challenge right to the satisfying end, it’s not always the best course of action.
The sugar challenge. I started last week. The aim was two months without sugar.
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| a family friend makes this and it is YUMMY! I refuse to resist the urge to indulge |
Yesterday I decided that I wasn’t going to through with it. It’s not that I’m craving sugar or that I indulged in a yummy slice of cake at a friend’s birthday the other night.
The truth is I don’t eat that much sugar anyway. My biggest indulgence is eating chocolate which I can easily say no to. I get more satisfaction from a freshly made vegetable juice than a soft drink. Carrot sticks with hummus are more enjoyable than a chocolate bar as a mid morning snack.
When I did the 50 days no sugar challenge back in January I expected to feel different. Better somehow. I even hoped I’d trim off the fat around my belly. None of that happened. I didn’t really notice a difference. At least not the difference I was expecting. While people I know who did do it or are doing it experienced headaches and a change in their energy levels, their regular diet had entailed lots of sugar in the form of soft drinks, junk food and a daily dose of sweets.
I don’t drink soft drinks. I might have a sip of coke with pizza once a year.
I don’t eat lollies. I can’t remember the last time I had a lolly.
I drink my coffee black. That is just the way I like it. Lattes and all the fancy stuff make me bloat. Occasionally I’ll indulge in a chai latte at lunchtime as it seems to motivate me to write and I can churn out a scene or two pages of my work in progress during my hour lunch break.
I’m not a fan of cakes and biscuits. I’ll quicker reach for a handful of nuts or some salsa.
I have more of a savoury than sweet tooth.
I eat more fresh food over the prepackaged pre cooked variety.
I don’t eat much fast food either – occasionally a Nando’s Chicken Salad Pita or a Egg & Cheese McMuffin at McDonald’s after a run.
Generally my diet is healthy and limited in sugar. So this challenge is not really doing much for me. I’ve already proven to myself that I can stick to it, and well going for it a second time around ins’t giving me much in satisfaction. I honestly don’t see a point especially considering that ninety percent of my meals contain no sugar or are limited in sugar. Like today, I had a yummy snack that included a can of tuna and half an avocado. I prefer that over a chocolate bar any day of the week.
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| my choice of drink…freshly made with ginger, beetroot, apple, carrot & celery |
Sometimes once you start something you realise it’s not for you. The reasons may be varied. It might not be working for you, you might have lifestyle factors that are preventing you from giving 100%, you might be bored, need a change or discover a different challenge that will work better for you. Sometimes the best thing to do is stop and reassess. It’s not a sign of failure. It’s a sign of growth and learning.
The 50 day no sugar challenge is an excellent way to kickstart your healthy eating and to detox your system especially if you like to sweeten your tea and coffee, regularly consume soft drinks, eat junk food weekly, and overindulge in sweets and biscuits. You will notice a difference by giving up sugar and if you get through the tough part you will realise that consuming too much sugar on a daily basis is ruining your health.
So while I’ll continue not to eat chocolate bars at work and avoid most sugary foods throughout the week, if an occasion like a birthday comes up I’m not going to say no. I am however going to increase my vegetable intake as it has been on the low side lately. I’ll be more conscious of how much cheese I eat – camembert, bocconcini, mozzarella, parmesan, goats – you name it, I like it and even better when combined with a good bottle of wine.
My current training requires that I limit my drinking and cheese eating. I need to create more definition in my muscles and that’s going to require a little bit more commitment and a little less saturated fat. So rather than concern myself with sugar which isn’t an issue in my nutrition, I need to abstain from or at least reduce my consumption of cheese, wine and eggs.
Next time you’re considering stopping halfway through a challenge because you realise that it’s not for you and you have a legitimate reason not to keep going, then don’t beat yourself up about it. Circumstances change. Besides a challenge is not a challenge if it’s not really challenging you and giving you a desirable outcome.
