Sugar, Sugar
So, I’ve told you all before that sugar and I have a bit of a love-hate relationship. I love it, but it makes me want it more and more, all while making me hate the way I feel. On Leah’s plan, I was able to kick the sugar habit for the most part, but sometime the cravings are pretty bad, and sometimes I still do give in. Mind you, it’s not as bad as before, but sometimes… it’s not pretty.
So in an effort to kick my sugar cravings to the curb fo’ realz, I’m going to challenge myself to give up added sugar for….
21 whole days.
They say it takes 21 days to make or break a habit, so here goes! I figured the day after Halloween was the perfect time to do this since the sugar temptations aren’t EVERYWHERE I TURN, but also because it doesn’t mean that I can’t enjoy some of my faves come Thanksgiving Day (which is one day, not 5, remember), like sweet potatoes covered in butter and brown sugar (mmm).
I know I’ve done the whole ‘week without’ thing many times (like here, here, and OMG here), but I guess now I’m trying THREE weeks without! I’ll be giving you guys updates along the way, and I’d love it if other people wanted to join me! The goal here is to feel better and maybe drop a few lbs, but this is not a weight loss challenge. I’m trying to save my sanity and my smile from too much satanic sweetener. I just want to extract this sweet tooth I’ve had for so long!
So here are the official details:
1) 21 days exactly. November 1st to the 21st (or all the way to Thanksgiving if you’d like).
2) No ADDED sugars. So if something was sweetened by something other than nature, I won’t eat it. Fruit is fine (but not to excess!), and sugar in plain dairy is A-OK too. I don’t really eat artificial sweeteners other than the occasional diet pop (YEP, POP. I’m from Michigan), but for the sake of the challenge, I think we’ll cut that out too. I’m sure it isn’t helping any more than the real thang. (Disclaimer: I may chew a piece of SF gum here or there, but everything else is out.)
3) Weekly reports (if not more often) of how I’m feeling, how I’ve been fighting the cravings, and if they’re finally dying a slow death, never to come back. And if I’ve lost a little more weight, of course I’ll brag tell you about that too.
This is really just a continuation of what I’ve been doing on the YNC plan, but I’m going a little more hardcore, and I’m just going to have to grin and bear it. And maybe hang up little Post-Its reminding me that I don’t actually, physiologically NEED chocolate.
What do you guys think? Want to join me? Any other guidelines you think I should add? Spill!
[Edited to add: Leah over at Your Nutritionista joined me in the challenge and created this awesome graphic for people to use as a sign of our solidarity against sugar! (I love how dramatic that sounds now, ha).
SO if you're planning to fight the good fight with us, snag this guy and link back to us so that when I give my weekly updates, I can give a shoutout to you guys, and you can let us know how you're doing as well!]
Posted on November 1, 2010, in Uncategorized and tagged health, sugar, Week Without. Bookmark the permalink. 14 Comments.
I would love to do this challenge with you! I’m a reader of your blog and enjoy hearing about your success with Leah’s plan. I was trying to do her plan but money is tight right now so I’m just watching what I eat until I can afford it but sugar is definitely my downfall! I’m in for the next 21 days with you. I would love to see a loss of weight from this but even so, to not have that sugar craving would be great! Thanks for this!
Lisa, that’s awesome! I’ll probably post an update on Friday so I can’t wait to hear how you’re doing then! Check out Leah’s blog as well, because she’s doing the challenge too!
Hey, I’m in. I cut out sugar this week and already can tell a differience. No soda (I’m from the South)and no cupcakes (which I love). This will be interesting!!
I think I’ll blog about my health journey on my blog too.
Thanks for the motivation!!
Checked out the post! Loved it! So glad you’re joining us!
I want in. I need to cut sugar!
Yay! So many people wanting to cut out sugar! Glad you’re jumping on board!
This is great and all, and I would love to do this, but how does someone who has very limited cooking skills and not a lot of time eat without breaking this plan, or starving. I looked at my granola and even IT has added sugar.
Oy Vey.
Ha, you are preaching to the choir! I hardly knew what to do with a pan until a few months ago. Trust me, you can do this! There’s always the microwave!
Just saying I’m a reader, and my boyfriend and I are in
That’s exactly what I needed right now as a challenge, so thanks a lot for creating it!
As I started one day after you, I’ll finish one day after too, but we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving here in Quebec anyways
Congrats on trying to kick the sugar habit! You will find increasingly that the only way to eat healthy is to cook of your meals yourself. Fortunately after you’ve learned to cook and are eating your own cooking for awhile you’ll realize how crappy everything but fairly high-end restaurant food tastes and learn to prefer your own (for better or worse!) So much added salt/fat/sugar to cover up the taste of processed/preserved/just plain crappy-quality ingredients.
If you feel the need for something sweet and don’t want to break down, might I suggest having some fun with miracle fruit tabs? The miracle fruit is a bush that grows in Africa that ‘flips’ the sour taste receptors on your tongue to sweet! You suck on it for about five minutes and limes taste like candy (even the peels!) lemons are like sucking on a lemonhead, vinegar and wine taste sweet… its pretty trippy. You can get it at thinkgeek.com:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffeine/wacky-edibles/ab3f/
I’m in too. I’ve had the worst sugar cravings lately – in the last week I made red velvet cupcakes and a pumpkin cheesecake and i can’t get enough Sprite!! It’s been an issue. I’m trying to be healthier and i’ve been going to the gym like a mad woman, but my sugar cravings are really taking a toll on my energy, not to mention my overall health in general. I want to say goodbye to sugar in hopes to say goodbye to cavities, flab and overall ‘ickiness’
–Lets do this!!!
Thank you for the motivation!!
I already cut out sugar and I’m 100% glad about that decision. The first week will be really tough but after that it’s pretty easy.
I love your “week without” feature btw.
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