Today I Miggy, will not eat any sweets. No ice cream, cookie dough, cake, girl scout cookies, etc. As I’m 99% sure I’ve got a moderate to serious sugar addiction this will be hard. It probably shouldn’t be that hard, but it will be.
That was the post I started on Friday. I didn’t get it posted in time, but the hope was that if I put it on the blog and was accountable to a larger population other than myself I would succeed. Well even though it didn’t get posted I did it. I went a whole day without sweets. Not a single cookie or even a bite of ice cream. Saturday I ate sweets again. Sunday I didn’t. Monday + yes sweets. And today I plan on going sweetless again. I don’t think I’m someone who could cut sugar out of their diet entirely, but even going every other day without sweets is a pretty big deal for me. It didn’t used to be hard at all. Personally I think since becoming a mom it’s been a lot harder. It’s a quick stress reliever and a quick way to reward myself and indulge in something ‘just for me’ during a day filled with taking care of little people’s needs. I don’t know a lot about all the negative effects of sugar, but I know it’s not good. I know we consume more sugar today than probably any other time in history. And I know our bodies aren’t designed for this sugar overload. I’ve been wanting to read the book Sugar Shock for a while, but I haven’t gotten around to it. So I’m just curious…do any of you adhere to a strict no sugar diet? Or even a low sugar diet? How did you do it? Have you read a particular book about sugar that you really like?
Oh, I feel for you! I have such a sweet tooth and it's hard to control at times! As well, I keep hearing how refined sugar breaks down collagen, etc! As a 34 year old, I want all the collagen I can keep that does not artificially injecting it into my skin. 🙂 I try to limit any beverages that have sugar, use honey when I can (if anything at least for the health benefits) and then just allow myself to eat the things I bake, not buy sweets from outside sources and try to be gentle with myself if I go crazy sometimes. 🙂
My pregnancy really brought me into the sugar addict category and it just never really went away. It is also a major obstacle for weight loss. GIcing up sugar helped me drop 10 lbs almost immediately. It's hard and sometimes I lapse but I try to be sugar free 6 days a week.
I rarely eat any sugar. I also rarely eat red meat…maybe just a few times a year. But when I do, I WANT dessert! Red meat makes me crave sugar. Otherwise I am fine without it.
Good luck! 🙂
I haven't read a book but it's funny I'm sort of going through the same thing right now with trying to cut-down on sugar. I am also a self-proclaimed sweets addict. Seriously, I have dessert like twice a day, every day. When I was breastfeeding, I was one of those people who could eat whatever I wanted due to the calories I was burning making milk. However, I recently stopped (breastfeeding) and all of a sudden noticed I'd put on a few pounds. Well, I am currently cracking down on my eating habits. I don't usually believe in deprivation but for the time-being until I lose a few pounds, I'm going cold turkey on sweets. It's the only thing that will really work because I can't eat just one cookie, I'll have the entire box plus two glasses of milk!
Sugarholics Anonymous unite! It's a mom thing for sure. Usually after the long day is done and the kiddies are in their beds I head straight whatever sweet morsel can get in my mouth the fastest. Obviously not good for me, so this month I am refined sugar free. I had to tell Tyler so he could help me because I LOVE treats. I'm only halfway through and have faced plenty of temptations. I don't feel drastically healthier but I definitely feel good knowing that even if there are treats in my house I can eat a few grapes at night or I can eat nothing (gasp) and not die. That is a big deal.
Every January I go without sugar the whole month. I have gone three months without it before. After about 2 weeks (some take about 3) you completely stop craving it. You will have withdrawal symptoms — headaches, moodiness, etc.
Sugar is totally addictive. SERIOUSLY. Check out this website: http://www.sugarisadrug.com/ I have read a lot of what they have written. The process in making sugar is the same as making heroine. Stars off as a poppy, next process is opium, next is heroine. First sugar cane, then molasses, then brown sugar, then white sugar (then powdered sugar). I have also read Sugar Blues, which relates a lot of research about how sugar is linked to all kinds of maladies, both physical and mental. Especially depression.
It is a fascinating topic. for me, I know I feel so much better when I am "off sugar". I always drop 10 pounds and have more energy. I have actually toyed with the idea of doing what you are doing, but with MONTHS instead of days… on month, off month. Sugar is everywhere though, and i really hard socially to give it up completely…
If you want to talk about more, you can email me.
Ack. Sugar! Ack! Ack! Total sugar addict. Totally. Totally. I am desperately trying to kick the habit. I went sugar-free for about an entire month and it helped tremendously! It is true…the more sugar you eat…the more you want. Etc.
Right now, I'm reading The End of Overeating. It is a really good book so far. If you google it, I'm sure you can find it (can't remember the author…oops!) I borrowed this copy from the library so you shouldn't have trouble finding it.
Best of luck and thanks for the inspiration. Keep us posted! 🙂
So glad I'm not alone in my sugar addiction. Seriously, it kills me that I didn't used to need it at all.
Here's what I've noticed: the more productive I am, the less I eat in general. If I'm engaged in a project I don't eat out of boredom.
Likely–yes I've heard that as well that it's like a drug. in fact I read about a study done recently with rats that were given water with coke in it (cocaine) or water with sugar. They all chose the sugar water over the coke water….interesting. I'll definitely check out that site.
Catherine–good to know about the collagen!
Mel–that's what I'm hoping…a little weight loss. I just have to want a healthier body more than I want the sugar. Any by healthy I also mean skinny….lets be honest, it's definitely about vanity as well.
GH–Interesting connection between meat and sugar. I'll have to see if I find the same to be true….
LL–I'm the opposite…my body holds onto weight while breastfeeding and so I can't wait to be done for the extra pounds to (hopefully) go away.
Katie–yep. mom thing. And it doesn't help that my husband is also a HUGE sugar addict. A tall, thin never-gains-weight sugar addict. Arrrgh!
Holly–Sounds like a good book…I'll have to check it out.
Yeah, …… sugar ….
I have to have chocolate every day, like a bar. This one is the best: http://www.lindtusa.com/product-exec/product_id/75/category_id/4/nm/Classic_Recipes_Double_Milk_Chocolate_Bar it is my favorite brand.
But i tr to substitute with healthier things. Like this one http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11190502&whse=BD_823&Ne=5000001%204000000&eCat=BD_823|9894|10017&N=4031446%204294938067&Mo=0&No=0&Nr=P_CatalogName:BD_823&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&topnav=bd
It looks much better in person, trust me lol. It is called energy bar but it has nothing to do with it in way I think about energy bar. I am breastfeeding and my little one has allergy to milk so no more chocolate for me 🙁
Goo luck.
Alexandra
I was struggling with what I thought were baby blues after Lucie came, and after talking to a friend who knows a lot about nutrition, she actually suggested going off sugar to see if it helped since sugar and depression are linked. I did it for a week or two and it worked like a miracle. I started feeling great again, and of course started eating sugar again. I really need to cut down too- it's gotten crazy around here! It was really hard, but I've heard you can actually kick the habit if you stick with it long enough- sigh. That seems hard. But I should do it. Maybe I will. Thanks for the boost in motivation!
Oh breastfeeding has made weight loss soooo hard for me too! Glad to know there is one other person in the world like this. I'm still BFing at 18 months, just reminding myself that it's such a short period of time in the long run. After the first year it got a little easier to drop weight, before it was totally impossible!
i am realizing that i am addicted to sugar. i used to not be, but it is getting worse. it is my "drug of choice" to reward myself like you said. i actually stopped having sugar completely for 2 weeks, just to break the addiction. i now try to have 15 grams or less per day, and I have been feeling better, but still have to be careful. I also go to an addiction recovery group that is very helpful. it is a real addiction!
Watch "Sugar the bitter truth" on you tube. by Dr Robert Lustig. then read The paleo solution by Robb Wolf. Life changing!
One thing I did to help me (a person who can't eat refined sugar because of blood-sugar disorder, but with a family that CAN eat sweets)… we instated a NO-SUGAR-IN-THE-HOUSE rule. Al orders dessert at restaurants, and he sometime takes the kiddos out for ice-cream. Graham just thinks that sweets are special and come from fun places. I am sure that things will change as the kiddies get older and start school:) This way, I never am tempted to compromise my diet, which only hurts me. More power to you!!!:)