I’m going to do a week without sugar and it’s not going to be easy for me. A couple of months ago, I read The Obesity Code which opened my eyes to how we’ve been taught to lose weight vs what we should be doing to lose weight. I want to dive into the book a little deeper in a later post but a key take-away point from the book is how refined grains and sugar react in our bodies.
Since reading the book, I’ve been working to cut processed foods and while I believe my overall diet has improved when I eat at home, I have been overdoing the sweets while I’m out. Sugar addiction is a subject that I’m very interested in and it’s been on my mind for quite some time too.
My mood is strongly influenced by the weather/time of year and I’m really struggling with the shorter days. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) sucks and it’s taken me a while to realize that there’s a link between depression and sugar cravings. My struggle needs a remedy.
I’m literally eating my feelings and it’s made me want to eat sugar all the time. I don’t like feeling this way so taking a break with actual rules makes sense for me right now. This isn’t to say I can never eat sugar which is why I’m only making a week commitment (hello, Thanksgiving?!)
My self-imposed rules for this week are relatively simple:
- No added sugar.
- This includes no fruit juice, maple syrup, honey, agave, stevia, artificial sweeteners, etc.
- Fruit and other naturally sweet produce is fine in its whole form (fresh, frozen, homemade smoothies).
- Avoid processed foods/grains/cereals/snacks – not an absolute no, but be mindful of what is in the product/how much is consumed.
- No snacking. Only eat within mealtimes (2-3 meals per day).
This is not a calorie focused diet, simply a focus on quality food and avoiding sugar and its substitutes. I already feel like I’m struggling with this challenge but I know it’s something I really need to do and I’m sharing with everyone here to help keep me accountable. Here we go!
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