Week 4: Sweet Silence

Still sugar-free four weeks in, of which I am proud. I feel just as round and sugar-flabbed as I did before, but that side of things (possibly losing weight I don't need) was only ever a happy possible side-effect, not the main purpose. The main aim was to feel clearer and less controlled by my pull towards a substance that doesn't do me good, and that's already happening. 

What would be fabulous is to let go of caffeine, dairy, wheat and lots of other things I would live better without. This is primarily about sugar, though, and the refined sugar is gone with much, much more ease and peace than I would have thought possible. It's not that I don't fancy something sweet, but I don't crave it. I don't sit around thinking about it. I don't pile up on puddings or post biscuit after biscuit into my face. I don't put honey in my tea any more and that's fine. 
I do still eat fruit, so I haven't gone through the ketosis stage of burning up everything and smelling like an old bin. Evident plusses both ways. 

Do I feel better? Yes. If nothing else, I feel better at being out of the grasp of another addiction. There's an active pleasure in that. I feel a little clearer in my head. It's hard to gauge whether or not I have more energy. I can't remember what it was like before. I shall endeavour to recall. Either way, if nothing but for the experiment, I'd highly recommend trying this. I am happily free of cake. That ROCKS!

Week 2: Resisting and Rice Milk

Better than cheese

It’s been a questionable weekend, food-wise. While I haven’t had refined sugar itself, I’ve shoveled a lot of not-so-good refined whites into my face and I’ve eaten things I know are pretty shoddy. It was interesting to note that a faceful of strawberries definitely made me giddy – the blood sugar hike happens, even when the sugar’s not refined. And too much dairy has invited back the eczema-seeming marks around my mouth. Often they’re red, making me look like I’ve been caught red-handed in the jam. Today, it’s all dry like shaved parmesan (yuk - I just grossed myself out).

So my body’s helping. Less dairy, Claybourne. If you have to have it at all, stick to the bits that won’t do harm. Stopping the tea and coffee hits will help. They call out for milk where yerba maté and herb teas don’t. Even caffeine-packed green’s a step on up from that. Soy's not great, but better than dairy for the moment, until I get organised enough to carry rice milk in my pockets. 

A gentle vegetable (not counting the prickles)

It’s so easy to slip back into stuffing habits. The focus here could be on breathing, drinking water, noticing what’s up rather than finding things that borderline fit the bill and stuffing them in my face. Make it a meditation. Make it count. And keep that Buddhist-mindful approach in mind. Be kind. Like a courgette.

Week 2: Resisting

They SAY it's not sugar, but...

Ha... take THAT word as you will!

So, it's been seven days since I ate refined sugar (to my knowledge, at least). I have fundamentally eaten mostly non-sweet things, though I admit to the odd Nak'd bar (which is very sweet indeed) and once, just once, a little bit of honey in my tea... I didn't drink it all, though, as it felt against what I'm doing.

What has been going well? I've enjoyed my breakfast salads and the occasional egg. I've made stews and stocked up on rocket. I've partaken of minimal fruit, mostly gorging on cucumbers and runner beans. 

How is it that I feel more flattered
by this picture...

In my deal with wonderful Kath, I've taken pictures of myself with a face stuffed full of vegetables mostly on public transport. I've had marmite instead of honey on rice cakes (which I like - they're not a polystyrene chore to me). I've had the pleasure of whacking up a stir-fry in a Le Creuset frying pan (not to be recommended) and making courgette linguini* with a vegetable peeler and a lot of patience. That was bloody lovely! 

* dubbed courgeguini - Ruth Blake, that's one to hang your head in shame over!

than by this one?

I've eaten raw 100% chocolate in relative moderation and it's amazing how the brain tells me that it's sweet because it's chocolate, even though my taste buds are shouting 'Fucking hell, Claybourne, why are you eating tar and scorched leather?'

I've generally enjoyed eating lots of different things and I've had blissfully few proper sugar cravings (though this evening has been one big rollercoaster of a craving, broken by a laugh with lovely Kath). 

Tomorrow, Week 3 starts, which is Week 2 of actually no sugar. My intentions for this week are to change the 'replace it with something else to eat' habit to a bit more breathing and noticing, and possibly more water-drinking. 

And to be sweet to myself. Being sweet to myself is the number one requirement for sanity and loveliness on this sugar-free journey. After all, it's a meditation, not a punishment.