SUGAR FREE and buying a smaller size

As I close the book on Chapter 16, or should I say...as I watch the sun fade into the Western sky at the end of my 16th SUGAR-FREE day (much more poetic and does it ever paint a picture) my mind, body and soul feel really good. The first day was easy because there was no withdrawal...yet. Fast forward to the end of Day 3. The dull pounding in my temples only reminded me that this was my body's way of scolding me for bulking it up into the fluffy and bumpy shape it had become. That only lasted that evening...and after 2 Tylenol PM I woke up fine the next day. Fast forward to today. I have lost 13 lbs. Now let me quantify that. The weekend before this began I ate so much sugar that it registered a bit high on the scale of the morning of day 1. I remember looking at the number and thinking...you really did enjoy your 4th, didn't you? I think I may have high fived myself at one point...I JUST DON'T CARE...13 lbs!!! I can't lie though. I have an unhealthy adoration for sugar and I MISS IT!! Seriously, if I see another commercial for the Wendy's berry ice cream concoction, I may just blow my brains out. No wait, I have one better...every time I have to lap it at the gym, I have to gaze across the road at a Checkers, knowing that tonight I will NOT be having the Cookies and Cream shake. I actually really love that I eat mostly salads and I don't care if there is regular vinaigrette on it. I can always order a salad...no matter where I go. I have found I am not eating as much bread either (I KNOW...it's got sugar in it!). My only 'cheat', if you will, is YoBlendz or D-Lites froyo. I can't resist...so I will take 2g sugar an ounce over Ben and Jerry's or McDonald's. I could do this for the rest of my life...with the occasional fill-in-the-blank thrown in. Meat, fish, veggies, fruit, olive oil, nuts, heavy whipping cream in my coffee, froyo. Not a bad general guideline for me. I am shopping the outer edges of Publix these days. I don't want to be so rigid that no one ever wants to go to dinner with me. The sugar fast officially ends on 8/3. When I go to New England the day after that I make no promises to stay off sugar. Live a little. This Crossfit gig is NO JOKE. I am tired!!! You know when I started this blog entry??? Day 10. No lie...the first thing I did before finishing this was change the numbers in the first sentence. When I get to Boston, I will check out the local Crossfit box and make some new friends. Hopefully they have FROYO there!!!

Seriously though...To anyone out there struggling with letting go of what holds you so tightly...you can totally do this! You just have to commit to the first step and if you want to move forward you take another one. It's easy math. Anything in life that is really worth doing takes nothing but hard work. There is no magic pill. Remain encouraged. Believe in yourself and know that you are more than capable.....

XOXO

SUGAR FREE and not loving it...

If you happened to glance at my last post you may be able to figure out why I decided to do this...maybe not. One of many things I spoke to/bargained with the Lord about while I was yacking up a week's worth of my insides (see previous post) was getting my diet cleaned up...get a little less processed and more natural & whole. So I promptly 'reevaluated' some personal eating habits and realized that I have a stellar sugar addiction. Like...CA-RAZY big and all-encompassing.
There is sugar in EVERYTHING!!! Yikes. What I really want to do is go completely PALEO for 30 days and then see where I land. Well, I know myself WAY BETTER than that, so I decided for a slightly different goal for my FIRST 30 days. Not much easier, mind you...simply different. Once I get the sugar gone then I can tackle the next HUGE thing...grains and Diet soda.
Enter the SUGAR FREE zone...
OK, so I am almost one day in the bag and I feel pretty darn good. I did have the Chobani yogurt with fruit, but that was all I had time to eat for breakfast. (But I ate breakfast at breakfast time and it didn't come frosted and in a Dunkin Donuts bag so points for both) The pineapples are 2 for $4 at Publix and they are AMAZING, as well as the strawberries. I have watermelon for dessert after dinner. These are both very good things. I had some Coffeemate with my coffee this morning, but a sugar fetish is not built on 2 daily tablespoons of fake milk. It's all the other crap I love to eat that doesn't love my midsection and/or hips and thighs. How do I love thee...? Let me count the ways...Ice cream, anything that has been made with sugar and then baked, anything that has the word Oreo in it's desciption, Slurpee's, kettle corn, candy, several different kinds of mixed drinks, the dessert menu from any restaurant, Coffeemate, and that's just off the top of my head...
So as addicts do, I am going to take this SUGAR detox ONE DAY AT A TIME! Once I finish with 30 days (if and when I finish all 30 days) then I tackle the next big thing...Diet soda and grains. This may take some time...because it's one thing to say I can't eat dessert, but no chips for my salsa either?! That will definitely take a little more time...
So here's hoping that the 30th day is as awesome as the first and that I actually do it...for ALL 30 days!
You know what they say...in order to get something you've never had you have to do something you've never done.

Doing something new,
Lauren