I gave up sugar!

I have to say so far it hasn't been that difficult. I thought it would be like losing a limb, but in reality I've only had a few cravings and I have worked through it. I've been eating a banana, having applesauce or some pears when I feel the overwhelming need to eat something sweet. So I am getting my fruits and vegetables in which is good for me in the long run. I've been without "sweets" for 7 days now.

I've had 2 opportunities that I thought would be hard but turned into being victories for me. A friend of ours bought a business and they had a "changing of the guard" if you will of old owner to new owner and it involved a reception with food and drink. I passed on the alcohol too(which is not on my don't list, but just to be on the safe side I opted out)and didn't even think twice about the carrot cake sitting there all nice and pretty on the buffet table. Everyone at my table partook of dessert but me. It didn't even phase me. Victory #1--and that was the 3rd day without sugar.

Saturday was my nephews 16th birthday party. Doug and I went out to eat at Red Lobster right before it and so I was good and full and said no thank you to the cake and ice cream. I justified it to myself by saying that I don't like the kind of icing she gets on her cakes but really I wasn't even tempted. The best thing for me is to not even look at it. I came to the kitchen to sing Happy Birthday and to get myself a drink of diet coke and that was it. Out of sight out of mind. Victory #2--day 6.

I will share with you the contract I made for myself. I've been adding "bad" things as I think of them for the past 6 days so I think I have it finally mostly ironed out.

My definition of bad "sugars": cookies, cakes, anything Hostess makes(one of my major downfalls), ice cream, donuts (another), muffins, pastries, granola bars, candy, milkshakes, Popsicles, sugar cereal and chocolate(another). That about defines all the things I "go to" when I need a sugar fix.

Sugars I am allowing myself to have: as much fruit as I want (this includes fruit cups and such as long as it isn't in heavy syrup) and 1 cup of fruit juice a day. I am also allowing myself to drink 1 diet Pepsi a day (I have broke this rule twice--at the above two situations--I figure allowing myself an extra diet drink instead of cake and ice cream is okay). I am also allowing myself to drink crystal light and sugar free Kool-aid. I have decided that the sugar free drinks will be decided as I go. It may come to the point where I will feel like I should give those up also--I will decide at that point.

I want to try to do my first 30 days without "sugar" at all. And the 2 major events this month were Cody's birthday (success! yeah) and Zach's birthday which is on Saturday. I'm taking each day as it comes, but would like to make it through that also. Then after the 30 days I am allowing myself 1 or 2 treats a month. I am considering all the bad sugars listed above as treats. I can have one a month. A treat is a treat after all and if you don't have it every day it makes it more special. And then I am allowing myself to partake of one piece of birthday cake and one scoop of ice cream a month if I feel like it. Since there are 22 birthdays in my family I figure there won't ever be a month without birthdays.

I am also allowing myself to eat one homemade sweet roll at Easter, 1 dessert at each holiday, and one dish or cone of ice cream on vacation. But each of those things takes the place of one of the above treats for my month.

I haven't felt a difference in my clothes yet and that is okay. They were so tight at this point that I probably won't notice it for a while. I know the difference and I am okay with that.

I've noticed that my worst time of the day that I crave sweets is around 3:00 when my kids are home or about to be home from school. I either pour myself some Kool-aid or grab a banana. So far so good. I need to come up with alternatives to do at that time to keep me away from temptation.