My journey to quitting sugar (fructose)

Hey there!

So I haven't been writting here much, but I'm going to start again.  I have started a quit sugar plan and I think it will be helpful to journal about it.  So this will be more of a journal that a blog I guess!  The book that I am using is called "I Quit Sugar" by Sarah Wilson.  You can find it online, or in places like K-Mart and BigW for around $25.  The book includes the 8 week program to quit sugar, and over 108 recipes to help you do that.

Now just to clarify, the aim is not just to quit consuming sugar, but fructose.  I could give you lots of info on reasons why this is a good idea, but I think you can do the research if you want!  Good places to start is Sarah Wilson's blog http://www.sarahwilson.com.au/category/i-quit-sugar/ or David Gillespie at http://www.sweetpoison.com.au 

Why do I want to quit sugar?  Well, for about a year, I've been hearing a lot about the negative effects of sugar (fructose) and the benefits of quitting but I just didn't know if I could really give up the sweet stuff.  I love sugar!  Candies, chocolate bars, thick shakes, you name it!  But I as I have become more aware of chemical/additives/preservatives, I wondered if sugar could be a problem too.  One of the benefits of quitting sugar that I liked was the weight loss.  I don't' feel that I have huge amounts to loose but I definitely need to shed a few kilos, especially after not always eating well during pregnancies.  So as I kept hearing about the idea of quitting sugar, last September I finally decided to quit sugar for a month, along with a group of other people on facebook.  The idea of that challenge was to quit processed sugar though, and for only 1 month.  And it was for those two things that it didn't work as well.  First of all, if you want to quite something, it takes at least 8 weeks to kick the habit, especially with fructose.  And secondly, it wasn't fructose that we were quitting, but just the highly processed sugar.  So after the month, although I still kept using only less processed sugar, I didn't quite altogether.  And the 2.5 kilos that I lost, I gained back.  So after Christmas, and just a bit before Easter, I realised that I really just needed to quit sugar (fructose) altogether.  I mean what could I loose, expect some extra weight?  And what will I gain?  My health and better sense of nutrition back. 

So that is why I want to quit sugar.  There are more detailed reasons why, but I think for now I will just blog about the process and I can put in more facts later, especially as I learn more about it myself.

Technically I am into week 2.  Week 1 is all about just making slow changes.  So if you drinks lots of soda/pop/fizzy, then replacing that with unsweetened tea, etc.  Since I have already been eating this way, that week wasn't much of a challenge.  The idea though, is once you hit week 3, when you go cold turkey, to have the least amount of sugar in your system as possible.  So that is what I was trying to do.

I think week 1 went pretty well.  The only major slip-up I had was when we ordered some burgers for tea one night, I had a milkshake.  I knew I shouldn't order it but I really wanted it so I did anyway.  Honestly, I didn't feel good after drinking it.  I felt yuck!  And tired.  So I won't be doing that again soon!  But I'm not going to feel horrible and guilty because that won't get me anywhere.  It's all about getting back up and trying again.

Today (Monday), I'm starting week 2.  Week 2 is about replacing sugar with fat, good fat and protein.  So I'm going to be eating lots of nuts, coconut oil, meat (with all the fat), olive oil, and eggs.  After this post, I will keep things more brief, just short updates on how I am feeling, physically and emotionally, so I can track my progress.  And I'll do a weigh in as well.  Just have to find my scales!

Well, that should be about it.  If you're interested in joining me in this challenge, please do!  The more the merrier!

Cheers :)