Sweet Poison 1 Day at a Time...

[BreakingBod]

I'm currently (re)reading David Gillespie's Sweet Poison as my sugar consumption has got out of control!! But this time instead of making a dramatic plan of action that 'bans' anything I enjoy, I am instead taking a 1-day-at-a-time approach to not eating added processed sugar. Today is day 1...

I think a lot of my mindless sugar eating is habit, but also poor planning and a lack of sensible meal choices. Today I had a filling breakfast (pate on 2 slices of toast) and was so full all morning I didn't want anything until lunch so didn't even think about my usual mid-morning biscuits. Lunch was my main meal today as I was at work and they provide meals, so I had beef and ale pie (although it was a tray bake sort with very little pastry just on the top) with veg and 2 boiled potatoes. I didn't have the pudding like I usually do. I'm planning some cheese and crackers if I feel hungry later.

Evenings are usually the time when I'll demolish a whole bag of something horrifically sugary, like a big bag of Revels or Maltesers, but my plan is to fill up on non-sugary food that I actually like and enjoy and so hopefully won't feel much like snacking. I'm also not thinking too far ahead with it - just focusing on getting through today.

Feeling v tired this afternoon/evening, and am planning an early night with a hot water bottle to carry on reading the book #WildChild.

Any other sugar-eaters starting out on a quit plan..??

[BreakingBod]

Day 2 - had porridge with banana for breakfast. I'm out for lunch today so I'm going to make lunch my main meal again - am thinking I'll have something meaty and filling like a burger.

The book is really making me realise the damage sugar does, and thinking of the chemical effect eating sugar has on the body is really helping me not want to eat it. Of course it's almost the weekend though, so let's hope my resolve remains!

[GuybrushThreepwoodMightyPirate]

Good for you! Well done for having two positive days. I've been cutting down on sugar too, although not too stringently, and have found that I don't fancy it as much any more. I've also found that I don't want 'cheap' sugar; I'd rather have a small amount of nicer chocolates or something.

Good luck tomorrow.

[ASISAYNOTASIDO]

I am horrified by my sugar addiction right now - really need to get it u see control as I'm just so ashamed of myself atm. Book sounds good

[BreakingBod]

Hmmmm I must confess that I've slipped a bit - had 2 strips of milk chocolate last night (about 20g of sugar) as it was a Friday night and I was feeling really deprived of treats. I stopped drinking at the start of August (Friday night was previously a wine drinking night) and so this felt like a step too far! I didn't eat any more after that though, so that's progress.

Then this morning I'd been out for a longish walk, and arrived home starving. Simply had to eat something fast and before I knew it, I'd eaten 2 biscuits and another strip of chocolate Aaaagghhhhhh!! Although to be honest, I've gone from a starting point of eating sugary treats all day every day, so it's a big change to not eat any at all. I'm not going to use it as an excuse to open the floodgates and scoff everything sweet in sight though.

I just need to make sure that I have food available and don't let myself get too hungry, aswell as getting myself some non-sugar treats so I'm not feeling deprived. I am beginning to wonder how on earth people manage it though

Guybrush that sounds hopeful about you stopping fancying it, fingers crossed that happens to me!

[BreakingBod]

Day 4 - I've got to the action plan part of the book now, which is helpful. He lays out 5 rules:

1. Don't drink sugar - this is fine for me as I gave up drinking fruit juice ages ago. I do like a cold Pepsi Max though, but he says sugar-free alternatives are ok to start with, but to be aware of the potential health risks of consuming artificial sweeteners. He says he used diet drinks himself to get him off the sugar versions, and so I'm planning to tackle the diet drinks once I get sugar sorted.
   
   
2. Don't snack on sugar - hmmmm this is the difficult one for me, it's a work in progress but eating more substantial meals so that I'm not hungry between meals seems the best plan.
   
   
3. Party foods are for parties - quite!
   
   
4. Be careful at breakfast - I found my porridge breakfast not to be as filling as a more protein-based one, so I think more protein will be useful.
   
   
5. There is no such thing as good sugar - I haven't got as far as the chapter explaining this one further...
   
   Almost through the weekend, and I'm hoping I'll find weekdays easier and with less temptations.

[BreakingBod]

Ok, whilst I'm not exactly sugar-free yet, I am noticing lots of useful things. Today's observations:

1. Plain buttered toast for breakfast is a really rubbish choice and barely kept me full for a nanosecond (no huge surprises there but I was in a rush this morning).
   
   
2. My sugar cravings have almost nothing to do with hunger, and are instead a need for a sugar boost, or as a reward for things eg surviving a long day at work!
   
   
3. I am most definitely addicted, and this is proving to be tougher than first expected...
   
   I think gradually cutting down rather than going cold turkey is going to have to be my approach otherwise I'll just give up the whole idea completely.

[BreakingBod]

Aggghhhh another failure of a day - chocolate and biscuits were both consumed . I started off ok with porridge and banana. Then went to an exercise class, then straight to the shops so was past lunchtime when I got home and I succumbed to the lure of the biscuits AGAIN!

[NE14T]

It sounds like you're doing a fantastic job so far... Yes you've come off the wagon a few times but I bet you've had less sugar than you would have done previously and you're obviously learning a lot about how to eat and the negative effects of sugar on your body. It's a long time habit that you're trying to break so don't feel down if you can't manage it perfectly straight away!

I feel so much better when I low carb/ low sugar. BUT I'm very much an enemy of letting perfection be the enemy of something good. So, I'll eat 'perfectly' for a while, but then give up and fail in spectacular fashion which means I then find it really hard to get back on the wagon as once I've eaten some choc I just think 'fuck it' and eat haribo for dinner

One of the ways I have started to counteract this is by making sure I actually don't do things 'perfectly'. I prefer to eat low carb but was getting to the point where if I ate even one low carb thing I felt I'd failed and was giving up. So I started trying to eat mostly low carb but actually making sure I ate one carby thing a day, usually a banana. This way I was purposefully sabotaging myself but then I got into a habit of not expecting everything to go to plan all the time and allowing myself to get straight back on the wagon after a sugar/ carb heavy meal.

This took a long time for me to adjust to and previously it's taken me literally weeks or months to get back on it so it was a big step for me. As I want to eat healthily my whole life rather than diet for a particular event. It sounds like you're there already! Good luck

[BreakingBod]

Thanks NE14T. I also think that I need to get seriously better organised so that I don't end up starving with nothing at hand except biscuits . At the back of my mind though I am stalling because I go on holiday in 2 weeks, so it seems pointless to get going fully just before going away. But I am using this time to observe the negative effects of eating sugar (massive energy slump and a terrible bad temper as standard), and to undertake some research so I'm convinced of the health benefits of going through with giving up refined sugar.

This is a massive lifestyle change for me, so I think you're right when you say I should ease up on myself, and to keep making gradual changes so that cold turkey won't be such a shock to my system.

I'm amazed that so many people seem to be able to give up sugar with such ease - I do have a bit of an addictive personality though.

[BoulevardOfBrokenSleep]

I've just been reading 'sweet nothing', by a woman who completely gave up refined sugar and simple carbs.

Have been trying to do the same, so avoiding white bread, potatoes and alcohol plus refined sugar.

Agree with you that the key is being prepared - oatcakes plus almond butter are good if you're starving, low sugar, and as easy to keep in the cupboard as biscuits.

Having said that, I slipped up last night and had a couple of glasses of wine, quickly followed by a packet of crisps
Alcohol is not my friend

[BreakingBod]

I've read that too Boulevard - I'm a serial reader of quitting sugar books I found her quite annoying actually. I'm also not convinced of the need to give up all carbs either, and fruit is fine in my book.

Yes, alcohol has scuppered me in the past. I've managed 2 months with no wine, but the result was a massive increase in sugary snacks to compensate. But today I have been sugar free Woohoo!! Wonders will never cease!

[BreakingBod]

Was doing ok today, but then we were out for most of the day and whilst I ate an apple when everyone else had an ice-cream (I didn't massively want one anyway) I was tired and hungry when we got home and I ate 5(!!) biscuits . Really want some chocolate too...

I think I need a more structured plan - I'm going to carry on cutting down where I can whilst also formulating a proper plan of action to implement after my hols, I feel like I can't properly focus on it until I've got back from my hols because I will definitely be eating and drinking what I want whilst away.

[BreakingBod]

I think a short-term goal will help me too - eg sticking to it for a set time period...apparently 21 days is how long it takes to break a habit so maybe 3 weeks should be my first goal?

[BreakingBod]

Ok - so I've now started a proper diet plan and have managed 2 weeks without sugar!!! This is unbelievable for me - I think what's made the difference is having 3 satisfying meals a day, which I have planned and prepared in advance, and so I don't have a panic for food when I get in from work etc. Feeling positive and focused this time

[BrightYellowStripes]

@BreakingBod How did you get on with it in the end? Have you kept it up?