No Sugar June
I grew up with way too much sugar. Easily, I eat at least one dessert with every meal. How is that possible? Sugary cereal for breakfast (with or without a glass of chocolate milk), a cookie or brownie with lunch, and ice cream or cake with dinner, and for good measure I may have probably eaten a snickers bar or bag of skittles either before lunch or around 2-3 pm depending on how my day was going. Easily this is my norm.
Luckily, my metabolism is quite good. So, as a reality check that people in their right minds do not eat this way, and to see if I had the self-discipline necessary to save myself from early onset diabetes, I decided I would not eat sugar for a month.
This goal was regarded in disdain from my mom, who would constantly ask why I would want to do that to myself and surely some chocolate was not bad! Knowing myself all too well, I set this goal for June as early as March so that I could prepare both mentally and physically for it. By physically, I mean take stock of what things I did like to eat that were not considered a treat, or in other words, fruit.
I ate lots and lots of fruit in June.
As a result of my planning for this goal, I had a friend jump aboard (because she loves extreme eating as well as being a good friend) and we binge ate a pie made the night before of crushed white-chocolate pretzel crust with jello chocolate pudding made with heavy cream and dulce de leche ice cream mixed together as the filling. I also had made sure I visited the local ice cream shop prior to June 1st to get my favorite pairing of malted vanilla and chocolate mousse ice cream (medium, please).
I can't remember all the instances in which I had to decline treats. I know that my lab was definitely not on board with the plan as Day 1, they went to get froyo at berryline (an event I often instigate), Day 2, a coworker brought in a blueberry pie to celebrate his birthday, Day 3, another coworker baked chocolate chip shortbread cookies that I could tell were the melt in your mouth kind of cookie goodness, Day 4, a pear almond tart was baked and shared, and Day 5, well, those shortbread cookies were still around. That weekend, there was a birthday party complete with candies in a pinata and a bridal shower with so many good looking desserts that I had to take a picture of it. Also in this month was a church women's social (tons and tons of chocolate and desserts) and on the very last day a dessert pot-luck to say goodbye to some folks.
It was almost every single day that I would have to decline a dessert (or multiple) within the day.
Withdrawal symptoms included a headache for three nights in a row and general grumpiness when I realized I wanted sugar and all I could do was drink from my ice cold water bottle. After that first week, I actually did feel better. It was annoying to have to say no so often, but it actually became easier than I thought it would be, and the only really bad parts were when I was at social gatherings, or after I'd completed a hard task at work and wanted to reward myself. I did feel better though. And, yes, it was super hard, and I complained a ton, but I slept better, ate better, and exercised better. I broke the rules a handful of times. Once, when it was the first day and I had lemonade on the beach. Another time when I had a smoothie that had yogurt in it and also when I had a gatorade after my run and a piece of pie that I had won. A final time was in tasting a lick of the remnants of a vegan chocolate pie, which was estimated to be terrible, and actually was really good.
So, if you've made it this far, this is just to say, #nosugarjune was indeed my most successful goal month. Since I've broken this rule (it's been two weeks) I've eaten multiple desserts and candy treats in a day, felt terribly ill on more than one occasion and can't seem to muster up any self-discipline to stop eating chocolate. And this is that part that is interesting, MOST of the desserts I am eating, are not even worth it. (There was a 6 layer chocolate cake with equal parts frosting and cake covered in chocolate and split in the middle with a chocolate ganache layer that was THE MOST AMAZING chocolate cake I have ever had, but other than that...meh?)
I think I need to reinstate the goal. (GASP!) Only because, I did eat better and felt better and slept better and ran better. There is a thing about goals and habits by what is called a "keystone" habit, and I think this was one of mine. So, I think I'll have to bring it back in some form to keep me from just dashing back to the habits I had before, which were not terrible, no, wait...no, they were...
The parameters were such that no chocolate was allowed, no desserts, no sugary breads or sugary cereals, no ice cream, no frozen yogurt. Obviously, no candy. I think if I were to reinstate, I would probably limit to only desserts when they were reasonable such as a group outing, or a really yummy something that someone baked, but then only take 1 cookie or a small piece instead of finishing the last of them, or taking multiple pieces. Also, candy - I think I liked life better without it. I mean there is SOME candy that is really good, but most of what I ate was done out of boredom and a justification for being tired and not getting enough sleep.
Some of the best things to come out of June though? There exists a recipe that is just frozen bananas and frozen mangoes that tastes like soft serve ice cream, yum. And, also, an interest in pears - a fruit I had never previously considered as tasting like anything other than cardboard.
Luckily, my metabolism is quite good. So, as a reality check that people in their right minds do not eat this way, and to see if I had the self-discipline necessary to save myself from early onset diabetes, I decided I would not eat sugar for a month.
This goal was regarded in disdain from my mom, who would constantly ask why I would want to do that to myself and surely some chocolate was not bad! Knowing myself all too well, I set this goal for June as early as March so that I could prepare both mentally and physically for it. By physically, I mean take stock of what things I did like to eat that were not considered a treat, or in other words, fruit.
I ate lots and lots of fruit in June.
As a result of my planning for this goal, I had a friend jump aboard (because she loves extreme eating as well as being a good friend) and we binge ate a pie made the night before of crushed white-chocolate pretzel crust with jello chocolate pudding made with heavy cream and dulce de leche ice cream mixed together as the filling. I also had made sure I visited the local ice cream shop prior to June 1st to get my favorite pairing of malted vanilla and chocolate mousse ice cream (medium, please).
I can't remember all the instances in which I had to decline treats. I know that my lab was definitely not on board with the plan as Day 1, they went to get froyo at berryline (an event I often instigate), Day 2, a coworker brought in a blueberry pie to celebrate his birthday, Day 3, another coworker baked chocolate chip shortbread cookies that I could tell were the melt in your mouth kind of cookie goodness, Day 4, a pear almond tart was baked and shared, and Day 5, well, those shortbread cookies were still around. That weekend, there was a birthday party complete with candies in a pinata and a bridal shower with so many good looking desserts that I had to take a picture of it. Also in this month was a church women's social (tons and tons of chocolate and desserts) and on the very last day a dessert pot-luck to say goodbye to some folks.
It was almost every single day that I would have to decline a dessert (or multiple) within the day.
Withdrawal symptoms included a headache for three nights in a row and general grumpiness when I realized I wanted sugar and all I could do was drink from my ice cold water bottle. After that first week, I actually did feel better. It was annoying to have to say no so often, but it actually became easier than I thought it would be, and the only really bad parts were when I was at social gatherings, or after I'd completed a hard task at work and wanted to reward myself. I did feel better though. And, yes, it was super hard, and I complained a ton, but I slept better, ate better, and exercised better. I broke the rules a handful of times. Once, when it was the first day and I had lemonade on the beach. Another time when I had a smoothie that had yogurt in it and also when I had a gatorade after my run and a piece of pie that I had won. A final time was in tasting a lick of the remnants of a vegan chocolate pie, which was estimated to be terrible, and actually was really good.
So, if you've made it this far, this is just to say, #nosugarjune was indeed my most successful goal month. Since I've broken this rule (it's been two weeks) I've eaten multiple desserts and candy treats in a day, felt terribly ill on more than one occasion and can't seem to muster up any self-discipline to stop eating chocolate. And this is that part that is interesting, MOST of the desserts I am eating, are not even worth it. (There was a 6 layer chocolate cake with equal parts frosting and cake covered in chocolate and split in the middle with a chocolate ganache layer that was THE MOST AMAZING chocolate cake I have ever had, but other than that...meh?)
I think I need to reinstate the goal. (GASP!) Only because, I did eat better and felt better and slept better and ran better. There is a thing about goals and habits by what is called a "keystone" habit, and I think this was one of mine. So, I think I'll have to bring it back in some form to keep me from just dashing back to the habits I had before, which were not terrible, no, wait...no, they were...
The parameters were such that no chocolate was allowed, no desserts, no sugary breads or sugary cereals, no ice cream, no frozen yogurt. Obviously, no candy. I think if I were to reinstate, I would probably limit to only desserts when they were reasonable such as a group outing, or a really yummy something that someone baked, but then only take 1 cookie or a small piece instead of finishing the last of them, or taking multiple pieces. Also, candy - I think I liked life better without it. I mean there is SOME candy that is really good, but most of what I ate was done out of boredom and a justification for being tired and not getting enough sleep.
Some of the best things to come out of June though? There exists a recipe that is just frozen bananas and frozen mangoes that tastes like soft serve ice cream, yum. And, also, an interest in pears - a fruit I had never previously considered as tasting like anything other than cardboard.
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