Week One Done

It has been a full week with no added or refined sugar.  Overall things have been easier than I expected.  I feel more energy most of the time and not near as much heartburn.  I have found that things taste differently now.  Salty is extra salty and sweet is extra sweet. 

Some challenges through the week were around specific foods that didn't seem to come without added sugar.  Ketchup being a big one.  Today I found a recipe and made my own.  It turned out pretty good. 
The other struggle was a little different.  I don't want my kids to think this is about can and can't have things.  I want them to understand that I am making a choice and why.  I try to talk about food being fuel for our bodies like gas for the car.  I explain that I want the best fuel I can get. I think they are starting to get it.

Something really cool that I have found this week is that my heart rate is lower.  I got a smartwatch about 2 weeks ago and have played with checking my heart rate a few times a day.  The readings have been considerably lower this week without the sugar and with better foods.

This coming week I will continue to find new foods and recipes that are refined sugar free.  I will also incorporate a couple more workouts.  I got 4 in this week.  I find that time at the gym a great time to relax and think.  I always feel much more refreshed at the end.  I think I will also try to get to a Yoga class at the YMCA.  I went to one before but the instructor wasn't great.  I will try again.  Of course I will also keep going with my meditation. 

I'm very happy I took this first step to eliminating refined sugar.  It only gets better from here!!!

Meditation Attempt

For a long time I have wanted to try out some meditation. I have heard many times how it can be a great start and/or end to the day.  How you can use it to mentally prepare for the day or to clear your mind before bed, or just to reset after a stressful situation I have just never known where to start.  Today I was given the task of doing a short meditation exercise so I jumped on it.  I downloaded a short guided meditation program.  I attempted the first recording after dinner today and here is what I learned.  I will be honest and say I had a hard time with it.  I don't feel like I picked the best time for it and I had a hard time shutting things out.  I think this will work better very early in the morning after a good workout. I felt more calm and relaxed afterward without a doubt but I couldn't shut things out because there was a lot of background noise. I enjoyed the process and the fact that I had that few minutes to focus on what is important right now.  I had a busy day out doing some shopping and was struggling to slow down after dinner.  I think the time I took to stop and attempt to focus on the meditation helped me to calm before spending a quiet evening with the family.  I liked it enough to give it a good try.  I will start with that bit of time I have after my morning workouts.  It will also be a good way to cool down before getting ready for work.  The program I downloaded is 21 days so I will report again when it is done.

As for day 6 with no refined or added sugar, it has gone well.  While the rest of the family had ice cream after dinner I made a peach sorbet type dessert for me.  I blended frozen peaches with unsweetened coconut milk and cinnamon.  It was delicious!!  I have been looking for a lot of refined sugar free recipes and have a lot of great fresh foods in the house.  Tomorrow is a relaxed day so I plan to do some experimenting in the kitchen.  If anything good comes out of it I'll be sure to share!

Looking Deeper

I have never thought of myself as an emotional eater.  When asked about why I eat I generally say do it from boredom or habit. That is true to an extent however this week I have learned a little more about myself.  I still won't say I am a hugely emotional eater but there have been times that I have wanted something when I wasn't hungry.  Often it came from discomfort. Like being in a place where I felt like people were judging, wondering what I am doing and why. I wanted chocolate!!  The other time was when I was annoyed with someone or something.  It's interesting how it works when you really pay attention.  It's going to be important to have strategies to deal with those things.  Things I am going to try to do are get up and move when I am uncomfortable.  I may have to go back to that situation but I can take the minute to walk and remind myself that whatever it is I am doing is fine and if someone doesn't like it then that is their thing to deal with.  When I am annoyed I will have to recognise that I have a choice to let whatever bother me or to move on and let go.  One of the favourite things someone once said to me is that you get to choose how you react in all situations. So I can react to things by going for food or I can react by moving on. I will choose moving on.

Day 5 is all but done. Today was not a hard day but harder.  I didn't get to the store last night for a few things so I had to buy stuff for lunch.  Instead of fast food I went to the store and picked a veggie box and hummus.  I also wanted some salty crunch and was looking at stuff for my daughter's party.  I found that Tostitos original don't have added sugar so I grabbed some of those.  I shared all my stuff with some volunteers that have been good to people I support.  I left the leftover chips and hummus behind because they are a weakness.

Tomorrow is the weekend and I am ready for some relaxation!

Use Your Strengths

We have all been in an interview where they ask you to list your strengths or say why we would be an asset.  We all know how hard that question is to answer.  No one likes to sounds like they are bragging. However, we need to recognise our strengths and embrace them so that we can be successful. 

Two of my biggest strengths are determination and stubbornness. If someone tells me I can't then I want to prove that I can. If someone says it will be too hard I want to show it is not.  I get frustrated when I am told it's impossible or not going to work.  So I am going to use that with this transition. There will be so many people who will say it's not worth the trouble or who will tell me all the things I can't have anymore. I will show them that it's not that hard and that I can still eat anything I want with modifications. If life was easy life would be boring.

I haven't actually told that many people what I am doing yet because I want to be well into this so people can actually see that I am doing it. I want to be able to say I haven't had the added/refined sugar in a long time to show that the work is worth it. That is the stubbornness.

Day four has almost come to an end and I have stayed strong. Before our team meeting I opened my cupboard at work to get my almonds out and found the tub of chocolate covered raisins that I bought a couple weeks ago. Without hesitation I took them out and walked to a co-workers office and handed them over. She likes them and will eat them so why waste them?  Someone may as well have them.  Determination!!

As for withdrawal symptoms I had a bit of a headache this morning and my stomach was doing some interesting things but it all seems to have worked itself out now.  I ran this morning and felt pretty good during it.  I had a moment about half way in where I felt a little nauseous but that could have been the heat too. 

The weekend is coming and that is probably going to be the hardest part.  I am going to do some experimenting and come up with some more on the go lunches for work. Of course a trip to the Farmer's Market will be in order.

Overcoming Setbacks and Moving On

We all start these journeys with the best of intentions.  We are determined, we do all the right things and yet we all deal with setbacks at some point. It's just part of life. I suppose there are some who sail though but I think that is the exception to the rule.  I know anyone who has read this blog knows that I have blundered my way along making lots of great progress just to step back and undo it.  Can I say where I went wrong or what I did wrong? If I am really honest I did it with the wrong mindset.  Maybe I wasn't really doing it for me. Maybe it was half hearted and maybe I wasn't viewing some of the changes as forever.  Whatever the reasons for the setbacks I certainly didn't handle them well.  I don't know why exactly.  So what am I going to learn from all that so that I can be successful and deal with setbacks moving forward? I am going to accept things as they are and I am going to ask for help where I need it and from the right people. I think some setbacks come from listening to that inner critic (or the outer ones) too much when they said I was failing and not listening to what I really want.  I want to run faster, lift heavier, fit in regular clothes and just be healthy!

Well it's almost the end of the third day with no refined/added sugar in my diet and strangely I feel good.  I have had small moments where I felt off but no major withdrawal. No headaches which is the best part. I ate well and got to the gym for a 45 minute strength workout. Overall I feel fine. Here's to tomorrow and another great day!

Slaying the Inner Critic

Ah that pesky voice in your head that tries to tell you what to do.  That inner critic that doubts and tries to sabotage.  We all have it and we all have a choice of whether to listen or ignore.  For me to be successful I need to ignore.  Sometimes that voice sounds an awful lot like ourselves and sometimes it sounds like someone we know. Either way we have to find a way to stop them. It's hard but worth it.  I think when it comes to this challenge the hardest thought is going to be the one that says "it's just a little sugar, it won't hurt". You know what? For some people that might be right but not for me.  I have learned that a little turns into a lot.  So to that voice I have to say stop and I have to say that I am worth this change no matter what happens. I am worth the effort it is going to take to make sure I am healthy and here for a very long time. The voice may tell me it's too much work to read every label and ask for information but I will remind that critic that it told me running a half marathon would be too much work and look where that ended.  The next couple days will probably be the worst when I start feeling the withdrawal and the voice tells me to just give up so that I won't feel sick. I just have to tell it to shut up and remind myself that the gross feeling will pass and I will be glad for it in the end.  We just have to keep shutting that inner critic down and in time (I hope) it will give up! 

I also know there will be outer critics who think this is silly or not necessary but to me it is and I just have to be strong and put their doubt aside. I am worth it and that's that.

Day two with no refined sugar is just about done and I am rather proud.  I had opportunities to slip today but I didn't.  I had two meetings that involved being around temptations and both times I made good choices. The first chance I chose a plain old black coffee but the choice I am most proud of is when it came to dinner. I was working late and one meeting involved dinner at a pub.  I didn't get to choose the location but I asked lots of questions and asked for modifications to ensure that my meal had no refined sugar in it.  That is a huge success for me because I don't like to be a bother but I put myself first this time. 

Changes, challenges and temptation!

Oh hi again.  It's been a really long time since I have posted because I got really tired of posting the same thing over and over.  The broken promises of better eating. The big plans that I didn't always fulfill. Today that changes. 

Today I take back power over food and over my life.  Today I have cut refined sugar from my life.  A few months ago I decided it was time for some changes. My stomach was in constant discomfort. I was tired and cranky. I was still exercising regularly but not eating well. I decided to see a Naturopath in hopes of being able to heal my body instead of treating symptoms. I am happy to say that the heartburn that used to plague me without meds is now mild to none most of the time. We are also working on my PCOS issues. A couple weeks ago I asked her for tips on cutting out refined sugar since I know it is a huge issue for me.  She ran with it which brings me to today.

Today is day one of my life without refined sugar. It starts with a two week challenge where I will keep accountable and receive support. Once that is over we will see what is next but the thing I know is that the sugar stays gone! 

So why did I come back here to talk about all this now?  Journalling!!  Each day I am encouraged to write about a topic she sends me.  Today's topic is Temptations!!

What are my biggest temptation spots? What am I going to do to deal with them?

The worst spots for me when it comes to sugar are Starbucks, Tim Horton's and my couch! The first two are easiest to avoid.  I love Starbucks but also have no problem just getting a black coffee. Tim Horton's I don't love as much but I go there with people I support at times and can just get black coffee there too.  How will I avoid getting more? I just won't bring my wallet in.
My couch is another story though. If the stuff isn't in my house it isn't going to be so bad. So I just won't buy it.  The trouble will be when other people bring it in. My mom likes sweets and will buy them for her. My kids now get their own money and can get to the corner store to get things.  The other issue with the couch is boredom. When I sit down in the evening after the kids go to bed is when I am most tempted to snack. I have been working on that over the last couple of months but still struggle. I have other things I can do but sometimes the best solution is to just go to bed when the kids do.  Since I want to be getting by at 5:30am to workout this is helpful.
I am sure other Temptations will come up as time goes on. Dinner out with friends, get togethers at other peoples houses and so on but I will deal with those as they come. I can look at menus ahead of time, bring something to share and just be mindful of what I am doing. It will all work itself out in the end.