Thoughts on the No Added Sugar challenge
It's challenging, just not in the way I expected. I assumed I'd be lamenting the loss of post holiday chocolates and planning out some decadent sugary smorgasbord for the first of February.
But, I'm not. Granted, I am going to a dessert place after I go have dinner on February 1st, but I'm not looking to eat as much sugar as I can. And the thing I miss the most? Cereal with milk. Not super sugary cereal, but low and medium amounts of sugar, with a fair amount of oats. Or corn and rice, in the form of Crispix.
I miss just being able to eat whatever wheat bread or roll at a restaurant and not having to figure out if it's allowed on my diet. I won't be going to the grocery store and buying candy or cookies or ice cream. But crackers that have 2 or 3 grams of added sugar per serving - those types of things I would like to eat.
I'm glad that I've gone through this exercise, because I certainly don't have the craving I had when I started the challenge. The first week back in the office was a bit tough. But the second week was much easier, and by the third week, I didn't really want anything overly sweet, and I still don't. But I'd sure like a bowl of cereal. Post challenge, I'll likely have something sweet once in a while, either if it goes with the occasion (like birthday cake at a birthday) or I'm at a restaurant on the weekend, or I've been given a gift of sweets. But beyond that - I just don't think I'll do it. I feel good, it seems it's doing my midsection well, and I don't need any.
It's been a successful challenge so far - teaching me that I don't need added sugar, that it's not terribly easy when strict, and that I need to make sure I'm eating enough as the added sugar versions of the meals I'd eat often had more calories. I've lost 8+ pounds on just foregoing sugar, and it seems to be in the place I'd like to target and didn't succeed before. Years ago, I had gotten down to an underweight 118 pounds with a busy work and exercise schedule, but I still had a sizable gut for my frame. It's probably half that, now, and I certainly don't want to horribly derail my current progress!
But, I'm not. Granted, I am going to a dessert place after I go have dinner on February 1st, but I'm not looking to eat as much sugar as I can. And the thing I miss the most? Cereal with milk. Not super sugary cereal, but low and medium amounts of sugar, with a fair amount of oats. Or corn and rice, in the form of Crispix.
I miss just being able to eat whatever wheat bread or roll at a restaurant and not having to figure out if it's allowed on my diet. I won't be going to the grocery store and buying candy or cookies or ice cream. But crackers that have 2 or 3 grams of added sugar per serving - those types of things I would like to eat.
I'm glad that I've gone through this exercise, because I certainly don't have the craving I had when I started the challenge. The first week back in the office was a bit tough. But the second week was much easier, and by the third week, I didn't really want anything overly sweet, and I still don't. But I'd sure like a bowl of cereal. Post challenge, I'll likely have something sweet once in a while, either if it goes with the occasion (like birthday cake at a birthday) or I'm at a restaurant on the weekend, or I've been given a gift of sweets. But beyond that - I just don't think I'll do it. I feel good, it seems it's doing my midsection well, and I don't need any.
It's been a successful challenge so far - teaching me that I don't need added sugar, that it's not terribly easy when strict, and that I need to make sure I'm eating enough as the added sugar versions of the meals I'd eat often had more calories. I've lost 8+ pounds on just foregoing sugar, and it seems to be in the place I'd like to target and didn't succeed before. Years ago, I had gotten down to an underweight 118 pounds with a busy work and exercise schedule, but I still had a sizable gut for my frame. It's probably half that, now, and I certainly don't want to horribly derail my current progress!
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