Last month, I endeavored to cut sugar from my diet. I can't say it was a resounding success.
Not only was it difficult to change my daily eating habits, it was hard to not accidentally consume sugar, and to refrain from having sugar with things I felt I really needed, like gel packs and rehydration drinks for running.
Deep cleaning the cupboard
When I quit drinking alcohol last December, I didn’t toss any wine, beer, or liquor from my house. In fact, I kept some of it on-hand in the fridge for visitors. I found it easy enough not to drink so having it around was safe. When it came to sugar, on the other hand, I didn't think trust mystelf as much. And I definitely didn't trust the kids.
It was easy to clear my cupboards of the obvious offenders: chocolate, Oreos, popsicles, and juice boxes went right out the door. I kept the honey, sugar, and a few other sweeteners used for cooking and baking. I also left fruit jams, leftover ice cream, and one box of breakfast cereal alone. I didn’t want to be too radical and give everyone in the household an opportunity to ease into the change.
Harder than I thought
Unfortunately, after four weeks of trying to refrain from eating sugar, I feel llike I'm still "easing into the change" myself. Basically, I thought I was eating way less sugar than I actually did! Especially in December, in the lead up to the holidays, I was eating so many baked goods and candies that the switch felt like a complete lifestyle change.
I strongly believe that the more sugar you eat, the more addicted you get to it. And the less sugar you eat, the less you crave it. Eating a ton of sugar, even for a short period, is problematic because it's hard to come back from. I'd gotten into the habit of eating chocolate cereal each morning, having chocolate after lunch, and munching on random candy in the afternoon and towards the end of the workday. I'd also started baking at home, with the result that cookies and cake were around often.
The main challenges
Changing breakfast. I find it hard enough to find something nice to eat in the morning, and even harder if I don't allow yourself to have sugar. Still, I found this probably the easiest change. Eating peanut butter (without added sugar) is a good alternative because it's still sweet, and Indian breakfast, which doesn't contain sugar, is delicious. I also ate (soy) yoghurt with raw oats and fresh fruits and raisins, which is not as delicious as chocolate cereal, but still palatable and a little sweet.
Snacks at work. I work in an office with 130 people, and every day at least one person brings treats to share. The inhumane task of ignorning it proved too much for me, mere mortal. More than once I went for a sweet treat, sometimes unwittingly when someone offered it at my desk. Randomly, I recieved a box full of Trader Joe snacks from a departed colleague (not really randomly but as a "thank you"), which included an irresistable bag of Brookie Caramel Candy Clusters. To fight the onslaught, I made sure I brought plenty of mixed nuts and other sugarfree snacks from home.
Sports nutrition. GIven that I ran a marathon last month, I purposefully violated my no-sugar rule by eating copious amounts of carbs, including sports gels and gummies, to fuel my running. This was a necessary evil, because these gels and gummies are gross. But I've run marathons with and without sugar snacks, so I know that you're basically a masochist if you don't take them.
Alcohol. The big elephant in the room, of course, is alcohol. There's lots of sugar in alcohol and I would lie if I said that it doesn't affect me. Whenever we go through periods of no drinking, we tend to drink other sugary drinks at home, including non-alcoholic beer. I hadn't really thought of that as a dependency before, so that was an interesting realization; maybe I drink beer after work simply because I'm craving sugar!
What about the kids? I was really sceptical about the kids participating in the sugarfree month, but they did surprisingly well. For one thing, they took it pretty seriously and never complained. Did they have sugar at school? I assume so. Did they secretly eat sugar at their friend's houses? Probably. But I also found it hard to deny them sugar. As a mom, I'm someone who likes to spoil the kids with toys and sweets, because that's what I liked as a kid and it seems harmless to give in a little. Then again, I have to rethink some of this. Is it really necessary to let my kids eat Oreos and ice cream almost every day?
Now what?
I feel like I failed to really go sugarfree this month, so my plan is to continue for a few more weeks to create healthier eating and drinking habits. I believe that if I stick to it, my desire for sugar will mostly subside. Even a few months ago, before the holiday season, I felt like my sugar craving was less, so I'm trying to get back to that level.
I'm also going to be more careful about what I buy and what I give to my kids. Despite always telling them that sugar is bad, and the fact that they seem to understanding it, they have way too much access to fruit juice, cookies, chocolate, and a range of other processed foods with high sugar content.
When I'm carb loading for my runs, it's really tempting to eat whatever I want. I don't have to worry about my weight, after all, and it seems so normal to have dessert after a meal, and to eat chocolate covered almonds at work, and to bake with your kids... But whether the sugar is from a homemade pie or a cheap candy bar--sugar is sugar. And eating more sugar than necessary has physical and mental disadvantages, so I'm going to continue to try to keep my sugar consumption down.
