Well it’s been 2 weeks now since I began my ban on refined sugar experiment, and I’m happy to report that overall things are going well. Today is my day to update you since I will be doing so for 4 weeks since the beginning of my experiment.
This past week, I still continued to experience the same positives that I reported to you in last weeks’ update. I’ve had great energy, I’m finally 100% over my cold and cough, I still have motivation to lose this weight, and I have not been having physical cravings for sugar. As far as weight loss, I did not lose or gain weight.
Here’s something important that I realized I should mention that I think is another reason that I am not craving sugar: besides the fact that I am not eating any refined sugar or sugar alcohols, I also am not eating foods that are high in natural sugar. Three of the foods high in natural sugar that I know cause me to crave refined sugar are:
- Raisins: For instance, I’ve found that raisins are a food that I cannot eat right now. When I eat them, I overeat on them, and then I end up having cravings for sugar.
- Larabars: This week I also gave you the idea of Larabars as a fruit option for traveling. This is another food that has no additives, containing only fruit, however these are very high in natural sugar so I cannot eat them without getting sugar cravings.
- Oranges: Additionally, I am not eating oranges which is also high in natural sugar; too bad because I love a mix of oranges and bananas. 😉 I realized this today and thought that I should include this information, because I really think that if I were eating raisins currently, that I would be having sugar cravings since they have done this to me in the past.
For a day-by-day breakdown of my week without refined sugar, sugar alcohols, or foods that are high in natural sugar, feel free to keep reading. 🙂
- Friday was basically uneventful, except that I had a fleeting thought of something sweet while I was writing my update post here on my blog. It wasn’t a physical craving and it passed quickly.
- Saturday: I felt bored and had thoughts of eating anything that wasn’t healthy, not necessarily with sugar in it, but whatever wasn’t healthy. I was feeling bored with eating healthy and exercising, and I ended up making a healthy dish of sweet and sour chicken instead of giving in to self-destructive thoughts.
By the time I was finished cooking it was time to eat anyway, so I had that over some plain rice noodles (the only ingredient is rice) which was great. My boredom passed because I used my ability to cook up some whole foods that still taste wonderful.
- Sunday: I did have some thoughts of wanting some sugar, but I still did not give in. Again though, these were fleeting thoughts and not the type of physical craving I’ve experienced before.
- Monday: Monday was uneventful, everything went just fine. No thoughts of sugar.
- Tuesday: I was up very late that night and I wanted to eat something. I didn’t have anything specific in mind, and I did have a couple pieces of chicken with some pineapple. I had not been craving sugar but was hungry so I had that chicken. I was feeling anxious about my extensive to-do list.
- Wednesday I had a difficult evening. I wasn’t focused on anything sweet, but just wanted more to eat. I realize now that I was “pmsing” (likely the reason for my struggles all week), and I am elated to report that even though this was the case, I still did not have an attack of obsession for sweets! So, for all of you women out there, I’d say that this is very encouraging. 🙂
I apologize if this is too much information, however I want to share this to dispel the thought that it’s impossible to stay away from chocolate because of those fluctuations in your hormones.
Will everyone have the same experience? I don’t know, but I do think that if I had been eating any food with sugar alcohols, that I would have been craving sugar at this time. I know I would have had a much more difficult time than I did because I’ve experienced that situation many times before.
- Thursday: I had an extremely stressful day and actually did not want to eat at all. Then I had a desire to eat emotionally later that day (which I didn’t do), but still was not craving sugar. I didn’t even have a particular food that I wanted, I just wanted to cover up emotions. I was still not experiencing physical cravings for sugar, though.
You may notice that I specify the term “physical” cravings. I am doing so because the thoughts I’ve had for unhealthy foods were just fleeting thoughts, and not obsessions or pulling cravings for sugar-sweet food. They were not like the cravings that I have experienced in the past that would not go away. With those cravings, I would have to bribe myself to get through the night and not give in to them.
This week has turned out to be full of more struggles than my first week, however I still find it to be very exciting that I have not been experiencing those sugar cravings. I will continue on living free of refined sugar, sugar alcohols, and foods high in natural sugar and give you my week 3 update next Friday.
Read my experiment guidelines and my updates:
Wow! Good luck on this one! I should say that I really admire your self-control for holding on for a week without any form of sugar. If I was in your situation, I’d probably given in from day one.
Wow your experiment sure seems to be going well! It’s interesting how you are able to recognize the difference in physical cravings vs. emotional cravings through this experiment. Thanks so much for sharing!!
Hi Deb,
Thank you, it’s no problem for me to share the details. 🙂
I’ve thought the same thing after seeing how my “cravings” are so different being off of the sugar completely. The physical cravings would hang around for hours and longer, but now I get thoughts here and there but I can easily let go of them. It’s pretty neat and much easier to deal with! 😉
Thanks! I do believe that you could do the same, though. 😉 After those first 2 or 3 days, the cravings honestly do drop off. The trick is staying off of the sugar completely, because if you are addicted to it like most people are, once you start eating it again, it’s hard to get back off of it.