My Months Without Sugar

I was wondering what to write this week... as once again I found myself short of time to sit down and focus on a decent article for you. It's been a crazy week for so many reasons, of which I won't go into.

But I just read a good article from Leo Babauta who Blogs at Zen Habits and "Minimalist". He is doing a month without TV or video, and plans on doing a month without sugar this month. He made it sound like it would be so difficult. And then I knew what to write... My months without sugar.

I thought I would give you some of my experiences of my months without sugar. Give you the side effects, the experience, and the difficulty.

It is possible that I have had less sugar in 2013 than I have in any other year of my life, maybe even my Baby years. Very possible.

As most of you know, I started the LCHF diet in March, and have been on and off throughout the year. My biggest break from the diet being just a few weeks back when I was back to my old way of eating for a whole 3 weeks. It was heavenly. ;)  Haha, no just kidding. That makes it sound like when I am on diet I'm in hell! Which is certainly not the case.

So I am now into my 2nd week back on the lifestyle* without any sugar or carbs. Zero.

• No sugar in my coffee.
• No bread/grains/pasta.
• No starchy veg like Butternut or Carrots.
• No fruit.
• No fruitjuice.
• No artificial sweeteners.
• No peanut butter.
• No yoghurt besides full-fat Greek yoghurt.
• No cereals.
• No sauces.
• Water, coffee, milk & cream the only liquids.

That really is the essence of this lifestyle: No sugar. And that means carbohydrate as well, because your body treats carbohydrates exactly the same as it does sugar. Even Low GI carbs. They just release the glucose into your blood slower.

So how has it been?

Much, much easier than I ever imagined. So easy that after 7 months I am still living this lifestyle. Bearing in mind I used to be a sugar addict.


The first 4 days were difficult:

• I got ravenously hungry. And I craved carbs. Chips, potatoes, bread. 
• I had a slight headache, but not major.
• I was very tired as my body adjusted to finding its energy source from other avenues (primarily fat).

The rest?
Easy as pie.

What makes it so easy is that I don't limit what I eat. I don't ration portions for my meals. I eat as much as I like when I like.

That's what makes this lifestyle so easy. It's really one simple rule: cut out sugar.

Obviously the key is that you replace it with fat. That's right... "fat". Even saturated fat!

After 7 months of living this way, my cholesterol sits at an average 4.8 and I feel healthier than ever.

I have cream in my coffee. Have lots of mayonaise with my salad and chicken. And eat a decent amount of Greek Yoghurt. These fatty food pleasures keep me sane, but more than that... keep me happy. I love them. If I get a bit peckish... I look forward to some coffee and cream. It tastes amazing, and keeps me going for hours!

The results have been incredible:

• I have more energy than ever.
• My waistline clearly is taking a good shape.
• I never get tired in the afternoons.
• I don't need afternoon naps like I used to.
• I am seldom if ever hungry.
• I eat less.
• I am not afraid of skipping a meal, because the fat of my earlier meal/snack sees me through to the later meal.
• I spend much less on takeaway. Much less.

I have stunned myself by how much I have enjoyed not eating sugar. Don't get me wrong. I still enjoy the good off day where I indulge in some Wakaberry Fro-Yo or a good Burger & Chips. But adjusting back to this way of life is a sinch.

Sugar is a problem. A major problem in society today. Possibly as bad as tobacco and alcohol.

I never thought I would ever say that. I believe some sugar as part of our diet is ok, and in many ways healthy. But it's just easier for me to stick to the rule of none at all.

But the truth is... the food industry is shaking in its boots because it sees what's on the horizon.

Life without sugar is one of the most natural and healthy ways of living I could ever have imagined.

Try it. For two weeks. It'll be easier than you think, and the results will simply stun you.

-------------------  

*I say "lifestyle" instead of "diet" because that's exactly what it is: a lifestyle. Not a diet.

For more info on the LCHF lifestyle, check out my most popular post of all-time:
THE PERFECT DIET