SUGAR DETOX

Nice.. I need to give up yogurt.. I never realized how much sugar was in it UUUUGH

Since starting with MFP a couple weeks ago I have mostly cut out added sugars (i did have a half-ice cream sandwich last night, but i budgeted to have that, and it's the first time in a looong time i have eaten something that junky. After i finished it, i realized i didnt need to eat it, and i wont be eating one again for a looong time), but i still end up going over my sugar limit because of the whole wheat bread, carrots, bell peppers, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, and occasional fruit or juice in my diet (i try to eat fruit instead of drinking juice when i can, but i only ever drink 100% juice with no added sugar). I have gone through my entire house and tossed out all the products with added sugar/refined sugar/sugar substitutes, keeping only a box of Splenda with fiber, a bag of white sugar and confectioner's sugar for baking, and a package of chocolate chips in the freezer (to be used for potty training incentives for my 2-year-old and infrequent baking projects; i promise i dont eat them!).
Lately, I've been adding Nature Valley crunchy granola bars to my diet because i need the calories, and they are free at work (i have a very small grocery budget), and they have some good things in them, too.
I'm not sure how to do things any differently, but I want to make sure I lose the love affair with sweets, because diabetes is common in the adults in my family. I am healthy and dont have it now, but i want to stay that way and set a good example for my babies (2 and 9 months)!

I've kind of been wanting sugar today, so I've gotta watch it here on day 2. (Only day 2?) I'm gonna go have some berries, and hope it helps!

you are awfully brave right before Easter!

Word!

I have to stay away from sugar and MSG because, for me, they are appetite stimulants. I proved this to myself again recently when I had a piece of cake for my birthday...and a few other simple carb treats. The next day, I couldn't stop thinking about food. Even though I was eating normally, I was hungry and pestered by cravings for sweets, but I was determined to detox, so I didn't have any sugar. The day after that, I was so hungry, I ate all my calories before noon, then ended up eating another 400 for dinner...still no sugar or simple carbs. The third day was easier, and the by the fourth I was back to a normal appetite/hunger pattern with no obsessive cravings.

I wouldn't have made it through those three days without sugar if I didn't believe there was an end to the torture in sight.

For years I tried the "everything in moderation" approach, and the "don't deprive yourself, or you'll end up on a binge" philosophy. That was all wrong for me. I had someone tell me "It's not your fault, it's your body's reaction to sugar that is making you out of control." I cried. It was such a relief having someone acknowledge what I knew all along - that my overeating was beyond my control - that there was a force out there that would always be stronger than me. I cried because someone believed me, and wasn't accusing me of making excuses for myself, or accusing me of being weak or negative or irresponsible or lazy or gutless.

She told me that if I gave up sugar (and simple carbs) it would be miserable for a few days, after which I would be on a level playing field with "normal" people who had self control around food. She was right, and that simple truth has changed my life.

Was it worth the birthday cake? Yeah, probably, but I don't want to do it again for a long, long time!