Day 1: no shugah, shugah

 

I am addicted to sugar. I’m not just saying I have a sweet tooth or I’ll never say no to dessert. I’m saying I literally have some type of chocolate or sugary something every day. I feel like I need it and I have a really really hard time saying no to it, even if I don’t feel well. I’m not proud of that nor am I comfortable with it. And then I read this. Regardless of how I feel about Gwyneth Paltrow morphing into some type of lifestyle expert, I recognized myself in this newsletter.

So of course I deleted it right away. Who needs Gwyneth Paltrow telling you you’re doing something wrong?

Starting this morning, I’m taking matters into my own hands and cleansing myself. Not Gwyneth-style, but Joanna-style. I’m going on a sugar fast for 30 days. Here are my (totally arbitrary, can-be-reasonably-tweaked) guidelines:

  • No unnaturally occurring sugars. And I can’t use the excuse that sugar in a cookie is “naturally occurring” since I put the sugar in it. (Although it’s only natural it would be where I put it, right?)
  • I am giving myself special dispensation to eat breakfast cereals. I never eat super-sweet ones anyway and I can’t handle the pressure of constantly making breakfast. That would turn this challenge into misery.
  • No drinkable sugars (as in the hot chocolate I drink every other day or so).
  • No maple syrup or honey, you cheating cheater.
  • If sugar is a very small part of a savory meal (pancakes, for example) and it’s not a food I would eat to satisfy my sugar craving (again, pancakes), then I can eat them (I just really like pancakes).

I’m going to do my best to give a short daily update here. Wish me luck!

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2 Comments

  1. Jeannie

    Oh, I was in the same boat as you about a year ago! I stopped eating sugar for about two months, and it did me SO much good. Now, I know how to moderate my sugar and I know what kinds of sugar make me feel sick. By the end of your 30 days, you’ll feel sick after consuming sugar, probably.
    The one helpful thing for me was consuming dairy. Yogurt with fruit and cheese really has a way of fulfilling that sweet tooth. And of course, I found fruit and nuts so helpful!
    I wish all the luck in this! :D

  2. joannalinberg

    Thanks, Jeannie! That’s great advice. I love dairy, so you can bet I’ll be leaning on it during these 30 days. :)

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  1. honey&salt » Archive » sugar fast: finito! - [...] did it! Thirty days without sugar, honey, or maple syrup. No brownies, no cake, no chocolate, no hot chocolate,…

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