Nineteen days ago I said good-bye to one of the great loves of my life. It was hard. It was sad. It hurt. But I’m kicking myself for not doing it sooner! You’ve probably guessed it already:
Sayonara, sugar.
Now, before you stop reading, I completely understand what you’re thinking! Probably something along the line of “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Good for you. You have more will power than I do, sister. Congrats.”
Yep. I get it – I do because that was me! It annoyed me when people would be all “low carb, no sugar, clean eating this or that.” Ugh! How ANNOYING!!! So, pleeeeaaaasssse listen when I say this…if I can do it, you can do it! I PROMISE!
Here’s the reason. I have a sweet tooth like none other! I love anything chocolate, covered in chocolate, or filled with chocolate. Any cake, cupcake, donuts, or pastries! Not to mention bread of any sort! Who knew bread, pasta and all that is good in the word turns to sugar when it gets inside us?
WHY, GOD, WHY?
Even though I love my sweets and breads so dearly, I got to the point where I wasn’t feeling good most of the time. I felt tired, lazy, and bloated. I had brain fog, irritability, and wasn’t sleeping well. I was ready to try something new but fought giving up sugar (i.e. carbs) for a loooooong time. When I finally decided to do it, I quit cold turkey. I decided to try it for one month to see if it worked. Nineteen days later, I’m here to tell you…it does. I honesty can’t believe I’m saying it but I am officially a No Sugar Girl.
I won’t lie to you and say it was easy, because it wasn’t. I had hard days (Day 3 is a doozy. Trust me). I had days when I wanted to run to Costco, grab a box of their chocolate muffins and shove each one in my face. Don’t judge me. But what I realized is, after a few minutes, the cravings go away. They do! I also learned smelling some pure vanilla extract helps, too. Try it when you want something sweet. You’ll be amazed!
Another thing I learned: I can cheat! On a date with my husband, I had cheesecake and it didn’t derail me at all. It actually made me realize its okay to have a treat! Just not every night.
So, why was it worth it? Why do I keep going?
My Skin!
I’ve always had breakouts but today it seriously glows and break outs are mainly history! Any under eye circles are almost gone, pores are getting smaller, and I swear even my eleven (those two wonderful marks between the forehead) is less noticeable.
I’ve Lost 10lbs!
To be honest, it could be more, but I haven’t weighed myself in a few days because I wanted this to be more about how I feel. But eeeek! I’m so excited to see these results!
My Energy Is Through the Roof!
I do not get the usual 2 o’clock drag where I’m running to the coffee pot to re-energize my body! Nope! Now 2 o’clock doesn’t even faze me!
No Brain Fog!
Maybe it’s to be expected for getting older, having kids, and running a business, but my brain seemed to be running a bit s…l…o…w! Not anymore! I feel so clear and capable. I’m less forgetful and more productive, too!
I Sleep Great!
I adore sleep. When it is time to go to bed, I am thrilled! I do realize this is partly because I get to wake up and drink my oh-so-lovely cup of coffee in silence! But, I also think I love it because I’m sleeping so soundly now and have the energy to get up early to for “Me Time”!
My Allergies Are So Much Better!
To be fair, it’s Winter – but I suffer from sinus issues all year long. It really doesn’t matter the season, I’m either stuffed up or fighting one heck of a sinus headache. Not anymore! I still have a little (very little!) stuffiness, and I am anxious to see if it goes away completely!
For me, these are some pretty awesome changes and they’ve spurred me to keep going. If you think too much sugar could be why you’re not feeling your best, I challenge you to try cutting it out! Give it 19 days and see if you notice a difference. My guess is that you will! And if you need a cheerleader, let me know. I’d love to cheer you on to a better you in 2016!
