Longtimenosee! Moving to a new pad without internet: bad choice. Never do it, folks, unless you’re ready to be disconnected to the e-world we apparently live in. Sheesh.
Okay, so: sugar. Evil, yes? Definitely!
There are people who do everything else with their diet & exercise pretty spot on, but can’t seem to shake the sugar addiction. Oh, that’s me! After a few weeks of travelling and moving, the take-out and the chocolate really did a number on my waist, so I decided to get serious.
The reality is that sugar is bad, and I am really, truly, very sorry for this because I wish something that bad didn’t taste so delectable. It messes with your metabolism, blood sugar levels, your mood, your bodily systems and can cause long-term lifestyle diseases (i.e. Diabetes type II. And probably cancer – everything causes cancer, right?)
Another reality?
Unless you’re Wonder Woman or Superman (which you very well might be..), you’re not going to shake the habit in a fortnight or even a MONTH by going cold turkey. Think about it: set yourself a month without sugar and, if you happen to do it (unlikely for me), at the end aren’t you going to be like WOOOHOOOOOOO TIME FOR A ZIGGY PIGGY!
Napoleon Bonaparte ate the Ziggy Piggy. YOU HAVEN’T SEEN BILL & TED’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE?! Okay, stop reading this. Go. Go and watch it NOW.
Well I would (by the way, REALLY big REALLY delicious SUPER chocolatey sundae at TGI Fridays called the “Outrageous Friday” or something. Yum. Sorry, not helping) . ANYWAY. You have to take it slow, because if you’re like me and you eat something sweet practically every day (or… with every meal… oops) this isn’t a reality.
Don’t be disheartened though. Just because you’re not going cold turkey on the sweet stuff, it doesn’t mean there’s less benefit. In fact, the benefit will be pretty instantaneous and more long-term than any shortcut effort.
Technique?
Set yourself 3-4 SUGAR FREE days in the week. Mark them on your calendar, in your diary, write it on your hand – just stay the fuck away from sugar. I don’t mean sweets. I mean sugar. It’s hidden in sauces (tomato, BBQ, low-fat mayo etc.), breads (white, raisin, some wholemeals etc.), spreads (um, nutella? dude, no) and is an additive in lots of juices and processed foods. Check out the nutrition labels on your food and make sure that there’s less than 5g sugar as a guideline. Oh and cereals, careful of cereals – they can be the main offenders (I’m not just talking Cap’n Crunch – but, um, YUM, see I told you I had a problem; I’m talking muesli and the like, too).
So that’s every second day. Sugar free. The other days, obviously be mindful of those hidden sugar traps – other than that, if you’d usually have a cinnabun, share it with someone. Just make the effort on the Sugary days but don’t slap yourself on the wrist for that ice cream you just ate (ground pound yourself if you eat a Ziggy Piggy though. Sugary days aren’t indulgence days just yet).
I’ve just started so I’m still getting the hang of rewiring my habits, but once you’re comfortable with 3-4 sugar free days, add an extra one. In a couple of weeks, add an extra one. Eventually, you’ll have gotten to six (it might take six months but why does that matter if the results will be there forever?) sugar free days, and that’s AMAZEBALLS. On that seventh day, O! The Holy Day of Rest, you GO and you GET yourself that brownie gurlfraaaand/boyfraaandd because dayum you deserve it (just make sure you burn it off… soz, moodkill)
NOTE: Just because you exercise like insanity, it doesn’t entitle you to extra treats. Nuh. That shits your health up in so many different ways and even if I burn off the Super Double Chocolate Fudge Cake with Chocolate Icing and Chocolate Dip on the side, I still feel crap because I imagine my heart looking really super duper sad. Simple, you feel good with good nutrition and no amount of exercise can replace this.
Okayyyyy anyway – good luck with all of that. And remember, whatever you do, DON’T EAT THE ZIGGY PIGGY.
May your dreams be filled with sugary Candyland goodness (just not your reality),
xxxo Faith
