I’m into my THIRD week without sugar
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I wanted to tell you of a couple of discoveries…
First, I love smoothies! We make one every night when The Husband gets home and that’s the best part of my whole day! Because of The Husband, not the smoothie…hummm.
Second…I miss baking.
There I said it.
I really love the way I get lost in methodically mixing ingredients.
It’s orderly.
It’s creative.
It calms me.
I love the aroma of something sweet and scrumptious baking in the oven. The whole house seems almost electric with excitement about what’s coming…
I get butterflies in my tummy when I see the prettiness of a freshly frosted cake…holy cannoli, I’ve got to stop.
Ummhummm…pardon my slip into all things sugar!
(But you may as well know, this is how my thoughts progress all day everyday!)
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Anyhooooo…
This has been my afternoon snack lately…
Frozen grapes! The texture is delectable even if they don’t make the house smell like home, I mean you can expect only SO much from a fruit that’s not made into a cobbler or a pie for the love of pete…
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Now, I have a question. It’s a serious one Peeps…
I just realized that July 4th, the day we celebrate the birth of my beloved country, the day everyone eats banana pudding and chocolate cake…well, it falls smack in the middle of my sugar-fast.
We’re going to my baby sister’s where there will be LOADS of sugary goodness…
Here’s the question…
Do I have to stay the course on that most hallowed of days?
Must I refrain from gorging, I mean nibbling on sweets on JULY 4???
I’m serious. I’m asking…what would you do?
~Wishing you a scrumptiously sweet day~
{ 37 comments… read them below or add one }
IMHO: Fasting is good. Legalistic fasting is not. I think you need to ask yourself if the Lord “called” you to this fast i.e. a spiritual purpose. In your case it seems to be (if I remember correctly) more of a dietary/weight thing (although I am missing out on that latter one for you) rather than a spiritual thing. Second, and this may be the biggie, if you break the fast for a snack here and there can you go back on it the next day? Understand that your body will rebel since it has been without its lifeblood (lol) for several weeks now and will be feeding on it again. I am going to take the chicken’s way out: it is totally up to you! how’s that for help?
.-= Bill (cycleguy)´s last blog ..“Lord- Lord” =-.
STAY THE COURSE!! or not.
Bill this is not a spiritual fast except for I feel God doesn’t want me to be a slave to anything…and I’ve been known to be a slave to SUGAR!!!!
I’m beginning to worry I won’t have a ‘sugar-enabler’ step up and say … EAT SUGAR!!!!!
sigh.
I would stay the course. If you have made the decision to fast from sugar for a certain time, then know that you will be quite disappointed if you break the fast before that time. And breaking it will not bring you the pleasure that you anticipate. I know from experience. And besides, there will always be a most hallow of days when you make up your mind to break any addiction. All I can say is that you are an overcomer! And on the fourth of July, there is always nice cold delicious watermelon.
Robin,
As someone that has been on a no refined sugar diet many times, you may find that just a few small bites of each will satisfy you. I know that sounds unbelievable! Trust me — my mom used to serve us left over dessert for breakfast!! I can truely sympathize with your sweets addiction!
Treat the day as it is — a holiday- a day to wallow and rejoice in God’s blessings. Family, Friends, Food and Patriotic Good Times!
Kiddo, I’m so proud of you for sticking the course thus far! You’re doing a fantastic job and staying so disciplined. That said, discipline can also include a small jaunt around a table that includes confectionary goodness. Although we try to eat uber healthy around this nest most of the time, we do go for yum-o every once in a bit. I say GO for it. Oh, and for a twist on frozen grapes, try frozen green beans (they rock) and frozen blueberries. With the blueberries, you get the antioxidants and extra sweetness as well
Life is about options, and I don’t want you to feel stuck in one spot. Praying for you, friend.
There you go Robin. Your ticket to EAT SUGAR!
.-= Bill (cycleguy)´s last blog ..“Lord- Lord” =-.
Enjoy the treats! You have made it this far so celebrate with a little taste. On July 5th, go back to the fast.
I agree with Jeanne! Even if I think that the diet might have you craving for one or two sweet things in particular on Sunday, and so you might be tempted to eat more than what is reasonable not to be sick…
So… I would tell you to enjoy the holiday, eat what you want (provided you don’t eat too much of each sweet temptation; to help, remember you “must” eat burgers, potato salad and other delicacies too…) and be proud of what you’ve achieved!
I think you’ll know just what to do when you get there. I’m guessing a peace will settle over you and it’s goingto be okay to have a suggestion of a piece (as Goge always said). The sugar thing seems to have shrunk way down on your list of necessities. Just look at this incredible smoothie! Sometime, give us your smoothie recipe.
I say…”LET THEM EAT CAKE!”
Robin, I am dealing with my own sugar monster. Gave it up for Lent (actually except for Friday night ice cream and Sunday night dessert LOL… you see, I am oh so VERY addicted, cold turkey was out of the question!) It was a huge struggle with a number of lapses, but overall so helpful. I felt better, leaner. I am still working with that plan. My feeling is it is a lifetime issue, something I will always work on, hopefully never something I will have to give up completely as I do love baking, too! Email me if you ever need a sympathetic ear.
OH… and smoothies have been my salvation! LOL
Have a little something if you feel like it, and don’t worry about it either way. From my own experience, I’d wager that you probably won’t be able to avoid all sugar or sugar substitutes anyway, just because it’s such a common ingredient, especially if any ingredients were made commercially (tomato sauce and salad dressing, I’m looking at you…).
Also, have you tried baking bread? It’s lovely!
Don’t break the fast, even for July 4th! Why not bring your ingredients for a smoothie and have one at the party? You could also bring some frozen grapes
to nibble on if you start to feel too tempted.
My Sister Rose has lost 26 pounds since Christmas and she is my inspiration to keep walking each day. I am a little jealous of her success and I too want to shed a few pounds.
You are doing great and you will do fine at the party.
I say go to this celebration feeling like it’s ok to have a piece of cake or some banana pudding. When you’re there, if you really want it, have some. If you find the desire for it doesn’t exceed you’re desire to stay away from the sugar leave it alone. Don’t feel the pressure to stay away from those foods, because that will drive you nuts. It’s almost impossible for you to think you’re going to never again eat a sugary treat in your life. That is it’s own form of slavery. Relax, and do what you feel when you’re there. You don’t have to eat the whole cake, just a piece. : ) Most of all, enjoy the time with your family and friends, being happy in the moment, not stressing over the desserts!
Don’t do it! Once you get a small taste of something sweet it will be incredibly hard to stop again. Know this from experience. I to am a sweetsaholic and went off sugar for a few weeks but once I got that first taste it was almost impossible to go back. You will be so proud of yourself for withstanding the temptation and remaining true to your commitment. Stay strong!
I was off sugar for nine weeks on the HCG Diet and didn’t miss it one bit. However, I don’t think I can add it back into my diet now that it is allowed because I’m not sure I could eat just one piece of jelly candy…my vice. I don’t have a problem with baked goods because I rarely make any. I would stay strong. By staying strong, I lost 22 pounds and am keeping it off!
Every dietitian and book or website out there will tell you to allow yourself a little wiggle room or be prepared for failure. I think one day in your fast will not hurt because you have been so good, you should reward yourself with one day! If it bothers you, you can always tack a day on to the end of your fast to make up for it?
~Kelli @ Smidgens
.-= Kelli´s last blog ..Another Summer Top Sewn =-.
I’ve lost 81 pounds. I used Weight Watchers. Nothing – absolutely NOTHING – is off limits for me. I can still bake, I can still have cake, I can eat whatever I want. The key is moderation and accountability. If I go to a special event, I plan ahead for it and allow myself a small indulgence. I have never felt deprived, I have never wanted or missed anything. I make daily choices about what I eat and whether that spoon of peanut butter is worth it to me, for example, to get me to where I want to go or to fit into those skinny jeans – which I can now fit into. Oh, and by the way, I still bake. I made an awesome pumpkin cheesecake that no one knew was weight watchers friendly. And I eat lasagne too – WW friendly. And so it goes.
.-= Claire´s last blog ..Flashback =-.
Oh, one last tip – it is never failure – it is always feedback. If you “slip” and gain a pound or two and it shows on the scale, it just shows you what you need to do differently next time. I like the positive aspect of calling it feedback.
.-= Claire´s last blog ..Flashback =-.
If you are committed to staying the course of no sugar in your own home… then I say indulge a bit at your sisters that one day. I think you will find your taste for sugar has changed and it won’t sit well in you body now that you’ve detoxed from it. But if its truly an “addiction” and you find you are powerless to it… then you know better than I what to do…
.-= Vicky´s last blog .. =-.
To eat sweets or not to eat sweets….. What was your goal in starting this fast in the first place? Were you planning to give up sugar forever, one week, one month? That’s the question, maybe you have already met your goal and maybe you’re not a slave to it. If you miss the baking, then bake something and give it to your local fire station and I’m sure those guys would love it or take it to a nursing home where those folks rarely get anything homemade. It would give you the satisfaction of baking and the comfort of doing something nice for others. Look at what you hoped to accomplish with this fast then go with what you feel is best for you since you know your inner self better than anyone else. Have a wonderful time with your beautiful family and enjoy the day, food and all!
I say if you can avoid the sugar without feeling like a martyr, then do. If not, try having just a spoonful of each of the sugary concoctions, instead of huge servings. They say our cravings are satiated in the first three bites, so think small servings! Have fun!
.-= Suzanne´s last blog ..Antique Pedestal Bowl =-.
I say if you can get back on track the next day then go for it….in moderation! Try a piece of the “tamptations”, that may be all you need. I will be thinking of you!!!!!! XO, Pinky
whoops….temptations!!!!!
I agree with the poster who said you’ll know what to do once you get there. Don’t let this one topic be the focus of your day though — the “should I? Or shouldn’t I?” — THAT will drive you nuts! Decide and then either way you decide, the next day you will be back to a place where the internal struggle never even existed and you’ll be moving forward! Congrats on all you have done to tackle this beast! It shows how strong you are no matter what you decide for that one particular day!
PS — I would love if you could share a smoothie recipe or two!
Mary
we have our own addict in the house this summer, and he’s abstaining from video and computer games for the entire summer. there’s one caveat: he can play if someone comes to our house–then it’s social interaction–or if he goes to someone’s house.
the problem has been coming back off the gaming after these events. while not a complete apples to apples comparison, i’d suggest abstaining from the sweets at your sister’s house. it’ll just make all the work you’ve done have to be done over again, as you reacclimate your body to life without.
and you’ll be grumpy. sorry; can’t say you should.
if you have a little sweet do you think it won’t mess up your sugar issue? you might consider baking something with splenda and bringing it with you. take your grapes and consider eating something before this gathering. best wishes
.-= rose´s last blog ..TREASURES =-.
These are ALL the most rational level headed comments EVAH! I was out and about reading comments on my Blackberry and every time I’d read one I’d agree with that person!!!
You are some wise people!
My purpose in this was to get out of the habit of baking 3 times a week (I’m not kidding. That’s what I was doing) And to re-develop a taste for fruits, yogurt and anything else I can think of that taste good without loads of sugar.
Also, I wanted to teach my stubborn self that a serving of cookies isn’t a DOZEN! (Again…I’m not kidding)
After a month I plan on eating sweets only 1 time a week…
(I certainly still get sugar in my diet because you’re right Beth, sugar is in EVERYTHING!
And what I DIDN’T tell you guys is that I’m eating only 1 slice of bread a week on top of the no sugar!!!
I’m still ambivalent about the 4th…maybe I’ll just tally the responses and go with the winner!
xoxo
I vote for one day of breaking the rules and then going back on the next day. I gave up sugar for a while and LOVED my sugar free jello every night for dessert. But nothing compares to CAKE ….just sayin’
.-= Holly´s last blog ..Obsessions-Addictions-Passions =-.
Hey Robin,
One really good sugar free food that I’ve found is Larabars.
http://www.larabar.com/food/about-larabar
GLUTEN FREE * DAIRY FREE * SOY FREE * NON-GMO * VEGAN * KOSHER*NO SUGAR ADDED.
Tastes a little bit like a cross between cookies and those cereal bars.
Expensive but highly recommended. I bet you could find a way to make them at home. They use fruit juices like lime juice and orange juice to create the sugar.
Ciao! (And Chow!)
sigh. i am with you on this diet. i haven’t had sugar or bread for about 5 weeks now. it isn’t legalism – but it is food issues. you know I am UNBELIEVABLY JEALOUS that you could eat as many sweets as you say you eat and still be so thin.
So the question I have for you is….are you making sugar an idol? something that would make your life better? are you looking at it almost as an entity? it is just a food that tastes yummy. and then will cause mood swings. it isn’t evil . can you eat it in moderation? and didn’t you know the fourth of July would come when you set the fast? didn’t you make that decision earlier? pretend like it is the 5th of July. You ate sugar. How do you feel about that decision? Don’t be in bondage to anything. Don’t do something that will make you feel temporarily good physically with an emotional boomerang attached. If you can eat it and be fine – then do it. If it is going to cause angst don’t. definitely don’t spend the day a martyr – be a volunteer:) hey – and I love you!!!!! On my end…I am just having to say”no” to my addictions. But I definitely am having to ADD variety in order to make it. I had two really hard days in a rom and then – yesterday was easy..of course yesterday I spent a lot of money so maybe I addiction swapped. Anyway – I always think forward to the next day – week…how will i feel then?
Ok, I didn’t read all the comments so this has probably already been said.
Do you think you can eat a cookie and a piece of cake? Or will you eat a plate of cookies and half a cake?
Can you have a snack on the holiday and then go back to your routine of smoothies, or will you be adding a little sugar to it because, really, why not?
If you can answer those two questions, then I think you have the answer to your holiday.
Ps: we need to find you things to bake that aren’t decadent… There must be a happy medium so you can still do what you love…
.-= gitz´s last blog ..YOU-create Week 1 =-.
Good questions, Gitz. Robin, on non-decadent, is there such thing in the land of confectionary goodness? See, I’m of the philosophy that all things coming from the baked section of the cookbook are gifts from above. However, I do have the black and white ability to only eat one of something…hence the delimma for you. Maybe you could bake as a ministry if it’s something you really love? I know someone in need of love living a state over
wink, wink 
. Also, Sar, muffins can be made healthfully and still can be considered great baking, so maybe that would work to fill the fix?
.-= Shannon´s last blog ..Take 5 Friday =-.
Shannon and Sara…good ideas. Before when on Weight Watchers, I baked WW recipes…hummmm, problem: I ate the entire batch of cookies since they were so low fat !!!:0
But now,with some time under my belt maybe I could bake healthy and eat “normal” amts.!
xxoxoxo luv u both
I’m a first-time visitor. Great job for stopping sugar for so long! That’s awesome. I agree, frozen grapes are one of the best snacks ever
I love to bake, too, and have made a real effort in the last couple years to time my baking to coincide with events where we’re having people over or where I’m going somewhere and can bring goodies to share. For me, all or nothing doesn’t work well (because if I go without for too long, I’m liable to swing the other way and over-indulge later). But trying to cut back works really well — like still allowing myself to have a bowl of ice cream in the evening occasionally, but making sure my portions are small. If I were you, I’d allow myself small portions of whatever looks good to you on July 4, then get back on the no-/low-sugar bandwagon July 5. Best of luck as you continue to make good food choices.