Sugar Free Experiment

I've been sugar-free for eight weeks. I decided to try dropping sugar from my diet for a number of reasons, not the least of which is my high chances of getting diabetes. But also, I wanted to see if it would make me feel better.

Muffin tin baked egg and bacon

You should probably know that I'm a sweet-LOVER. As in, if given the choice between eating a meal or eating dessert, I would take dessert. So I wasn't really sure how this experiment would go, but I felt strongly that it was something I should do.

I bought the book, I Quit Sugar, to help me have some guidelines and offer some good food suggestions. Sarah is inspiring and encouraging so it helps the process.

Sugar-free peanut butter and coconut granola bars

I'm going to be completely honest here, the first week sucked. It felt like giving up my life, because . . . sugar. Plus, on the IQS program they really encourage dropping fruit during the detox period and filling up your nutrient tank with veggies so that made the process even harder for me. One thing that became painfully clear is that when Americans celebrate, it is almost always with a sugar~fest. I had to re-train myself to celebrate other ways and at the beginning, this was difficult.

However, the next week something interesting began to happen, I stopped having those shaky moments of intense hunger before a meal. I found myself being able to calmly eat and not cram food in because my blood sugar was dropping.

Sausages with veggies

About the third week, I realized that my cravings for sweets and extra food had dropped considerably. I found myself being able to wait longer between meals and eating far less than I had been. 

Now that my eighth week is over, I'm eating fruit again and even some sweeteners on occasion ~ Stevia and Rice Malt Syrup. But I'm trying to keep myself off sugar and not overdo the sweeteners.

Almond meal mini-pancakes

I never, NEVER thought I could be someone who went without sweets. But the more I'm without them, the less I want them. I'm hoping this trend continues until I don't even think about them anymore.

Iced coffee and cream

I will say, my one saving grace was coffee with milk. The milk takes the bitterness away and now it even tastes sweet to me. It didn't in the beginning. But I don't think I could have done this without my coffee, and coconut. Real coconut added a semi-sweet alternative when I got really desperate.

I'm thinking of sharing a few sugar-free recipes that I enjoyed. I'm not really a chef but I've certainly cooked more through this experiment because it's the only way to know you're completely sugar-free. I've found what works for me and what doesn't.

At the end now, I find myself with so much more energy. I don't have that sluggish feeling or even sluggish brain. I'll take all the help I can get in that department! I continue to lose pounds and inches (slowly ~ this is no flash diet). All of this has made me feel so much better that, for now, I'm choosing to stay off sugar.

Grapefruit tastes much sweeter now that I'm off sugar!

Would you like me to share recipes? Have you ever gone without sugar? Do you think I've lost my mind? ;)