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21 Day Sugar Detox Week One

03 October 2012

Fun.

Don't I have anything better to do than type out an anal food diary? When Simon is either sleeping or working 24 bleeping 7? No, I don't. Don't ask again.

One night (early last week) I was feeling verrrrrry sorry for myself and so short story short ... I ate a lot of chocolate. After my 16 minute night-o-slumber I woke up the next morning with the hangover from sugar hell and vowed to change my life right then and right there. Or something even more dramatic.

Then Meg randomly emailed me about this detox and that was that. Boundaries and guidelines...


Also, unbeknownst to Jenny - I worship her from afar and saw that she was giving gluten-free a go and had to copycat (although I don't think the tox is gluten-free completely at all).

My goal is absolutely not to lose weight (obviously!) but just to not feel like arse and not crave and cave and eat 13 snack size Almond Joys (my current kryptonite) over the course of 34 seconds.  Because I did that a lot leading up to the tox. It was wonderful/terrible.

Simon advised, "maybe don't post every boring meal detail" (butIam) here is the general breakdown sans portion deets because I only sort of hate you ...

Day One (Wednesday)
Morning
hot tea, Vitamin C smoothie drink thing Simon brought home*, sausage link, deli turkey, swiss cheese, egg (cooked, over easy if you must know) and cream cheese and bell peppers, Greek yogurt with blueberries*, generous lick of Kit Kat from Sebastian's hands (on our way into the store ... I had no choice)
Afternoon
Butternut Squash, Grapes*. Emergen-C
Evening
tomato soup, swiss cheese, Butternut Squash, Coconut water, hot tea
Late night/early morn
tomatoes, Swiss cheese 
Feelings-cha-roo Headache and all I wanted to do all day was drink a gallon of chocolate milk ... but I behaved.

Day Two (Thursday)
Morning
coffee with almond milk and cheater creamer, sausage link , egg + cream cheese + bell pepper, Greek yogurt with fruit*, butternut squash
Afternoon
coconut water, peanut butter* (didn't realize this wasn't allowed ugh), grape, Emergen-C
Evening
shredded chicken, tomatoes, swiss cheese, soybeans/edemame/whatever, vending machine coffee* 
Late night/early morning
Swiss cheese, tomatoes 
I just feel like ... no more headache, less urge to hunt and devour chocolate

Day Three (Friday)
Morning
Coffee with almond milk and creamer*, sliced turkey, swiss cheese
Afternoon
Greek yogurt with fruit*, tomato and red pepper soup, Emergen-C
grapes*
Evening
baked brie, salad with roasted chicken, cheddar chip things*, white wine*
Feeling had a late nightcap of a sip of gatorade which I normally love but it tasted like that sugary syrup that you drink for the gestational diabetes test. ga-ag. 

Day Four (Saturday)
Morning
egg+bell pepper+cream cheese
butternut squash
Afternoon
massive turkey leg, diet coke* (we were at a pumpkin patch out in the middle of nowhereville ... I was weak and desperate), grapes* 
Evening
turkey chili and cheese
Late Night
coconut water 
mcCfeely wedding ring is no longer cutting off finger circulation when I wake up and late night cravings for chocolate milk have diminished 


Day Five (Sunday)
Morning
coffee*, provolone cheese, egg, cream cheese, tomatoes, turkey bacon
Afternoon
turkey chili, more cheese, an apple, peanut butter*
Evening
more turkey chili, 1 Paleo cup, hot tea, grapes*
Late Evening 
Emergen-C, Greek Yogurt with fruit*
Feeling probably my hopeful imagination but is my skin softer? 

Day Six (Monday)
Morning
egg, cream cheese, turkey bacon, an apple, peanut butter*, grapes*
Afternoon
another apple, Emergen-C, Greek Yogurt with fruit*, two Paleo cups
Evening
tomato soup, cheese, grapes, deli turkey
Late Evening
coconut flour muffin
Feeling less puffy? maybe my imagination

Day Seven (Tuesday)
Morning
coconut flour muffin, egg, cream cheese, turkey bacon, greek yogurt, coffee, hot tea
Afternoon
grapes, two Paleo cups
Evening
chicken, brussel sprouts, tomatoes, parmesan cheese, bite of Simon's cafeteria spring roll ... fine ... TWO bites
Late Evening 
applesauce (recipe from the detox lady herself) hot tea
Feeling like an idiot after carefully reading the "no foods" list and realizing I'm eating so! many! no! foods! ah!!!!!

*denotes cheats. bleh. 


If you bothered to read any of the log (hoping and guessing, nope) you're probably thinking, "she is not doing a sugar detox she is doing an eat-whatever-the-hell-she-wants-tox" ... fair enough ... BUT this is a sad and great improvement over my formerly sugar loving ways.

Overall: Obviously I have two vices in life, grapes and coffee with sinful creamer. I don't give my all to anything and this is no exception as I'm not sure I'll ever kick those habits. I've gone many an hour without longing for a chocolate treat but never an entire day. The biggest development is that I don't want to eat a Gingerbread house decked in Swedish Fish and Dots after the kids go down at night which is a nice change - that was getting old.

I didn't realize a lot of the things were on the no list (dairy being the biggest culprit) because apparently my reading skills are quite poor and my ignorance-is-bliss skills are quite excellent. This probably means that the entire thing was completely pointless and moot and I lose. If I test positive for gestational diabetes next week (not something I've previously battled) I'm going to volunteer as a tribute for the next Hunger Games ... I deserve it.

Anyway, I feel a lot better and am starting to get a little bit of a grip on my snack size candy cravings ... starting. I'll finish the next two weeks but won't punish you with my food diaries ... de nada. Maybe just a touchy fuzzy reflection on how the whole thing made me feel .... like a slightly less puffy and a slightly less grumpy pumpkin eater cheater. 

33 comments:

  1. This looks suspiciously similar to the South Beach diet that my hubby tried a few years ago. No carbs, no fruit, etc. Easier to follow for a few weeks than maintain for the long-term. As i sit here eating a handful of fritos....! Good for you to cut out the sugar, but I'm with you - it looks SO restrictive. I would have a hard time with the no dairy, no fruit.

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  2. I think you're doing a great job of eating whole foods, and getting rid of junk. If we all ate like this 80% of the time, we would all feel better. And if you're craving chocolate (especially when preggers) my midwife told me it means your body needs iron. So go eat a cheeseburger. No bun, Duh.

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  3. i'm impressed! I need to try something like this! i lack serious discipline with sweets!

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  4. Good job! I'm still eating half a tube of cookie dough as a reward for getting the three youngest to bed before 11pm....looks like I should give this at least a half hearted shot. What do you put on your butternut squash? You eat a lot of that stuff!

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  5. This sounds torturous, and you're already pregnant. I just think you should only deal with one ridiculous task at a time...this is probably why I've never done a cleanse...because I've been pregnant forever.

    But I envy the lack of sugar dependence...that's a freedom for sure!

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  6. Ahh, I've been doing this and I didn't realize beans were off limits. I've been eating Cannellini beans in my salad for protein. Dang this is a tough list. So impressed that you are doing this pregnant!

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  7. Excellent! Between the two of us, we're living starch-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, fruit-free, paleo...which leaves us with leaves us with black coffee, celery and my fermented cod liver oil. You're good with that, right?

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  8. I really should do this with you. And, hey, I think you're doing great! Better to ease into something like this anyway, isn't it? Less chance for falling off the horse? I may jump on the bandwagon, but I have to see if I can really give up my vices. I guess it is only 3 weeks huh.. Sugar is a tough one.

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  9. Awesome!! This is so great! I'm starting October 11 with Mary and then will be able to email you lots and lots so we can pour over the EXCITING details :)

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  10. Oh Grace I'm cheatin' away over here...just ate a big illegal bowl of refried beans with salsa and avocado for lunch. But (and this is a big but, or maybe a big butt), I haven't bought tortilla chips in a week! That is like an adult lifetime record. I guess my kryptonite is salty to your sweet. I do greatly miss yogurt, however, the little tyrant still won't allow any dairy to taint his precious milk supply.

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  11. Way to go on doing this! I love the idea, but I'll be honest. Not happening. Not right now. I can give up all kinds of processed and sugary foods (I swear, right after this one- okay 2 or 3 more- chocolates), but there are so many healthy things that I do eat on the "no" list that I'm not sure what I would ever eat! But I'm impressed with you doing this.

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  12. oh, i read every "boring" detail, and loved it! i need specific detailed instructions on how to eat better, bc i am the worst at it! i am really tempted to eat some m&m's at work right now... so, i could definitely use a sugar detox & probably a dairy-free diet too! i will be printing out the chart! thanks :)

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  13. My mom hasn't eaten sugar or flour in years and, more recently, has opted for only milk of the goat variety. Her health (though she was not "unhealthy" by most standards to begin with) has improved tremendously and she attributes sugar addiction to most of the woes of the world. ;-) There is a reason they give babies sugar in the NICU to calm them down and reduce pain--it works! Honestly, I think you are attempting to do a really hard thing and I hope you experience a billion-fold consolations in the process!

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  14. I think the sugary cravings come from spending all that mental energy with the children. It is not like we are taking mensa tests or trying to find hidden meanings in 12th century haikus, but having to think for two (in my case) or three (in your case) takes a lot out of a person. Not to mention having to repeat every single thing a hundred times a day and add to that a nice dose of trying to rear the monkeys well so that in the future your life will hopefully be easier. Like potty training or teaching them to be nice to one another...

    At school we were always advised to take along a bar of chocolate for our exams - when the brain got tired a good jolt of sugar brought it back to life. After around 4PM I survive mostly thanks to caffeine and cake (my sugary vice) and I do know that the days I eat more healthy foods and whole grain everything the cravings for cake are not as bad. So, cutting out everything sugary and replacing it with everything that your body can dismantle over time must be a good thing. I do not know if I could do the "no carbs" thing, though.... My hat comes off to you!

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  15. Ummm totally going to be a cheater on this one. Yogurt, fruit, coffee and I are BFF. Although I could cut out the 4 fruit-flavored tootsie rolls at 0730 and the handful of peanut M&M's I just consumed (double-cheat on that one). I will justify my weak attempts by saying that breastfeeding a hungry 4 month-old requires extra calories haha

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  16. Read the whole thing. Ate straight Nutella from its jar while I read it.

    Kristin

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  17. Tribute - hahahahaha!!! I think my diet has the yes and no foods reversed. Sigh.

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  18. It'll get easier. The longer you say 'no' to sugar, the less you crave it. Or at least that's the case for me. Have you ever tried just doing half-and-half in your coffee? I find that adds a certain sweetness. Have you seen this floating around Pinterest?

    http://civilizedcavemancooking.com/sidessoupsdrinks/pumpkin-spice-latte-2/

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  19. So Riddle Me This, I shovel HANDFULS of sugar into my mouth at work. M&m's are my weakness- but any chocolate or mediocre cookie will suffice while I"m at work. I honestly can say that on work days I think about chocolate the MINUTE I pull into the parking lot.

    And at home, I don't buy cookies or candy. Well, we have candy at home from Simon's leftover potty training - and I regularly buy cake and chocolates for the husband. I don't touch them. I don't crave them. Nary a piece crosses my lips.

    What is up with that? Do I need to break up with my job?

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  20. My head is spinning. I can't do any of these diet/detox/anything. I just eat what I like in moderation and as long as it's not frozen/prepared I'm good.

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  21. Oh my gosh I admire you so much for doing this, and WHILE PREGNANT! I would not have the self discipline for this...and I feel like when you're pregnant you already have to give up so much....you are amazing.

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  22. Funny this says 21 Day Detox. I bet after two days it feels like an eternity. I gave up a bunch of this stuff last Lent, plus gluten. Happily I'm back to consuming my fair share of artificial creamer (aka coffee crack) but I feel like the whole experience shaved at least a day off purgatory....and like a year for my husband. Keep it up until your family forces you to quit!

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  23. I really want to try this, as I've given myself a headache and stomachache with the terrible food I've been eating, but sadly, I think my dining hall would make this all but impossible. They love them some white potatoes, pizza, and pasta with heavy cream sauces. And dessert.

    You are doing awesome though! 10,000,000 times better than I would be able to. Cheating is okay, anyway!

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  24. Yep, we're on week 3 of a similar, gluten-, sugar- and fun-free diet. Not as hard as I thought it would be, after I got over the headaches, delightful bowel changes, extreme fatigue, cravings and skin issues. After three weeks, I feel food...I mean...good.

    Good luck...?

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  25. For Lent this year I gave up bread & pasta & sugar. IT WAS HARD OMG. The first week or so was especially hard, I would have done some really bad things just for a bite of ice cream. (Almost not exaggerating.) But then it was suddenly easy, and I felt GREAT. Like scary good. I didn't have the mid-afternoon slump any more, and I lost 20 lbs. over about six or seven weeks. Since then I've sort of gone back to my old ways, partly out of laziness and partly out of first trimester desperation, but I'm still doing obnoxious stuff like eating my hamburger without a bun. I am convinced that a diet overhaul is a good thing for my health (mental and physical) but I'm also convinced that it can be very difficult to completely change your entire way of life. Also, I get totally jealous of my toddler's PB&J.

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  26. You just reminded me of the gestational diabetes test. That's my favorite. Thanks.

    Also, how long are you doing this for? Forever? What if I run into you on the street one day and I want to share a cupcake with you?

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  27. I did something similar to this called the Whole30 and it was absolutely amazing. A few words of wisdom....try coconut milk as a replacement for coffee creamer. No, it's not the same but you will learn to love it. Also, I've heard a lot of women fail the glucose test after following a paleo/low sugar diet, because all that sugar is a shock to the system. Some people advise loading up on sugar in the days just prior to the test in the form of "safe starches" like sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and bananas. Good luck!

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  28. More than proud of you, Grace! Especially for staying on the wagon despite a couple of cheater eats.

    I have such an all or nothing mentality that if I can't do something 100% I don't do it at all... So many an elaborate plan has utterly and unceremoniously died after Day 1. I'll proudly start my day on a green juice fast and end it with popcorn and beer for dinner. Not even joking.

    I'm royally impressed over here!

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  29. Congrats! I think the changes you made are great (and grapes are good for you!!). For two years before I got pregnant I ate a modified version of this diet but with easier rules--four servings of fruit, four of veggies, plenty of protein, no grains (bread, pasta, rice, etc) except immediately before running. I'd eat cookies before workouts! It did work and I felt really good. Then I got pregnant and it all went out the window. Two years later I'm full of good intentions...

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  30. Oh man. When I had to cut out sugar so I wouldn't die in a heap of morning sickness death, I thought there was NO WAY I would survive....but then I felt great. But now that I don't HAVE to do it in order not to die, I can't make myself do it again.

    Except for coffee. I will never, ever, ever want to give up coffee. Ever. It's my only source of hydration.

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  31. I love this. I've done sugar-detox diets as well and it like you almost have to wean yourself off of it! After the Halloween chaos...I can really USE this! :) Thanks again...

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