The 'Towards a Sugar-Free Future' Challenge

hazeldreams

Morning all,

Thanks for the words of support @Honey_Bear, it means a lot. 

I've been off on leave for the latter half of this week and the break from work has done me good! The space and a bit more time has given me head space to plan a little more. 

Fingers crossed I can stick to my plans.

Hazel x

Honey_Bear

I reckon the only time my flights of fancy ideas ever succeed is when I plan how I'm going to achieve them Hazel.  Hit and hope never works for me, so if you've got time to map out how you're going to get to where you want to be, as opposed to setting a target and just hoping everything just falls in to place, good on you.  It's a sad fact that with working, household management and family commitements most of us just don't have time to set time aside to plan things carefully.  It's scary how busy we all are these days.

I'm really aware of this right now because I'm astonished at how long planning something I've been meaning to do for a long time is taking me.  I thought it would be a few days but it's going to be something I need to work at a few hours at a time for months!  It's fine, I'm enjoying it, but I had completely forgotten how long it takes - and I'm someone who loves planning!

Polly Bear - did you manage to resist or did the chocolates by the till result in overwhelming temptation?  I feel for you, I really do.  You've been so disciplined for so long and I know that's horribly hard for you.  Despite all of my best intentions I'm still, in unguarded moments, trying to work out how to get hold of a few bars of L!dl's salted caramel milk chocolate bars.  I'm very secretive about it, too.  I haven't told Belovéd about these fantasies and I won't be able to drive for at least another two to three months and walking that far is out of the question, there are no buses from here to there and a taxi to L!dl and back there is out of the question, obviously.  (See what I mean about planning?  I explore all of the options.)  So at some point I absolutely know I'm going to ask him to drive me there so I can smuggle some past him because if i asked him to get me four which, disgustingly, is how mnay I always buy myself, he'd only get me one or maximum two.  Not having it in the house means I don't over-indulge but I do really, really love them and now I'm getting worried that it'll be booted off the shelves to make space for other, less worthy, Christmas stuff. 

Only one chocolate biscuit yesterday, so I'm rather pleased with myself.  It's something to look forward to because I'm now really frustrated by how little I can do physically, while getting used to the fact that everything I do on my feet just hurts in a low level sort of permanent way.  If I don't do anything, it doesn't hurt but it won't get better, so it's a balancing act right now.

Pollybear

I'm still sticking with my cunning plan - I don't take any money to the shop, only the voucher for the newspaper.  Then however tempting things are, there's nothing I can do about it.  I know my limitations.  Doesn't mean I'll never have a bad day and take money especially to buy chocolate but as I always go before 7 in the morning it's not normally a bad time for me.   Afternoons are the worst I find.

Honey_Bear

I wasn't sure the other shop took the vouchers Polly, I know there are some that don't.  I'm with you about the 7.00am thing - I've been known to eat chocolate cake for breakfast but I stopped that decades ago because no matter how lovely it tastes I don't get those longings early in the day.  You're absolutely on the button, afternoons are the most difficult.  Sometimes after dinner I get a pang and cave, but it's around  4pm I'm at my weakest and the longings are at their strongest.

Pollybear

Don't get me wrong, I could easily eat chocolate for breakfast, but it's not my weakest part of the day!

hazeldreams

Love your discipline Pollybear! I used to be able to be that disciplined too, however my resolve has been seriously impaired since the pandemic when life through us some serious curveballs. I've never been this undisciplined, its extremely unnerving as I am a complete and utter control freak! I am lucky enough to have BUPA through work, so I am getting some specialist trauma therapy called EMDR. Its extremely hard work and very upsetting at times, but I'm determined to keep going as I just want to get back to being me and to stop using sugar (and sometimes alcohol) as a crutch.

I'm pleased I'm on 16/31 AF days this month so far with no plans for next 3 days to have any alcohol. Last night I made it to around 8pm again and then had 2 small Aldi titan bars. Pleased I stopped at 2. My thought process before having it was, "wow, I made it to 8pm again. Maybe I could have some as I haven't had any alcohol...."cue going to the chocolate bag in the garage..As I was walking there I was telling myself I didn't need it but I just kept on walking and reached in. What's that all about? In the cold light of day its fascinating to me! Is that habit? Addiction? It's the hit of dopamine probably isn't it? Unreal. I'm an intelligent, well-educated woman, yet something so silly has control over me! Ludicrous!

I am trying to maximise my intake of anti-inflammatory, high fibre, healthy foods early in the day and throughout the day. This does seem to be controlling the cravings. I'm trying to focus on what I can add in to my diet rather than takeaway, as perhaps focussing on the negative doesn't work for me. It does seem to be helping me get to the evening without any added sugar at all. I managed a total of 11 pieces of fruit/veg yesterday (had a breakfast smoothie full of berries, spinach, broccoli first thing which accounted for most of the 11) Going to keep going with this approach as its worked for me in the past. And healthy body = healthy mind for me.

Honey_bear, I can sense your frustration about the lack of progress in your recovery - I know I'd feel exactly the same. Sending huge hugs x

cookie02

Thank you for the warm welcome back to the thread!  I'm happy to say that I managed Thursday sugar-free.  Yesterday, I had the last of the molasses caramel Ch0c0c0 chocolates as my Friday treat.  I am feeling a lot better, thank you, PollyBear.  Honey_Bear, thank you for your message, it's good to be back! I think you're right and there are a lot of people basically that are reacting more strongly to what was probably a 'regular' illness before.  

I don't have any plans for today but we were chatting earlier this morning and might venture out for an early lunch as I'm quite keen to get out after the last couple of weeks!  Sugar-wise, I will enjoy myself today and then try to be a bit more restrained tomorrow to try and make my sugar-free Monday a bit easier.  Fingers crossed! 🤞

PollyBear, I hope your normal shop's tills are working again!  

Hazel, how has your week been?  

Honey_Bear, I hope you enjoyed the salted caramel chocolates 😋. 

Morning_walker, how are your experiments going?  

Have a great weekend everyone!

cookie02

Well done, Hazel, on your AF days as well as your restraint with the A!ldi bars 🏅.  

Pollybear said:

Don't get me wrong, I could easily eat chocolate for breakfast, but it's not my weakest part of the day!

Same here, Pollybear - mornings are definitely the easiest time of day for me (on most days, anyway).  Like you and Honey_Bear, it's the afternoons that I find hardest.  

Honey_Bear, sorry to hear about your feet.  I hope that the pain eases off as you get used to walking again.  A trip to L1dl for some shopping sounds like a very good idea - perhaps your OH can be convinced to get the four bars since the chocolate might not be available during Christmas... 

Pollybear

I still don't understand magazine articles about medication that stops you feeling hungry.   What's feeling hungry got to do with anything?  It's purely a terrible craving for whatever food you're susceptible to (chocolate for me) that you sometimes just can't cope with.  I have no discipline if it's in the house so I just have to try not to buy it.  Today I could murder a big bar of Cadburys Dairy Milk, I'm not sophisticated,  but I haven't bought it.   I'll worry about tomorrow when it comes!

Honey_Bear

Being hungry used to make me reach for the nearest sugary thing until I realised that it didn't stop me being hungry for more than about 15 minutes.  I still fall for it sometimes, craving chocolate mid-afternoon is a classic example so I've found that having a decent sized lunch helps.  A bowl of soup and a slice of bread just isn't enough - I need a proper helping of protein, not just a sprinkle of blue cheese on the broccoli and stilton soup for example.  (And I'm hungry now, and fantastising about chocolate which I could have because its Saturday but I think I'll hang on for a bit longer.)  Pizza later, and I really love pizza.