The 'Towards a Sugar-Free Future' Challenge

Honey_Bear

Good to know we're in roughly the same place with sugar-free next week Cookie.  That'll help with motivation to see if I can get a second day in, and also to eat less sugary stuff on the other days.

I'm with you vis-a-vis protein - it's made a bigger difference than any other single thing I've changed over the past 15 months of this Challenge and I'm now convinced it's been the reason I've been filling up with carbohydrates, including sugary things and chocolate, for years. 

Coffeekup, you're absolutely right.  If it isn't in the house, I can't eat it.  More over, if I can't see it, I probably won't think about it most of the time.  I put the chocolate bark in the fridge after I made it and forgot about it completely.  Each time I searched through the fridge for any reason I saw it, thought, 'Oh good, I can have some of that later,' and promptly forgot about it again until the next time.  I happen to be out of chocolate at the moment which has made life easier, but having had a fridge turnout today I absolutely know it's there now.  I think I'll allow myself some this weekend and see if there's enough left for next week when I might really want some late in the day, later in the week.  Either way, no more buying of the stuff I would eat straight away if I did.  At least for a few weeks.

Honey_Bear

Reflecting on my lack of energy over the past couple of weeks in particular, I've come very late to the conclusion that there's a distinct possibility that it's two things, quite apart from my ankle which is still healing. 

1.  I haven't been eating protein at every meal, particularly breakfast.  I have plenty of cottage cheese in the fridge but it wasn't as appealing as the pain au chocolat that Belovéd bought me specially at a treat, etc etc.

2.  I have been eating sugary things like Christmas cake most days on top of a ma@gnum or chocolate covered Brazil nuts most evenings if I'm being strictly honest.

Fortunately, apart from the chocolate bark with almonds in it, and there are a lot more almonds than chocolate, that's the end of the chocolate.

I love chocolate but I'm almost looking foward to going back to zero sugar for a few days to see if that helps.   

Makingabobor2

I'm so sure you are right @Honey_Bear, about the protein. My experiment is continuing and this morning instead of my egg, I had half a banana, mashed up with half an Oatibix and a couple of tinned peaches....been feeling hungry all morning and already had 2 squares of the 85% dark chocolate!  So egg for lunch in a bit and then I am definitely starting a much better lifestyle from now on, I really am, I did so well last week on the days I had egg for breakfast and chicken livers for lunch.  Oh and another thing....the chocolates that DH brought home from work.....I had a few more yesterday and let's just say they had a big impact on my digestive system.....sorry if TMI there.... . I suffer with IBS anyway, so should know better really.
I've started to think about what the sugar is doing to our insides a lot more lately. Its not just about the weight gain etc, but the long term effect that it can have. Mind you, I suppose that doesn't always come into our minds does it?  Its a  bit like telling a drug addict that the drugs might kill them in the end.  
Anyway, good luck everybody, let's hope for a better week. 

Honey_Bear

Something must have changed fundamentally in the way I think about sugar and this issue, Making, because I have never looked forward to a day without sugar before! 

The whole protein thing is an absolute revelation to me.  I can't believe how I totall misunderstood the issue for decades.  Two boiled eggs as a sort of brunch this morning, so that should keep me going for quite a while today.

Makingabobor2

Yes, I agree, I never understood protein before. Like you say @Honey_Bear, I actually look forward to NOT having sugar and feel like I've really failed if I have any.  I have found toasted teacakes are quite good for a quick snack instead of getting out the biscuits Probably not that good for us, but a lot less sugar than a biscuit and more filling...and cheaper than chocolate I think

~FlowerPot~

Protein is definetly more satiating and I feel fuller for longer when I have meat/eggs. So will try and add in more eggs and bacon for breakfast. We used to have chickens so ate loads more eggs than we do now. We won't be having chickens again, but must look out for a local seller of free range eggs.

Have managed not to have any biscuits before breakfast, so im hoping ive quashed that habit. Didnt do it every day anyway, just need to ensure breakfast is filling

Will try and find the choc protein ball recipes, but I think I cobbled them together, it was about 4 years ago i last made them, i will have a ponder!

Makingabobor2

~FlowerPot~ said:

Protein is definetly more satiating and I feel fuller for longer when I have meat/eggs. So will try and add in more eggs and bacon for breakfast. We used to have chickens so ate loads more eggs than we do now. We won't be having chickens again, but must look out for a local seller of free range eggs.

Have managed not to have any biscuits before breakfast, so im hoping ive quashed that habit. Didnt do it every day anyway, just need to ensure breakfast is filling

Will try and find the choc protein ball recipes, but I think I cobbled them together, it was about 4 years ago i last made them, i will have a ponder!

Ooh choc protein balls sound great

cookie02

I think Flowers has got all of us dreaming of chocolate protein balls now 😋.  They sound fantastic!  I was reading the comments and decided that I needed to make a sweet snack for this week so I made a batch of my spiced maple pecans to tide me over.  Yesterday ended up being really busy and I achieved my first sugar-free day of 2023!  I'm really relieved as I think it was March or April before I managed to get a single sugar-free day in 2022.  I'm sure that a big part of this has been down to everyone's advice around protein.  Since I managed a sugar-free day yesterday, I'm going to try and see if I can make it two days today.  This might be a bit optimistic but it'll give me something to aim for!

Making, your comment about teacakes has reminded me that I have some slices of fruit loaf in the freezer so that's another healthier-than-chocolate snack sorted for me - thanks for the reminder!

Honey_Bear, how are you getting on this week?  I hope your ankle is improving.    

Good luck with your goals, everyone .  

Honey_Bear

Well done on getting your first sugarfree day in so early in the year Cookie!  I didn't realise it was that much of a struggle for you last year - I know I struggled with it and had to start again several times but I thought you sailed through in comparison. 

Thank you for asking about my ankle.  The physio told me before Christmas that what's taking the time is the muscles and soft tissue repair and that can't be rushed.  I'm aware that I've had some new sensations over the past few days which aren't painful but are 'interesting'.  I'll be seeing her on Thursday afternoon so I can ask her whether what I think those feelings mean is what I think they do, which would be good news.

So yes, I managed to be sugarfree yesterday as well, which I'm really pleased about.  I got the munchies about 3.30pm, so no surprises there, and wouldn't have minded a chocolate when Belovéd offered me the tin of salted caramels last night after dinner but I didn't need to give in, which is unusual.  At 3.30 I had a red pepper hummus and cracker snack and after dinner I told myself that: 

-  much as I thought I might enjoy the chocolate while I was eating it, I'd be unlikely to want to stop at one,

-  that it would mean I'd be really disappointed in myself, and

-  I'd really like to know how much difference going sugarfree would feel overall, which I won't achieve if I keep chucking chocolate in my mouth.

So, I'm as pleased as punch with the fact that I've now chalked up a second sugarfree day in January which is probably two more than I managed last year by now.  I'm absolutely certain it's linked to eating more protein and that's a huge change in my diet/  That is the biggest bonus of this cutting right back on sugar Challenge, apart from the obvious one of eating less sugar. 

We've got a couple of people coming for lunch on Saturday so I may let myself buy a bar of that Lid1 chocolate and make some more of the Brazil nuts, or just stick with some almonds that I already have,  If I'm good this week I may let myself have that as a treat.  No-one but me will notice if they're not there, but I gave some of the Brazil nuts of one of the guests and she loved them, so I know she'd enjoy almond ones as well.

How are you getting on @Pollybear, @Makingabobor2 and @~FlowerPot~ and everyone else who's reading along and struggling with the sugar thing?

~FlowerPot~

Well done on the sugar free days. 
I have success and failure. 
Im still holding off the RT biscuits as pre breakfast snacks. But have had 2 very stressful days and stress really is my downfall, i am realising how much I comfort eat! 
Yesterday i was on the hunt for choc and Mr flowerpot produced a bar of my fav, tucked away for an emergency! 
I was good and only had 3 squares. 
But, 
Today we heard that my son didn't get into oxford uni, he had set his heart on it and thought the interviews had gone well and so we are all gutted and ive just eaten the rest on the bar of choc. 
I now feel worse!
Hoo hum, im off to work and then ill pick up something for DS that he likes for tea. 

As for the cocoa balls, ill share the recipes i have, im sure I used to kinda make it up salient along! 

Flowers
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