I have been completely sugar and flour free for four weeks. Some days it has been effortless, and other days have been more challenging. Here are my thoughts on planning, cravings, energy, and weight loss.
Planning: The more prepared I was, the easier the day. I tried to have left over meals in the fridge or freezer to have on hand for lunch. When I was easily able to have a filling lunch, the rest of the day flowed. However, if my lunch didn’t quite fill me up, I felt grumpy and a bit more resentful of the lack of options in my life. The truth is, when you give up eating processed food, you have to spend more time in the kitchen. Throughout the month, I did find some new recipes to add to my repertoire. The more I looked; the more I found. This planning piece will certainly get easier moving forward.
Cravings: I often read that sugar cravings will go away in three days without sugar. For me, this was simply not true. I still craved sugar after 30 days. I was not really tempted to buy that bag of Swedish Fish, but when I was hungry and tired of vegetables, it was harder to pass up my gluten free crackers. However, the cravings were never so strong that I came close to giving in. My resolve was different. This is not a 30 day challenge. This is a lifestyle change. I have faith that the cravings will disappear completely in time.
More Energy: Not really, and I have to say this really bummed me out. If I was eating this well, and still feeling tired, it was a clear sign that something was up. Last time I had blood work, I was deficient in several vitamins and minerals. I need to head back to my Natural Doctor and get my levels rechecked. I do take a multivitamin, but it does not contain iron, which was one of the minerals I was deficient in. There is a view that you should be able to get all your vitamins and minerals from the food you eat, but there is really no reason for me not to have boundless energy, so back to the ND for me.
Weight Loss: After 4 weeks, I was down 6 pounds. I found this really discouraging. I didn’t eat cake on my birthday. Not one single piece of Halloween candy passed my lips. I said no thank you to cheese and crackers at cocktail parties. Not to mention the endless desserts and easy snacks that I turned down. This seemed like a lot of sacrifice for 6 measly pounds. But then I remembered that I also had not gained weight during this time of year like I normally do. Maintaining a weight loss during this time is really quite miraculous for me. My pants are looser, and I am on my way to my goal weight.