It’s been a year since September 2019 when we did The Great Sugar Detox,  a two-week expedition into the world of NO SUGAR. I say “we” because some readers joined me in this adventure. We had an email group and supported one another, sharing challenges and successes, what we were eating, as well as challenges and frustrations! Misery loves company so it was good to have others in the boat with me!

And let me say here how proud I am of everyone who did the detox. They were all way more committed than me, and many of them have continued eating this new way even up til now. So congratulations on undertaking A Hard Thing…and succeeding! And sticking with it! 

After the two weeks I checked back in to share how it was going. What I discovered for myself is that I don’t believe I had a sugar “addiction,” which is, of course, what all addicts say (haha), but really, once I made my mind up to do this and had a plan for what I was going to eat, it just wasn’t that hard. It did help that I did not plan to do this forever, and you can do almost anything for two weeks!

I think not putting the pressure on myself to GIVE UP SUGAR ALWAYS AND FOREVER, is a big part of what helped me do it…for the two weeks…and beyond. I think I stayed mostly sugar-free through almost Thanksgiving, and even after that, I didn’t go crazy, I allowed myself more things with sugar but I continued to be mindful of sugar, carbs, and portion sizes.

But here’s a thing I do when there’s something I want to do, that I’m not supposed to do – like call a boy or drink that sweet tea. When I have the urge for That Thing, I say to myself, “You can have it. Tomorrow. Just don’t have it today. But if you still want it tomorrow, you can have it.” And the next day, if the urge is still there, I say the same thing. “Yep, you can have it, no one’s depriving you of anything…just wait til tomorrow. And then it’s yours.” And I will literally say these words out loud to myself. And the fact that I’m not saying NO to myself gives me the strength? will-power? to hold on til the next day. When it starts all over again. And as silly as this sounds, it works for me. And one day turns into two days, into a week, into a month, etc.

It’s the NO YOU CAN’T HAVE IT that makes me feel ..mad…frustrated…deprived…unrewarded…even unloved…and then I just want IT all the more! Saying YES takes away all that negative will-power/deprivation awfulness.

I’m not saying I NEVER had that chocolate bar I wanted…but most days I did not. And it’s what you do most of the days that builds habits and gets results.

Anyway, back to the sugar! (Am I the Queen of the Tangent, or what?) As I said in the 2-week recap last year, I really did not feel any of the magical things that I have read others experienced when they’ve given up sugar: clear skin, more energy, relief from joint pain, shiny coat, sparkly eyes, etc. I never really believe things like that are going to happen…but I still always hope they do.

I did lose a little weight in the almost two months I stayed on the “program,” more or less. I’d already been losing a little from earlier in the year when I was trying to eat a little better – as I keep saying, “more mindfully.”

To me that means, I am not counting things – not calories, not grams of fat or carbs, not ounces, etc. What I AM (well, was) doing was keeping an eye on my overall eating…if I’d eaten healthy (healthily?) all day, I could have dessert. If I had chips on Tuesday night, I probably wouldn’t have them again til the following week. I made it a point to eat protein every morning, like chicken, steak, or hamburger. That helped immensely with the dizzy feelings I’d been getting…and also kept me feeling satiated and satisfied for a long time…so then I could eat just a small lunch, and unless I was going out to eat, I’d have a simple dinner – veggies, more meat/protein. I went for months without buying bread or pasta. If I ate out, I could have it, but by not having it in the house, I wasn’t eating those carbs on a regular basis.

Between that “mindful” eating from April and the sugar-detox from September to November, I did lose 40lbs. And I never felt like I was “dieting.” Even during the sugar-detox time, I was eating normal portion sizes. I could snack on things like Triscuits with Earth Balance (plant-based butter) or cotton candy grapes or apple slices with almond butter, cheese sticks, etc.

And before anyone goes, “But all that fruit! All that sugar!” Okay. I’m pretty sure I’m not fat cuz I’ve eaten too many apples. I’m just sharing what I ate during a time that I was losing weight.

It felt good, being down in weight a bit. My clothes fit better, I could find more clothes to fit me in stores, and while it didn’t relieve my hip or heel pain, it did make movement in general easier. Going up a flight of stairs, getting up out of a chair, etc. That was nice.

Around Thanksgiving, I started being a little less “mindful,” though I did not go completely off the rails.

And then…COVID. The first month-and-a-half of lockdown I ate so sparingly. I was so concerned about running out of something and not being able to replace it because the markets were out of so many things. But two months in I relaxed. I relaxed to the tune of Breakfasts 1 and 2. Early Lunch and Late Lunch. And not moving AT ALL. I did walk one month when we had a walking fundraiser during the month of April, but overall, from March-the present, I have barely moved. Very few outings with friends that involve walking. Haven’t gotten myself up and out much on my own. I’ve just gotten used to Not Moving. I’ve always loved To Sit…and I have been reveling in the freedom I’ve had this year to do that almost nonstop.

And so…as one would expect, I’m back up 10 pounds. I don’t feel any differently for it. But my clothes are getting a little snugger again. I don’t want to not be able to wear new clothes I’ve bought in the past year that I love. So.

ALL THAT TO SAY…I’m doing another 2-week Sugar Detox. I’m in the “clean out” phase right now, which means I’m eating all the sugary, carby goodness that is in my cupboards and then I will with replace with better options.

Is that recommended?

Do I care?

If anyone would like to join me…repeat people from last year for a refresh or new followers, email me at fashion_schlub@yahoo.com and we’ll figure out how to communicate. Last year we used Yahoogroups but I think they’ve stopped doing email groups.

If anyone from last year wants to share anything about doing the sugar detox, feel free to share in the comments. And thanks again for joining me on that journey!

xoxo