Posted by
Liana
at
11:01 AM
"Usually I'm exhausted, run-down, and feel like I've been run over by a semi-truck after traveling back and forth to the west coast and teaching two boot camps back to back. It's NOT like that this time." was my comment as I walked the streets of Portland yesterday afternoon after the conclusion of my 16th Photo Biz Boot Camp taught.
I knew part of it could be that being in the company of these photographer over the past week has kept my spirits up, and my mind sharp. Somehow it was not as exhausting as usual. But I wasn't getting extra sleep, that was for sure!
Then I realized... the SUGAR! Perhaps it has something to do with the Sugar!
Almost two weeks ago I gorged on my leftover Christmas chocolate, while watching the Bachelor online, immersed in my guilty pleasures ...because I knew the next day I'd be throwing out ALL the sugar in my house that I'd be tempted with.
You see, my mom gave me this little dog-eared book from the 70s as I was packing up after Christmas... with a disclaimer I can't remember now... and it wasn't until recently that I picked it up and realized my addiction.
I am an honest-to-goodness Sugar Addict!!! (step 1 haha)
It's been over a week now since I've denounced refined sugar from my diet. I have:
- traveled for over 20 hours this week,
- gotten the SAME amount of sleep as usual (not much!),
- worked crazy hours teaching,
- neglected to exercise at all this week,
and I feel like I have SOOOO much more energy than I usually do!
- I'm not as moody.
- Don't feel that "must take a nap" sensation a few minutes right after I eat.
- I don't feel like I've been "run over by a semi-truck" like I usually do after this kind of trip!
This book is an interesting mix of history, personal experience of the author, cold hard facts, case studies, and even recipes! The history alone is awe-inspiring. When you find out how sugar was introduced into our culture, and kept here... WOW.
I admit, it hasn't been an easy start. I sat in front of a plate of Biscoff cookies and chocolates for the first few days of this experiment and was proud I walked away without partaking in a single sugary delight!
I hear it takes up to a month for the cravings to go away. I was able to cut all coffee, Coke, and other caffeinated beverages out of my diet 9 years ago (yes, the last Coke or Pepsi I had was in 1999!!!)... and still going strong on that. Water is my #1 drink. I have a feeling sugar isn't going to be as easy...
3 comments:
I gave up sugar for my 2008 NY Resolution, and succeeded! I'm going at least another year without refined sugar...I'd like to say I'm sugar-free for life, but I'd like to take it one year at a time.
As for those awful cravings....I stopped having severe cravings (for white sugar) after the first few months. Now, I sometimes get cravings but it's not for white sugar...it's more for anything sweet like an apple or honey in my tea.
Anyway, I would love to hear more about your journey along the way. Congratulations on choosing to cut out what seems to be a very addictive substance!
Oh, and also congrats on cutting out coke and pepsi so long ago. That in itself is something to be very proud of! January 31, 2009 at 2:11 PM
It was so great spending time with you the past few days, I'm excited to get all those changes going!
xoxo,
Jenny January 31, 2009 at 7:26 PM
Do update on how it is going!:) February 2, 2009 at 11:05 AM