So today marks the last day of 30 days sugar free.
What an emotional roller coaster it has been.
No I'm totally kidding.
It has been exceptional easy, anticlimactic, and fuss free...
Who would have thought.
In recent years sugar has been hugely demonised in the media.
And rightly so.
That shit is poison.
But I had (what I thought was) a deep seeded love for sugar.
Particularly chocolate.
I knew how bad sugar was for me, but I wanted it. I didn't want to give it up.
I certainly didn't want to give it up for a whole damn month.
I was convinced I was addicted and the process of coming off it would be long, painful, and unbearable.
Then along comes Junk Free June.
It's all over Facebook.
For some reason, I decide I'll do it.
June 1st. My flatmate comes home with 2 giant blocks of new flavoured chocolate.
Hadn't advised him of my challenge. Whoops.
This was my first test.
I swear my jaw was clenched and my fists were balled the entire night.
All evening I had conversations, nay, arguments with myself in my head.
"You actually don't have to do this...No one is making you"
"Have some self respect, it's just chocolate for fuck sake"
That was the tame version. There was a lot of both positive affirmation and down right self abuse going on.
But I got through the night. I didn't eat the chocolate.
And then I continued to not eat chocolate for a whole month.
I also didn't eat any type of dessert, cakes, lollies, muesli bars, anything that was refined or added sugar. No fizzy or sweetened drinks. I had tea and coffee without sugar (I think twice I had sugar free sweetner, wasn't worth it). I didn't even have chocolate on top of my coffee.
My only source of sugar was fruits, honey and real maple syrup.
I can confidently say I did not slip up once. (that I'm aware of...)
Granted I didn't do Junk Free June to it's full potential. This would have included cutting out bread, pasta, cheese, chips, takeaways, processed foods, deep fried food...etc etc. I didn't have a excess of any of those, but I'm pretty happy with my efforts for just going sugar free.
So how do I feel?
Physically I'm not sure there's that much of a difference. I haven't weighed myself yet so I'm not sure if I've lost weight. I don't feel like I have. But that was never the aim.
The biggest result I have out of this was practicing self control.
I thought I had none.
I proved myself wrong in the best way.
I said no. I kept saying no.
And it was fine. I didn't lose my mind, I didn't cry, I didn't have physical symptoms of withdrawal.
I was never addicted.
So now what?
I have no desire to eat sugar the way I did before. Honestly. Now that I know I can manage without it, I'm done with it.
I'm aiming to make it a weekend treat. And in actual treat sized portions. Not entire blocks of chocolate shared between myself and my husband like before.
Some say "I don't need sugar in my tea, I'm sweet enough"
I was bitter and needed sweetening up.
Now I'm sweet as.
So there we go.
I did a thing and it was good.
I'm proud of myself.
Did you do Junk Free June?
How did you do?
