Sugar free shortbread - yum!

All it takes is 200g plain flour, four tablespoons of Stevia granules and 150g butter.  It melts in the mouth!  Closest thing to a biscuit that I've had in four weeks (because jaffa cakes are officially cakes, so they don't count!)

I'm trying to get back in the running groove.  I think my body has adapted to my new dietary regime now.  I had been running 3-4 times a week and it had slipped to 1 or 2.  Last night I did 5k and ran at an average pace of 10.7km/h, so I'm pleased with that.   I need to get up to about 11.3km/h to set a new PB but I am heading in the right direction.

End of week 7 - not quite sugar-free but still on the programme

This has been one of the most stressful, emotionally-draining weeks of my life (which is saying something, it's rarely been easy!) so I gave myself carte blanche to forget about eating in any particular way and just deal with the big stuff.  This meant I have eaten chocolate on three days this week, and actually, that's enough - I don't want any more!  I'm still at my ideal weight, in fact I could be a little heavier if there wasn't a fortnight of wearing a bikini for a large part of every day looming.

As far as the eight week I Quit Sugar programme goes, well, I've always done my own thing anyway.  I am pleased with my achievements in retraining my appetite, changing my eating habits and improving my health.  It's not a case of never eating sugar again...even Zoe Harcombe, who I have enormous respect for, eats chocolate when she feels like it!  At least now I am in control, not the sugar.

Six weeks without sugar (almost)...but today I really fancied chocolate!

It even crossed my mind to sit down with the box of chocolates that is lurking in the fridge and just eat the whole lot.  Instead, I had three.  I think part of the problem was that when I weighed myself this morning, I had gone up by 600g in two days.  That's more than a pound, and quite demoralising when you've been eating sensibly and have only just reached your goal! I know it will probably disappear as quickly as it appeared, but even so, how annoying!

I also had a bit or a carb fest this afternoon, with LOTS of crackers and soft cheese.  I started off with six and it became about 16! 

Today is my six-week anniversary of my sugar-free programme and overall it has definitely been a success, and I plan to continue with 5:2 - that is, five sugar-free days per week and a little indulgence on the others.

Step away from the nuts...

I open a bag of nuts and it's like it used to be when I opened a box of chocolates or a bag of peanut M&Ms!  I keep going back for more.  At around 600 calories per 100g, they are even worse than chocolate.  I had to rein myself in, close the cupboard and get on with cooking dinner.  Now I've eaten, I'm not hungry or even peckish so the cupboard is staying firmly closed.  They did seem to trigger my appetite though so best avoided, perhaps. 

Nothing sugar-free about toffee fudge sundae!

I don't even eat ice cream normally, but I ate out with my friend to celebrate her birthday.  We had a two courses for £10 offer and I was planning a starter and main, but she wanted a main and dessert.  Since it was her birthday I couldn't really refuse!  My dessert had double the calories of my main course, and overall I was still under my TDEE for the day.  It didn't restart sugar cravings and I'm back on the wagon today so no harm done.

Back at last summer's weight

As of Sunday morning I am very firmly back where I spent most of last summer after 5:2 helped me to shift 2 stone.  I had regained about 8lbs due to my overeating of sugary, unhealthy foods.  On Saturday evening I finally opened the box of chocolates that had spent two weeks in the fridge.  I had five, which felt like more than enough, and was still under my TDEE.  Now they are back in the fridge for another week! 

I think I will 5:2 my sugar consumption and see how that works, but will only eat it if I am bothered enough to do so.  I could easily have gone without eating those chocolates, but it was more curiosity than desire that led me to eat them.  Now I know that a few chocolates doesn't push me off the wagon I feel more confident about eating them occasionally. 

The end of sugar-free week 5

I made it to the end of term!  I'm don't think I thought I could do that five weeks ago.  We've had cake coming everywhere you look this week, our pupils and parents have been very generous.  However, I've resisted it all!  I'd have eaten some (or even plenty!) normally but wasn't tempted this time.

A kind parent gave me a large box of Ferrero Rocher, which was very thoughtful and much appreciated.  Luckily I don't like them, so they are quite safe from me.   Others in the household will eat them instead.

Last night was our work end of term 'do' and a farewell to some colleagues who are leaving the school.  We paid £25 for the evening, which turned out to me a pub buffet with plates no bigger than saucers and half of it was meat or fish based anyway so no good to me.  One of our colleagues played with his band.  They are very talented and I enjoyed listening to them but the volume meant it was impossible to have a conversation at the same time.  So, when the cake came out and I'd only had a few nibbles from the buffet I thought 'sod it, I've paid £25 and hardly eaten anything, at least if I have some cake too I will feel like it's better value for money!'  It was one of those evenings where you get home hungry (unless you've stopped for a kebab en route, that is).

Since I started my virtually sugar-free lifestyle, I have lost 6.5lbs/3kg, had two menstrual cycles with no PMT, noticed clearer skin, shinier hair and I feel great!  Although I was initially aiming for a 5 week plan as I'm not following the I Quit Sugar programme at all (I just went cold turkey and then kept going) another 3 weeks will take me to the start of my summer holidays away from home.  I might have the odd indulgence, like those chocolates that have already been in the fridge for two weeks, but I'm definitely not going back to eating sugar every day like I used to.