21 Day Sugar Detox Report
June 12, 2013 at 10:53am
21 Day Sugar Detox (21DSD) Report
I must say that was probably the longest 21 days of my life, or rather probably the only 21 days that I counted down since I was a kid and was waiting for Christmas. Alas, it is finally over and I have indulged in a pineapple strawberry smoothie, bierock and small cinnamon roll!
Twenty two days ago I embarked on an adventure called the 21 Day Sugar Detox. It is a plan that eliminates all the sugar and artificial sweetener out of your diet including cutting out foods that have naturally occurring sugars in them. Imagine a life without grains of any kind, any form of dairy, all fruits except 1 green tipped banana OR 1 green apple per day, beans, legumes, potatoes and any food which lists any form of sugar or artificial sweetner in the ingredient list. I will tell you this, it is doable because I did it with just one misstep (more about that later). I'm not really sure how I did this, my mind was just in the right place. Two things worked in my favor. The week before I started this I had cut out drinking pop. I'm so glad I did that the week prior to starting because I had horrible caffeine withdrawal headaches, but that was all over by the time I started this. The other thing that worked in my favor is I'm used to eating a grain free diet because I've been eating a Paleo/Primal diet for a little over a year now. So what did I eat, my diet consisted of meat, lots of veggies, eggs, lots of nuts and sunflower seeds, coconut milk and my beloved 1 green tipped banana per day. The plan does allow athletes to eat one sweet potato after a workout so that was a great treat to look forward to on the days when I worked out.
I didn't go into this plan with the purpose of losing any weight. As a matter of fact upon reading up on it I was seeing that many people didn't lose any weight doing this sugar detox so I really had no expectations about weight loss upon starting this. My main reason for embarking on this detox was to get my eating back under control. For about 6 weeks prior to starting this I had really let my healthy eating habits slide on a slippery slope and I was getting frightened that if I didn't do something I would keep on with what I was doing and gain back the pounds I had fought so hard to lose.
So what was the outcome of the 21DSD:
Pounds lost: 4
Inches lost: 7.25
Incredible knowledge and insight about food
Two exciting things happened during the detox, I lost 3 inches in my waist and 2 inches from my hips, and I gained some definite ideas about food that should help me over the rest of my life. I I will say though that I'm a bit surprised I didn't lose more weight because of what I was eating. I was eating a ton of vegetables which are low in calories and when you add in the other stuff I was eating it didn't seem like I was consuming that many calories. The one thing I wish I would have done different is that I wish I'd have kept track of my calories consumed just for curiosity's sake. However, if there is one thing I dislike doing it is tracking my food intake, it's such a pain! Even though I was surprised I didn't lose more based on my food intake I've always said I'd prefer to lose inches over pounds any day.
I didn't have as much energy as normal so my exercise suffered some. I didn't log nearly as many miles as normal and I backed way off on my bodyweight workouts. I was still exercising but I just didn't have the umph to do what I normally do. I am looking forward to some good workouts again.
What insights did I gain about food:
1) I CAN live without sugar!
2) I CAN go into situations where there are little or no healthy food choices (movie theater, family dinners, fast food joints, restaurants, etc.) and I can survive!
3) Choices are available in most situations and if there isn't an acceptable choice it won't kill me to go without
4) 21 days isn't forever, lol!
5) The Cheesecake Factory trumps the 21DSD!
6) Almost every canned or bottled product has sugar in it. The one exception I found to this is tomatoes, canned diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste (most varieties) do not have added sugars.
7) Almond butter is the bomb! (Maybe eating spoonfuls of almond butter almost daily is why I didn't lose more weight)!
8) Club soda isn't so bad.
9) There is no perfect time to do something like this, there will always be something special within the 21 day time frame so you just have to "bite the bullet" and do it.
10) No one is perfect, when (not IF, but WHEN) you fall down, pick yourself up, dust off and keep going!
11) Food is fuel BUT, food should also be enjoyed. Savor each bite of your meals especially if you are eating one of those meals you don't normally eat. Slow down, take your time, don't rush through your food. Enjoy the journey of eating!
12) On a daily basis we are confronted with junk foods. Seriously, until you do something like this you don't realize how many times you encounter junk food.
I was quite proud of myself for navigating through the challenge the way I did. I was in many situations where I had to take my own food so I would have something I could eat. It wasn't the most ideal of circumstances, but it was doable. The one time I knew I was going to be tempted was when we went to visit our son in the Kansas City area (3 hours from our home). My all time favorite restaurant is The Cheesecake Factory and the 2 or 3 times I make it to Kansas City in a year I always go eat there. Our trip there fell on days 17 and 18...so close to the end of this detox and up to that point I had not fallen off the wagon. I contemplated what to do, posted about it on here, said I was going to be tough and not indulge and you all were so good and cheered me on. I will humbly admit when I ate at The Cheesecake Factory I fell off the wagon. I ordered an enchilada dish (green beans on the side instead of rice) and had a piece of banana cheesecake. I will say I enjoyed EVERY bite of that meal. I don't think I've ever eaten a meal and savored it like I did that one. The bottom line on this choice came down to the fact that I only get a chance to eat at The Cheesecake Factory 2 to 3 times a year and a fresh meal is WAY better than leftovers so I decided to go for it. Did I feel guilty about it, NO WAY! It was one meal out of 63. I was 98.4% successful during the 21 days and that is nothing to be ashamed about, especially when I walked away with so much personal knowledge about food.
Will this experience change the way I eat? Yes! Now that does not mean I'm not going to eat the piece of birthday cake EVERY time I have the chance because I am, l love birthday cake, the more frosting the better! The changes I anticipate in my eating are in regards to the junk that surrounds me on a daily basis. I would venture to guess that I encounter at least 2 to 3 situations a day when I have the opportunity to eat something that isn't so healthy. This was a real eye opener for me; all the times I had to make choices. I think the natural tendency is to say to ourselves, "Oh this one time won't hurt." But what we don't realize is that we have so many of those "one times" that they start adding up. So for me I think I will go with an eating plan in which I'm going to stick with eating certain foods (not as strict as the 21DSD though) and then loosen up a bit on the weekends, unless there is cake or The Cheesecake Factory, I will ALWAYS eat the cake with lots of frosting or eat whatever I want at The Cheesecake Factory, no matter what day it is, lol! That brings out a great point, I learned what my "go to" foods are; the ones I really missed. Fruit, popcorn, Chinese food, salad dressing, a little milk, cheese and butter, my protein shakes, and ice cream; these are the things I wished I could have had so these will be the foods that come back into my diet. The popcorn, ice cream and Chinese food will be occasional treats, but the others will be regulars. So I anticipate my weekly diet will include the following foods; meats, eggs, nuts, protein shakes, fruit, vegetables, some dairy, and salad dressing on my salads. Occasionally I'll have popcorn with butter, ice cream and Chinese food. When I go out to eat I'll order meats without the buttery creamy sauces and I'll have veggies or a sweet potato on the side. On the weekends I'll splurge and have the buttery creamy sauces, and go Mexican and have some chips and salsa, and I'll have dessert too! Now at least I have a better idea of what will work best for me by satisfying me as well as being fairly healthy.
Was the 21 Day Sugar Detox worth the 21 days of completely changing my diet, ABSOLUTELY, 100%, DEFINITELY, FOR SURE!!!
I must say that was probably the longest 21 days of my life, or rather probably the only 21 days that I counted down since I was a kid and was waiting for Christmas. Alas, it is finally over and I have indulged in a pineapple strawberry smoothie, bierock and small cinnamon roll!
Twenty two days ago I embarked on an adventure called the 21 Day Sugar Detox. It is a plan that eliminates all the sugar and artificial sweetener out of your diet including cutting out foods that have naturally occurring sugars in them. Imagine a life without grains of any kind, any form of dairy, all fruits except 1 green tipped banana OR 1 green apple per day, beans, legumes, potatoes and any food which lists any form of sugar or artificial sweetner in the ingredient list. I will tell you this, it is doable because I did it with just one misstep (more about that later). I'm not really sure how I did this, my mind was just in the right place. Two things worked in my favor. The week before I started this I had cut out drinking pop. I'm so glad I did that the week prior to starting because I had horrible caffeine withdrawal headaches, but that was all over by the time I started this. The other thing that worked in my favor is I'm used to eating a grain free diet because I've been eating a Paleo/Primal diet for a little over a year now. So what did I eat, my diet consisted of meat, lots of veggies, eggs, lots of nuts and sunflower seeds, coconut milk and my beloved 1 green tipped banana per day. The plan does allow athletes to eat one sweet potato after a workout so that was a great treat to look forward to on the days when I worked out.
I didn't go into this plan with the purpose of losing any weight. As a matter of fact upon reading up on it I was seeing that many people didn't lose any weight doing this sugar detox so I really had no expectations about weight loss upon starting this. My main reason for embarking on this detox was to get my eating back under control. For about 6 weeks prior to starting this I had really let my healthy eating habits slide on a slippery slope and I was getting frightened that if I didn't do something I would keep on with what I was doing and gain back the pounds I had fought so hard to lose.
So what was the outcome of the 21DSD:
Pounds lost: 4
Inches lost: 7.25
Incredible knowledge and insight about food
Two exciting things happened during the detox, I lost 3 inches in my waist and 2 inches from my hips, and I gained some definite ideas about food that should help me over the rest of my life. I I will say though that I'm a bit surprised I didn't lose more weight because of what I was eating. I was eating a ton of vegetables which are low in calories and when you add in the other stuff I was eating it didn't seem like I was consuming that many calories. The one thing I wish I would have done different is that I wish I'd have kept track of my calories consumed just for curiosity's sake. However, if there is one thing I dislike doing it is tracking my food intake, it's such a pain! Even though I was surprised I didn't lose more based on my food intake I've always said I'd prefer to lose inches over pounds any day.
I didn't have as much energy as normal so my exercise suffered some. I didn't log nearly as many miles as normal and I backed way off on my bodyweight workouts. I was still exercising but I just didn't have the umph to do what I normally do. I am looking forward to some good workouts again.
What insights did I gain about food:
1) I CAN live without sugar!
2) I CAN go into situations where there are little or no healthy food choices (movie theater, family dinners, fast food joints, restaurants, etc.) and I can survive!
3) Choices are available in most situations and if there isn't an acceptable choice it won't kill me to go without
4) 21 days isn't forever, lol!
5) The Cheesecake Factory trumps the 21DSD!
6) Almost every canned or bottled product has sugar in it. The one exception I found to this is tomatoes, canned diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste (most varieties) do not have added sugars.
7) Almond butter is the bomb! (Maybe eating spoonfuls of almond butter almost daily is why I didn't lose more weight)!
8) Club soda isn't so bad.
9) There is no perfect time to do something like this, there will always be something special within the 21 day time frame so you just have to "bite the bullet" and do it.
10) No one is perfect, when (not IF, but WHEN) you fall down, pick yourself up, dust off and keep going!
11) Food is fuel BUT, food should also be enjoyed. Savor each bite of your meals especially if you are eating one of those meals you don't normally eat. Slow down, take your time, don't rush through your food. Enjoy the journey of eating!
12) On a daily basis we are confronted with junk foods. Seriously, until you do something like this you don't realize how many times you encounter junk food.
I was quite proud of myself for navigating through the challenge the way I did. I was in many situations where I had to take my own food so I would have something I could eat. It wasn't the most ideal of circumstances, but it was doable. The one time I knew I was going to be tempted was when we went to visit our son in the Kansas City area (3 hours from our home). My all time favorite restaurant is The Cheesecake Factory and the 2 or 3 times I make it to Kansas City in a year I always go eat there. Our trip there fell on days 17 and 18...so close to the end of this detox and up to that point I had not fallen off the wagon. I contemplated what to do, posted about it on here, said I was going to be tough and not indulge and you all were so good and cheered me on. I will humbly admit when I ate at The Cheesecake Factory I fell off the wagon. I ordered an enchilada dish (green beans on the side instead of rice) and had a piece of banana cheesecake. I will say I enjoyed EVERY bite of that meal. I don't think I've ever eaten a meal and savored it like I did that one. The bottom line on this choice came down to the fact that I only get a chance to eat at The Cheesecake Factory 2 to 3 times a year and a fresh meal is WAY better than leftovers so I decided to go for it. Did I feel guilty about it, NO WAY! It was one meal out of 63. I was 98.4% successful during the 21 days and that is nothing to be ashamed about, especially when I walked away with so much personal knowledge about food.
Will this experience change the way I eat? Yes! Now that does not mean I'm not going to eat the piece of birthday cake EVERY time I have the chance because I am, l love birthday cake, the more frosting the better! The changes I anticipate in my eating are in regards to the junk that surrounds me on a daily basis. I would venture to guess that I encounter at least 2 to 3 situations a day when I have the opportunity to eat something that isn't so healthy. This was a real eye opener for me; all the times I had to make choices. I think the natural tendency is to say to ourselves, "Oh this one time won't hurt." But what we don't realize is that we have so many of those "one times" that they start adding up. So for me I think I will go with an eating plan in which I'm going to stick with eating certain foods (not as strict as the 21DSD though) and then loosen up a bit on the weekends, unless there is cake or The Cheesecake Factory, I will ALWAYS eat the cake with lots of frosting or eat whatever I want at The Cheesecake Factory, no matter what day it is, lol! That brings out a great point, I learned what my "go to" foods are; the ones I really missed. Fruit, popcorn, Chinese food, salad dressing, a little milk, cheese and butter, my protein shakes, and ice cream; these are the things I wished I could have had so these will be the foods that come back into my diet. The popcorn, ice cream and Chinese food will be occasional treats, but the others will be regulars. So I anticipate my weekly diet will include the following foods; meats, eggs, nuts, protein shakes, fruit, vegetables, some dairy, and salad dressing on my salads. Occasionally I'll have popcorn with butter, ice cream and Chinese food. When I go out to eat I'll order meats without the buttery creamy sauces and I'll have veggies or a sweet potato on the side. On the weekends I'll splurge and have the buttery creamy sauces, and go Mexican and have some chips and salsa, and I'll have dessert too! Now at least I have a better idea of what will work best for me by satisfying me as well as being fairly healthy.
Was the 21 Day Sugar Detox worth the 21 days of completely changing my diet, ABSOLUTELY, 100%, DEFINITELY, FOR SURE!!!
