Going Sugar-Free: One Week In

As promised, I’m here to report on how the whole “no sugar” thing is working out for me. Mood, health, weight–all that jazz. Not a ton of time today, so I’m just going to launch right in.

It’s been a frustrating week, for a variety of reasons–not all sugar related. I’ve particularly noticed the “no sugar” thing at three general times. First off, every evening–when I’m used to having something sweet while I watch something to wind down. Second, Sunday: I love baking, and that’s usually when I do that. Third, shopping: can we say Easter candy? I went into the store yesterday and was assaulted by Peeps. There was some gnashing of teeth and cursing of goals, but I got over it.

Weight-wise, I’m down 1.8 pounds. Not sure how accurate that is, though. I’m not willing to pay any attention to weight numbers after just one week. It doesn’t help that I found a milkshake substitute that I’ve been munching down on. Seriously. I can’t believe it doesn’t have any sugar in it. Blend together 1/2 C of milk, 1 banana, 1 C of ice, 1/2 T cocoa, 1 and 1/2 T peanut butter. The recipe calls for 1 1/2 T of honey in addition to that, but I’ve been keeping that out. It tastes way too good. Then again, while it doesn’t technically violate my goal rules (it’s getting its sweetness from the banana and the peanut butter), I’m beginning to think it’s going against the spirit of the rule. It feels like cheating. Not sure what I think about it yet.

Mood has been one of perpetual grumpiness. When you have an “I eat sugar when I’m grumpy” habit, and then you cut out the sugar, it’s hard to cut out the grumpy. I’ve been much more short tempered, and that’s a bad thing. I’m hoping it subsides as I get more used to it. So far, that isn’t the case. I think my family’s bearing the brunt of this at the moment. We’ll see what the next week brings.

Health-wise, I’m not sure what sort of an impact it’s been having. Have I been less sleepy in the morning? Perhaps. Do I feel more energetic during the day? Again, perhaps. Nothing so stark that I can tell the difference easily. My boss suggested that once this is done, I should really go to town for one day–go from no sugar to lots of sugar. Maybe I’d see a difference then. It’s a thought. I’ll continue to keep an eye on things and see what it’s looking like.

So . . . not really too much to report. The goal surely must be making me healthier, but it’s definitely affecting my mood. Is the no-sugar Bryce a better Bryce? No idea at the moment. Give me another week, and we’ll check in again.