Food ~ Sugar-free, did it work for me?

~ Food ~

Did Sugar-free work for me?

Well guys, I almost, ever-so-nearly didn't write this blog post.  I was way too depressed earlier this morning to even contemplate it.  It's a third world problem I know.. to be depressed about the outcome of your sugar-free week.   Pretty pathetic hey.  So instead of wallowing in my sadness here I am, facing my failure and admitting that my sugar-free week was an epic fail... or was it?

A summary of the week:

Day 1 - Monday:  I was super duper organised, did a huge grocery shop and made sure I had heaps of delicious healthy, low carb, no-sugar foods to stock up my cupboards with.  I baked a sugar-free cake (see Guilt-free Orange and Almond Cake blog post).  I was able to eat no carbohydrates throughout the day without feeling deprived (aside from a piece of wholemeal toast with my eggs in the morning) and enjoy a lovely piece of cake with a cup of tea at the end of the day.  I went to bed feeling slightly hungry, but resisted the urge to attack the pantry).  

Day 2 - Tuesday:  Woke up and weighed myself, absolutely thrilled to find I was 300 grams lighter! (I should note that my weight hasn't really deviated since early Jan).   I can't believe it, it's working!!   Continued to eat well throughout the day, and again enjoy a piece of guilt free cake with my TV series when the kids were in bed.  Again, went to bed feeling a little peckish... having eaten no carbohydrates with both lunch and dinner, and obviously no sugar.  Feeling a little pleased that I feel hungry though, and hoping it might have the same result as the day before.  

Day 3 - Wednesday:  Weighed myself again first thing.  Lost another 300 grams!  This sugar-free thing is awesome!  Feeling pretty pleased with myself!  Actually noticed that I wasn't very hungry today, my appetite (which is normally VERY healthy) was definitely suppressed.   Still enjoyed my cake after dinner with a dollop of yoghurt! Yum!  

Day 4 - Thursday:  ANOTHER 300 grams!  That makes my weight loss almost a kilo in technically only three full days!  Crazy!  Needless to say I am very happy :)  Eat fairly well today, but instead of no carbs during the day, I eat sushi for lunch.  I start to feel HUNGRY again towards the end of the day.  Appetite is back, and I pig out on quite a few (healthy-ish) snacks before even eating my dinner :-(     Still enjoy my cake after dinner, but it's the LAST piece!!  

Day 5 - Friday:  Things start to come undone.  I have gone up 100 grams, but i'm not fussed about that because it's normal to deviate a small amount from day to day, right!?  (but in the back of my mind I'm thinking... rice... snacks...)  The day goes horribly wrong when at lunch time I realise that there's no food in the house, it's pouring with rain, and my little man is fast asleep.  I eat a carrot and some cheese.  It just doesn't cut it.  I eat an entire enormous bowl of Sultana Bran.  Oops.  I tell myself it's ok, i'll be back on track for dinner.  Takeaway Thai is ordered and I intend to eat no rice or noodles.  I EAT a whole heap of rice and noodles.  And a Cadbury mini egg.   Oops.

Day 6 - Saturday:  I don't even weigh myself, I know it's not going to be good.  Do I have to even talk about this day?  Let just say: Pizza, cheeseburger, chocolate.  Enough said.  

Day 7 - Sunday:  Back on track, but I still don't weigh myself.... Pretty healthy day all round, aside from a small amount of carbs.  I bake a new cake!  It's a CHOCOLATE AND ALMOND FUDGE CAKE and it's Sugar-free and it's AMAZING!  

Day 8 - Monday:  Weigh in - and guess what... I WEIGH EXACTLY THE SAME AS BEFORE I STARTED!  Hence my depression.  But really... I know why it happened!  When I look back at the week I can see where everything started to go wrong.  The lesson I have learned is:  

BE PREPARED!  Don't let everything rely on your will power! 

BE AWARE - Carbs like rice will have the same effect on your body as sugar, and you will undo your hard work. 

So.. I'm back into it this week, cross your fingers for me!  And I just want to leave you with this image:  Chocolate and Almond Fudge Cake (sugar-free of course).  It's not all bad!  Let me know if you want the recipe :-)