Shaking the sugar shackles

Who would ever associate the word "freedom" with a diet? I'd usually toss around the words like restriction, control and agony. 

I've embarked on week 4 and I feel fabulous. I feel a sense of freedom. As per my last post, I've been faced with my fair share of temptation over the last 3 weeks. But I really feel like the sugar shackles are starting to break.

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Last night for instance, at my debut kinder meeting, a few plates of food were brought out after the formalities (trying to elect Presidents and treasurers among already insanely busy parents is bound to drive us all to needing some sugar hit! I'm surprised they didn't pop a few corks... hmm note to self for next committee meeting, which I am now a part of... couldn't hide).

Anyway, from my quick glance I could see that on offer there were some brownies (seriously these brownie things are hunting me down), some slice and some biscuits. I think. I stuck to my avoid eye contact rule. You know, I wasn't even marginally tempted. In fact, I looked at the options on offer for a brief moment and couldn't even imagine what they tasted like. How bizarre. But it's almost as if my relative memory of the taste of sugar is starting to fade.

Today, I voluntarily - VOLUNTARILY -  took my children to the sweet Cake Bakeshop  (As per last post I was anticipating a trip there soon with my sister in law. But today - no outside pressure, I just wanted to treat my adorable cherubs to a classy morning tea.) I brought them each one of Jennifer's delightful little cupcakes (Red Velvet for Miss 2 and Choc Strawberry for Master 4) and shouted myself a pot T2 Choc Chip Chai tea.

In Sarah's ebook she refers to her addiction to sugar as "uncool and undignified". Today, sipping on tea, I felt extremely dignified.

Sarah also encourages "I Quit Sugarers" to find other forms of sweetness. Now, I've been in that Cake shop before but have never really sat back and soaked up the fabulous atmosphere that Jennifer has created. No, no. I'm usually too busy devouring a cookies and cream cupcake, sipping (sculling) my chai latte and trying to convince myself to say no to a macaroon chaser.

Today I delighted in the decor, flipped through Frankie magazine and reminded myself how much I love my children (who BTW were hip and shouldering one another to have the next sip of my tea.)

Sweet, sweet days. Without a cupcake crumb in site.

Sugarfree savings

Today I entered week 3 of my sugarfree journey. I'm feeling proud, I'm feeling fresh and I'm feeling confident that this is the right thing for me. I'm also feeling about half a kilo lighter - booyeh!

Over this past week I've had two "lapses" but as I outlined in my first post - I scheduled a couple of these each week: chocolate with my DH on Friday night and dessert at my parents' on Monday. 

While these sweet treats aren't tasting quite as good as they used to (strange hey?, You'd think they'd be heaven!), I'm enjoying the taste of so many other foods. I think sugar overload has either been killing my tastebuds or thwarting my enthusiasm for different flavours. This week I've adored broccoli soup, zucchini slice and chilli chicken pasta. I'll get these onto my recipe page ASAP. 

I continue to enjoy my sugar free breakfast and really believe that starting the day with a zero sugar intake sets me up to have a successful sugarfree day - because all in all I'm finding this journey relatively "easy". (Don't get me wrong, I still have my moments where I stare down anyone holding onto a takeaway coffee cup and dream, almost smell and taste a sweet vanilla chai latte. I think I'm having the odd mirage visions too - seeing someone carrying a packet of chocolate bars, only to discover on second look it is a pencil case?!?). 

Toward the end of my first week - when doubts started to arise - I started to think about the cost this lifestyle change might incur.  A trip to the health food store to buy some licorice root tea (savior!), come cacao powder (which has since been shelved until at least week 6) and some Tahini, set me back almost $30. Raising two kids on a 1.25 wage, I started to wonder about the financial viability of this lifestyle.

However, I've since rethought it. 

• Natural muesli ($4.50 for 750g) traded for homebrand rolled oats ($1.20  for 900g)
• Weetbix bites for the kids ($5.60) traded for Weetbix ($4.50+last much longer)
• Pepsi once a week ($2.50) traded for water - free!
• Sweet treat on each trip to supermarket ($3.00 give or take!) - ching ching - put me in credit! That can go towards my beloved almond spread on rice cakes. :) :) :)
• Chai latte 2x a week ($4.00 a pop) traded for copious amounts of aforementioned licorice tea, peppermint tea or green tea. Probably equal cost but for about 100 cups. 
• Sweet meringue pavlova nests (common addition for the family with yoghurt - $4.00) trade for some good quality natural yoghurt for me!

So, with those very rough mental calculations I have successfully banished cost saving as a potential excuse for giving up on this thang.

Here's to less weight, more energy and more cash!

(I've got so much more to tell!!! But I get that blogs should be short and sweet - or not sweet as this case may be. My next post is going to be about some of the emotional changes I've started to notice). Stay tuned.