Home alone - the sugar free edition

I can't lie, I am thinking about my usual Hubby's-away-crack-open-the-wine-and-chocolate. But it's not all consuming and deli snacks are cutting the mustard.

The whites of my eyes

... are noticeably whiter today. I don't know when it happened but it's pretty.

We trotted off to the garden centre in true British bank holiday fashion today. We decided to grab some picnic stuff in Tesco on the way. I chose a reduced price feta salad with quinoa and some sushi. I ate them with a saintly aura surrounding me, before reading the ingredients... Sugar. Heaps of it.  Poo.

Resisted

Despite my best efforts, my children, especially my eldest, are sugar fiends. Today we had lunch at Mum's and she served ice cream for pudding. I was relieved to find I wasn't remotely tempted as I often over indulge at Mum's. My son asked for seconds though and I had an argument with Mum about why that was not acceptable. Later, when I wasn't looking, she fed him a chocolate bar. Juggling the different expectations and desires of family members is hard. Teaching children healthy habits is hard. There comes a time when peer pressure kicks in that you have to trust them to make the right choices. Doesn't look like my 7 year old is not quite on the right track.

Anyway, I was going to discuss thirst. My diabetic relative reports she does not feel thirst like she should. I know she often eats when it is actually thirst she is feeling. Anyway, since giving up sugar, I've become more aware of my sense of thirst and it's much easier to distinguish from hunger.  I don't have to remind myself to drink anymore. That has to be a good thing.

This week I am not feeling full of energy. I also haven't lost any weight. I suspect increased bread consumption is playing a part.  Bread and I don't get on. I'm just finding hard to actually eat enough and have been topping up with bread.  I'll sort that out this in the coming week :-)

A history lesson

I've just been watching something on TV about how sugar was so essential to moral during WW2 that the Silvertown sugar refinery in London began building air raid shelters two years before the Blitz began. And workers never left the site, even at the height of the blitz. The Germans targeted the sugar factory specifically, presumably because they knew how important sugar was to us. It makes me wonder about how London's landscape could have been changed if we weren't so reliant on sugar.

It's happened!

Everyone at work is telling me I'm glowing! Two different people have told me my skin looks good today :-)

Another side effect I noticed yesterday is a new sense of thirst.  I'll write more on that later.

A treat

Today, my daughter and I went on a trip to a nearby city's whole food shop.  It's a long way, so I only go every few months to stock up on a few things I can't get locally, like reasonably priced coconut oil and a tea that I can't live without.

The shop also has a cafe upstairs that sells a selection of vegetarian, vegan and gluten free meals.  Today I had a mushroom quiche with cornbread and salad and my daughter had a hummus sandwich and salad.  But the best thing is they sell a range of sugar and artificial sweetener free puddings :-)  Here is a vegan raw chocolate cheesecake I took to takeaway and eat later... divine.

Seriously?!

I am utterly speechless. In a good way. I couldn't think of a title that expressed my shock and surprise when I stepped on the scales this morning. 10st12lb. I've been battling to get below 11st again since Christmas. I like 10st7lb the best. But I've been eating whatever I like, when I like for what, two weeks now, and I've lost 6lb. I know I lost a couple when I was ill, but even so. And what's more, its the wobbly bits, not my lovely muscle. My muffin tops have gone - hurrah! I didn't know sugar could do that. I didn't know that a calorie deficit with sugar would produce slower weight loss than not calorie counting sugar free foods. Weird science.

Also, last night around 10pm, I suddenly felt ALIVE! I felt I could run for miles and dance and leap and play. I didn't of course. I sensibly went to bed and slept right through. No insomnia here folks. (It's not unusual for me to go through periods of good sleep though, so that might not be the sugar) Anyway, not the most interesting of updates, but an important one to record for the journey I think. Have a nice day anyone who's reading :-)