The Week After The Week Without Sugar

Things have been going about as well as can be expected considering that my “special friend” made her monthly visit this week.  It’s hard to lose weight when she is around cause she’s always trying force feed me chocolate and ice cream, but I still did pretty good considering the circumstances!  I have to admit, I did have 1 Dove Dark Chocolate Bar but I split it into thirds and ate it over the course of three days, doing it this way I was able to keep my daily carb count below 50 carbs…during my “week without sugar” my daily average carb intake hovered around 30.  I didn’t regain any of the 8 pounds that I lost and I lost one more pound (yes only one!) but I consider it a success as I have NEVER been able to lose any weight, and sometimes gain a pound or two, when she visits.

I also had brown rice twice during this week and beans too, in a bowl of homemade spicy chili.  I haven’t had any bread and I don’t desire to either.  I even made a loaf of whole wheat banana bread (sweetened with rapadura, which is whole cane sugar) for the children and had not one slice, I simply did not desire one.

I have found that the key to success with this way of eating is to FEED myself, which is the direct opposite of what we’re brainwashed to believe a diet should be like.  I was starting to understand this during my last pregnancy when I was very very careful to make sure to consume enough protein so that I would have no risk of pre-eclampsia, which was a possibility considering how close together my last two babies were.  But everything was fine, just fine.

I am learning how to eat.  Not based upon taste and craving or a “false love” created by the subconscious manipulation of the mind through advertising (for example all the people who think they love Coca-Cola, or love a Big Mac *GAG*…it’s been well over a year since I’ve had either!  hahahahaha!)  I am eating how eating is supposed to be, that is… in order to provide my body with adequate nutrition and to fuel my daily activities.  I have noticed that it is when I go too long without eating, and consequently become too hungry, that I have the desire to reach for something “carb-rich” but as long as I keep myself well-fed, meaning lotsa protein and fat!…then I have no desire for sugary carb-rich foods.  Instead I want a good steak, a grass-fed porterhouse or nice ribeye…oh-me-oh-my! *drool*   I’m taking a trip to the beef farm tomorrow and I am looking forward to sinking my teeth into some nice grilled meats for dinner tomorrow, even if it’s just a burger… medium-rare please, grilled over some nice hickory logs harvested from our woods 😀

Here is a typical menu for me….and my kids and husband pretty much eat the same way too, except they might have a sandwich (with sprouted whole wheat bread) for lunch whereas I would have a “big salad”.  They still eat things like bananas with oatmeal for breakfast, but with a couple of hardboiled eggs and a glass of raw goat’s milk too!  Or they might have mashed potatoes with plenty of cream and butter, or brown rice with plenty of butter or cheese.  But for the most part they eat a diet rich in protein and fat just the same as I do….

I usually awaken around 7 am and have a cup of coffee with now 1/4 cup heavy cream, instead of the goat’s milk that I was having during “the week without sugar”, it keeps me full for A LOT longer…pure fat and caffeine, oh yeah baby!! LOL….which enables me to get morning chores done and everyone else fed, including animals.  I don’t usually have my first real meal of the day until around NOON or 1pm.

Meal One:  almost always 3-4 eggs, depending on size, either fried and eaten with copious amounts of bacon or ham, or made into a chocolatey smoothie with thickened yogurt, coconut milk, goat’s milk and stevia…these are my two most common breakfasts.  I eat LARGE (calorie-wise it’s usually around 600-800 calories) “breakfasts”.

Meal Two (usually 4-5 hours after meal one):  A “big salad”…taco salad without tortilla chips is always a favorite, I could eat that everyday…unfortunately I have no fresh made homegrown salsa to put on it.  OR a veggie stir-fry with homegrown chicken or other meat.  Also any grilled meat or any deep fried meat…If it were spring/summer I would have whatever veggies were freshest from the garden!

If I find myself hungry and wanting a snack my favorites are: 1/2 – 1 cup of plain whole milk yogurt, celery stuffed with cream cheese, pork rinds with homemade dip, or a “meat sandwich” (2 pieces of meat as the “bread” with mayo and cheese in the middle).

Overall, I suppose my diet would seem pretty boring to most people but it’s perfect for me and I feel really good on it.  The part I like best is the ENERGY…I get up at around 7am and go to sleep around 11:30pm-MIDNIGHT and I sleep well and deep and I always awaken with plenty of energy (and hence I am MOTIVATED) to accomplish all my many daily tasks.  Moreso than losing weight, it is the ENERGY that makes me love this way of eating 😀

The toxic effects of sugar even made the news recently:  http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57369857-10391704/sugar-should-be-regulated-like-alcohol-tobacco-commentary-says/

Now, politically speaking, I am a Libertarian and do not believe that government should be involved in regulating anything…but it is interesting to say the least…quote from article:

“Sugar meets the same criteria for regulation as alcohol, the authors wrote, because it’s unavoidable, there’s potential for abuse, it’s toxic, and it negatively impacts society. They write that sugar is added to so many processed foods that it’s everywhere, and people eat up to 500 calories per day in added sugar alone. Sugar acts on the same areas of the brain as alcohol and tobacco to encourage subsequent intake, they wrote, and it’s toxic because research shows that sugar increases disease risk from factors other than added calories, such as when it disrupts metabolism.”

sugar consumption of the average american...click to enlarge