Day Six: No Sugar

Ines de la Fressange.  I don't think she eats sugar.

I know I’ve just written about this recently, but No Sugar has been such a huge part of my health and happiness that it has to be included in the Thirty Chic Days list.  Contrary to what you may think, No Sugar doesn’t mean absolutely no sugar, it means mostly no sugar.  But if I called it Mostly No Sugar then I’d see a loophole and just eat everything.  Mind games is how I get through life…

Here is the version of No Sugar I have come up with that works for me.

Because most of my meals are prepared at home or work (on a normal week it would be 19 or 20 out of a possible 21 meals), when we do eat out I pretty much have what I want.

The main focus is not purchasing and bringing sweet items into the house.  If they’re not there I won’t be able to eat them.  Being an adult, I am always free to go out after dinner to buy something sweet if I want.  But I’m too lazy.  The sofa is so cosy, we’re watching tv or I’m reading a book, so I have what’s there (the default dark chocolate which is always in the pantry).

I don’t really restrict myself in any other way, however cutting out the bulk of my sugary consumption has helped me choose healthier options.  It’s when I’ve been eating lollies and chocolate that I want junky meals.

When I picked up my library books today, one of the lovely librarians (he’s about my age) came over to tell me I ‘look fit’.  I think he meant ‘fit and healthy’ rather than ‘fit’ in the English way.  He’s such a honey.

I admit at that time I had been teetering on the edge and coveting a bar of something sweet for the afternoon, but after our thoughtful librarian’s comment I remembered that I enjoy being slimmer and looking nicer in my clothes.  He saved me from myself!

I definitely haven’t been perfect and I’ve slipped up a few times since I decided No Sugar, but the taste wasn’t worth it and I felt physically horrible and racked with remorse.  The thought of those sweet items is definitely better than the reality, which as time goes on and I have less of them, gets easier and easier to instantly remember.

I still do like sweet things though, so here are my treats which are manageable for me:

- An icy cold can of Diet Coke (although I don’t drink it from the can, of course I have a champagne flute)
- Two squares of Whittakers Dark Ghana 72% chocolate 
- Jarrah coffee mix (usually as a hot drink after lunch)

I generally have these things once a day, most days.

Do you trick yourself?  What about sweet treats that don’t set you off, do you have any?