No Sugar Added!

I feel like I should explain my "no sugar" diet since so many people have commented on my FB status :)

When I was a young child, my dad really became concerned about being overweight because heart disease seemed to run in his family. He decided to incorporate a "whole foods" diet into our home. That meant no sugar cereals, no boxed cakes or brownies, no white flour or white rice, and not even cow's milk (which was fine since I was allergic). At the time he was an "extremist," but now I think he would "fit in" with many people.

With the change in diet and some extra exercise (tennis and jogging) he lost A LOT of weight! Those who did not know him back when he was overweight would never believe he had been!

So I say all that to explain that I grew up on a healthy, whole foods diet. what happened? School!!!

In 10th grade I started attending a boarding school (NOT a reform school - lol!) and the food there was much different from home. I had a roommate who enjoyed HoHo's and there was plenty of junk food besides that! In the cafeteria, the food was good, but when you're feeding a large group, it's hard not to use canned vegetables and sauces (which we never used at home).

So started my demise.

After high school, I went away to college and continued eating junk food. I did not indulge in candy and soda as much as carbs. I remember eating lots of macaroni and cheese and pizza and breadsticks - yum!

I guess because I was fairly active and had a good metabolism, I did not gain much weight. Unfortunately, my sins have found me out, and now I weigh more than I ever have in my life! :(

After my fourth baby was born in August, I started keeping track of my calories on http://www.loseit.com I did lose some weight, but still felt sluggish. I had done a "cleanse" the year before, but couldn't do one now due to nursing my baby. The "fast" I had done before left me feeling good and with tons of energy. I wanted to feel that way again.

I looked up "sugar free diet" online and found http://olsonnd.com/30-sugar-free-days/ . After reading about the negative affects of sugar on many other websites, I figured I was up for the challenge - not just for weight loss, but for overall health.

I am on Day 4 and it has not been too bad. I am re-learning what snacks are "healthy" so I never feel hungry enough to grab a cookie or chunk of bread to fill up. I keep apples, almonds, cashews, and baby carrots in close reach.

After my 30 days, I am hoping to stay away from sugar as much as possible, but will probably use Stevia and some raw honey in it's place. I love to bake, so I'll just need to find some recipes that are low to no sugar.

Wish me luck!