Success!

Sunday night was the final night of our 21 day sugar detox.  We had slip ups here and there but overall we stuck to it.  Over the 21 days, I lost a little over 3 lbs and Jason lost a little over 4 lbs.  While weightloss was not the goal of this, it certainly doesn't hurt to lose a few pounds either!

We both feel better and can definitely tell a difference in our taste buds.  Yesterday, I had a cupcake--if you remember that was one of my vices.  Well, it was way too sweet-like sick on your stomach sweet.  When we eat store bought ketchup, we can taste the sugar in that.  It truly is amazing how much sugar is in products.  These past three weeks have definitely been an eye opener for us.  We are not really continuing the detox but we are.  This weeks meals are completely out of the detox book and detox cookbook.  We are going to be very careful about the foods we add back in.  As we were telling our kids this is not a diet, it's a lifestyle.

This past weekend we went to Whole Foods.  Let me just say I love that store!  If I could max out a credit card without having to pay it back, I totally think it would be there.  Crazy right?!  It's just so expensive to shop there and we have to drive over an hour just to get to one.  It's definitely not somewhere we'll shop every week becasue it doesn't fit into our budget.  But, I think it's something we can do at least once a month to get items we'll need.  This trip we got a few things that we needed so I could make a paleo dessert and a few things just to have on hand to ue in other recipes. 

During our shopping trip, we also picked up some kale chips.  Now, I tried making kale chips not long ago and it was a disaster.  Something that is supposed to be completely easy to do, I somehow screwed it up.  My one inlaws said they'd show us how they do it when they visit next.  I didn't really care for the kale chips...maybe it was the flavor, I don't know.  But our middle son absolutely loves them (he's taking them in his lunch today).  One thing we picked up that we all liked were some cookies from Go Raw.  They're dehydrated and considered a raw food which is supposed to be much better for you because cooking doesn't destroy all the important enzymes and nutrients.  I got a raw foods cookbook one year from my husband.  I don't think he realized until I started going through it that we needed a dehydrator to be able to do those recipes.  So, we really need to get one or need to start using our oven to dehydrate the foods so we can try some of the recipes.  In the mean time though, I would be interested in getting some of the stuff from Go Raw.  If their other items are anything like the gingersnap cookies we got, we'll be happy for sure.

While in Whole Foods, Jason decided he would get a kombuch tea.  His parents make it and I believe he tried it at their house before.  I am not going to start drinking it just yet since I'm nursing.  I probably could drink it but several sites I've read said if I had been drinking it all along then it would be ok but probably don't want to start if I haven't been drinking it.  So, I think I'll just wait for the time being.  When his parents come for a visit, they said they would show us how to make the kombucha.  I guess that will be cool to be able to do your own flavors.  And I'm sure much cheaper too!

**I know some people receive compensation for trying products, etc and giving their opinion.  That is not the case with the sugar detox or the Go Raw food products.  My opinions are simply that...something I tried, liked and wanted to share.

Finally Outta the House

Today is the first day since Monday that I've been able to get out of the house since we got hit with the snow storm on Tuesday.  I was so excited to get snow because it's been a few years since we have had any.  Living in east North Carolina, we don't get snow that often so I always enjoy it when it snows.  I don't however enjoy the ice that comes along with it at times.  Overall we got about 1 inch of ice and then 4 inches of snow on top of the ice.  My boys had a blast playing and throwing snowballs at each other and of course being out of school all week is a plus too.  I had a blast taking pictures of them and watching them have fun in the snow.  But, as much fun as the snow is, I am glad that it has decided to leave.  It's no fun being cooped up in the house days on end.

We were a little "bad" during this week and didn't stick to a strict sugar detox meal plan.  But overall, we still ate very well.  I do know what triggers my bad eating habits--the ones where I want bad carbs and overload of sweets.  It's boredom...I have noticed during this week and being stuck inside that I have wanted to snack and munch on the bad stuff.  On my normal days I am at home with just the baby and so busy with him and house stuff and it's easier to stay on track.  Weekends aren't as bad because we are out and have things to do.  So I can keep my munchies in check.  But during this week it was bad.  So, I'm goin to have to figure out how to redirect my attention during these times.  Once we're officially done with the 21 days, I will have a follow up post on the whole experience. 

I have plenty of things I can do to redirect my attention, it's just getting it out and doing.  For Christmas, I got a learning to knit, learning to crochet, and two cross stitch patterns.  I also had a friend send a pattern for making baby bit patterns.  I'm not big on sewing and actually haven't sewn much in my life.  But, I'm hoping I can practice and eventually turn it in to something I can do for extra cash.  It doesn't hurt to try right!

Made it through day 4

Well day 4 is drawing to an end.  It's just after 10 pm and I'm exhausted. Enjoying an herbal tea (yes I'm allowed to have it, just no sugar) and getting ready for bed.  No cheats today...yay me!

Breakfast started out with leftover sausage patty and some rice.  Since we're doing level one we're allowed up to 1/2 cup of rice a day.  Lunch was the dinner we didn't have last night.  Tonight's dinner was supposed to some Asian meatballs with a bok choy salad.  But we went and grabbed a rotisserie chicken and salad instead.  It was good and I needed a night of no cooking!

I got rather sleepy close to noon and when the baby ate and napped I did too.  I was not ready to get up!  Once I did though, I was fine.  But right now I'm exhausted and as soon as I finish my tea, I'll get the baby fed and head to bed too.

The cravings weren't as strong today as they were previous days.  I was able to be next to the cake and not be tempted to just devour it.  Unlike yesterday when I could have put the rest of the cake away.  Maybe it's getting better?

I know I need to be exercising as well...even just walking.  But, it's been too cold to walk outside with the baby.  And I have not felt like putting on an exercise dvd.  Maybe next week I can try to get some in! 

The 21 Day Sugar Detox

As I said in my last post I would like to lose weight and get in better health.  I am already below my pre-pregnancy weight but Samuel did weigh a little over 8 lbs and I only gained about 16.  Who knew pregnancy was a good weightloss plan?!  So, to get into my ideal weight range, I should lose about 40 lbs.  So, I got this bright idea with the new year to do a sugar detox.  Yea, crazy I know...I love sugar.  I have sugar in my coffee, sweet tea, honey in my hot tea, cookies, cakes (especially with icing), candy...yea, this was going to suck.  My big weakness is cake with icing, seriously I can eat a slice a day if I could.  When I was pregnant and craving it, it just didn't hit the spot so I didn't buy cake that often.  Once I had him and tried cake again, the cravings came back with a vengeance.  I have been having cake/cupcakes and other desserts almost every day for the past few weeks.  So, I read up on The 21 Day Sugar Detox (DSD for short).  I talked to Jason and got him on board and we ordered the book and cookbook.  Going through and looking at all the recipes, I was like how bad can this really be...this food looks great and there are some "treats" in the recipes that we can have. 

This is our first week doing the detox--and this isn't like a juice detox or anything crazy like that.  It's eating whole foods, clean foods, and avoiding sugar and those foods that turn into sugar-breads, pastas, etc.  And also the high sugar fruits.  We are allowed green tip bananas and green apples as fruits.  We took a quiz to determine which level we should start at, level 1 is the most lenient, level 2 a little stricter, and level 3 the strictest.  Jason and I could do either 1 or 2 so we decided we'd start with 1 and if that went well then we could try 2 and then eventually 3. 

Monday was our first day.  I got up and cooked a quiche of eggs, bacon, and carmelized onions.  It tasted good except it was way too salty.  When we bought sea salt, Jason picked up the coarse by mistake and I didn't realize it until I dumped into the eggs.  I tried distributing it but it didn't help.  Lunch we had a salad with some turkey and homemade balsamic dressing.  Dinner was lamb burgers with avo-ziki.  We ate it over lettuce and topped with red onions, cucumbers, and the avo ziki...yum!  Even our kids liked it.  Day 1 wasn't so bad except I was very hungry.  The book says that if you're hungry to eat as this isn't a diet...just to eat the foods on your "yes" list.  But I think my hunger pains were more I was craving foods I couldn't eat.

Tuesday-day 2-I woke up not hungry.  Started the day with my usual cup of coffee with half and half (which we're allowed) just no sugar.  Breakfast was leftovers from the morning before and lunch was leftovers from dinner.  Dinner Tuesday was a chicken adobo that was done in the crock pot served over a garlic cauli-rice.  The chicken smelled great but I think I got a piece of chicken fat or something and it ruined it for me.  I couldn't finish it.  Jason got the chicken out and off the bone, threw it in the skillet with the cauli-rice added some chipotle powder and kinda did a stir fry type thing.  It actually tasted pretty good.  Since I'm nursing, I can have certain other foods like sweet potatoes to make sure I'm getting the right amount of carbs so I don't lose my milk supply.  So, he threw in a couple potatoes so I could have them if i wanted them.  Day 2 was bad, Andrew's birthday cake I made was calling my name and I could have ate what is left over and not felt guilty at all.  But I resisted.  I also feel alot more tired than normal too.

Day 3, today...I woke up feeling not as tired.  I had to cook breakfast which this morning was sausage with green apples.  Jason peeled and diced the apples up last night so they'd be ready.  With this we were supposed to have almonds and raw carrots...but decided we'd have an egg instead.  I was a little iffy on the apples being mixed in with the sausage but it actually was pretty good.  The boys ate the same except Andrew did have peanut butter toast-that's off limits for us but we're not as strict on the boys.  Lunch was leftovers from dinner and the sweet potato.  Dinner was supposed to be something called a beef and bacon cottage pie--almost like a shepherd's pie but the topping was made using butternut squash.  The prep took forever and I should have started earlier in the day but as I read through the recipe I didn't think it'd take that long.  But Jason and I had to get a few thins from the store tonight as well.  Then of course I burned the bacon--who burns bacon?  It was black and ugh.  Thankfully I had another pack so I started all over.  I figured it out that we wouldn't be eating dinner until close to 7:30 which is way later than normal.  I told Jason that we could always "cheat".  So we decided to get Subway.  It was the healthier option and instead of getting meals with drinks, we would just get subs so the only thin we cheated with is the bread.  So, not too bad.  Cravings have still been there but they usually only hit in the afternoon.  And of course I'm exhausted.  Some of the exhaustion comes from having a 6 week old of course but some of it is also not having that sugar giving me a boost. 

I've read the first 3 days are the worst--so we'll see if that is true or not.  I'm thankful to have Jason doing this with me.  He helps me prep the food and cook and it's good to have each other to talk to about this.  And most of all to support each other as we do this.

This is a little off topic of the post about the detox, but while Jason and Andrew went to get dinner, Schyler stayed to help me as I was still cooking dinner.  And Samuel was fussing and ready to eat.  So, he held the baby until the baby just couldn't hold off anymore.  So, then Schyler took over cooking.  He did a good job finishing up dinner--which wasn't much but doing the veggies and adding the meat and season and cooking the meat.  But, it was a huge help to me and it made me happy when he said "this is fun"!  Proud mommy here!