Sugar, A Bitter Tale

I am in the middle of doing a sugar awareness detox. It's not a complete fast from sugar; rather, it's the practice of finding ways to reduce sugar intake. I've been trying to add in more nutrient-dense food and eliminate empty, sugar-filled calories.

It's been interesting. I haven't been as hungry as I was expecting. I have not been rigidly following the guidelines. We have been encouraged to stay below 15 grams of sugar daily. It's tougher than it seems in some ways but in others it feels very natural.

I have always been very vocal about my struggle with refined sugar. It's been a huge addiction for me for many years. I once swore it off for a few years. I lost a lot of weight but was constantly looking for a replacement. It's a weird thing, that when you remove something from your life that's exactly the thing you want the most.

This detox lasts for another week. I took a detour today to try a new pancake recipe. I have decided that, for now, detours can be okay. The pancakes were delicious and I enjoyed them appropriately; sitting at the table, not hidden in the van, trying to hide it from everyone.

That's when detours are dangerous--when I'm hiding what I'm eating, when I'm too ashamed to let people know what's entering my body. It seems grotesque, I know, but when I'm eating hurriedly in the van or on the fly, I'm not eating for nutritive purposes.

I am trying to practice thoughtful eating. What I mean is, I want to make sure that I'm not so distracted by the TV or my phone that I have eaten my whole meal without realizing it. I have been working with a professional organizer to get my home in order. That has meant reworking our eating arrangements. Instead of sitting in the kitchen to eat (where we're in full view of the TV), we have been eatin in our dining room.

I have been encouraging my kids to be thoughtful eaters as well. They are disappointed that they can't watch "shows" while they're eating lunch. I let them know that "shows" will still be there when they're done eating. I try to explain that daddy and I are trying to break bad habits.

It's been kind of neat to have them do exercises (as they call my working out) with me. They don't always understand *why* I'm working out, but they know it's important. If I'm not following the DVDs exactly, Jeremy lets me know it. He will prod me along if I've said I'm going to workout and then get sidetracked. He knows to have his water bottle nearby and asks me if I need a drink during the workout. When I take a sip, so does he.

In the short-term, I'm hoping this detox will unstick my weight loss. I feel like I've been spinning my wheels for some time. If I can kick start the weight loss, that makes me happy. In the long-term, I'm hopeful that I can impart healthier eating habits to my kids. If nothing else, it's a great education and a good start. Here's to another week of detoxing!!