I Quit Sugar. Cold Turkey.

Three months ago, I stopped eating sugar. I also stopped eating diary. I used to drink the most delicious coffee with a little Half & Half is now just boring black coffee.

Add to the list of NO’s: grains, legumes, and alcohol.

I am not telling you this to brag. I am telling you this because I feel good. And I felt terrible for a really long time.

For the most part, I was a health conscious (more accurately, waistline conscious) eater. I was on the smoothie band wagon (with protein powder just for women!). And I was doing OK.

Except that my stomach always hurt. Always. The severity would change, but my stomach ached every day. 

Over the years, I had tried to figure out what was wrong, but honestly, it seemed complicated. Eventually, I joined the “I wonder if I have a gluten-thing?” and cut it out completely for a few weeks. Until, I bought and ate an entire box of GF Lemon Wafers in one day...but it was OK…they were gluten free, right?

I realized then that gluten might not be my issue…perhaps portion control was the problem…?

Last year, I learned about a program called Whole 30 from a co-worker - his wife had lost something like 80 pounds in a year by following this plan and he no longer needed hypertension medication! I started casually looking into it. For 30 days, you eliminate: Grains, Diary, Legumes, Alcohol, and Sugar. No cheats. Fun. 

The website says:

Don’t even consider the possibility of a “slip.” Unless you physically tripped and your face landed in a box of doughnuts, there is no“slip.”

I had planned to begin the first week of October but chickened out. I feared groceries would be more expensive, my fiancé (who has food allergies) might not be able to eat the same stuff, it would be hard and what if I did slip and fall face first into a box of donuts?!

A week later, I had an epiphany: It's only 30 days...you can do anything for 30 days!

The idea is not to be a glutton for self-inflicted punishment (Pun. Intended.) It's not a weight loss plan. The idea is to eliminate these food groups that can cause all sorts of problems in your system. Remove all of them and let your body reset. Then after 30 days, you slowly re-introduce the foods to see how you feel after eating them.

“Non-Scale Victories" become your focus during the 30 days. These are the things that are most impressive affects and they have nothing to do with your weight. Some of these things include: 

• better sleep
• less anxiety
• lower blood pressure
• reduced inflammation 
• brain-fog lifts
• improved mental acuity
• clear skin (people that suffer with long term skin problems, like psoriasis, see a marked improvement)

I won’t lie to you: It is absolutely not easy. I missed nachos and feta cheese (still do, if I’m being honest) and I craved glazed donuts like you wouldn’t believe. I had to get through Halloween without one piece of candy. 

It is not hard. Don’t you dare tell us this is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Birthing a baby is hard. Losing a parent is hard.

Drinking your coffee black. Is. Not. Hard.

At the beginning, it's not all feelin' good, either. The program tells you that on days two through five, you may experience emotional volatility. I was pretty proud that I only cried twice during those few days! On day 11 you are most likely to quit and eat a cheeseburger. And on days 25-28, you are most likely to say, “eh…close enough...TIME FOR WINE!”  

The "Hangover" is your sugar detox. It very much feels like a hangover.

By day five, I had stopped crying. I was sleeping better and waking up feeling rested. I felt mentally sharper. I didn’t experience the 3 PM Slump anymore. I made it successfully to day 30 - just in time for my company Thanksgiving party! 

Our grocery bill is a little higher, but not a budget-breaking high. We have figured out how to incorporate my dietary needs with my fiancé so we can both eat healthy. And I have not,  yet, fallen into any donuts! I'd say that is pretty successful.

I now stick to the plan about 90% of the time. Friday nights, I have pizza and a beer – I enjoy it and don’t feel guilty. I have gotten used to taking my coffee black. And I don’t have any stomach aches!