Sugar Battle

An idea: a picture of everything going into my mouth

2009-02-03T14:39:00.000-08:00

I started the day with the best intentions-- yogurt, fruit, granola. I filled up my water bottle, and got to work. Meanwhile, my co-worker was wending her way into the office armed with my arch-enemy, the breakfast pastry. A box of cinnamon rolls arrived, and I ate 2 enormous ones. I kept cutting pieces and eating them. Kept doing it. Just like last night when I gorged on almost an entire bag of chocolate chips. My stomach was hurting and I kept eating. I was yelling at myself and I kept eating. I couldn't stop.

So now, an idea. Before it goes into my mouth, I capture it on film. That way, I'll be humiliated for everything bad and rewarded for everything good. And now to eat this bunch of celery sitting on my desk!

Notice a pattern?

2009-02-02T13:02:00.000-08:00

I haven't been posting because the news is not good.

A catalog of sins:
* Wednesday: ate 4 huge chocolate cookies. Four. Didn't stop after the first, kept going back, sneaking back, really, to graze the leftovers from free lunch. Four freaking cookies. And these are the big deli size cookies, not smallish normal sized ones.
* Thursday: well, this was mostly consumption and off the wagon due to lunch hour. We went to a Mexican spot and got pitchers of margaritas. I ended up skipping the gym. Shocker.
* Friday: an entire box of Charleston Chew minis. That's 3.5 servings worth, or 780 calories.
* Saturday: chocolate covered coconuts from Rainbow Groceries. Like 1/2 a pound of 'em.
* Sunday: ice cream and chocolate chips

(Note: Weekends are actually easier on skipping sugar than weekdays. I think it's the effect of being uninspired behind a desk, must reinvigorate with chocolate and sweets)

Today I've already consumed tons of gummy bears, Butterfinger bar, Reese's peanut butter and chocolate bar. Sigh.

Another successful day

2009-01-28T10:04:00.000-08:00

Three cheers for another successful day without sugar. My Tuesday diet was wildly similar to Monday's...

* Breakfast - yogurt, honey, Kashi, fruit
* Lunch - whole wheat pita, hummus, sprouts, yogurt, banana
* Snack - wasabi peas (gulp, these actually list sugar as the 3rd ingredient, but contained so much protein I couldn't resist)
* Sweet potato, cabbage, homemade flaky crust tart with raspberry jam

All in all, nothing overtly unhealthy except for the wasabi peas which were totally packaged food.

Hooray!

Celebrate! First day without sugar!

2009-01-27T10:35:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, I successfully navigated the world without any overt attempt at sugar.
To recap the meals:

* Breakfast - yogurt, fruit, honey, Kashi Crunch
* Lunch - whole wheat pita, hummus, sprouts, yogurt, orange
* Dinner - veggie dogs, baked beans, cabbage, swiss chard stems & garlic
* Post dinner celebration - homemade raspberry jam on homemade crusty tart (without sugar, I know cuz I made the dough!)

Late afternoon was tremendously hard. I drank tons of water and felt really tired at the gym, but as soon as I got home started cooking and getting a delicious filling meal into my belly.

Homemade crusty tart dough: flour, salt, baking powder, butter, cream cheese, apple cider vinegar, ice water

Another workday, another battle

2009-01-26T14:23:00.001-08:00

I'm picking up a pattern here, now that I'm blogging. My sugar cravings go wildly through the roof in the afternoons during the work week, right when energy starts to flag. So far I have resisted the urge to splurge.

Breakfast: yogurt, fruit, Kashi crunch cereal
Lunch: whole wheat pita, hummus, sprouts, orange, blueberry yogurt
Snack: none!
Dinner: planning on something super-healthy

Weekend update

2009-01-26T14:19:00.000-08:00

Quick update from the weekend--

Friday night dinner was somewhat shameful:
* salmon, quinoa & cheese, broccoli, 1/2 a bottle of red wine, 2 almond coconut chocolate pieces

Saturday:
* breakfast: oatmeal with brown sugar
* lunch/dinner: whole wheat pasta and tomato sauce, broccoli
* out and about at a party: chips/salsa/birthday cake

Sunday was a glittery shining star-- very little sugar!
* breakfast: scrambled egg, 1/2 a bagel, 2 strips of veggie bacon
* lunch: popcorn, apple
* dinner: veggie dogs and baked beans, steamed cabbage
* post-dinner snack: 20 chocolate chips and a dollop of yogurt

I'm proud of Sunday-- not much sugar at all, and a constant eye on eating healthy. Although it was a salty day, high in sodium.

Day 3

2009-01-23T10:21:00.001-08:00

It's raining, and after biking into work I'm drying out my shoes and socks with a space heater by my feet. It's cozy in here, so I think I'm safe from popping out and going on a sugar rampage.

Here's the dining plan for the day. Note that it does not involve sugar. This time I mean business.

Breakfast:
Fage 0% Greek yogurt, honey, fruit, Kashi crunch

Lunch:
Whole wheat pita, hummus, apple, yogurt

Snack:
Another apple

Dinner:
Going over to the boyfriend's house for dinner, so either pasta or pizza. Not totally nutritious, but also not sugar-laden.

Wish me luck!

At 10:30am, Feeling: Healthy and Cozy

Update, 1:30pm. Failed. Consumed Butterfingers bar on my walk back from a lunchtime author reading. Feeling: guilty

Day 2 of Sugar Battle

2009-01-22T11:07:00.000-08:00

So far, so good. It's 11AM and all that's gone down my maw is:

* yogurt, honey, fruit, Kashi

However, last night turned out to be somewhat destructive. Yes, I logged an hour on the stationary bike, and my dinner was healthy (Swiss chard, dollop of grits, a few slices of smoked salmon). But then I hopped in the car and visited a friend where we consumed large quantities of Trader Joe's almond & coconut chocolate treats. I had 5. Eeep.

Looking ahead, lunch should be sugar free, either soup or Thai, as I dole out marketing advice to an old colleague. I brought apples and yogurt as a snack for later in the afternoon when the crazy sugar cravings strike.

I'm going to round out the day with more time at the gym, and hopefully a nice healthy baked potato and steamed cabbage for dinner. Fingers crossed!

Feeling: Good!

PostScript, 1:30pm
Ugh. After a lunch of cheesy grilled cheese/avocado/tomato and side salad with water, I came back to the office and finished off the last Specialties cookie. Now I'm feeling like a ridiculous person with no will power. I guess that's because I'm not a man.

Feeling: Heart rate ok, just guilty

PostScript, 11pm
Ok, this is no good. Dinner was mac & cheese, topped off with a few glasses of champagne. Then the boyfriend made an amazing chocolate souffle that I could not turn down. Overall, I have failed at sugar avoidance today.

Day 1 of Sugar Battle

2009-01-21T13:42:00.000-08:00

Tried really really hard not to eat the free cookies that come with free lunch on Wednesdays. Failed. Ate 2.

Food for the day:
Fage yogurt, honey, fruit, Kashi
Sushi bits (6 piece), edamame (3/4 cup), rice, 2 large cookies

Feel: bloated, irritable. Like I failed. Boo. I can feel my heart beating now.
Going to do 60 minutes on the stationary bike and then bike to the Haight for a book reading. Does this make up for it? Maybe skip dinner? Have also walked ~3 miles today, and biked to work.

Also, read the ridiculous book The Sugar Addict's Total Recovery Program last night. Or rather, skimmed it. Potato 3 hours after dinner? No thanks.

Goals and Plans

2009-01-21T13:37:00.000-08:00

I am a sugar addict. Something has happened over the last six months to turn me into a raving monster who cannot say no to a chocolate bar, a cookie, a donut or six. And while I'm in the best shape of my life, I don't like how I feel after consuming 3 or 4 cookies (the big ones) or an entire chocolate bar. My heart beats faster, I can sense the unhealthy spread through me.

So. The Goal. Kick the sugar habit. Cold turkey.

Things to watch out for:
* Wednesday cookies with free lunch. Ugh. They show up at the office like clockwork.
* Specialties cookies run (again, work related).
* Anytime I buy chocolate and have it at home
* Sweets at a party. Thinking specifically about the brownies I shoved into my face at the election party in November.

Basically, no sweets. I don't need 'em. They're not good for you. They are empty calories that spike your blood sugar and may lead to diabetes. So I'm stopping. Like, now.