Oh it was sweet, but I was always unsatisfied, craving something more

It was passionate. You felt so alive when you were together. But in the end, it just left you feeling like crap. But late one night it calls. You want to say no. It’s no good for you. But it whispers in your ear, “don’t you remember all the good times we had. It sounds so sweet.” You cave and the cycle begins again.

Sugar. On again-off again. We crave it because long ago it was so hard to find in nature. But now it seems like you can’t buy anything without it. Tomato sauce? Come on!

I too am a sugar fiend. But I knew it was time to break up. We still talk, I mean it would be almost impossible not to, but it’s much less these days and now I have the upper hand.

If I told myself a couple months ago that I had cut out almost all added sugar from my diet I would not have believed it.

But the great part is I barely noticed because I did it so slowly. For me, that’s the only thing that has made this breakup work.

Don’t Go Cold Turkey

I mean you can if you want to, more power to ya, but for me, slow and steady won the race. I looked at the refined sugar I was eating each week and made a weekly goal to cut one thing out.  Eventually the only sugars left were the natural ones found in fruit and other whole foods.

Never Say Never

Making a “banned food list” especially if it’s something you truly enjoy is a recipe for disaster. A treat once in a while is healthy for your soul and happiness which is just as important. For example, if I could never have a s’more or frozen yogurt again *shudders* I don’t even want to think about it. That said, if you don’t truly enjoy it, ask yourself  “do I really want this.” If the answer is no, grab a cup of water and reward yourself (in a non-food related way) for your self-control.

 

Satisfy Your Eyes

This is a trick that worked for me: when I had a sweet tooth sometimes just looking at beautiful pastries, cakes and baked goods on sites like Pinterest or Tumblr was enough.

Keep Temptation Out of the House

Sounds simple, because it is! And this is honestly one of the biggest things that has worked for me. I just didn’t buy any food with added sugar for my kitchen. That way when the sweet tooth struck right about 10pm there was nothing I could do. Instead, I would drink some water and distract myself until it subsided. It feels really great to say no.

Seeing Other People (Foods)

Don’t think about it like you’re giving up but instead that you’re adding to your diet. It can be fun to find new foods with interesting textures that don’t have the added sugar. Some of my favorite snacks include:

• Snap Peas (so crunch and fun- plus highly dippable *cough peanut butter cough*)
• Freeze Dried Fruit (No added sugar and super portable for ultimate snackage)
• Fresh Fruit – pink lady apples are so sweet and satisfying!
• Kale Chips
• Carrots (so satisfyingly crunchy)
• Shelled Edamame (Tell me they’re not fun to eat)

 

Have an Ally

Grab your best friend or a close family member and ask for some support. Explain that you’re trying to break things off with sugar and having them as an ally make the breakup less bitter. Every time you crave sugar shoot them a text. They’ll be ready with words of encouragement to remind you that you’re better off without sugar anyway. It was never good for you and you’ve never looked better without it!

Need a buddy? I’m here for ya! Email me at init4thelongrun4@gmail.com or tweet me @init4thelngrun and we can be sugar dumpers together.

Make Healthy Desserts

Healthy dessert? Isn’t that an oxymoron? NOPE! In fact healthy desserts are the bomb.

• One of my favorites is the super simple banana “ice cream.”
• A scoop of plain Greek yogurt with nut butter and fruit
• Check out Carrot’n’Cake’s awesome Recipage for dessert ideas
• Also I love Morganne’s healthy Recipes many involving healthy desserts

Scope out Pinterest for some awesome healthy dessert ideas they’re everywhere.

Reap the Reward

Trust me it’s not easy, but it’s SO worth it. Think of all the positive things:

• More Energy
• Better Skin
• Less Cravings
• More Control

So really you’re not cutting sugar out, you’re adding positive energy in!

Then that day will come where you’ll be walking past that bakery and you see sugar staring at you and you think “Sorry, I don’t like you like that anymore.” You’ll do the hair flip and all sugar can do is watch you walk away. Sweet revenge.

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