A couple of weeks ago, I decided to try an experiment and give up sugar for a week to see what happens.
Well, I did and liked the results so much that I just kept going with it a while longer. At two weeks, I’d lost 5 pounds JUST by going sugar free! And I wasn’t even eating lots of sugar before! My tummy leaned out, plus I feel better – more alert and less sluggish.
Instead of chocolate and peanut butter every day, I had dates, raisins or other fruit (in moderation of course. Calories still count, even with healthy foods). I made no other changes than that. Pretty amazing. My body says thank you.
I felt better of course, because consuming sugar has a major impact on blood glucose level, and it is also known to be inflammatory to our bodies.
If there’s a food that you suspect is causing you some issues, try taking a week or a few days off from it and see how you feel. I find it easier to do this by starting on a Monday and saying, “From now through Friday I’m not having any _____.” This is MUCH more doable than saying, “No more ____ for me!”
I find that if I do this as a time-limited experiment, it makes it infinitely easier to stick with changes. In fact, a few years ago I did it this way with potato chips, one of my biggest addictions at the time — and I never went back to them!
I’m not saying I’ll never have sugar again. That’s unrealistic, and besides, I don’t believe in depriving myself. But I find that sometimes it really helps to do a “reset” on my body and step away from a particular food or habit for a while. And then, when I do go back to it, I can do so in a small amount and with better control.
Try this technique for yourself and see how it works for you.