I used to think that writing was one of the hardest things to do. Then it got edged out of top spot when I became a mom. Finding ways to balance family life and writing time was suddenly more of a challenge then finding out what to do with a blank page. (We won’t talk about how it became even harder when my daughter came along. Denial is a nice cozy place, so it’s best to leave me there, k?)But I’ve recently added a new challenge to the list. Kicking the sugar habit. Except it’s one challenge that’s kicking my ass.
Of course it’s only been a couple days, but man am I jonesing for a chocolate bar. Hell, I’d have a spoonful of peanut butter if I wasn’t afraid I’d cross the line and my husband would walk into the kitchen to find an empty jar of peanut butter and my licking the spoon clean.Hmmm, does the mention of chocolate and peanut butter make anyone else think about Reece Peanut Butter Cups?
See I’m my own worst enemy. But I’m determined to persevere since I know that the first few days of staying away from sugar are always the worst. And I also know that if I stop eating foods that jack my blood sugar levels up then those levels won’t later crash and force me to see out more sugary goodness. Vicious cycle, right?
It would just be so much easier if vegetables tasted as good to me as junk food. But like I said, I’m determined. I plan to stay healthy to keep up with my family. I also plan on having a long career and eating right and exercise (though I’m still in denial about that one too) are part of the package.So help a girl to keep her hands off the chocolate by sharing what you eat when you want to snack on something tasty, but healthy. My sticky keyboard and I thank you in advance. :)
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(Groans). I don't really have any trouble staying away from sweet stuff. For me, it's savory--potato chips, cheese, crackers. However, I recently stumbled over a cookbook called "100 Calorie Snacks" that has recipes for some lower calorie snack foods (meals aren't problems for me, but snacks are). In my case, that includes roasted garbanzos and sauteed bok choy. The problem is, some of the recipes are actually for four servings, so what looks like a reasonable snack size is actually miniscule!
I don't know how no-sugar you're thinking about going, but for myself I know once I developed a taste for dark chocolate--I mean really dark, somewhere in the 86% cacao range--there was no going back. It really does taste better to me now.
I'm undeclared on the sweet vs salty issue--I'm a big fan of both. But on the non-sugary snack front, here are a few of my favorites.
1. Macadamia nuts are one of the few snack foods I can eat one at a time and still feel satisfied.
2. Edamame--soybeans and a little sea salt, where's the bad?
3. I'm actually craving a tomato juice right now although, thanks to Monsanto, who knows if that's still a healthy choice?
I'm trying to curb my sweet/salty addictions... you are so much braver than me to try and eliminate all sweets! I've been trying to eat 94% fat free popcorn because you can sprinkle it with cinnamon or seasoning and it can tackle that craving while making you feel full, on very few calories. And it's a whole grain!
A quick side note -- my neighbor just went three months without sugar or carbs... then downed two Costo-sized muffins in one sitting. Can you say agony?
I feel your pain, though I'm not trying to resist sugar, I'm trying to resist the crunchy carbs like Meg. I like to snack on nuts, cashews are my fav, but it's too easy to eat a gazillion calories of those. Edamame are awesome! My other favorite snack - hardboiled eggs. I don't like the yolks so it's really hardboiled egg whites but a yolk or two isn't bad for you. Those little cans of tuna are good, too.
I think part of being able to resist mass quantities long term is giving in occasionally to small, limited quantities. So pack those cabinets with stuff like edamame, and fresh fruit and veggies, and peanut butter (in smallish quantities), and pretzels, but once in a while, have a Reese's. And eat it slowly, enjoying every last crumb :)
Hang in there! You can do it!
I like to snack on nuts of any kind, pistachio's are great. Fresh fruit is good, especially berries which are actually lower on sugar than other fruits, so things like strawberry's and raspberries are great. A low calaroie container of yogurt is also good when dieting because it gives you a taste of flavor and it's also good because it's dairy which for some reason helps you lose weight.
I feel your pain. I'm all about the chocolate. Funny thing, I never really ate much of it until my 30's. Now, I'm a dark chocolate junkie.
Good luck!
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