End of Week #1

The big, splashy news at the end of week one is that I'm down 4 pounds.

But it's weird, I don't feel slimmer and usually I would with dropping that much weight, because usually it would happen because I would be starving myself.  But I haven't been focusing on losing weight, I've just been focusing on not eating sugar; and the way Sarah Wilson suggests you do this is by Crowding Out the bad stuff by eating more of the good stuff -- particularly by, initially at least, replacing sugar with fat.

Good fats, obviously, not just heading to the closest "Yellow M" (what madeleine calls mcdonalds).

                     vs.           

And that's what I've been doing.  Lots of eggs and almonds and cheese.  I made this "Cashewy Chia Pudding" (chia seeds, cashew milk, vanilla, stevia) that is massively filling and sort of like dessert (I put raw cacao nibs on top so it smells like chocolate though it doesn't really taste like it as there is no sugar).

I learned how to poach eggs this week (way easier than previously expected since not all restaurants will do it) and ate them for breakfast on top of all sorts of leftovers: salad, chopped orange peppers, rolls, mashed cauliflower, whatever.  It's incredible the difference I feel after eating eggs and vegetables for breakfast instead of cereal or pancakes or sweet-based things.

For me, though, the biggest difference is just... feeling simply a little better.  Nothing riotously different, just a little more energy, though a lot less sick.  Every day I was eating sugar (as in most of the 16,000 days prior to the previous 7) I hated how I felt as soon as I was done eating it -- it makes me nauseous, it makes my stomach cramp up, it makes me tired, it makes my throat hurt.  I would sit there eating it wondering why I was eating it but feeling absolutely unable to stop.

And I'll admit, it feels genuinely sad to think about a life with no sugar.  When I think about years stretching in front of me with no cake or caramel I do want to cry.  But the thing I'm really aware of is that I don't want any right now.  And there are all kinds of recipes on the website and in the cookbook for low-fructose sweets to have as treats now and then.  Not that I've ever done "now and then" well with sugar.  Here are some:

 

 

But before I get all weepy about not eating 7 candy bars a day, let me focus on a few cool things that happened this week:

1. I found my fitbit charger and got 10,000 steps in every day (often taking a long walk through the gorgeous natural areas around the campus--putting the Park in Parkside)

2. I didn't eat any crap sugars.  At all.  Didn't even really want them.  I still had a little bit of fruit, I had one lemon pelligrino soda, and I had a couple of chocolate Bel Vita crackers because I'd bought them from the store before I knew what I was going to do this week

3. Yesterday at the farmer's market I saw a lady selling fruit bubble teas at a chinese food stand.  I asked her for one (assuming she actually put fruit in it, and thought "it's still week one, I can have some fruit").  As she started to assemble it I saw her put in milk, ice, and then try to open a jar of a clear liquid.  I asked if that was sugar water and she said yes.  I asked her to leave that out.  She got very concerned but I confirmed my request.  She said ok and then opened a box of orange powder (I had ordered the mango kind -- silly me for thinking there'd actually be fruit in it) and put in a few tablespoons of what I can only assume was powdered mango dust.  She blended it up and gave me a small sip to make sure I was ok with no sugar.

It was lovely.  It was like a cool, ice-y milk with a tiny aftertaste of mango but without any cloying sweetness.

I really, genuinely liked it.

I also got some empendas for us to eat.  So with those and the bubble tea I felt fantastic!

4. Madeleine and I had dinner at Applebees last night.  I ordered steak and shrimp with broccoli and potatoes.  Without any sort of deciding to, I ate all the broccoli, some of the potatoes, all of the shrimp, and a bite of the steak.

and was DONE.

My body was very clear -- in a way I am not used to -- that I had eaten enough and should stop.

I think this is what life is like for some people, but for me it's usually just: eat until the food is gone.

so that's been my week.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll wrap some turkey meat in a piece of kale for a snack and head off into the day.