i quit sugar - week two

I've made it! Week 2 is done and dusted, and I'm feeling proud.

However - that's about the best feeling I've had.

One symptom I've been really noticing is the fact that I'm lacking focus. At first I thought I was unmotivated, but for me that usually only lasts a couple of days before I can really knuckle down. However since about Friday last week I just haven't been able to concentrate properly - and when you have university assignments to do, that becomes a bit of a problem. My brain is hazy and my procrastination levels are at an all time high (in fact, I'm at the uni library now trying to work on one assignment and yet here I am blogging away). Usually when studying I have a bowl of lollies or M&Ms to munch on and keep me going, but I can no longer do that. Up until today (Monday) I haven't realised my lack of focus has been due to sugar withdrawals but it only makes sense. Luckily, this is the worst symptom. I've been told to expect nausea, headaches, fatigue, etc. and I haven't had any of those, but inability to concentrate is definitely going on!! I snacked on some cheese and crackers for hunger, and I have a small portion of greek salad and a boiled egg as a second lunch - I'm eating quite frequently nowadays, albeit in small servings - so hopefully that'll calm the cravings down and get me to whiz through this assignment.

Still craving sugar, which feels silly as I've only gone five days cutting all fructose, but it goes to show how addicted I was! I swear everything I see now is cake and chocolate and ice cream, and even "healthy" things like honey and fruit. In fact - this afternoon when I had peanut butter on toast it felt like a sweet!

There haven't been any real benefits this far. I'm eating healthier and becoming more aware of what I'm putting inside my body which is good, but as for weight loss, less lethargy, better skin, etc. I'm not seeing results yet. I do realise I am being impatient though! ;)

My meals for this week!

Monday ~
Breakfast: two slices toast with vegemite and avocado
Lunch: alfredo chicken breast with steamed veggies
Dinner: beef and cheese pie, salad, and roast veggies

Tuesday ~
Breakfast: two slices buttered toast, two soft boiled eggs
Lunch: chicken and cheese bagel with sun dried tomato and pesto (naughty)
Dinner: pasta with roast veggie sauce

Wednesday ~
Breakfast: diced tomato, poached egg, toast, feta - pictured above
Lunch: pasta with roast veggie sauce
Dinner: pasta bake and salad

Thursday ~
Breakfast: two slices toast with vegemite and avocado
Lunch: leftovers and garlic bread
Dinner: 1/2 chicken breast, steamed veggies, roast potatoes

Friday ~
Breakfast: two slices toast with vegemite and avocado
Lunch: 1/2 chicken breast, big serve of salad
Dinner: spaghetti bolognaise, garlic bread

Saturday ~
Breakfast: diced tomato, poached egg, toast, feta
Lunch: 2-egg cheesy omelette, big serve salad
Dinner: leftovers, big serve salad

Sunday ~
Breakfast: four asparagus spears, two soft boiled eggs, cream cheese on toast - pictured above
Lunch: peanut butter on toast
Dinner: homemade beef burgers

If you're wondering what I use to track my meals, I write it all down in this bad boy. I found this meal and recipe planner in Kikki.K on sale for $12 and couldn't help but pick it up. The Swedish design is very familiar to my Norwegian roots - I love it! I'm not sure if it's still being stocked but if it is - go get it!

As for snacks, I had to stay away from fruits this week so instead I had:

• boiled eggs
• carrot sticks
• iced latte
• cheese
• crackers
• homemade potato chips

Baking some coco-nutty granola for breakfast next week

The goal for this week was to up my fat intake (easy-peasy), and cut out all fructose completely (not so easy). I only slipped up once - sorta - and that was when I went out for a coffee with my gran and she ordered me a bagel with pesto and sun dried tomato, both of which have quite high sugar contents. However, I didn't want to seem ungrateful so I ate it anyway. I mean, what was I supposed to do? ;)

Besides that, I think I've done well with my quitting sugar journey.

Wish me luck for next week, strict no sugar policy!! I'm also going to try and stay away from overly processed foods, which may be a challenge, but I'm up for it. Hopefully my lack of focus will start to disappear soon as my uni assignment is due next week and I haven't finished yet... Oops!

xx Silje

i quit sugar - week one

A delicious sugar free breakfast that kept me filled up for ages!

It's the end of my first week quitting sugar, and I think all up I've actually done alright. I thought it would be a lot more difficult, and although I did consume a little too much, this week was meant for cutting down sugar, not cutting out. Next week I go cold turkey!

I consumed a bit of natural sugar through fruit, as I have a massive sweet tooth (the reason for quitting sugar) and needed a little bit to get me going, and I bought some dark chocolate dipped mini rice crackers as treats for this week.

The only time I lapsed was Wednesday when I was stuck at university with a numb brain trying to get my assignment done and I may have had a cheeky raspberry and white chocolate muffin. I mean it was calling to me! However, for someone who consumed the equivalent of a muffin a day, I think one muffin in seven days is okay. I'm only human.

During the week, at least up until Thursday, I was feeling pretty confident and satisfied with my diet. Maybe it was the sneaky muffin, maybe not, but I didn't feel the need to consume sugar. I wanted to, but I didn't feel as though I needed to. Then came Friday... I went out for lunch with an old friend and I kept the meal sugar free, but there were so many yummy possibilities on the menu! When I came home I was still peckish, and I decided to try and keep my mind off it by watching some TV to distract myself, but I was really starting to crave something sweet. I warded those feelings off with a handful of spicy nuts, but there was a bit of willpower involved.

A hearty salad with a side of homemade paprika fries

I'm keeping a food diary to track my meals and sugar consumption, and I thought I'd post it here to show you examples of low(ish) sugar meals.

Monday ~

Breakfast: green juice (spinach, watermelon, blueberries, coconut water)

Lunch: chilli and lime chicken salad and a ham and cheese roll

Dinner: spaghetti bolognaise with a side of garlic bread

Tuesday ~

Breakfast: big bowl of salad

Lunch: leftover spaghetti bolognaise

Dinner: pesto and vegetable soup, a lamb chop, side of garlic bread

Wednesday ~

Breakfast: two slices toast with vegemite, two boiled eggs

Lunch: satay chicken and rice

Dinner: roast veggies with lemon (potatoes, asparagus, tomatoes, broccolini)

Thursday ~

Breakfast: omelette on toast - pictured above

Lunch: big bowl of salad and paprika fries - pictured above

Dinner: steak, steamed veggies, potato bake

Friday ~

Breakfast: steak sandwich (breakfast was at 12:30)

Lunch: beef slider with pickle, chicken slider with pineapple relish - pictured below

Dinner: tikka masala, rice, and naan bread

Saturday ~

Breakfast: two slices toast with vegemite and avocado, a surprisingly delicious combination!
Lunch: pad thai and garden salad
Dinner: tikka masala, rice, and naan bread

Sunday ~
Breakfast: two slices toast with vegemite and avocado
Lunch: egg and salad sandwich
Dinner: cheese and broccoli stuffed chicken breast with steam vegetables

Homemade potato chips! The dog also looks very hungry in the background...

I also had a lot of snacks to keep me full and keep the cravings at bay. I may have gone overboard with the snacking, but I made sure they were somewhat low in sugar, and as this week is the transition week, I decided to be lenient with snacking. Next week I'll probably cut it down to 1-2 snacks a day.

Over the past week the snacks I had were mainly all the same so instead of putting them with each respective day I thought they might as well be listed here.

• chipotle spiced peanuts and cashews
• dark chocolate dipped mini rice crackers
• apples
• soy lattes (no sugar or syrups)
• homemade potato chips - pictured above

While going out to eat I tried to look for something relatively sugar free and these sliders were so damn good!

All in all, I'm kinda proud of myself for coming this far. Next week is cutting out all sugars - whether it's added or natural occurring. Goodbye fruit, honey, dark chocolate, juice, all the good stuff! Are you going on a similar journey? I'd love to hear from you, and read your blog if you have one!

If you want to follow my journey more closely you can find me on Instagram or on Bloglovin! Feel free to find me on any of the social media links in the side bar.

That's all my sugar-free talk for this week, I'll be updating my journey every Sunday for the next seven weeks. So until next time!

xx Silje

i quit sugar - an introduction

CONFESSION: I am addicted to the sweet stuff.

I will not shy away from the sugar-laden syrups added to my latte. M&Ms and jelly babies are my study snacks. Ice cream is my ultimate downfall. If it has sugar in it, it will soon be in my stomach.

There is no self control when it comes to me and treats. I really cannot help myself – put a huge slice of cake in front of me and I will eat the whole thing, scrape the plate clean, and ask for more. I’m the kind of girl who makes any sort of baked goods and eats half of it before it’s even cooked. Oops.

However, I’ve also suffered from a fair few things that I really don’t like. I have acne which isn’t so bad on my face, but is pretty terrible on my chest and back (being honest here!), and it’s looking pretty stubborn. I’m moody a lot of the time and easily irritated. I have days where I’m completely lethargic and devoid of any energy, but I’m up until two o’clock in the morning. Most of the time, I’m lacking in motivation and focus. All of these things can be linked to poor diet, and after being in denial for a long time, I’ve come to realise that to change myself, I also have to change what I’m putting in my body.

Now (if it wasn’t obvious), I’m no health freak. Today my breakfast had chocolate chips in it. But I also know myself, and I really am addicted to sugar. Last May, I managed to stay healthy for quite a while, and it was honestly quite a challenge. It took a good week for my cravings to not be so overwhelming, and about a fortnight for them to completely disappear (well, almost). So when I picked up the I Quit Sugar book, I decided on a whim to purchase it and actually try. Sarah Wilson, please be my saviour.

For the next eight weeks, I am going to (try to) follow the I Quit Sugar detox plan and cleanse myself of sugar. It actually doesn’t look too harsh, and it’s definitely doable. The only concern is to actually curb your addiction, you have to go cold turkey on all sorts of sugar. The main sugar the book tries to get you to quit is fructose, which is the “bad” sugar, but you find a lot of fructose in fruit. And I love fruit! Especially with the weather warming up, there’s going to be a lot of summer fruit coming up. However, I believe I can do this and I really hope I have your support too!

This means that my blogging is going to be a little different to usual. I will continue to post on Thursdays with regular lifestyle posts, but I will also be updating my sugar-quitting journey every Sunday with a weekly recap of how I’ve felt during the past seven days/what I’ve been eating, etc.

I’d love it if you followed along!

xx Silje