I’ve
gotta confess: I have a total sweet tooth! I’d take chocolates and
cookies over real food any day of the week, Halloween is my fave holiday
and my after-school snacks have more than a li’l sugar. But after I
read that sugar had some toxic long term affects, I decided it was time
for a change. Plus, my sugary snacks were just empty calories, and had
me crashing an hour later. So I packed away my candy and decided to go
two whole weeks without chowing down on the sweet stuff.
At first, it was majorly annoying – I didn’t know
what to eat to replace my formerly fructose-filled foods. But since
going hungry wasn’t an option, I did a little research and replaced my
unhealthy eats with mini meals of complex carbs, proteins and fruits and
vegetables. I ate more at meals since I wasn’t filling up on junk food.
By eliminating empty calories, I was full for longer and I felt great.
And after two weeks? Instead of grabbing a tub of
ice cream and making up for lost time, I’m now eating sugar in
moderation. While my everyday diet has limited sweets, I’ll indulge now
and then in a special-occasion treat. But honestly, I don’t even crave
sweets that much anymore. I’m switching candy for cheese-sticks and soda
for water with lemon. I have more energy to get me through the day.
Here are some tips if you wanna go sugar free:
1. Pick a realistic amount of time – if you know
you won’t make it past a week, don’t promise yourself a sugar-free
month. You’ll just end up frustrated! If at the end of a week, you wanna
keep going, then you can set another date.
2. Don’t forget to replace the calories you got
from sugar with healthy eats. Hunger = almost guaranteed failure, so
make sure you eat enough.
3. Talk to your parents for support, or buddy up
with your bestie to make it a team effort. They’ll keep you on track and
support your goals.
BY SARAH GOLDBERG ON 8/14/2011 9:00:00 AM
POSTED IN eating, healthy eating 101, how to cut out junk food, health, nutrition, mind/motivation, we tried it, back to school