Week Six: My Raspberry Ripple

Week Six brings sweetness back! YAY!

Fruit. Rice malt syrup. Cacao. Stevia. I made the raspberry ripple from the book. It was really good. Absolutely scrummy with coffee. 

This weekend Markus' family came to visit. We went out for a family lunch today and I had a haloumi burger and creme brûlée. The first sugar for 6 weeks. I must admit that it was really yummy but what happened later, it was so not worth it. Since having that lunch I have felt heavy, lethargic, bloated and have a 'sick' feeling sitting at the top of my stomach. I feel awful and really wish I hadn't had it. I totally learnt my lesson, I don't need sugar and my body really doesn't enjoy it anymore. 

I will take the sugar free raspberry ripple over a sugar filled creme brûlée any day. 

Week Five: More than half way

Week Five: 

Current Weight - 62kg
Goal Weight - 58kgs (size 10)
Weight Loss to Date - 3kg


What I am finding difficult: 

My weight is not changing. I'm feeling flat.

What I enjoyed:

It's starting to feel more "normal". Eating and cooking this way has become habit. I don't have to think it through like I used to. I really enjoy the food we eat and it leaves me feeling full and satisfied. 

Week Four: Slightly better

Week Four: 

Current Weight - 61.2kg
Goal Weight - 58kgs (size 10)
Weight Loss to Date - 4.3kg


What I am finding difficult: 

The thing I hate the most is that I have to keep explaining that I've quit sugar. Everywhere I go people keep shoving sugary treats in my face. I'm not tempted by them, that's not my problem. The difficulty is having to explain without making a fuss. Then, their face! It's almost a face of disgust. A look of "what? Why?"  I don't know if it's because you expose how badly they eat? People have done all things from putting sugar in my tea (feel really bad when they've just made me a cuppa!), offering me fruit as a "healthy" option and just blatantly tempting me with my favourite chocolates (twirls). 

What I enjoyed:

I feel a lot better in myself. Clearer. Fresher. 

Week Three: Flat

Week Three: 

Current Weight - 61.5kg
Goal Weight - 58kgs (size 10)
Weight Loss to Date - 4kg


What I am finding difficult: This week hasn't been amazing. The thing is, I'm not craving what I thought I would. I don't feel like "Wow, I need chocolate" or "Pleeeeeeease give me some ice-cream!" The weirdest thing is that I'd really like some fruit! What? Who would've thought my first sugar craving would be for fruit! I really miss it.

Markus nearly chucked it all in. He wasn't losing weight like he wanted to, he was irritable, grouchy and feeling rubbish. Seems like I have joined him now. I don't feel like I want to quit quitting sugar, actually I'm really passionate about staying this way for life now! I just don't feel right. To be honest, that could be down to a severe lack of sleep or the fact that I haven't been to the gym this week. I guess when you throw all those things together you get a fairly ordinary feeling.

What I enjoyed:Hmmm...

Week Two: Who needs sugar?

Week Two: 

Current Weight - 62.2kg
Goal Weight - 58kgs (size 10)
Weight Loss to Date - 3kg


What I am finding difficult:
It's still the little things that I find tricky. I've noticed that I'm a "picker", I used to pick! A little something here, a little bite there. Going out for coffee is my weak point. Costa gingerbread men, brownies at Baby Cafe, biscuits and wafers at Tea By The Sea. It's the little extras. Today we went to have a Flat White at The Two Magpies Bakery in Southwold. They make the best coffee in all of England! I LOVE their sweet things: salted caramel brownies, snickerdoodles, chocolate eclairs, custard tarts...mmm. Today, just coffee. I made it a large so I felt better! 

What I enjoyed:
My cooking has improved so much! Prosciutto wrapped asparagus, Dukkah crusted chicken, Caramelised cream, Pork sausage rolls, Grilled haloumi and apple. It's just so tasty!

Week Two: Just so yummy!

Who would've thought that getting rid of sugar would make my cooking better? But it has!

Before starting IQS8WP my cooking was pretty average. Not unhealthy either, just a bit boring. I really couldn't think of more than 5 things to make and I used to rotate them week by week. Spaghetti bolognese, salmon and potatoes, lamb burgers, chicken stir-fry...blah. Now thinking about it, we were eating so much potato, white bread, white rice and then pile chocolate, ice-cream and lollies on top of that! Wow, no wonder I wasn't losing weight!

Now my cooking has rocketed into another dimension. My husband is pretty impressed with the variety of my cooking and the incredible tastes I create. He keeps asking "Are you sure we can eat this? It tastes so good!" Because the food is so yummy we really haven't noticed that sugar is gone. We're actually enjoying its absence. Although, week 1-3 you can still have fruit, I think we will miss that. 

Today's lunch: 

Dukkah Crusted Chicken with Proccuitto wrapped asparagus and a fried egg

Tonight's dinner:

Main: Pork and Fennel Sausage Rolls with Rocket and Avocado Salad

Dessert: Berries with Caramelised Cream

All I can say is, OH MY GOODNESS, YUM!

Week Two: Sweet Things

Mini Eggs. Malteasers. Milo. 

I really thought I'd desperately miss chocolate. I've been so addicted to it for a very long time. I put on my coat this week and found a huge pile of empty chocolate wrappers in my pocket. Just shows how much I used to eat! 

The things that proves it was an addiction was how I used to hide my chocolate eating. I recently admitted to my husband that I used to eat chocolate and hide the wrappers in my sons nappies so that I could put them in the nappy bin. That way Markus would never find out! What a WEIRDO!

But I honestly haven't missed anything! Instead I have discovered some delicious alternatives. One of my favourites is "Salted Caramel" haloumi and apple. 

Pan fry the haloumi and apple. Put on a plate and shake cinnamon over the top. YUM! 

Week Two: Eating Out

"Please, take some more!"

Today I faced the hardest part of this 8 week journey - going out for lunch. We were invited to a friends place for lunch and although they know we have quit sugar, there was sugar everywhere! A small part of me dreaded it because it will mess up all I've tried to establish in this past week.

Then I stopped to think. How ridiculous! You just can't live life like that. Although I'm detoxing I can't live my life under a rock. I was still very careful about what I ate (I took sweet potatoes but left the roasties and gravy) but when they have made dessert especially for you it is incredibly rude to refuse it.

When I think back to my pre-detoxing self I am impressed by the small changes I was able to make. I said no to the biscuits, soft drink and crackers. Before I would've had at least 3 biscuits, 2 glasses of soft drink and probably seconds of dessert. So in a way I have been able to now limit myself. Baby steps I guess.

My tip for next time, when someone asks if we can come over I will say we're free for coffee!