Week Two – done and dusted

Well almost…..

I’ve still got to get through another meal filled with my most hated vegetable….vegetable pizza on a cauliflour pizza base!

I may be jumping the gun in declaring that we have made it through week two of the 8WP but I reckon it’s safe to say that we made it through a highly stressful week so we get through a lazy weekend!

It took three days to get through the post clean up of the Sunday cook up. I was not a happy wife and therefore this did not make for a happy life! Why on earth would you spend an hour cooking your own chickpeas when you can simply open a tin and wash them? I’ll tell you why ” I am completley and untterly devoted to everything that (bloody) Sarah Wilson says – a former magazine editor with no formal qualifications in science or nutrition. This is what everyone keeps telling me who is part of the anti the quit sugar movement keeps telling me!

My advice to anyone thinking about quitting sugar is not to embark on this self emposed experiment when facing times of stress – it just makes life feel a whole ;lot harder then it should! Medical issues, job security and large scale event planning during peak period at work do not go mix well when detoxing from sugar. Although a silver lining is ( I use that saying a whole lot more since watching that movie) – you don’t really have time to think about how hungry you might possibly be feeling! Perhaps another silver lining of this whole quitting sugar thing is, that perhaps I am turning into one of those people who don’t turn to high fat, high sugar, fast food when getting through tough times! – I’ve always envied those people and looked at them in amazement! I am secretly doing a jig at the thought of becoming one of those people that I look at with such admiration.

For those of you wondering why on earth I am still committed to quitting sugar I want you to do youself a favour and read the very old (1972) but newly re- released “Pure, White and Deadly” by John Yudkin. If only we had of listed to his findings when he first released them!

Oh and one final thing before I say goodbye!

I have a twitter account. Sarah Wilson…THE SARAH WILSON from IQS retweeted one of my tweets AND one of the original Quit Sugar campaigners started following ME…David Gillespie! I must be a person to watch. I must be about to go VIRAL on the wide world web! Who knows this might be the start of my career! hehe : )

Picture above is thanks to http://www.iquitsugar.com/

Till next time.

xoxox

I thought Sunday was the day of rest?

Definitely NOT if you are completing the IQS eight week program! We are entering week two and things are apparently meant to get a whole lot harder – is that even possible?

I wonder who the authors of recipes “time” when they are figuring out the preparation times?  I’m about to share a thought that I am sure my fellow IQS rookies are thinking…..I think the IQS crew behind Sarah Wilson’s 8 week program need to enter some kitchens around Australia with some stop watches and try work out a more accurate time because I think the times listed on those beautifully presented recipes are not worth the devices that they show up on !

Geez, does that saying above makes sense? My mother calls me Mrs Malaprop so it’s highly likely that I’ve got it wrong but surely you get what I was getting at!

Sarah Wilson tells lies! Either that or she must have and extra set of hands because let me tell you I did all of the preparation listed in the Sunday cook –up section  last week and the preparation time took at least double the time that was listed?  It takes me longer than 1 minute to chop up a kilo of pumpkin to feed a horse – aka The Lovely Husband.  I’m learning that that key to success is preparation. I spent four hours today chopping and preparing every ingredient that was needed for the next three days. My kitchen looks like war torn Bagdad and I don’t have a spare pot, pan or plate in sight!

I can’t wait until I start to reap the rewards that are meant to come with quitting sugar. I can’t wait to feel “good” because I am a healthy, wholesome person oozing with positivity and vitality….. Because at the moment it all seems pretty pointless!

Till next time xox

TGIF

Yep it’s finally here…Friday. I made it. Not without tears but I did make it. I burst into tears whilst walking from the carpark to work this morning… like a big wuss. I had my ugly crying face on and The Husband had no idea what to do… but yes I made it. I did not succumb to the $1.00 Caramello Koalas.

The downside to making it to Friday is that the weekend is now here. A weekend means treats and I can’t see any of those on the 8WP. Bugger me.

I do have to give myself a huge round of applause – I had it in me. Luckily I’m not doing this to lose weight – there is no way in a million years I would have made it past day three!  Pre-mortgage (Oh yep, I bought a house, well a house the size of a matchbox just before Christmas)  I would have gone out and “shouted” myself a new handbag or pair of shoes to celebrate my massive accomplishment but unfortunately that luxury just isn’t on the cards any more. I keep looking at Mimco’s website and dreaming of turning up to work on Monday with a shiny new bag that has that luxurious new bag smell – you know that smell? I guess I should just focus on the round of applause I’m giving myself….after all it is only week one and I do have to get through another seven weeks of the program! Geez I wish I wasn’t so materialistic. Perhaps I need to take notes of Sarah Wilson’s simple way of living – perhaps the applause that I’m giving myself would be so much more satisfying!

Things that are puzzling me this week…..

1. How does pumpkin, broccoli, frozen peas, toasted pumpkin seeds and coconut end up so spicy?
2. Do you think there is a link to cavemen dying at a young age and the reduced sugar diets?  Someone indicated to me this week that this is quite possibly the reason, after all not all caveman we’re killed by spears and falling caves? For those of you not familiar with the IQS book by Sarah Wilson she mentions that caveman didn’t consume a lot of sugar
3. How it is that Sarah Wilson got the preparation time so wrong on every meal this week….except my cheese and avocado toastie!

That’s it for me tonight….I’m buggered and I still have a hideous headache that no amount of water or walking will remove . It’s 7.20 on a Friday night and I’m going to bed! I love my sugar free lifestyle. Not.

Till next time. xox

P.S I promise I won’t be a “Debbie Downer” next time I post.

P.P.S Wish me luck for my first sugar free weekend

I’m committed.

Before reading please complete the following steps:

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3. get yourself in the mood to read the following post

Happy reading : )

So yesterday I went for a run. Actually, who am I kidding here– it was a walk/run with more walking then running but if you say “run” it sounds like you are a much better person and so much more committed so let’s just pretend it was a run.  My slightly fitter husband and I committed to 30 minutes of exercise….of course it was raining when we got home from work but GUESS WHAT…we did it – well we did 17 minutes according to Nike run (remember you have to start somewhere)! This new and improved version of me is committed!

The run was the most exercise I have done in 12 months – actually that’s another lie. Actually just before Christmas I did a “Lovely Legs” bootcamp that did not end well.  When I was a “fit person” (hard to believe but once upon a time I was addicted to exercise and I had a great set of pins! At the time I thought I was hideously unattractive but holy dooly you should look at me now!) I would look at people running in groups, huffing and puffing and think “why on earth you would do that to yourself at the crack of dawn in such a public place”! Well a bargain deal, the idea of winning $500 for taking out the title of improved legs and a few more than a few extra kilos on the body, I was signed up and ready to go!

I lasted two sessions. In those two sessions I did close to 500 lunges and 250 squats. I was the slowest person in the group. I was the person that the other group members watched to see if I was going to be “the one” to chunder! I was a walking mess physically and emotionally! So that was the end of my bootcamp.

I’m committed to a much gentler pace of exercise in these early days and a much sensible way of eating. I’m using the 8WP to not only quit sugar but to be kinder on myself. I’m going to improve my overall fitness. My core strength. My flexibility . My strength and my overall level of general fitness (whatever that means) . I’m saying NO to fastidious calorie counting. I’ve decided I need to set up good habits to ensure that I after the 8WP I continue to look after myself. I have good reason to because I am making some big changes to my life in other ways and I have to ensure that I am physically and emotionally healthy.  Anyone that knows me well definitely knows that I am an all or nothing person, at bull-at-a-gate pace who has been into every fad exercise/diet program and quiet often have I become a tad O.C.D or I’ve got myself to the stage of burn out! I’m saying a BIG FAT NO to that way of living and thinking! Well I hope to anyway but I guess only time will tell!

Till next time….goodbye xox

P.S I did plan on posting a whole lot more but unfortunately I had no idea of the amount of food preparation that was involved! On Sunday when I posted I did so feeling quiet organised and smug but I quickly learnt that the more I can do on a weekend the better! I’ll be a much happier wife….

P.P.S Note to self: once I have kicked my sugar addiction I must never relapse. The headaches are quiet yucky.

Sunday Cook -Up! Geez that was intense!

“Sarah Bloody Wilson”- that phrase has been uttered a few times this afternoon and I am sure I will curse her name again over the next few weeks!

So….I have just finished completing my “Sunday cook -up” – I have tried so hard to get super dooper organised because let me tell you when those withdrawals kick in I will be looking for any old excuse to give this the flick! I’m interested to know if fellow IQS enthusiasts are worried about the level of preparation involved?

As I drove to the farmers markets this morning, I kept telling myself to say NO to the watermelon and the juicy peaches.  I left my Sleeping Beauty in bed so that I could only get the what was absolutely necessary – I would not have the extra arms to carry anything that was not on my Sarah Wilson prepared shopping list! I might just add – I am loving the shopping list! I am a massive fan of “a list”.  I have “to-do” lists all over the place but I can never manage to put together a comprehensive shopping list! The IQS eight week program is worth the money just for the lists! 

I can successfully say that I drove away laden with my weekly vegetables and only vegetables – I am ready to take week one on!

Prior to commencing the Sunday cook-up – my lovely husband (aka Sleeping Beauty)  suggested a last Hurrah! Now…Sarah if you are reading this (hopefully you will one day) I know that you discourage a last hurrah but I truly needed to go out and enjoy a lovely meal without trying to decipher the menu in terms of the sugar content! I enjoyed the Vitamin C – Bomb  juice which consisted of iced cold freshly squeezed orange juice with mango and bee-pollen! I would never normally order a juice preferring water or sparkling water but I just had to have my last hit of sugar (I will be giving up fruit…at least until I complete the eight week program).

Anyway I think I’ll just skim over the rest – I’m feeling a bit self conscious going into this much detail about my lunch but before I start blabbering on about my lunch I must share a picture of my lunch as I was pretending to my a hip and happening “foodie” so I can’t let the picture go to waste! My lunch was divine – unfortunatley the juice didn’t last long enough to make it into the photo. Sorry! 

I have just recovered from our cook -up. Together with my naked chef (aka lovely husband, aka Sleeping Beauty) we are ready for the week  ahead- well Monday and Tuesday at least! we achieved the following:

• Big batch of coco nutty granola is ready to help tackle that 3:30pm sugar low
• the lemon is sliced for our morning drink
• our oats are soaking
• our KEEN -wa (I’m kindly writing it phonetically so that people can read is as it sounds and not get confused!)  is cooked, portioned and frozen
• my vegies are par-cooked and frozen
• the vegies for our vege curry are cut ready for the pan tomorrow night
• my kitchen looks like a bomb has gone off
• my naked chef learnt how to grate!

Just quietly – I’m feeling very proud and very organised! Not a bad feeling for a Sunday night.

My freezer is at capacity (it’s so full I’m just imaging the reduced electricity bill because according to Sarah Bloody Wilson a full freezer is an efficient freezer!) and I am ready for Monday of week 1!

I Quit Sugar. That’s what I’ll be saying in 8 weeks!

• I love chocolate
• I love lollies
• I love cake – chocolate cake is my go to
• I love pastries. Did someone say “almond croissant”?
• I love ice-cream. I especially love chocolate ice-cream.
• I love fruit – the sweeter the better.

I am a sugar addict. I have a raging addiction. Oh dear! Sarah Wilson would be ashamed of my current diet! In fact after reading the introducation to to her book  – I Quit Sugar, I am suprised that I have managed to get to the ripe old age of 27!

From a young age my parents used to joke that I was a chocoholic. Rumour has it that on my first Easter I overdosed on chocolate before most children had even finished their Easter egg hunt.

I love sweet food. Why order a main meal when you can go straight to dessert?

I’m quiting sugar!

My decision to experiment with quitting sugar has not been made lightly. I’ve slowly changed the way I eat over the last twelve months – I eat “wholefoods”‘ I steer away from foods with false promises and I am more conscious when buying food that I know where it has come from and that it is a close to the natural source as possible.  I am well aware of the benefits of a diet free from sugar, in particular fructose, yet I still can’t walk past the chocolate aisle of my supermarket. I still turn to sugar when I’m happy, when I’m stressed and when I’m depressed. I believe sugar rules my body – physically and emotionally!
I have a feeling this is going to be one of the hardest things I do but I think it’s an experiment that has to happen and I am determined to give it everything I’ve got!

I think it’s important to add that this is not about losing weight; this is about taking control of my diet and improving my overall health and wellbeing.

So let’s see what the next eight weeks bring…