I am a firm believer in the "everything in moderation" mentality. However, in the taper leading up to my marathon, and in the two weeks since, I've really relaxed my eating standards and have majorly delved into some sugar cravings. I could explore reasons why I might have both craved sugar (I normally crave salt) and why I caved to the cravings, but the point is I did and I did.
And after cookies, candy, and cupcakes, I discovered something--my body doesn't really like sugar! The heartburn I kicked with healthy eating came back, my stomach started feeling queasy, and to share a tad too much information, I got really gassy. And I know that the high uptake in sugar was the culprit. The rest of my eating habits stayed largely the same.
So now this Monday begins round 2 of marathon training, and I had already vowed to make my diet the focus. I'm going to take that a step further and start out with a 30 day campaign to kick sugar. Now this doesn't mean I'm avoiding the stuff completely. Any natural sugar (fruit/milk) is okay. And the goal will be to stick with the recommended guidelines for consumption which is 5 teaspoons or 20 grams. Which is NOT a lot.
I think that this will start out by cutting the most processed of foods out. I currently have some homemade protein bites in my fridge with dates and almonds...and dark chocolate. I will eat these. I also have some chocolate protein powder that I want to start using as my morning snack with water (never tried this...but I have the powder and want to use it). But no more candy bars, no more cookies. Or at least none that will put me over the daily amount.
Will I be perfect right away? Of course not. And at the end of June I might still be going over 20 grams a day. But we can't make eating changes if we don't try. The one thing I am going to make an effort to eliminate all together is soda and sugary drinks. I almost always drink diet soda (I prefer the taste and the bonus of zero calories is a nice plus). However, I can see myself turning to diet soda or crystal light type drinks in an effort to curb cravings. And while I don't panic about what aspartame may or may not do to you, I don't want to avoid one thing by substituting its fake sister in large quantities.
As a side note, this challenge will be my blog topic for the next month. With summer schedules kicking in and the fact that I am working 2 jobs until they find my replacement really hampers my ability to blog in the rhythm I'd like. So to sum up:
May 30 to June 30~ *Track sugar intake
*Attempt to avoid sugary snacks and drinks
*Work toward staying within the '20g a day' guideline
*No soda or sugary drinks
I'd love it if others of you would join me in the challenge. You can join in the comments section, or as always email me at pursuitofness@gmail.com
In Pursuit,
Sarah
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