Last June, I, along with about 35 other Pilates 1901 peeps, embarked on an experiment together.
What would it be like to live life without sugar for 21 Days?
What would be the challenges and the rewards of forgoing grains, legumes, most dairy, fruits and alcohol for 3 weeks?
Well, I did it and here is what I learned from my experience.
#1. Life without sugar wasn’t easy…
I have been a committed Paleo Princess for almost two years now. By that I mean, I eat little dairy, no grains or legumes and try to limit my sugar consumption to fruit and the occasional treat (martini) etc.
I love to eat (and drink) and found, by following the 80/20 rule, I could maintain my weight, if not really lose weight. I felt good, looked good in my clothes and had a tool to come back to should the devil on my shoulder get out of control. I ate protein, fruit, veggies and enjoyed my protein shakes, martinis and the occasional diet coke. Life was good. Life was sweet.
But then, I began noticing sloppy choices and a strong tipping of the 80/20 rule. Artificial sweeteners crept back into my life, as did a few other things I’d prefer not to mention here. I was in denial, but my belly was not. My pants began to fit tight, so I pulled out my blousen tops and no one was the wiser…. but of course me… and my belly.
I began thinking I needed an intervention and I found one: The 21 Day Sugar Detox, by Paleo Princess nutritionist and author, Diane Sanfilippo.
And because I happen to work and live among a very supportive and motivating community, I asked for support. I said that I wanted to do this program, to see if I could lose my wine belly, and asked others to join me. Sure enough, the call was answered and last June 15th, we had an overwhelmingly good turn out at our Baseline Assessments, Paleo Potluck and 21 Day kickoff.
I have to tell you, I was nervous as hell about giving up my sugar and booze, but as I looked around the room at the other people standing with me that day, I knew that failure was not an option. I cannot tell you how many times I wanted to cheat, have a drink, diet coke, or Sonic Limeade, but I remembered my public commitment to my posse and that kept me true to my word. Please never underestimate the power of your community and connection to help you make changes in your world you may not have been able to do alone.
#2. Food affects Mood…
This as a concept was always clear in my head, but taking out sugar, even most fruit, brought the lesson home. The first few days of my Detox, I felt exhausted, depressed and foggy. I was surprisingly impatient and grumpy and quite un-fun to be around. I was sitting at the desk with my co-worker Todd who was also doing the Detox and we looked at each other with shocked surprise and knowing- we felt like shit and resented our commitment like all hell. All this was transferred without a word.
Life was decidedly not sweet. I missed my diet coke! I missed my stevia! I definitely missed my nightly medication (wine), and I was pissed off by being told what I could and could not eat. My body felt funny…. floaty, and I wanted to cry. I wanted to pout. I hated this damn Detox! Why in hell, did I say I’d do it?
By Day 4 or 5 I was beginning to settle down. I felt a bit more grounded but still sad. One green tipped banana or green apple a day wasn’t cutting it. In fact, I didn’t even eat them out of protest. I got out the almond butter and went to town. I was still acting out- I wanted my fix, but my mind was accepting the fact that I had made a commitment to do this. I was doing this. And as soon as I got over my mental resistance, I was able to tune into what was going on in my body- and it was good!
My energy was improving, my mood was brighter, my focus laser sharp and, oh yeah, my pants were no longer cutting into my jelly belly.
#3. Mindful Eating is a Gift…
It’s just different when you are eating unprocessed, whole foods; you have to THINK about what you are putting in your mouth… You have to… (and yes, I am going to pull out a four letter word here), P L A N your meals in advance. When it comes to achieving any goal, there’s not use starting if you don’t have a plan. Planning is the process by which goals are reached. That’s truly the hardest part.
So what do you do when you need help planning? You ask for help.
As part of the program, we’ve created a Private Pilates Fat Loss Formula Facebook group for participants to share thoughts, frustrations, motivation and strategies for success. It’s turned out to be an integral resource for all of us and an easy and effective way to keep your head in the game. We shared recipes and success stories to spur each other on. And it worked. Planning becomes easier where there are resources.
We also had the fabulous support of Evolve Paleo Chef Caleb Summers, who not only showed up with great food and lots of tips at our Kick Off, but was on board providing delicious 21 Day Detox meals for us to have on hand throughout our program. I cannot tell you how much easier this made it to stay on track – having the right food around makes all the difference in the world. If you are currently participating in our T School Jumpstart, Caleb is offering you a whopping $15 off your weekly food order for the next 11 weeks! Details of this are posted on our private pilates fat loss facebook page.
Otherwise, it’s just too easy to reach for something handy on impulse- something purportedly “healthy” like a protein bar or energy drink. Make no mistake about it, food that comes in a package or box is not something you need to be eating. Our country hasn’t become the fattest on the planet because we’re making good choices- and to be fair, it’s incredibly hard to make good choices with all the fast food, processed food and super-sized meals being pushed at us.
Slowing down and planning my meals made me look at my choices. Eating wholesome food is not easy or cheap, and it’s not supported. That’s why over 30% of American adults are obese and childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years. We’re eating junk food, big gulps, and chemicals and calling it nutrition- take a look around you- how many people do you see on the street of a healthy weight? It’s America, home of the fat.
Planning your meals makes you stop and think- it makes you mindful. That’s a huge challenge for many, but also a huge gift. Realizing that healthy foods take a little more prep but are actually nourishing and supporting your body (and maybe even your values), is a shift in thinking that is life changing. And a bit more than humbling.
#4. Drinking truly IS optional
Now that may sound like I’m ready for the Betty Ford clinic, but those of you who know me, (and Herb), know we like to have a cocktail (or a few) on the weekends or whenever. We’re not quite Mad Men caliber, but we definitely like to imbibe.
When I decided to do this program, Herb opted to do it too. Not a man that needed to lose weight, but a man who is over the top supportive of his woman, he may have signed up before he realized the full impact of his decision.
That meant negotiating work dinners, birthdays, family reunions and the Fourth of July holiday without sugar and without booze- not an easy task- especially when the family reunion consisted of pizza, beer and bagels. And don’t even ask them what they thought of the two of us bringing in our own meat for every meal. Yes, we were those kind of people…
The no booze thing was okay as long as the deals got closed, my business clicked a long, and our parents were okay. But it also was hard when the deals got sticky, I had an issue at work or our families were driving us nuts. Sitting out on the patio during some of the most spectacular July weather ever witnessed, with a Perrier, bitters and lemon just wasn’t quite the same. This was by far the biggest challenge of the Detox for me.
The last weekend in June we’d planned a very special night out with dear friends of Herb’s to celebrate a big birthday. This family is extremely gregarious and I was very afraid I would jump ship and drink that night. I was so concerned in fact, that I made up a white lie- If they should ask, I would tell them I could not drink due to some medicine I was taking, (I was just too scarred from the family reunion to be truthful).
As I sat sipping my Perrier and bitters one of our guests asked my what I was drinking. I told him, to which he responded, “You’re not drinking? Are you still going to be fun?” I laughed and said, “Of course! I’m always fun!” And as it turns out, it was one of the most fun evenings on record. I was worried about nothing. Would I have liked a cocktail? Yes. Did I need a cocktail? No. Did I have a wonderful time? Yes! Did I miss the usual hangover the next day? Hell no!
So here I sit, 21 Days later, ‘sober’ if you will, and loving the fact that despite very strong cravings and social cues, I don’t really miss the actual drinking that much. I sure don’t miss the belly bloat, the dehydration, the skanky feeling and wanting to eat bad food the next day… There’s a lot of fun to be had drinking, but if overdone, turns out to be a very “expensive” indulgence.
#5. Sugar, though sweet, makes us fat...
In his book, “Fat Chance, The Bitter Truth About Sugar”, Dr Robert Lustwig says, that sugar – given to children by adults, lacing our breakfast cereals and a major part of our fizzy drinks – is the real villain in the obesity epidemic, and not fat as people used to think. Dr Lustig likens sugar to controlled drugs. Cocaine and heroin are deadly because they are addictive and toxic – and so is sugar, he says. “We need to wean ourselves off. We need to de-sweeten our lives. We need to make sugar a treat, not a diet staple,” he said.
Now before you go freaking out on a totally Sugar Free existance, he’s not suggesting eradicating sugar from the diet entirely, just getting it down to levels that are not toxic, he says. The American Heart Association in 2009 published a statement, of which Lustig was a co-author, saying Americans consumed 22 teaspoons of it a day. That needs to come down to six for women and nine for men.
“That’s a reduction by two thirds to three quarters. Is that zero? No. But that’s a big reduction. That gets us below our toxic threshold. Our livers have a capacity to metabolize some fructose, they just can’t metabolize the glut that we’ve been exposed to by the food industry. And so the goal is to get sugar out of foods that don’t need it, like salad dressing, like bread, like barbecue sauce.”
There is a simple way to do it. “Eat real food.”
#6. Hey! This NO Sugar SH*T Really Works!
I can talk about this program and the changes it made in my head and my choices, but the what everyone wants to see is what changes it had in my body. And they were big. I lost 6 lbs, 5 inches and over 4% body fat in just 21 days! I also went down a pant size and cleaned out my closet. I can’t wait to see what I can do with a little more time on this program!
But like every really rewarding endeavor, the impetus for starting may not be the entire reward in the end. My body did change and I feel incredible! But what’s even more important to me were the lessons I learned, the challenges I faced and overcame and the sense of accomplishment that comes from following through with a commitment.
I could not have done it without the support of my community at Pilates 1901, and of course, Herb. Thank you all!
And the best news of all! It’s not too late to join! We’re kicking off a new session of T School and our 21 Day Jumpstart begins today! Email me at tina@pilates1901.com to get started today!
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