Sugar Fasting

I am in the middle of a sugar fast. I have always had a sweet tooth..like a really big sweet tooth. So much so that I had to have something sweet after every meal. I don't know why it never occurred to me before but it's not just a sweet tooth..it's an addiction. I never like to feel like something is controlling me...heck, that's why I quit drinking and smoking. So, I'm quitting sugar for a while. I haven't actually determined how long the fast will be but I am on day 3 and really loving it so far.

Now, for this sugar fast, I am not counting fruit sugar. I am also making an exception for ketchup and almond butter. Although, I am only having very small amounts of those as well. I also don't eat any kind of sugar substitute or "sugar free" anything. I actually quit those when I found out I was pregnant last year.

At the end of the first day of my fast, I got really moody. I really think sugar withdrawal was to blame. I have been getting small headaches as well. Did you know that sugar affects the same feel-good regions in your brain?  To counteract the yuckiness of detoxing I have been drinking a cup of green tea every afternoon along with my usual 3 L of water/day. I put some Stevia in my tea but since its all natural and has a low glycemic index, it doesn't fall into the real or fake sugar categories.

The hardest part so far has been using half-n-half in my coffee instead of my flavorful Coffeemate. It's not too bad though.

My initial goal for the fast is to make it a week but ideally I would like to do it until the 15th of August (2.5 weeks). Oh and P.S. I have already lost 2.5 lbs of the 3 I had gained. Win! :)

I found some useful info about sugar addiction on WebMD:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-sugar-addiction

Here is a little clip from there:

Your Brain on Sugar

Sugar fuels every cell in the brain. When you overload on sugary foods, it may alter the parts of the brain that control how much you eat. In lab studies, rats that binged on sugar had brain changes like those of getting off drugs. In humans, just seeing pictures of milkshakes triggered brain effects like those seen in drug addicts. It was strongest in women whose answers showed they were more hooked on eating.