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One Year, No Sugar: First Third

by Megan

Four months ago, I announced that I would be giving up sugar for a year. I’m happy to report that I’m now four months in and going strong!

I cannot believe it’s been four months since I drank a Coke. I was throwing back at least 4-5 cans a day before I stopped.

Some people have asked me what I’ve cut out, since “cutting out sugar” is not completely black and white. Yes, there is sugar in bread, there is sugar in bbq sauce, there is sugar in…everything.

Here’s a list (non-comprehensive) of things that I have cut out and will not eat: soda, candy, cookies, cake, baked goods, sugary cereals, sugary drinks, chocolate, donuts…anything else you can think of that is considered “junk food” is probably on the list.

For the most part, the rule is that if “sugar” is one of the first four ingredients in the food, then I don’t eat it. I do have a handful of  foods that may not meet this requirement that I’m not concerned about, and I have one or two “cheats” that I’ve determined to be on the “okay” list.

I have not concerned myself with dipping sauces. I know a lot of them have more sugar than they should, but it’s just not something I’ve worried about. I do not restrict fruit or dairy products, which have their own respective natural sugars. I don’t check the ingredients of a loaf of bread or something similar to see how high up on the list sugar appears. If it’s not traditionally a sugary food, then I will probably eat it.

Let’s see, what else? I did not specifically say I would cut out high fructose corn syrup, but since it’s basically the same thing, I’ve cut that out as well. I mean, if I didn’t, I could be drinking all the soda I want, since most soda is not make with regular sugar! I’ve had jellied cranberry sauce, which I love, and which has HFCS in it, so I guess you could say that was a “cheat.”

I’ve also had a few cereals (Kix, honey nut cheerios) that had sugar listed as (I think) the third ingredient, but I determined those as okay because the sugar content is drastically lower than other cereals out there.

It’s also possible that I had something, somewhere, at some time, that had sugar in it that I was unaware of. I don’t consider any of those things to have disrupted my year. In none of these situations did I eat something because I was craving it.

If you’re considering giving up sugar, whether it’s for a month or a year or somewhere in between, I would highly recommend it. Sugar is seriously addictive, and although the first week is difficult, the cravings DO disappear. I used to crave a can of Coke if it had been two hours since my last one. I would chug a Coke after a workout rather than the water I should have been drinking.

I will say, though, that giving up sugar is only part of the work. I know it has helped me lose weight and maintain the loss, but I have plateaued, and I think that I will have to cut out other foods in order to keep moving toward my goals.

How much have I lost? Well, I gave up sugar just two and a half weeks after having Harry, so I was still carrying pregnancy weight. But that aside, since then I have lost about 27 pounds. And that was basically all within the first three months, because I haven’t really lost anything in the fourth month.

The longer I go, the more determined I am to finish. I don’t want to throw away four months of hard work! I’m excited to come back here in two months to announce the halfway point! Hopefully by then I will have destroyed this plateau and be closer to my goals.

four months without sugar

These photos are not very good. I don’t feel like they show much in the way of progress. I have been taking photos every Saturday, since starting the Revolt 12 in 12 on September 2nd, and the changes in my photos from that day until this past Saturday are pretty drastic! But I’ll be keeping my shirt on, as far as the blog goes, at least for now. I also find it humorous that Vanessa photobombed both photos, and that she is pushing cupcakes on me in the second one.

Thanks for all your support!

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8 comments

Kristin Barclay November 14, 2013 - 3:36pm

That’s awesome Megan! I have given up soda too for the most part with the occasional splurge, and switched to unsweetened tea. I’m not a huge dessert person, so giving up cake and donuts isn’t really a factor for me, but I do tend to eat more sugary foods around the holidays! Keep up your resolve.

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Sara November 14, 2013 - 5:41pm

Soda is my crutch. I have a bad day I drink a soda, I’m thirsty grab a soda etc. I know if I gave it up I would lose some weight and hopefully some of my bloated belly. Did you cut it out cold turkey or dwindle down?

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Megan November 14, 2013 - 6:23pm

I’m the exact same way (or was)! I’m not sure what will happen when I add it back in, but hopefully I can have it in moderation. I cut it out cold turkey.

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Kari November 14, 2013 - 10:11pm

That’s awesome! Congrats! I started the South Beach about 2 months ago (with some cheat days!) and I love it. I’ve given up sugar, about 80% anyways, and I really don’t miss it as much as I thought I would. However, I can’t seem to give up my diet dr pepper. Keep it up :)

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Holly H November 17, 2013 - 8:18pm

Great job! I did a 21 day sugar detox and now eat Paleo. I don’t eat grains, legumes, soy, dairy, or peanut butter in addition to sweets and fast food. I have lost about 20 lbs and the different in how I feel is amazing. I would recommend giving it a try if you’ve plateaued.

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AshaButterflys November 26, 2013 - 9:56am

I have a big Soda, Bread and Fresh Mozzarella. I am sure that if I cut out bread from my diet I would loose half of my weight! Like right now I am eating Goat cheese W/Chili Pepper Spread on bread.

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5 Sweet Tips for Cutting Out Sugar - Shaping Up To Be A Mom January 14, 2014 - 10:08pm

[…] time I wrote an update, I gave some specifics about what I was eating and not eating, so feel free to check that out if […]

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