Quitting sugar - two weeks down

It's now two weeks since I had my last serve of sugar.  At the recommendation of my doctor I am following the eight week program devised by Sarah Wilson.  I'm also reading David Gillespie's book, The Sweet Poison Quit Plan, which has lots of useful information about how to interpret food labels and understand what's what.

I have a sweet tooth and some bad habits have crept in - like the standard piece of white chocolate with my evening cup of tea.  I also am often fed by the clients I work with.  Generally the lunches include a selection of salads and sandwiches, so that's easy enough.  It's the morning and afternoon tea plates that are challenging - plates of fruit and plates of cakes and biscuits.  Fruit juice is standard and soft drinks are sometimes offered.  (During the detox phase, there's no fruit allowed and fruit juice is off the menu completely.)

During the week after a long day, I walked towards the train station.  It was after 6pm and I was feeling tired, hungry and generally strange.  I knew that I was feeling the symptoms of withdrawal.  My path home was flanked by all kinds of temptations and perhaps I would have stopped to have a smoothie from a juice bar.  I now shudder to think what I was actually ingesting.

I made it home without succumbing and made dinner as soon as I arrived.  It was healthy and satisfying.

Yesterday was another day of feeling flat with a dull headache and a sense of cotton wool wrapped around my head.  My skin is breaking out at the moment too - this could be down to the liquorice, fennel and spearmint tea I now have after meals to satisfy my craving to finish my meal with something sweet on my palate.

Trips to the supermarket take a lot longer now.  I've always spent most of my time in the fruit and vegetable section, but there's always the need to visit other aisles.  I'm now aware of the danger lurking in the breakfast cereal section.  Sauces are another danger zone.  I now no longer visit the confectionery aisle or the biscuit section.  The health food section was fascinating.  Even amongst the packages proclaiming "gluten free", "low fat", "suitable for people intolerant to lactose" sugar lurks.

I'm one quarter of my way through withdrawal.  Six weeks to go and so far, so good.  I'm very pleased that I've never taken sugar in my tea or coffee.  I'm also pleased at my decision to go cold turkey.  If I was to wean myself off sugar, I don't think I'd ever make it.  Rather than thinking of it as deprivation, I'm gathering knowledge and embracing the idea that sugar is poison in the quantities found in the modern diet - I'm not depriving myself, I'm boosting my health.

I've found some great organic sesame crackers which are sugar free and can be kept easily in my handbag for afternoon and morning tea.  And the avocados are sensational at the moment!  Great time of year to be doing this.

Have you quit sugar?  I'd love to hear your stories.