As we tip over the half way point I thought I would do a bit of an update on Sugar Free February. People keep asking me if I feel any different and to be perfectly honest the answer is no. I guess I'm less bloated than usual but beyond there the only real change is my awareness of how much sugar is in my favourite treats, and just how much will power I actually have. I would kill for a piece of chocolate cake right now but I know how guilty I would feel about consuming sugar right now since people have already donated (if you haven't donated yet then please click here). My snacking habits have had to change drastically. Sometimes for the better (reaching for a satsuma when I need something sweet) and sometimes for the worse (thinking ah f**k it I'm not eating sugar so I am totally going to have this whole tube of pringles).
At the end of the first week, we weighed in at Slimming World and to my surprise I lost 4lb. The following week..... not so great. But never mind. I think I got complacent with substituting sugar for fat. Oh well. As they say SW is not a diet but a lifestyle change, and like everything in life there will be ups and downs.
In terms of cravings, they have been pretty minimal. I've really fancied things, and when I'm tired, automatically gone to reach for the sweet stuff (but never consumed it), but I haven't felt that I have NEEDED anything. Admittedly we have substituted some sugar for sweetener in things like sugar free chocolate, but only in small amounts. No where near the quantities we were consuming before.
We placed a order on www.sweetswithout.co.uk/ for some sugar free treats to help us through at the beginning of our journey. Below you can find my haul video.
Now we have had the chance to sample these treats, lets give you my review.
1. Peanut Butter Bars
These were not at all what I was expecting.They were crispy little bar things with a sugar like shell on the outside and almost dehydrated Peanut butter on the inside. They definitely tasted like peanut butter but they were nothing like Reeses Peanut Butter Cups.
2. Extra Strong Mints
I personally haven't tried these but Dale says they are nice. They don't taste like his usual Trebore Extra Strong Mints but are nice enough all the same.
3. Wine Gums
These were probably my favourite out of the entire hall. Proper gummy sweets with no yucky after taste. However DO NOT EAT THE WHOLE PACKET IN ONE GO!!!!!!! They say right there on the bag that excessive consumption will have laxative effects. Oh my god they bloody did. I was in so much pain, rushing to the loo every 10 minutes. I'm pretty sure I shat my kidneys out. They did taste nice though.
4. Chocolate Praline Seashells
I was so disappointed. These were RANK!!! The first couple of chews were ok, but then they had this weird under taste to them. Dale seemed to think they were alright, but they were nothing like my usual Guylian seashells.
The whole sugar free experience has been pretty uneventful (apart from the wine gum incident). We've been out for dinner a few times and opted for starters to fill us up so we didn't want pudding, and it's worked. I do have a sneaky look at the pudding menu and will definitely be treating my =self on 1st March. I'm hoping the whole experience makes me far more aware of how sugar affects my body and moods. I think I've been in a pretty good mood this month but my period is due soon so we'll see how the PMS goes.
I'm sure there will be a couple more updates before the month is out.
Until next time
Emma
