1 week to go

So have nearly managed to complete my first 30 day challenge, I have managed to survive having no sugar for nearly 23 days now. After getting over the cravings in the first week or so, I have managed okay now I don't really think so much about it. I can walk around work without wanting to eat snacks all the time, and if I do feel hungry then I just grab some fruit, this is not to say I have stopped snacking just I eat healthy things instead.
A prime example of this is the other day, while in the function kitchen the chef was preparing some cheese boards so spent the next hour walking through pinching grapes from a bowl in the kitchen.

I still look at certain food and think to myself I really want to try that, mainly with desserts, does not help that we are in the process of changing the banqueting menu so have as of yet been unable to try the new desserts. I think the main thing for me is I can go through the day with out unhealthy snacking which use to be my worst problem, especially when setting up for big events.

I surprisingly have actually enjoyed doing this challenge, when I started I have to admit I was not sure what I would be like if I was going to get major cravings, expecting a couple of days of grumpiness at work it has been a outstanding result (so far).

The other main thing it has made me think about is what I would like to try for my next 30 day challenge, this is still up for debate at the moment. It will have to wait for at least a week after this one finishes, as I need to have a week of normalcy (whatever that is).
My current ideas are; 
    Cycling to work (think an August challenge)
    No meat (vegetarian)
    Tai Chi
    Take a picture a day
    Get in contact with people I have not spoken to in a long time, facebook is all well and good but how many of your "friends" do you actually keep in touch with.

If you have any ideas let me know what you think would be good.

2 Weeks in

So it has now been 2 weeks since we started 30 days of no sugar, and I am amazed I have managed to avoid temptation to eat sugar. The best part was while sat in the office at work last night sorting out the stocktake and talking to my boss, who was saying how she hadn't had many cakes to eat at work that week, I realised that I had not even thought about or wanted to have any sweets or cakes during the day at all. BREAKTHROUGH I have manged to beat the cravings, this had to be my main aim behind doing this.

I have managed to get into a good routine now, in the morning I will have muesli, toast with or without some cheese, and a banana smoothie with spirulina. If at home will have various types of fruit through the day, toasted cheese and bacon sandwich for lunch, then something cooked fresh in the evening with lots of peppers, carrots, and anything else I managed to get for cheap. If at work I will have fruit during the day if I need a snack, then a cooked lunch or some soup, and if working in the evening will get whatever the function was having, only downside with that is that there will be a nice dessert as well which I have to miss out on.

The other benefits I have so far found to doing this, well I am feel like I have more energy now than before, I am enjoying trying new things and eating more healthy than I have ever done has got to be a major benefit for me. As a lot of people who have worked with me will know I have never eaten so health before.

Hard Labour

Well I have manage to get past the first week of this challenge without killing anyone due to my lack of sugar, not sure if the staff at work would agree after yesterday. So the last 2 days have been especially hard as have been back doing crazy long days. On Wednesday worked for 17hrs and then on Thursday 14hrs such is the life of a operations manager in the catering business, the hard part was that we had to shift nearly 200 chairs to the ground floor so they could be taken away, by hand!!  After doing that I was in need of a big pick me up as normally I would of have had something sugary, I am sure after this challenge is complete and I do something like that again I will be having sugar. Glad to say I didn't despite having a evening buffet going on which had apple pie for dessert, which I know is so good, also has a lot of sugar in it having watched the chef make it earlier in the day.

Bread and butter pudding

The following day was again busy with a lot of small conferences on and another small dinner in the evening, this had another great dessert (see below). The main hard part has been ensuring I can have a good meal in the evening while working while avoiding sugar, not to hard but I have found I have come to enjoy cooking at home in the evening using fresh food each day. By the time we get to eat, after the customers have been served the food is not always the best, it is at least kept hot and we do get feed, I have work in other places where the chef would not feed the staff in the evening. For me this would normally lead to snacking on anything around normally biscuits.

Left over bread and butter pudding

Thankfully got today off work so could relax, find it strange that I am now actually enjoying my breakfast now, muesli was not something I thought I would enjoy. To give it a bit of variation I managed to get some strawberries the other day so stuck all the yoghurt in the blender with them, which has ended up with the yoghurt a bit more runny which is nice and some flavor. I sadly did not get around to making pancakes today so will have to wait until I next go shopping to buy some measuring cups. I will also look for some recipes to see if I can make something to eat as well while at work.

Day 6 and Pancake Day

So have managed to get to day 6 of having no sugar which as those people who know me is amazing, specially when you consider how much sweets and snacks I would eat on a day to day basis. Yesterday was a massive challenge for me as I spent the day at our head office on a course and with other managers who I do not know and do not know about this crazy challenge. What do I find when I arrive a tray full of muffins and other nice things which are all packed with so much sugar and to top it all off the group head baraista was there as well making coffees and hot chocolates for everyone as it was very cold in the bar which we were doing our course and I love hot chocolate in the morning.

I some how managed to survive the day and get home with out having anything I shouldn't, yeh for me. For dinner I had a piece of pan fried chicken with a whole lot of boiled vegetables in a tomato based sauce. Then chill out for the evening watching movies as have the following day off.

After a nice long line in, had a good brunch seems strange I am now actually getting to enjoy having muesli with yoghurt and banana in the morning and it keeps me filled up. Of course also have a couple of slices of toast with cheese, or some bacon as cooked up some for the day. Then I either make a smoothie or have some pineapple juice (which qualifies as no added sugars).

Spent sometime in the morning researching if I could make pancakes using whole meal flour and with out sugar, in the end managed to find a recipe(2nd one down). So please as I have missed this day out so often while traveling, so headed off to the shops for some more food also running out of fruit.

One thing which I had decided to get was some Spirulina which Alex had raved about while I was in Sweden, I had done some research into it and it seems to be one of these super foods (or super algae) a lot like others I had tried in Australia and South America. So found my local health shop and was able to get a bag of Spirulina and I also got hold of some soya meat as well. This was something we used to use while I was living in the jungle of Bolivia and enjoyed. I have bought back a couple of recipes so have been trying to get hold some of this for a while.

This evening my big thing was going to be pancakes, so had my main meal then came too make the batter for the pancakes. This was where things didn't go so well after mixing it all it did not look anything like pancake batter I know, this most likely due to the lack of measuring equipment on my part and me not quite using the right ingredients for it all, so that was chucked in the bin, leaving me wanting some chocolate as I was annoyed and had been looking forward to pancakes. Instead some dried fruit was found and loud music played to calm the mind down. Never mind will give it another go on Friday when I am next off work and go shopping to get measuring stuff.

Sunday blues

So have managed to survive without sugar since Thursday, very good going for someone who has a very sweet tooth. Today rated as one of the hardest so far, as work started early so unable to have a big breakfast. Did get to have a cooked breakfast at work though which was good. While meal toast some egg, tomato, sausage, beans and bacon.

For me one of their hardest things has been staff at work offering me snacks only to remember that they have sugar in. So get the one of "would you like to try this new flavor of crisps" me looking annoyed them "oh sorry forgot you can't have sugar" not the nicest thing you can do to your boss. Doesn't help have a lot of nice snacks around and the only thing at work we have which I can drink is water, looks like I will have to try tea or coffee and enjoy it. :(

The other thing I hadn't thought about was the fact we said no white flour, came to have a roast lunch from our head chef only for him to day no gravy as that had flour, and he hadn't made any gluten free gravy. Going to have to hope for some clients having gluten free meals other the next couple of weeks.

Sugar Free: Day 1

Well I manage to get through the first day pretty well. Despite coming into work and see the normal cake display in the cafe.

 As well during the day had all the normal things lying around in the kitchens, chocolate cakes, hot desserts, and all other sorts of what now have to be called bad things.

So how did my day go,

Breakfast;
        Museil with a natural yoghurt and half a banana, a slice of whole wheat toast, and a glass of pineapple juice.

Mid Morning Snack;
        Banana

Lunch;
        Couple of sausages, some new potatos with peas and sweetcorn.

Dinner;
       Homemade tomato soup, followed by braised beef stew, with mash and vegetables (cooked for me at work as had a evening function on, so was left over from that).

Throughout the course of the day 3 bottles of water.

Not to bad, not as healthy as Alex has been, but I don't always have the best choices for a lot of things at work. Well for tomorrow hopefully start doing some extra things at home have just sorted out a new blender and have got a water filter as well to improve the taste of water here.

If you have any ideas or suggestions of meals or other things to try without sugar let me know.