Week 4 – 12/10/2016 – 18/10/2016

I started Sarah Wilson’s I Quit Sugar 8 Week Program this week so I have meal plans and guidelines (although her books have been a huge help so far). But the main thing that I love about the plan, besides the discovery of new tastes and foods I like, is the community. A whole group of people who understand what I am going through, they are there doing it with me and can support me during the weak moments when I am so close to cracking and grab that lollipop or soft drink.

The way the program works is that each Thursday the meal plan, shopping list and recipes for the following week would be made available as well as different articles about quitting sugar and helping you get through different things like your body’s natural reaction to cleaning the sugar from your system. Then on Saturday you are supposed to do the shop for that week’s meal plans and then Sunday you have allocated ‘cook-up’ recipes for the week ahead and to go in the freezer for further down the line. It’s all very organised and well thought out with your best health in mind and to try and make it as easy as possible for anyone.

Now it hasn’t been all sunshine and unicorns now that I am on the program I didn’t properly think out the process I would need to go through to cook. I hadn’t cooked on a regular basis for years, I may have made one big meal on a Sunday and eat it for a few days then just order in for the rest of the week. But having this meal plan meant I was cooking myself dinner every night which cooking isn’t just the cooking, it’s the preparation and the cleaning whether it be before to prepare the kitchen or after to clean up after yourself. So my lack of fully understanding the time it would take to do all this had me cook up what I was told on Sunday and not eat until 10pm that night and every other night that week. So unprepared and because I was so wrapped up in cooking my puppy also suffered as he wasn’t getting his dinner as per usual (when I eat he eats or else he eats mine).

Such a fail but I loved all the meals and even, despite being provided lunch at work, took them to work the next day for lunch. The one thing i didn’t like, and I kinda already knew I would cause i don’t like muesli, was the Apple Bircher Muesli muffins but a few of the guys in my office did so win win.

As if the detox symptom of bad sleep wasn’t bad enough not eating until 10pm was painful. Here’s hoping to me being better prepared next week (doubt it).