Tuesday, July 13, 2004

A Sugar Addict's Odyssey Begins...

Yesterday began with a very deep depression.  My mood dipped way low and I didn't want to do anything about anything.  It didn't help that the fever for the flu finally set in yesterday, either.  I felt miserable and my one vice toward happiness I could not use anymore.  Talk about deprivation.  It was ugly. 

So I made life miserable for everyone until about mid afternoon when we went back to the store.  I was on a mission.  I had to find some way of exisiting on this new life program.  Food once again had to become my friend, even if it couldn't be the same friend as before.

I went low carb on everything.  Pasta, bread, even my tortillas.  I bought low carb BBQ sauce and low carb sugar free syrup.  If it said sugar free, it was for me.  I even bought some ice cream.  Yup.  Ice cream.  Banana nut no less.  No sugar added, no sugar, corn syrup any gluclose product. 

And I ate like a fiend all day long.  The secret to hypoglycemia is to keep the blood sugar steady, and by doing that, eat small frequent meals with complex carbohydrates that take longer to break down.  And protein.  Lots of good protein to sate your hunger.

I had about a half of a yogurt smoothie that morning (no more of those, they have sugar), then for "brunch" I had egg beaters, cooked with turkey sausage, served with fat free cheese and tomato on a jalapeno tortilla with side serving of grapes.  For lunch I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on double fiber, sugar free wheat bread with sugar free all natural apricot preserves.  For dinner we had the low carb pasta with low carb tomato sauce and green beans.  I had the banana nut ice cream for dessert.  A little while later I had some grapes again (they were mighty tasty).  For my after dinner snack I had some cherries and some 2% cheese.

I ate so much I was surprised to learn I only ate 1657 calories.  I was satisfied, I even enjoyed what I got to eat.  My pie chart was the most even I'd ever seen it, with 28% fat, 43% carb and 29% protein.  As for the low carb, sugar free experiment goes, a huge thumbs up on the Smuckers Sugar Free Apricot Preserves and the H.E.B. Creamy Sensations No Sugar Added Banana Nut Ice Cream.  Thumbs way down on the soy protein low carb pasta.  I'll have to find a better substitute for that.  The Bella Vita Low Carb Spicy Tomato Sauce, though, was very good.

We also went to GNC (weighed in, haven't lost anything) and I bought some Stevia and some Chromium Picolinate tablets.  This is not a cheap venture for me, but I'm biting the bullet and doing it anyway. 

I did enjoy my food yesterday and I didn't feel that deprived at all.  So hopefully I've found a happy medium between eating like I used to and eating like I need to.  I guess it goes way back to what I said in the beginning - it's not about what you deprive yourself of, it's about choices.

Next month's vacation to Las Vegas will tell the tale.  They say once you've done something for a month it becomes a habit.  We'll see.

As soon as I'm over the fever, aches and hacking cough, I'll be back on the exercise mill as well.  I can tell I haven't done it in a while, everything feels flabby where it was feeling firmer.  That's reason in itself to do it.

Tomorrow is my "official" weigh in day, so we'll do our month's update then.  I just couldn't face it on Sunday (the 11th), I was so sick.

Off to medicate now...

 

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wowieo!  That's a complete u-turn!  I am amazed.  Completely amazed.  I am curious to see if the rest of the household, since they are eating what you are are going to develop healthy habits and drop weight too.  Now--FYI, you may find with your new way that you will drop dramatically in the inches department eating like this and then...boom the weight drops in large "melts" but stabilizes at the same weight sometimes for weeks.  The main thing may be the inches.  I don't know about you, but I'll take inches!

Now about the depression:  did you ever stop to think that you may have been self-medicating an underlying depression with the sugar?  Just a thought there....  Also, having the sugar habit would then make for a vicious cycle (and I do mean vicious!)  Well, if you go along and see the depression is a big problem, do I HAVE AN ANSWER FOR YOU!!!!!  Suffer no more!!  There is a natural supplement that is superior to Prozac and all the others.... I will give you full details on it if you like.    For now you are doing superb!!!  G-d bless you 'cause you are gonna need it baby--that sugar is gonna do everything in the book to get back in your life.  Be READY!  Hang in there, yell for help, keep us informed.

[ME:  Speaking of u-turns, I know this sounds nuts, but I got him back!  Against all possible odds. I still feel this is G-d's will.  I will see him Friday for dinner and Sunday we are going to an historic cathedral, in the District (of Columbia) where he will see my religion in action for the first time--we have a female cantor there who should be a recording artist she is so good; (the tunes are the Davidic, Christian Orthodox sounds, very ancient).  Just pray on my behalf & his please whoever feels generous reading this stuff!  Thank you from the bottom of my heart!  Even a saying of the name "Jesus" will help me.  Ther

Anonymous said...

PS:  This is a very exciting development you doing this!  The chromium picolinate is a very nice touch--take it easy with supplements, don't over do.  The only way to know the doses is through trial and error I have found.  Some stuff builds up in your system and also be aware of any interactions.  GNC has a computer that can tell you if anything you take interacts with medicine, even coffee can be a problem with certain supps.  For all of that water you might want to consider having potassium (tiny pills) in your repertoire.  Especially in Texas where you are probably losing a lot of dietary "salts" by all of the perspiring.  These pills are very inexpensive, and you could take them on an as needed basis.  Also, if light headed keep some Electrolyte drinks available for your walks (I think they put sugar though, but not much, maybe they have some sugar-free now).  You know you should take a potassium if you have cramps in your legs and you feel weak.