Mr Bama and I have been MIA, but it's been because this month has been a little hectic. Adding to the craziness, we decided September would be "Sugar-Free September." This means:
- no carbs
- no sugar-based anything
- no sweeteners (ie, honey, molasses, maple syrup, etc)
- no fruit (!)
- no starches
- no alcohol (unhappy face)
- lots of meat and happy, healthy fats
- I can still drink coffee!!
Thanks to the
21 Day Sugar Free Detox, via
Balanced Bites my eyes have been opened to just how much sugar most Americans eat. Even if you're like me, someone who doesn't drink soft drinks, really doesn't have a sweet tooth, and isn't a fan of baking, you eat amazing amounts of sugar in your bread, your fruits, and even in some of your veggies.
I thought this would be a breeze, but boy was I wrong. I can't find a ton of the ingredients used for many of the 21- Day recipes either at our tiny commissary or on the German economy (apparently Germans don't like coconut flour?) so it's been particularly frustrating. We've ordered coconut and almond flour from Amazon, but their estimated delivery times are in October, after the detox is over. And I really didn't think this through before dedicating September as THE month to do this. Because our anniversary falls during the detox and I MAY have to break it to have the customary celebratory champagne.
14 days in and here are my pros/cons list
Pros:
- I'm eating more veggies than I ever have before. I actually like squash and avocados!
- Bacon is not your enemy, it's your friend
- coconut butter smells so much better than olive oil.
- most 21-day detox approved recipes are insanely simple, 5 ingredients MAYBE. My kind of cooking.
Cons:
- no real weight loss, but no weight gain.
- total lack of energy. I have no desire to work out. AT ALL. I'm exhausted, un-enthused and find that any energy I do I tend to think about my chocolate or popcorn cravings and how much i miss them.
- Going out with friends can be uber- frustrating, as in Germany most stuff is breaded and fried or potato-based. When I ask for items without "brot" or "kartoffolen"I get the oddest looks.
Here's hoping that as I start my third and final week of the detox I get a little kick in energy and the benefits start to show up. Otherwise I'm afraid that come day 21 I will just bury my head in a mound of croissants and never look back.
UPDATE (9/17): So this weekend I went to Ramstein and bought the commissary out of their coconut and almonds flours just to tide us over until the Amazon orders arrived. Then I go to the mail room this morning and what do I find?
Thats 5lbs of almond flour there baby, bringing truth to the saying of "it's either a feast or a famine." That should make crust for oh, about 10 paleo pizzas.
