8 Weeks, No Sugar Challenge – Week 2

Week two went a whole lot better than week one. While I suffered through some cravings, I learned that the world will not cave in if I don’t have chocolate every day, soda isn’t my biggest downfall anymore, and most importantly how to eat to live, not live to eat.

For the longest time, I have struggled with food addiction. It seemed as if it was all I thought about. I would be thinking about what I was having for dinner at 9:00 in the morning! I was constantly debating cheating on my diet by having Chick-Fil-A for lunch. I was eating cookies and candy like it was my job and didn’t know how to stop it. I didn’t think it was possible for me to go one day without chocolate, or more than a few days without a soda. This week, aside from three sugar-free Fudgsicles (i.e., not the chocolate I’m really craving/used to) and half a bottle of Cherry Coke Zero, I went chocolate and soda-free. I didn’t even realize this until Friday when I sat down and thought about it.

It’s amazing what you actually can do when you release the limitations you place yourself under.

It’s obvious I have a hard time trusting and believing in myself. It’s where all my anxiety stems from. Every time I submit a work project or go for a run, I’m constantly battling the anxiety demon, mocking me and telling myself I am not good enough. Some days, I feel eaten alive by all the anxiety I’m battling. But what this whole process is showing me is how capable I am. I am capable of taking my biggest sources of struggle and defeating them.

I am a capable woman and even if I do battle a food addiction, I have shown myself I can attack it from all sides and defeat it. While food plays just one part of my life, I believe I can take what I’m learning here and apply it to all aspects of my life.

I craved a lot of bad foods this week and for the most part, I acknowledged the craving and tried to figure out where it was coming from. Why was I craving junk? In most cases, it wasn’t a real craving but a Yo-Steph-This-Is-How-You-Used-to-Eat-Your-Mind-Misses-It type of craving. I’m just so used to cheating on my diet that not letting myself get broken down by my cravings? That’s a new experience. But with each one that came, it passed. Once I took my mind off it, once I settled myself down and reminded myself why I was doing this, the craving would cease.

Every day, it gets a little easier. Not easy. No. It is not easy at all. It is hard, tough work. But my mind and body are slowly getting used to living on little sugar.

I really want to start tracking again using My Fitness Pal, since I’ve used the past two weeks to just learn how to eat and fuel in a completely different way, but now it’s time to crack down and get super serious about how much I’m consuming.

Who’s ready for some results?

	Starting Weight/Inches (taken on 3/18/12)	Current Weight/Inches (taken on 3/31/12)	Total Loss
Weight:	154.4 lbs	149.2 lbs	5.2 lbs
Left Arm:	13 in.	13 in.	0 in.
Right Arm:	12 in.	11.5 in.	.5 in.
Chest:	37 in.	36.5 in.	.5 in.
Waist:	39 in.	38 in.	1 in.
Hips:	36 in.	35 in.	1 in.
Left Thigh:	22.5 in.	22 in.	.5 in.
Right Thigh:	23 in.	22 in.	1 in.

 

Another fabulous week! I’ve lost a total of 4.5 inches around my body in the past two weeks, which is amazing. I didn’t exercise as much as I wanted to and I want to implement more strength training to help tone up my arms, shoulders, and thighs but I’m still very happy with my results. I can’t wait to see what Week 3 brings me!

On a completely unrelated note! Lauren, you are the winner of my giveaway, a free copy of Illusion by Frank Peretti. Email me with your address and I’ll put the book in the mail this week. So excited for you!