Sugar Free Month Challenge

I’ve been a bad boy. Not in the good way – the one that girls like so much. I’ve been lazy. As a result, I’ve gained too much weight – my heaviest weight to date. To be fair though, this didn’t happen overnight. It’s been over the course of several years. Last year I did ok for a while. I managed to lose some weight during the summer. It didn’t last though. A big part of my problem is my diet. I’m not the best cook. Also I have a big sweet tooth. Mostly though, I made poor choices. Of course, it doesn’t help that I haven’t been exercising in several months. The path that lies ahead if I continue this way isn’t a good one. So it’s time for a course correction.

I was challenged recently by someone to live healthier. I’ll call them Brahe (after the scientist) to protect the innocent. For the month of August, I’ll be participating in a challenge. Brahe’s challenge to me is as follows – no sugar for one month. No sweets or soda. No juice. Also no bread, rice, or pasta. Fruits and vegetables are good though. Oatmeal is fine too. I just cant add sugar. Historically I haven’t been good about eating fruits and vegetables. Plus, the sandwich is pretty much the best culinary invention ever. Bread makes an excellent container, and there are so many things that can be put into a sandwich. It provides a great number of meal options. They’re easy to prepare. Also you can take them with you provided they’re wrapped appropriately. Pastrami, submarine, peanut butter & honey, and ham & cheese are all awesome sandwiches! And those are just a few types. All of which are lost on this no sugar diet. Sad face. What would I use instead of bread? A lettuce leaf? Not likely, unless you enjoy your food falling apart in your hands. This is gonna be hard. It’ll be worth it though.

Brahe encouraged me to do just one hard core month. He believes I can do this. I think he’s right. After this month, I can modify the diet if I want. Although, it’s entirely possible I might not want to modify it. I might like it and want to continue. The hope is that by not consuming sugar, I’ll lose a bunch of weight. I bought a couple of books to help me be more effective. The first book is “The Skinny Rules” by Bob Harper. I discovered a couple of the rules on my own during my past weight loss attempts. It feels validating to see them in Bob’s book. More importantly though, is all the stuff I didn’t know. I also got Jillian Michaels’ “Master Your Metabolism”. I’m hoping that these books, by my favorite Biggest Loser trainers, will help make more effective. In the end, I know it’s up to me to put in the work. I can do this! Wish me luck!