No Sugar Day 1

So, I still have a speckbauch but this time it's even bigger. And I'm going back to Germany and doing Tough Mudder again in only 2 months!! I'd really like to be feeling and looking by best when I'm there. Although I recently attempted a month without eating sugar and it didn't go as well as planned, this time I'm going rogue. I'm not doing a cleanse, I'm not doing it with a roommate, and I'm making my own rules. This blog is to hold me accountable. I'm going to make and post a video every day about how it went. I need the daily accountability, because I'm really good at convincing myself to quit things like this!
I saw this Buzzfeed video yesterday and it re-inspired me

I figure if they can do it I can do it.

The rules:
No added sugar
No agave, honey or maple syrup
For the most part, no artificial sweetener. I don't eat artificial sweetener right now, but I think a little might make the difference in my success, most likely in the form of stevia.
No refined flour

Other goals this month:
Reduce oil intake - try not to use it when cooking, and no fried foods
No dairy products

June 5

I had a very rare day off, so I went on a slightly longer run (5 miles) with sprints. I was tired. Then I showered and ate a banana with soy yogurt, soy milk, oats, and yummy coconut granola. And then I ate more granola with generic brand smacks. And more soy milk. I was lazy for a while, then rode my bike into Hannover, walked around, wrote letters, shopped (ugh), and drank and Eiskaffee. shhhh it's not a dessert. But really there was basically no ice cream in there. I got 1 bite. And there wasn't even milk in the coffee. Plus Rachel and I decided we get one small treat a day. Which is all fine and dandy except then I was in the Kaufhof and even though I said I wouldn't, I couldn't resist the Lindt truffles. I had 3, but I didn't eat vegetables so it evens out right? I rode home and Florian was the only one in the kitchen. I'm bad at making awkward conversation, especially in German, and there weren't really any veggies in the fridge and I wasn't super hungry so I just went back to my room and ate an apple and chai powder mix I got today. Don't worry I drank it with water.  I ended up going into the backyard and doing some of the tough mudder bootcamp workout. It was hard! I also climbed a rope which was way harder than it should be (how on earth did I ever do this with no legs?!?). And now I'm going to bed too late again, surprise!

June 4

I woke up early but didn't do anything. I had 1/2 banana, peanut butter, yogurt and oats for breakfast, and then laid in my bed and watched a movie. I love kindergarten, I actually have free time again! The twins go till 12 now! Eventually I got out of bed and did a pretty intense yoga sesh, then ate leftovers from Friday. Rice, lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, beans, zucchini, guacamole, salsa/sour cream dip, and carrots. There was strawberry sauce with a dollop of yogurt for dessert, which was just cooked strawberries with a little sugar so it doesn't count under our "sweets" points. And soy yogurt.

Rachel and I went shopping so I could finally buy some delicious coconut müsli! And a whole bunch of other things that were actually on the list. I had a coffee with soy milk and a little more of the strawberry stuff, then played with the kids outside in the sun (sun!!!!). It turns out I can do a backflip on their tiny trampoline.

I bathed the girls while Rachel cut up veggies and mad another dip, and there were leftover rolls from the Hofladen so I had one of those with hummus and this yummy arugula pesto fresh cheese (kind of like cream cheese) and veggies. And I had to try a taste of the other cheeses too... and the stomach ache came. It wasn't as bad as usual though. I had a glass of apple juice after dinner, then went for a walk up Benther Berg and around. It's nice being out till 9pm and the sun hasn't even gone under the horizon yet! The weather was perfect walking weather too.

June 3

Every once in a while I get out of my compaining-about-German-food rut, and actually eat pretty healthily. I had toast with pb and 1/2 banana for breakfast, then ran to the playground and did some pull ups and monkey bars and stuff. I did 5! Which was a little surprising, since I haven't really been doing them. I was supposed to do yoga too, but the internet wasn't working...

Gritta made bakes potatoes with quark sauce for lunch, which wasn't really healthy or unhealthy but it wasn't a ton of food so I didn't get overly full. I also had a coffee with milk in the afternoon.

Rachel and I drove with the twins to take the other girls to ballet, then I walked with the twins to a playground. I split an apple with Greta, then Rachel picked up Henny and Johanna and met us there. We stayed there until every kid had cried at least once, then went back and cut up a bunch of veggies for dinner. I made another sour cream/yogurt dip and snuck veggies in there. The kids didn't eat this one, but whatever. And I had also bought hummus, so I had 2 pieces of bread with that instead of lots of cheese. We don't actually really have cheese, so it wasn't like I was tempted by some delicious looking camembert or whatever, but I can't help but notice when I don't eat dairy at night I don't get a stomach ache...

The past week wasn't great (surprise!) but I felt pretty good today! And I didn't eat any sweets, which seems to be rare these days.

May 31

Oh man, I ate so much today! I took pictures of all my actual meals too, instead of writing it down. Except when I was snacking all afternoon and evening on the chips and dip and stuff I was preparing for the kids. And I definitely ate Philippa's chocolate pudding she never got around to. She won't notice, right? Rachel and I had to work tonight so we planned a taco/cocktail night and Max came over. We watched What Women Want on TV starting an hour in.

apple, yogurt, oats

potatoes, käse spätzle, carrots and peas, tomato sauce. plus more spätzle and veggies

pudding and vanilla sauce. I definitely had more than this. and with whipped cream...

coffee with soy milk. and vanilla sauce...

SNACKS. so many. guac and sour cream sauce

kids nachos and quessadillas that I ate some of the leftovers of

vegetarian taco salad and home strawberry daquiri! basically a smoothie with rum

May 30

Today, I feel like poop. My mornings always start out pretty good, except I went shopping to get supplies for our taco/cocktail night tomorrow night and got chocolate. But that was fine, I wanted it. Even lunch was okay, and then I did arms afterwards, but my afternoon starts and I just start to feel bad.  It's not even like I feel like I'm eating that much, I guess it just adds up. A bite here and there, or a little snack, and Sigrid made Rhubarb cake which was actually pretty good and I only had a tiny sliver. We cut up veggies again for dinner and made dip from quark and yogurt because Sigrid always brings the extras that are about to expire, even though they get donated and we can't eat them fast enough. So we try. I only had 2 tiny pieces of bread too, but somehow I just end up with a major stomach ache every night and feel super bloated. I hate it. I know I don't need all this food, and I generally don't get very hungry at night, but for me it's really hard when the food's just there. I started a food journal for today but I lost track after lunch and now I don't even know or really want to. I'm trying to take pictures of everything I eat so at least I'm more aware, and plan more ahead of time. I also decided that instead of no sweets except 1 day a week, I'm a kind of person who needs a treat a day, whatever that may me. So anyways. But tomorrow's Friday, and I have to work all night but Rachel and I planned a fun night. I felt so good after last weekend, when I didn't spend all day with the kids and in and out of the kitchen surrounded by food! 

May 28

I did not keep track of what I ate today. It was all over the place. But I did get my fruits and veggies and workouts in, so that counts for something! For once it wasn't raining and we could send the kids outside. I also proved I can still do a backhandspring.