21 day sugar free challenge: Day 3

This post is going up a day later, but here's what happened yesterday:

Today was actually pretty good. Through cutting out artificial sweeteners I noticed a huge difference: I wasn't as bloated anymore! I still ate more than I was hungry for, but didn't have any sugar. I made sugar and fat free blueberry muffins, adapting a recipe I found online. I ate 6 throughout the day, they were so good! I also had lots of mandarins and homemade sugar free dark chocolate using chocolate covered katie's recipe.
In the evening, I had lots of fresh veggies and some more oranges. I am so addicted to citrus! I also am slowly getting into the habit of drinking green tea and lemon water. It tastes really good and has many healthy benefits for your body!
I definietly have to work on set eating times and only eating when I am hungry. This is going to be very challenging to me, but I think this will be a very valuable lesson to learn.
I hope you are doing well, too! 18 more days to go, and I am looking forward to all of them!

xxx Annie

21 day sugar free challenge: Day 2

Today felt like day 14, but is only day two! I didn't have any refined sugar, and my sugar cravings weren't as bad as yesterday! I still ate more than usual, which is a bad habit of mine while I am stressed.
For breakfast, I had 2 cups of coffe with milk, a protein shake, and two fruit bars. I also had some sugar free gum while I was studying. For lunch I had some crackers, a whole wheat roll, and green beans with mustard. Then, for a snack, I had a pear and another whole wheat roll.
For dinner, after a workout, I had some frozen blueberries, lemon water, and lots and lots of mandarins. I was feeling a little sick it definietly gave me the vitamin boost I needed.

How I feel: I felt a lot less energized and motivated while working out today (I didn't work out for about 1 1/2 weeks). I felt drained after a little cardio and a little strength training, but I am still glad I went to the gym :)
I feel like I did better than yesterday, though, which makes me happy! I also ate a lot while I wasn't hungry, so here are my goals for tomorrow:
 -avoid artificial sweeteners like the aspartame in the sugar free gum
 -only eat when I am hungry
 -eat smaller and more meals
 -eat more balanced (protein, vitamins, minerals)

I hope I improve my eating some more tomorrow! I feel like I will slowly keep improving, and incorporating more wholesome and healthy meals into my diet. I don't have any particular special recipe for you today, but tomorrow I am going to try one I am exited about and report back to you!

I hope you are all going strong and

21 day sugar free challenge: Day 1

Today wasn't motivational at all: I ate way more than I was hungry for. Strictly speaking I never actually did consume any refined sugar, but the quantities of the food I ate speak  for themselves. I had a huge sugar craving and spend most of the day at home, so I was around food all day and just kep consistently eating. 

The day started off pretty well, besides for the fact that I slept till 11am because I couldn't sleep last night.

I had a bowl of greenbeans with an egg and some mustard, a delicious and nutritious breakfast.

The problem started after that: I got a major sugar craving and tried to satisfy it with handfulls of almonds, 9 rice cakes with 1 tsp of honey on each, 100% fruit compote. A joghurt with rice cakes and honey followed a few hours after that. Then a bowl of air-popped popcorn with stevia and spices. Then I left for school and still had 2 100% fruit bars and 1 pretzel on the way home. 

Now it is dinner time, and I am planning on having a light salad to stock up on vitamins for today. To be honest, it isn't very easy to admit what I ate today. It isn't inspiring to anyone nor it is good motivation or anything I am especially proud of. 

At least I have some very valuable lessons I learned today, that I am going to try to live by (especially) this week:

  - Don't stay home alone all day. Get out, bring your food, and be more productive!

  - Don't eat food when you are sad, frustrated and/or stressed out.

  - Don't try to satisfy your sugar craving more than once. It was never fully satisfied and it would have been       a better idea to just wait till it goes away.

  - Always keep fresh fruit on hand (for said sugar cravings)

I most definietly hope that tomorrow will be a better day, and will put all of my efforts towards it.

Stay stong, tomorrow is another day!

xxx Annie

21 day sugar free challenge: Day 0

Tomorrow I am going to start the 21 day sugar free challenge. I am exited but also worried, because I have ditched challenges like these before and ended them with a nasty junkfood binge. I am hoping doing this publicly will keep me from bad habits, and I hope I will be able to give some of you seeking similar goals some advice!
I am a college student, and I have some major exams coming up in 3 weeks (wish me luck!), so the next month is going to be super stressfull and I won't have very much time for preparing my meals. I will let you know how that goes! Just to give you the heads up: I am a vegetarian female and I haven't liked cheese since I was a baby so I will try to give you some helpful links if you are on the cheesier side of life.

How I am feeling: My stomach is super bloated from all the sugar free gum and junk food I ate today. I spent most of my morning studying at Starbucks so that was bound to happen! I am full and I am getting up earlier to pack a nutritious snack tomorrow morning so I won't have to rely on convenience food from the nearby bakerys.

I am going to try to be as honest as possible here. I know it will be very difficult, so I will be posting daily updates on how it is going!

Care to join me? Start your own blog or just leave me comments below!

xxx Annie