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fresh start
Started
by Jule
on March 22, 2013
Hello everybody!
My name is Jule (by the way: it's pronounced a bit like "jewel" - how cool is that? ;-) ) and I live in Germany. (So please forgive me, if my English is less than perfect, I'll do my very best)
Just finished reading Alicias uplifting, inspiring book then went straight to the website to join. Feels like something good to do.
I'm living through some kind of a motivational crisis these days, with respect to some issues in my life, hoping to find some kind encouragement here.
Issue # 1: For about half a year now I tried to go vegan sometimes more sometimes less successfull, with quite encouraging results in the kitchen, but until now not being able to do it 100% for several reasons having to do with life and "well-meaning" folks always stepping in the way...
Issue # 2: The chapter about sugar spoke volumes to me. Thank you so much for that one, Alicia! Not that it was entirely new to me, but it freshly endorses, what I already know about myself: Hello, my name is Jule and I'm a sugar-junkie. And you know what? In my opinion it's worse than crack because everybody would support you wanting to get off crack, whereas with sugar it's always "Oh come on, I brought this yummy cake and you are not going to try it? One little piece won't hurt and I'm gonna be hurt if you don't try...." (Yeah, that's the same well-meaning folks I mentioned above)
And that's the reason I haven't been able to lose any weight in spite of living nearly vegan: I'm still eating too much sweets. Hey, they're vegan aren't they? And even if they're not, sometimes I don't care, because I want them and then I hate myself for it on top of everything.
Not that I'm really overweight. I weigh about 176 lb, being almost 6 ft tall (I hope I have converted this right... 80 kgs /180 cm). So that's just the upper end of my BMI but anyway I'd rather be nearer to the lower end, just a few pounds please...
Issue # 3: So I joined Weight Watchers three weeks ago and now I'm so fed up with bananas and carrots, at the same time always being so hungry, not having lost an ounce of weight in three weeks... Bah! I can't stand another day of staring at those blasted points like the rabbit at the snake!
So what now? Feel like I have to regroup and start anew. Perhaps prioritizing? First dropping white sugar, then meat and dairy? Any suggestions? Any fellow junkies wanting to share their experiences?
At least it's encouraging to hear that the weight-issue might go away on its own with the two others...
But let this be enough for now. Yeah - I have a tendency towards long-ish contributions... :-)
I'm looking forward to getting to know some of you. There seem to be some nice folks around here.....
In the meantime, have a nice day y'all!
I am a lifelong baker and sugar junkie. I grew up learning to bake at Mom's side and when she died 12 years ago baking was a way to stay connected to her. When I first went vegan I got very into vegan baking (check out the Babycakes cookbook!) and was amazed out how yummy vegan treats could be. Then my first vegan Holiday season came around and the recipes that have become family traditions did not fit into my new lifestyle. That is when I first realized that sugar was a type of security blanket for me and that my emotional state dictates my sweets intake.
So what to do? I cut out all processed sugars, but did not stop eating sweets entirely. I found ways to eat things that felt decadent, and that hit the needs of my sweet tooth. Brown rice cakes topped with natural PB and food juice sweetened jams were fantastic for this! As I limited the cookies/cakes/candy intake and replaced with sweet tasting, but better for me items my cravings diminished. In between, I made sure to NEVER be hungry, because that's where the danger lurked. My favorite eat till I burst meal is a simple veggie stir-fry with tamari and ume plum vinegar. I add tempeh usually or serve the veggies over quinoa or whole grain cous cous. You end up with this giant plate of food Nd then you feel so guilty for eating so much -- until you realize it was all veggies and whole grains! A simple apple or berries after gave me my necessary bit of after meal sweetness.
I still love baked goods and I'm not above noshing on an Oreo (they're vegan b/c it's all chemicals!) now and again. Still, if you keep yourself full from "good for you" foods there is less room for sugar binging. As an added bonus, I naturally lost weight without really trying. I certainly was never hungry or dieting in the traditional sense. When you cut out the processed foods and dairy (dairy is the DEVIL!), your body just works more efficiently. Start with small steps and cut one first, then another, etc. Doing it all or nothing, makes it too easy to fall off the wagon.
Good luck!
Hi Ame,
thank you so much for your encouraging words. Sorry for answering so late, I'm working shifts, so sometimes I'm just too tired to be bothered. (another danger when it comes to going vegan and sugar binges - when I'm tired, I'm just not behaving as morally responsible, as I want to be)
I'm very glad to hear, that I don't have to cut out EVERYTHING sweet-tasting. I once had a book about sugar addiction where it was treated like alcoholism, working throug a 12-week programme and cutting out even dried fruits and - for some "hard cases" - simple carbohydrates like white-flour foods.
So you think that not everything sweet keeps the addiction wheel running? What about dried dates? Can I eat those? I love them!
Yes, I always try to do everything at once and perfectly from day one and I set myself up for failure with this.
So if I am to decide on my first step, this will be processed sugars because I feel right now the addiction affects me most. I don't have that much trouble with cutting out meat and dairy. This would be only when I'm eating out or being "harassed" by colleagues or visiting friends with turkish pizzas.
Yes, dairy is the devil! I couldn't agree more! But just because of that, I don't have trouble NOT eating it because I feel the effects of it so badly. I become REALLY tired (before making this connection I thought I was BORN tired because I was eating lots of cheese) and somehow depressed. Tired as in "sleeping-pill-tired" and for a whole day or even two, following that four-cheese-pizza. So I'm not easily tempted any more.
Gotta go! Have a nice day!
Hello Jule! I definitely understand you! I work retail and sometimes the only thing that keeps me awake is a big, sugary soda. Still working on the sweet tooth, but I agree with Ame, just gradually replace trigger foods with something else easily accessible. I pack a huge lunch for work full of fruits, veggies, and healthier snacks like pretzels and hummus, dried fruits, even tortilla chips and salsa. just something to keep me occupied when I want chocolate!
Good luck!
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