I don’t drink or smoke, I don’t drink coffee and I can take or leave a cup of tea so no caffeine addiction and I gave up meat for a month a while ago and that was pretty doable. So the only thing I am really, properly addicted to is sugar. I have a really sweet tooth. I love making puddings – here’s the key lime pie I made recently.
and here is a visual representation of how sweet it was.
I’m giving up sugar for a month as an experiment. It will interesting to see if it makes me feel healthier / more energetic etc (I feel fairly well already to be honest) although I’m going to have to feel pretty bloody amazing to consider giving up cake on a permanent basis.
OK, so obviously no sugar in tea (don’t anyway), no chocolate, no cakes, no puddings. But also no cereals (apart from shredded wheat I think, maybe some others), no ready meals, no sauces (ketchup or ready-made pasta sauce etc), and apparently no processed meat like ham or sausages. I’m allowing myself fruit and veg, but no dried fruit or fruit juice (with a loophole for the half a carton of juice already in the fridge, otherwise it will go to waste). I still have a massive box of chocolate goodies left over from Christmas. So if I fall off the wagon, then that’s there to cushion my fall!
This wasn’t particularly meant coincide with Lent, but rather I was waiting until after V day when Mr Beet was cooking me a nice meal (and it was delish). I’m only going for one month max – not the whole of Lent. Can you imagine no sugar for 6 weeks then a load of Easter Eggs? I’d be like a hyperactive toddler.
Day 1 – Vaguely wonder if there is any sugar in bread. Decide there probably is, but that I’m not going to go too crazy strict or I’ll never eat anything.
Day 2 – Eat two polos. Had just eaten garlicky couscous so it was for the benefit of the general public.
Day 3 – Put some cherry flavoured lip balm on and go “ooooh!”. So sensitivity to sweetness definitely increased (it’s never made me go oooooh before).
Day 4 – Nothing much to report. I don’t feel particularly amazing. Nor am I having withdrawal symptoms beyond “quite fancying a jaffa cake”.
Day 5 – Start wanting to do physical harm to people eating chocolate in public.
Day 6 (today) – Have a smoothie made with plain yoghurt, frozen berries and a bit of juice. So not a massive cheat, but the sweetest thing that I can get away with at the moment. I enjoy it, but not more so than usual. I had a chocolate-based dream last night!
Beetchawawa 
Mmm your pie looks goooood!
Re day 5… if that was me, sorry!!
Thanks! It was ridiculously sweet. I was thinking of making something for the baby shower (I will be back on sugar with a vengeance by then). I feel it should be Chocolate-themed. I’ll start looking at recipes when I’m closer to being able to have sugar again – no point torturing myself when I’ve still got three weeks to go.
No it wasn’t you, it was some innocent bystander on the Northern Line with a Divine chocolate bar, which I just wanted to wrestle off her. Also Mr Beet has been leaving chocolate oranges lying around. Doing ok, but I do have moments of weakness!