How I survived:

I should say WE. The kids really didn't have ALOT..And I did say I would share some of my sugar free choices from previous 2 weeks..So here goes:
I switched from flavoured yogurt to natural - greek style was my preference.
Frozen raspberries are now a staple. Try these cooked and swirled through nat yog.
I cooked muffins with fruit and apple concentrate.. (the gracious pantry)
Banana bread..( photo above) with raspberries, apple concentrate, apple puree.. Yum...
I made up my own breakfast muesli. Rolled oats, apricots, puffed brown rice, coconut and pecans.
Top muesli with yoghurt and fruit.
Switched to jam with no added sugar ( IXL and Dick Smith both make some)
Used mountain bread in wraps..
Cooked porridge with fruit in it ( see Fitness, Food and Style)
Passata tom sauce in pasta dishes. Has no added sugar..
Made my own pizza base ( Jamie Oliver's cheat pizza recipe)
Drank soda water with slices of lime in place of soft drink.
Added vodka when I had drinks over holidays.
Add vanilla paste..Great natural sweetner
Cinnamon..Another top sweetie!
Fresh veg as much as possible.
Ate leftovers for lunch.. Saved having to locate sugarfree bread all the time..
Pancakes served with berries and yoghurt ( Fitness Food and Style)
Alot of nuts.. Which I adore snacking on now..
Rice cakes are sugar free and a great snacking option.
Planned meals. Only way to ensure sugar isn't in them..

TRAPS. Things that sugar is hidden in..Times when it is difficult to avoid sugar...

Family lunch date.. I made sugar free muffins and ate them..No alcohol though..
Movies.. Popcorn? But I didn't..
Breads.. Big trap.. Read labels carefully.
Yoghurts. Almost ALL flavoured ones have HEAPS
Night time...In the past would always head to the pantry when kids went to bed. This is a habit.. Really has nothing to do with sugar..Once I could stop myself from opening those doors..Much easier and sugar could be avoided.
Running...After a run I am staving and really want a sugar HIT...Tough...Rice cakes with sugar free jam...
Husbands...Still eating choc biscuits.. This was a harder hurdle.. But willpower is an amazing thing.
Getting too hungry. If I didn't eat regular planned meals I would get starving and then the cravings for sugar treats were harder to fight off..
Takeaway. Simple. We didn't have any. And didn't miss it either.

Really - sugar is replacable in almost all things.. So it has become just a matter of switching it out. Thinking outside the square. I am also reintroducing honey and maple syrup. So that also makes cooking easier..

Truly - if you are thinking of doing it. Go for it. Leave me a comment and I will help in anyway that I can. Also you cann drop by Dani's blog. She has recipes, tips and is the sugar free queen! Visiting her blog everyday gave me motivation and inspiration too!

Freckle fever:

And in spite of this very sweet visit to the chocolate factory in Corowa..I still remained sugar free!
Chocolate really isn't a weakness for me. Luckily enough! Lollies have always been my downfall - but I have kicked that habit already!

So- I successfully completed the two week challenge. No cheats or slip ups..I tink I ate a wholemeal muffin before meeting for a run and after I realised it had sugar in it..And I licked the kids yoghurt off the spoon in the first week - but I'll forgive myself those..

What I have learned about processed sugar, me and my body:

I can survive without it.
In the past I believed I could have sugar and not have it affect my weight or life.
I now know that processed sugars was my drug of choice.
I was giving myself bursts of energy with sugar. These never lasted.
I was rewarding myself with sugar.
I was rewarding my children with sugar.
I was rewarding my husband with sugar.
I can have coffee without sugar - and it's better!
Eating sugar at night kept my muffin top in place.
Fruit is divine - and sweet enough.
Apple concentrate is a perfect sugar substitute.
Reading food labels does not mean I have an eating disorder ( as some people claim)
Reading food labels is not obsessive behaviour - well not a BAD one!
Sugar Is in just about EVERYTHING.
Reading food labels is annoying and time consuming.
Without processed sugar I sleep better.
Without processed sugar I exercise better.
Without processed sugar I AM thinner.
Without processed sugar my skin is clearer.
I love natural greek yoghurt.
I love nuts.
Maple syrup and honey I will reintroduce..A bit..
I love frozen raspberries.
You can get jam with no added cane sugar - cool.
I can get the kids through an entire day free of processed sugar and they don't even realise it.
Some people are understanding and supportive.
Some others think I am utterly mad and wonder why I felt the need to do this.
Bread is loaded with sugar.
If a label says low-fat - then it's high in sugar.
I had to scrounge to the back of my cupboard to find the sugar to make my friend a cup of coffee!
I like soda water.
I hate soft drink.
Muffins without sugar are a hit here..
Pancakes without sugar are a hit here too..
Smoothies full of fruit are a hit here too..
I'm not going back..I'm not going HARDCORE - but I'm changed for the better.

xx

A big thank you to Dani at Fitness, Food and Style for alway sharing her meal plans and advice - it all helped keep me on track. And for doing the challenge - it was awesome..

Please let me know if you are interested in this at all and I will happily share some of the food I ate over the two weeks.. It really wasn't as hard as I though it may have been..

xx

Going without:

Doesn't necessarily mean going without...

And isn't she delicious? Sweet little Zali...

Had a holiday catch up with my lovely new friend Dani - who is currently holding me to account for my sugar deficit - and she had made these lovely sweet little starwberry muffins - with no added sugar..Find out more over on her blog..
Always planning ahead- Dani served us all spag bol for lunch..A latte and one of these sweet little muffins as dessert...

I took some shot of Zali for her bday invites and the entire brood ( all nine of them) filled in a morning quite happily..

I love holidays xxx

Sugar free:

If I am serious about going sugar free with Dani at Fitness, Food and Style...Then  I really need to prune these:

So sad that I can only grow these in my garden...
Sugar free starts tomorrow...
Two weeks..
I'll keep you posted on my progress now and then...

Now where are those trusty rusty shears???

xxxxx