Yeah, I know I’ve now used the word “suck” in two posts within five days. (What can I say? I’m just a wordsmith like that.) But this one deserves it.
Tim ended up going back to smoking while he was up in Washington. His friends are frickin’ chimneys.
He quit for the first couple days of October. Then the whole Sandy thing happened, and he couldn’t handle it. So we agreed he’d just quit on November 1st. He likes to have an easy to remember date, and if that’s what makes it easier… sure.
Anyway, he asked me to quit eating candy in solidarity. Why? Because, like an idiot, I had just finished telling him that I didn’t think even my quitting candy would be as tough as quitting smoking. I was trying to be supportive. Remind me not to do that again.
So… no more candy for me. At least, for as long as possible. It’s understood that eventually I’ll break. The goal is to just extend that as far out as possible.
The rules as we’ve set them up say no chocolate candy, sugary candy or sugary alcohol like Smirnoff’s or hard cider. (I don’t drink much, but we were just establishing boundaries.) Also, no soda or large amounts of fruit juice. Neither of which I drink much of, so that’s not a big deal.
I will still be allowed to eat food with processed sugar in it because neither of us wants to go to the hassle of completely revamping our diet. By which I mean cook.
I went to bat for my protein shakes and bars, though. I had chosen them specifically for their low sugar content. Each one has something like two grams. Tim relented on that one. Maybe the chocolate deluxe ones will trick my body. Probably not.
Also okay are popcorn and potato chips. Not that I really eat potato chips. Maybe I’ll eat more now.
I spent Thursday and Friday saying goodbye to sugar: Red Vines and peanut butter M&Ms on Thursday, Milk Duds and some Mounds on Friday. Some Smirnoff both days because, while I don’t drink it often, knowing that I can’t have it made me want it.
We’re going to have to put away a bunch of Mounds bars and pudding cups that are going to be leftover. I think we’ll exile them to the garage.
So if I’m grouchy on Facebook or Twitter (or on here), you’ll know why.
What have you ever given up that was tough? Or are you planning to give up something soon?
carrie says
Yikes! You definitely got the raw end of that deal! His habit could is harmful in any amount, yours is safe(r) in small amounts. You should win the wife of the year award!
(Maybe not the best way to compare the two because I realize too much sugar can kill, but I'm going to rely on the sense of the reader to understand the point I'm trying to make!)
seattlegirluw says
I think withdrawal-wise, he's got the worst end. Then again talk to me in a couple of days. And to be fair, I've never been great at moderating my sugar intake. Part of his reasoning is that I've been a little down on myself lately.
imawindycitygal says
I have a friend that gave up sugar for Lent a few years ago and she found that she felt much better sugar-free. She lost weight, her mood improved, and she had less joint pain. I haven't tried it, but I did quit smoking just over 10 years ago. I used the nicotine patch to help with the cravings and it helped me a lot. Good luck to both of you!
Abigail says
Congrats on quitting! And yeah, I know I'll feel better without so much processed sugar. Still, ugh.
knoxvlogs says
I gave up soda in 2010, and that one was probably the hardest thing I've ever given up. At the time, I was drinking 6-8 cans of Diet Dr. Pepper a day (free, courtesy of work). It was basically the only thing I drank! It was tough to give it up, but in the end, I'm glad I did!
My saving grace was that we went on our weeklong honeymoon and didn't want to stock soda in the cabin (because $$). So I had no soda for a week on the honeymoon, and by the end of that week, I thought, "Hey! I've already made it a week, might as well see how long I can do this!" Four years and counting!
Abigail says
Wow, that's a lot of soda alright. At least it was free. I'm trying to imagine soda-detoxing on a honeymoon. Yeesh.
Congrats on quitting and sticking to it!
TLC says
That's impressive! I've pretty reliant on my (at least) 1 fountain Pepsi/day. I've tried to quit multiple times, but I give in to the sugar/caffeine withdraws. Feels like your body is dying. No energy, can't focus (except on how badly you want a soda), massive headaches, you name it. Everyone suggests I opt for coffee or tea to curb the caffeine, but I HATE both. They make me gag. And those mio caffeine drops for water make me shake. I hope I can do it one day.
knoxvlogs says
Yes, withdrawal is pretty awful, not to mention the cravings. My soda cravings didn't go away for months. There were foods I just couldn't eat with water because the taste of the food was so closely linked to the taste of Diet Dr Pepper that the food tasted off if I tried to drink water while eating it.
It probably helped that I started an intense workout routine soon after quitting, so my energy levels were picked up by that. Now I only drink water at home (sweet tea if I go to sit-down restaurants, which is rare), and I can't tell a noticeable drop in my energy compared to when I drank soda. And as an added bonus, I no longer have indigestion! I got some bad cases of indigestion when I'd drink soda while eating, which was basically every meal. So good riddance! Good luck to you when you try again.
Catseye says
I know how you feel about sugar, I used to feel the same way. Then I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes and of course, had to cut out as much sugar as humanly possible. I've lost around 15 pounds and I seldom want it these days. There are a few chocolate chips or m&m's in the trail mix I snack on and that satisfies me most of the time. Even when I do occasionally eat candy, I eat much less of it than I used to because I just don't crave it anymore.
Anyway, I think you're going to lose some weight, so there's your payoff. Of course, good luck to Tim in re-quitting smoking.
Abigail says
Yeah, it's hard to imagine that I wouldn't lose some weight from this challenge. And yeah I know the cravings get better over time.
Congrats on the weight loss!
Teinegurl says
Dude, let me get this right? You Gave Up candy the day after halloween? ?? Um ok….lol
Abigail says
Yep, no discounted candy for me 🙁
Kara says
Has Tim looked into e-cigarettes? My husband
and I quit smoking tobacco on the first of October, and these have been a life (and marriage and children) saver. Just my $0.02. And wow, sugar….I know of no substitute for that. When I had gestational diabetes, I snacked on berries with whipped cream. That cut the craving a little.
Abigail says
Yeah, we've tried e-cigs in the past. It helped him almost quit once. But the last time he tried it the water vapor in the lungs was too much for his asthma. This last time, he just quit through willpower. Unfortunately, the patches make him break out and he can't chew the gum or suck the lozenges properly because of the dentures.
Rebecca says
Good luck to both of you! Quitting sugar is so much easier when you cut it all out at once, like you're doing. I didn't realize it before, but my after diet coke habit was making me actually eat more in the afternoon. I went cold turkey, and switched to cottage cheese with chives instead of sugary yogurt, and that helped a lot. Your palate will get used to it.
As for the smoking — good luck to him! It's SO hard to quit! A lot of smokers go back because after quitting for a small period of time, their bodies start healing themselves and they forget why they quit in the first place (hacking cough, cravings, $$, etc.). I hope this time it sticks!
Abigail says
Yeah, this time he made sure to remind himself every time he hacked more that it was the cigarettes. We're hoping that the mental link will help him stay off the stuff.
Punkin Pye says
I am trying to lose a great deal of weight in preparation for a kidney transplant so there's a lot of tasty food I will be giving up. Years ago I read a tip on how to kill cravings for something sweet. Just eat something sour like a pickle. It actually works pretty well. Sometimes I suck on a lemon with salt (okay, I'm weird). Frozen grapes are also very nice substitute for sweets. A high protein diet also keeps your blood sugar up and helps with cravings for sweets. You might keep some cottage cheese, hard boiled eggs, cooked chicken legs, or beef jerky around for snacks.
Abigail says
Good tips, thanks. On a relatively high protein diet at the moment, so hopefully that helps. Today's a bad day, so hopefully tomorrow gets better.
nicoleandmaggie says
I gave up sugar (and hfcs) because of PCOS about 10 years ago. After a few months, my tastes adjusted and fruit tasted sweeter and when I eventually did try regular candy again, it didn't taste that good. And I started to appreciate dark chocolate which I had never liked before. It is definitely key to quit diet sweeteners too, otherwise you still crave the sugar.