On the 28th of December 2016 I decided that
enough was enough, I was overweight because I could not stop eating sugary
foods and had to do something about it.
A year later, after not eating any chocolate,
cakes, sweets, biscuits, puddings etc, I am 32 pounds lighter, I have lost 6
inches off my waist and feel generally healthier.
I battled on and off for years with my weight and my
eating problems and have only ever found short fixes. I have lost a couple of
stone on several occasions but always put it back on quite quickly. I could not
do without copious amounts of sugary food and it was always my downfall. I don’t
drink, have never tried drugs or cigarettes but was clearly addicted to sugar
to such a degree that I would regularly binge on sweets and biscuits; ripping
packs open to get to them.
Over the years I have tried many ways to lose weight
including diets, exercise and hypnotism. I paid a hypnotist to stop me overeating
and it worked for a short time. I also tried Paul McKenna’s Think Yourself
Thin. This was successful for a while but there was still something missing.
In December 2016 I discovered Paul McKenna’s new weight
loss book and CD, Get Control of Sugar. I read the whole book in one sitting
and was blown away. He had worked out that the missing link in his previous book
was targeting sugar addiction. He did this alongside some very interesting facts
about the evils of sugar and it made total sense to me, I felt totally in control.
At first I also listened to the hypnosis CD every night.
After the first few weeks I listened to it twice a week, then down to once a
week. Very quickly I was listening to it once a month and now only if I feel I
need a boost.
I lost the first twenty pounds in four months just by
cutting out all sugary food. I was still
eating fresh fruit as that contains natural sugar, but not even having jam or
honey. I was walking a lot as I always have and it is something I enjoy, but
still not attending a gym. I do exercises for my back every morning but these
are not fat burning or toning.
The pleasure I got from seeing the scale go down and my
dress size dropping outweighs the enjoyment I used to get from sugary food. To
be quite honest, I was previously eating so much sugary food that it had,
primarily, stopped tasting good. As with many addictions, it becomes a compulsion,
something I had to do, it was a part of me.
The weight loss did slow down but stayed off and not
eating sugar was easy. I was astonished that I did not miss the sugary foods at
all, I didn’t even have cravings and that surprised me the most.
In September I had a double foot operation and was
unable to walk for a few weeks. I worked from home and then got lifts to and
from work. I was on crutches and special shoes for seven weeks. In this time I
only gained one and a half pounds. I have since lost the one and a half pounds
and carried on losing more. I had reached a plateau after losing twenty seven
pounds then seemed to have a natural kick-start when I started walking again.
I am currently only able to walk small distances so
hope that increasing this when it is medically possible, will help me lose
more. I would also like to get fitter and more toned but have not yet decided
how I want to do this. I should really lose another seventeen pounds to be an “ideal”
weight; however I would be happy to lose another eleven pounds.
To feel healthier, to have less reoccurring illnesses
and to be in less pain has been a very important part of losing the weight. Yes
I have caught the dreaded lergy this week but no one can avoid all germs. My
skin has been clearer for the first time since I was a teenager and I have a
lot less headaches.
The psychological effects of weight loss have also been
of great benefit to me. It is easier to feel happier and more content when your
body is not weighed down with something that acts like a poison inside you. If
you eat or drink anything that makes you ill then it is as silly as knowingly
consuming poison. Some people can eat sugar with no effects and some people,
like me, should steer clear.
As well as cutting out all cakes, sweets, biscuits, chocolates
and puddings I have avoided processed food as much as possible. I do a lot of
cooking from scratch so that has been easy. However, I know it slips into the
occasional thing and a sauce in a restaurant could contain hidden sugars. I do
still eat a little bread, a couple of times a week usually, and that contains
sugar. I do think that the large amount of sugar that I have cut out has made a
huge difference to my health.
I still bake but don’t try what I am making. This is a heinous
crime in cooking but that was my decision. I still have only had positive
feedback on my baking so must be doing ok.
In the book Paul McKenna does say you can go back to
eating small amounts of sugar and really enjoy it. I have decided to stick to
what I am doing for now, but never say never. I may one day fancy a piece of chocolate
or a slice of cake and would try it with caution. I may introduce honey back
into my diet but, right now, I am doing alright.
I have NOT substituted sugar with sweeteners of any
kind as this is not good for your body either. I have always preferred diet drinks
if I really fancy a fizzy drink or the occasional glass of squash, but I do not
believe sweeteners are healthy. I have never liked sugar in tea or coffee so
that made it very easy for me.
Personally not eating sugar is a way of life for me
now. I do bang on about it quite a lot because it has had a huge effect on my
life, but it is normal for me not to crave sugar. I eat loads of vegetables, a bit of fruit,
some beans and pulses, some meat, fish and dairy and some unrefined carbs like
potatoes, sweet potatoes, a little bread, crackers, rice and quinoa. I drink a fair bit of black coffee, the odd
latte and a lot of water. I still eat fairly low fat as I had to have my gall bladder
removed when I was 30 but I do enjoy the food I eat and make sure it is full of
flavour.
I believe that the only way to lose weight is to find
that system that works for you and stick with it. It took me many years to do
this and the Paul McKenna Get Control of Sugar book and CD is perfect for me.
Below are pictures showing my weight loss journey. The first
one was taken on NYE 2016. The second pic is after losing about 25 pounds. The
last two were taken in the last few weeks.
I have no affiliation with Paul McKenna or his products;
this is purely my personal view. I have no medical or dietary qualifications,
everything in this article is my personal opinion.
