Don't laugh now.... but "Hi, my Name is Sammi B and I am a Sugarholic!" And thanks to Damon Gameau and Sarah Wilson aka the messengers of the Reality Check, I have made a U turn in my life, an about face, a monumental shift, a recalibration of the major kind.
Recently days have been easy, energy has been up, skin has been smooth and clear, head has been clear and focused, mood has been stable (and at a rapidly approaching 50, you'd think the broody Meno would be upon me any sec now) And the best of the best is that I have lost count of how many days, weeks, months, minutes that I have been 'sugar free'.
Yep, sure I am at week 3 of the IQS program. But Gazza and I have been living the white crystal free life now and it has become just that, a life, not a fad diet that I will come crashing down from and fail, as I have done so many times before.
Added bonus is a renewed interest (yes genuine, not forced) in cooking again. Food has become a gastronomical adventure and one that I am loving. Shopping is still a chore though. I just can't come at the Sunday arvo waste of valuable me time spent standing in an aisle with people with screaming children pushing trollies full of junk food and slabs of soft drink about. arghhhhhhh.
Not wanting to flood my Gram with food pics and boring my legions of Gram followers ;) I'm going to dump a few pics here for anyone who gives a crap. But also a few random shots as well. Here goes.
Last Sunday was all about the Savoury Muffins, Seedy Bread, Inside Outside Bread, Quinoa, Chia Pods, and Cashew Nut Butter. I also made enough ride bars (3 different types) to last Gazza and I a good 4 months. 3 types, 1 protein based, 1 x based on banana (no refined sugar) and 1 x with rice malt syrup, coconut sugar and dates for our 80km+ rides when you really do need some glucose to get you home.
While I am doing the Sunday cook off and prep for the week, Gazza is in charge of daily meals. So he is all over dinners and he is also in charge of plating up. Having an X-Chef as a husband is veeeeery helpful team. Its definitely the reason I have a little/ok big, belly too. He is also X-Army and he still likes to cook enough to ration in a full platoon.
Lamb chops and pumpkin with crumbly fetta. Holley molley this meal had me licking my fingers at the end.
Egg/bacon muffins along with Thai Pumpkin soup. Oh wow, I don't think plain ol pumpkin soup is ever going to be quite the same again.
Chicken with quinoa salad and Pulled Pork with cauliflower cream. These meals have been perfect for winter in Aus and have been added as meals we will definitely do again and form part of our arsenal in our new sugar free life.Breakfasts have been great also. I love my staple of Greek yoghurt, raspberries (when I can afford them! Are they ridiculously over priced or what!), home made Granola and Quinoa porridge. Oh yum!
Saturday and Sunday were real treats when Gaz cooked up a bunch of corn fritters with avocado salsa. I sat in my courtyard that is sheltered from the winter and bathed in warm winter sun and indulged in 2 coffees (black no sugar, see how far I have come) and enjoyed every mouthful.
But let's discuss winter. If you have read some of my posts you will know how much I struggle with sleep. Getting to sleep, staying asleep and then waking up from sleep. Winter makes waking up even harder. Dark, buried in my covers, smothered in my white fleecy blanket which I affectionately call the Polar Bear, I am dug in deeper than an Alabama Tick. Nothing including bedside delivery of morning coffee, iPad and light flicking on and off is going to prize me out of a deep wintery sleep. Poor Gazza can be on the end of a very grumpy bear some mornings. I love that man! He keeps on coming back for more. Duty bound, he tip toes in, hits the lights, drops the coffee on the side table and then runs like hell. Yes, save yourself Gazza, it's your only chance. So, now lets throw in the training program and you gotta know how hard I find it getting out of that dream location where there is warmth and blissful sleep to step into some gym gear, or worse, swim gear (insert scream... arghhhhhhhh) and I am officially the Mayor of Struggle Town. It takes me a good half hour to get fully awake and operational.
And at the end of the day, its time to drag on the training gear again and head out for the second session of the day. Monday nights is Group Squad at the pool with Coach. I rolled in late on Monday, no excuses left. I think I have used them all up already and its only June. It was teaming down rain and freezing cold. We all piled in the water and knocked out a few quick laps to warm up. The rain was cold on our shoulders, but the water was warm while we kept moving. The run across the side of the pool to the change rooms is always a painful but hilarious performance. Trying to run while in the foetal position without anything wobbling. I'll let you go visual for a minute. And then three/four to a shower trying to grab a sprinkling of hot water to warm up with. I love my training.
Good news though, and a nice reminder that I am not alone in this plight to endure winter, is this little lady. Abbigail Rose. Booohoo its cold mum. Let me just spend the whole of winter cuddled up on my cushion in front of the fire. I know I don't have to work, pay taxes, train, go shopping, make dinner and do Sunday bake offs. But I do struggle so. It's a tough life team. Just ask her Royal Highness Princess Babbs.
Occasionally though, there are moments of beautiful in our winter weather. We do really live in a lovely part of the world. The Gong is mild in comparison to some places, I have to be honest. And Sunday before last, Gazza and I headed South for a coffee and a spot of whale watching (another bonus of winter) The Whales were a fair way off shore though and we needed the binoculars to see them properly, but it was a cracker of a day and an obligatory Gram shot here to prove it. 
No comments:
Post a Comment