Round 2: Day One.

It's not quite a year later, but I'm back for round two of Sugar Detox. This time is slightly different: the rules are looser, there's no article ending [that I know of], and I'm not exactly starting out in perfect health.

Some updates on the life of Candy Girl:

1. I now live in the Windy City, otherwise known as Chicago. Since moving here a little over two months ago, my daily habits have become less than healthy. With higher rent and a greater tax percentage, I've pretty much been living on Peanut Butter and Potato Chips [not together, but some days I wouldn't be surprised to try it]. There are the occasional evenings out for a good, healthy meal [sushi being my favorite], but when left to fend for myself, I'll pretty much reach for anything to stop the hunger.

2. I have a new addiction [much more shameful than my previous dark chocolate binges]: McDonald's strawberry shakes. With a whopping 63 grams of sugar in a small [I usually get a medium], I have one of these treats at least once a week. It's not entirely my fault really, the evil arches are literally steps outside my backdoor and much cheaper than a trip to the corner market where a pint of healthier yogurt can cost me almost $5.

3. Probably no surprise after reading 1 & 2, I'm not feeling so hot lately. Since moving, my energy level has plummeted and my sleeping cycle has gone haywire. 2am bedtimes and afternoon naps are a constant in my life, not to mention the fact that sleeping in often cuts into my daily workout time. Even now, as I write this, my brain is a bit sluggish and my eyelids a bit heavy.

Basically, it all has to stop.

So today is day one off sugar. As I said, the rules are a bit more flexible for this round. Refined sugar dessert is still a definite NO NO, but with a smaller budget the strict label reading may have to have a few loopholes. Like last time, organic is ok, but agave sweetened is better [avoiding the glucose crash is key, after all]. Alcohol has to have an in somewhere, but I'll opt for wine instead of sugary cocktails. Oh, and of course, Green and Black Dark Chocolate will be back, but not until after week one's initial withdrawals subside [otherwise I'll be eating it by the bar rather than the piece].

Ok, I think that sort of sums it up [again, my mind is not in top form, hopefully the writing will improve with my health and wellness].

Quick summaries on day one:

1. Incredibly dehydrated. However, it should be noted that this is not unusual nowadays, lack of sleep and lots of walking will do that to you sometimes.

2. Sleepy. Again though, not unusual [clearly this is not a controlled experiment like the last time].

3. No real sugar cravings, but perhaps that's due to an impending cold. [I don't crave sugar when I'm sick, instead I crave orange juice and soup.]

Perhaps tomorrow we'll see improvement...