Sugar really is a drug, so going sugar free is a challenge! It being Shrove Tuesday, we had our pancakes with lashings of lemon, sugar and Nutella last night.
But today is the day – I’m going sugar free for a month. I am a bit nervous as I think I am going to find it really hard! I rely too much on a mid afternoon biscuit or a bar of chocolate when I need a boost.
Savoury alternatives
I popped to the supermarket and bought some savoury bits and bobs to take to work: poppy seed crackers, breadsticks, cheesy oatcakes, hummus and soft cheese. I am terrible for snacks so I need to be prepared. Hopefully I will lose a bit of weight but not if I snack too hard on the savoury stuff. I will have fruit and vegetable sticks too. Honestly. Talk about first world problems!
Some swine has been at my bank account. They got hold of my bank details somehow and went on a spree at Boohoo. Fortunately the bank spotted that this is not normal for me and stopped the card quickly, but it’s annoying as I now have to go to the bank in person when I need cash. I got some cash out at the weekend just before my card was blocked but not enough. Let’s hope the new card arrives soon. In the meantime this will focus my attention and keep my spending to a minimum. I have had two no spend months, so will carry on as before!
I hope whoever cloned my card enjoys their new clothes. Hopefully everything will be just a little too tight or very itchy 😀. Have a good day!
Chris says
Great minds think alike. Here hee! I am also going sugar free for March only as hubby is taking me to Paris for 4 days in April. First holiday in years. I have never Ben and am excited. So no sugar until then. Like you I am a bit apprehensive. Looking forward to any tips and encouragement along the journey.
Chris says
Sorry I mean I have never been. That predictive text is at it again.
Chris says
Oh how awful about the card but brilliant for the bank spotting it and notifying you. I dread to think how many this happens too who spend a lot and therefore it isn’t noticed.
Eloise says
So sorry to hear of the bank card problems. This happened to me some time ago. My bank spotted the ‘unusual activity’ too but it is a horrible feeling to know that someone out there has our details. I think the days of pre-internet shopping/banking were safer.
Good luck with the sugar exercise!
Lavender10 says
Good luck with cutting out sugar! I’m so impressed! I couldn’t do it – love my cake, biscuits & chocolates too much
Margaret Powling says
My bank also spotted something, too, about a year or so ago. Someone had attempted to take money out for a small amount in America, and as we had never been to America, our bank stopped the payment and got in touch with us. They explained that these scammers usually try for a small amount first and if that goes through, then they go for the bigger amount. Thank goodness our banks are being vigilant.
I haven’t given anything up for Lent as I’m not religious. But it is simply sensible to reduce our sugar habit overall. We have never bought fizzy drinks, so can’t cut back on those, and we only have a few biscuits each week (i.e. one packet between two of us for a week – I don’t think that’s a huge amount, do you?) And we have, as I’ve said before, one bar of chocolate, such as a block of Lindt or Waitrose’s own dark choc and hazelnut, once a week for the two of us, and sometimes we don’t even finish it within the week. I like to snack on a round of toast and Marmite, though! Our son only introduced us to Nutella a few months ago (he had bought some as a treat for our little grandson, but he only has it very occasionally.) The rather awful jar with the white label was sufficient to put me off until then, I thought it looked nasty and cheapskate, but since then I’ve learned how lovely it is. But I’ve not bought a 2nd jar. I don’t want to get hooked on Nutella and if I succumb to buying another jar, the chances are that I might be!
Margaret P
Sam says
Since being sick, I’m hoping my body doesn’t remember it likes junk food! I’m cutting back as wrll-health needs a new focus.
Elizabeth says
Cutting out sugar is the best thing you can do for your health. Good luck!
Jacquie says
Sorry to hear about your bank account. I’m cutting out Chocolate for Lent. I have cut sugar before, it wasn’t too bad.
Good Luck with the challenge
Jacquie x
Julia says
Boo-hoo? What an appropriate name in this case! 🙁 Do banks refund you when these things happen or are you left out of pocket?
I don’t do Lent, but as part of my 6-weekly “resolution rotation” that starts on 1st Feb I’ve gone sugar free until the spring equinox later this month. But having finished up all the Christmas goodies at the beginning of January, it’s actually been about 7 weeks now already, with three still to go! I’ve lost about 6 lbs, but a lot of that was due to loss of appetite thanks to suffering from coughs and colds since the beginning of the year!
Not being much of a sugar eater or snacker anyway, I’ve not really missed it – I usually reach for a cheese stick, bag of crisps or nuts if a craving takes hold.
I did have a small piece of cake on Monday, brought over by a neighbour as it was her father’s birthday and to be honest it made me feel ill! I hope I haven’t ruined my chances of enjoying a Lindt mini-egg at equinox now!!! 😀
Next rotation it will have to be crisps that I give up! I eat way to many of the little bags! 😮
Gillian says
Am giving up chocolate for March; British Heart Foundation are doing a choc-free-March challenge. No idea how i will get on as I love chocolate!
alana williams says
so sorry to hear about the scammer,thank goodness the bank spotted it. I go to the bank once a month and try and draw out enough cash to last the month. I find that this helps me to stay frugal as I stretch it to last. I started to do this after discovering my friend had her card cloned after
buying petrol in supermarket petrol station. Apparently it was a staff member who had done it!
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
I have been considering this myself
Cathy says
Had my credit card used for 3 next online purchases and the card’s fraud dept rang me as I never shop there Rang them back from a different phone and it was a genuine call. Card was then cancelled and I was reimbursed with a new card then issued
Apparently it was part of a ring with courriers and people abroad involved Police were not interested Glad you got your money back All the best xx
Glitterknit says
I am not a church goer but I give up chocolate and crisps every Lent. I just feel it does me good to have the discipline of doing it for fourty days.Some years I’ve carried on long after Easter is over
Hoon says
Well I am doing Lent for religious reasons, so have decided to look into how to do as close an approximate to it’s original form as is possible. Anyway, have decided to do a version of the two small collations a day and a meal. So one meal can count as a “proper” meal and the collations are small meals that do not amount to a full meal. Also giving up meat, fowl, alcohol and processed food.
Haven’t managed to cut out everything yet, but I think part of the original process was that you weren’t supposed to throw the forbidden foods away, just use it all up by Shrove Tuesday. I haven’t managed to use it all up yet, but so far have managed to drastically cut down on meat, fowl and biscuits, cakes and processed food. Want to get into my stride mid week