Читать книгу Sugar Addicts’ Diet - Nicki Waterman - Страница 4
ОглавлениеAs a fitness expert, I am regularly told, ‘You’re so lucky that you’re so slim.’ I always think, ‘You don’t know the half of it!’ I may be slim now, but that hasn’t always been the case. And even though I work hard to be this way, I used to fight a personal demon every minute of the day – my desire to eat sugar.
It was sugar that made me a chubby child and a chunky teenager. And in my 20s I gained even more weight thanks to my sweet tooth. Two pregnancies in quick succession made my weight problem even worse. My husband (now my ex) loved my spare tyres and discouraged my attempts to lose weight. I tried every diet under the sun, had acupuncture and hypnotherapy, and even resorted to slimming pills to shift the weight. But it didn’t go – in fact, it all came back on and more.
DISCOVERING EXERCISE
My saving grace, 18 years ago, was discovering the importance of exercise. An inspirational trainer got me off the powerful prescription drugs I’d grown dependent on. As a result, I lost five stone and decided to spread the word about how weight loss could really improve your life.
But behind the scenes I had developed an unhealthy tactic to keep slim. I’d learned that by exercising in excess, I could still eat the sweets I wanted and maintain a reasonable weight. I’d developed my own eating pattern – one proper meal a day and plenty of sugary foods – to sustain this weight loss. I knew it wasn’t healthy but it worked. Maintaining my weight loss, however, was a constant struggle. Although I looked slim, I was still flabby and covered in fat, despite my exercise regime. I was a ‘slim, fat person’ – someone with the unhealthy attitudes of an overweight person contained within a slim frame.
SHOCK DISCOVERY
I could have carried on like this for ever. I looked fine and no one would ever have known about my secret eating habits. But just a year ago, something shocked me into realizing that I had to change my ways. My mother-in-law was in hospital being treated for cancer. One day, when I was visiting her, her specialist came to talk to us about what she should eat when she came out of hospital. I’ll never forget his words – ‘Do not touch refined sugars – they will kill you.’
Thinking about how much sugar I was consuming on a daily basis made me realize that it could easily be me lying on my deathbed if I didn’t drastically mend my ways. On an average day I’d happily consume at least half a pound of pick ’n’ mix (my big weakness), large packets of American hard gums and jelly beans, a packet of biscuits and anything else that came my way (I can’t believe I’m admitting this to you!). Putting an end to my sugar addiction wasn’t just about me but other people too. I had a responsibility to my two children, husband, brothers and friends. This was the wake-up call I needed to help me tackle my serious sugar addiction head-on. I told all my friends, family and work colleagues that I needed their help and support. I was giving up sugar completely, and that meant no chocolate, biscuits, cakes – or pick ’n’ mix.
GETTING STARTED
Like all addicts, my decision to kick my habit wasn’t without pain – I endured three weeks of excruciating headaches, something I found almost unbearable but knew I had to go through. Different addicts have their own preferred method for distracting themselves in moments of weakness. A nicotine addict might chew a pen as a substitute for having a cigarette in their mouth. I knew I needed something to stop me going into the local newsagent to get my sugar kick, so I starting boxing lessons with a professional coach. While I was focusing on boxing, I wasn’t yearning for my next sugar fix.
Every time I ate something, I’d text my best friend so we had a record. I didn’t trust myself to write it down honestly. Different people – including friend and nutritionist Amanda Ursell – advised me on what to eat to help get me through my cravings.
DEVISING THE SUGAR ADDICTS’ DIET
But before I knew it, I was falling off the wagon. Willpower and exercise alone weren’t enough. I soon realized there was no point in just giving up sugar unless my diet was right too. Looking into it, I began to understand that I needed support – both physical and emotional – if my attempts to give up sugar were to succeed. That’s when I decided to devise my own sugar addicts’ diet. My aim was to even out my blood sugar levels, which I was told were probably a key part of my cravings. This would ensure I was never hungry (so never tempted by sugar!) and make me more capable of dealing with the inevitable emotions of trying to kick the sugar habit. To be honest, at first I was a little sceptical that it would make a difference to my life. However, I can honestly say – hand on heart – that the 21-day plan really did work for me.
The weight has fallen off me and so has the body fat. I have achieved this without the need for over-exercising, which is just as bad for your body as doing no exercise at all. It’s hard for me to believe that I don’t have a weight problem for the first time in my life.
A HEALTH-BOOSTING DIET PLAN
The Sugar Addicts’ Diet has had countless benefits besides reducing my weight and body fat. I used to wake up with big dark rings under my eyes, and my skin had an unhealthy pallor. I put it down to ageing but, since kicking the sugar habit, I realize my diet was to blame. In my experience, the old saying ‘You are what you eat’ is so true. The bags under my eyes have now gone, my eyes look bright, my skin glows with health and my hair is thicker. The sugar highs and lows are a thing of the past, which means I have so much more energy than ever before.
I’m not saying I don’t ever have cravings, but I seem to be able to control them a lot better. I control them – they don’t control me, as they did in the past. A big part of it has been developing strategies to help me avoid situations in which I might be tempted to slip off the straight and narrow.
A WIDESPREAD ADDICTION
Since I made the decision to tackle my sugar addiction, I’ve discovered how many ‘secret’ addicts there are out there. ‘And I thought I was the only one like that!’ is something I now hear a lot.Sugar is everywhere and it’s hard to avoid it. That’s why it can be such a battle to kick your addiction. But I’ve come a long way, and I want other people to know they can do it too. Like me, you will find you lose excess weight, feel fantastic – and lay the foundations for a longer and healthier life.
I’ve been shocked by people’s lack of knowledge about the hidden sugars in their diet. There are confusing messages about sugar all around us, whether it’s on food labels or in fast-food joints. I have written this book to help sugar addicts like me understand why they crave sugar, and how they can get it out of their system and beat the craving once and for all.
IT’S NOT ALL BAD
A lot of people think that all sugars are bad, but my focus here is on refined sugars. Due to illnesses in my family, I’ve had the (mis)fortune of spending time with some of the world’s leading oncologists. They all say that refined sugars – those found in processed foods, sweets, cereals, bread, etc. – are a real danger. Obesity is just the start of it.
Some people have said that naturally occurring sugars are equally bad; I vehemently disagree. Natural sugars in fruit, for example, are unbleached, unrefined and delicious. Mankind has been eating fruit since the dawn of time. Like everything, it’s sensible to eat it in moderation and as part of a balanced diet. While fruit may contain varying quantities of natural sugar, called fructose, most varieties are still reasonably low in calories and come with a whole raft of nutrients that keep us feeling and looking good – including vitamins, minerals and fibre, which can help protect against stroke, heart disease and high blood pressure, and may lower the risk of certain cancers.
A HEALTHY EATING PROGRAMME FOR LIFE
My co-author, Martha Roberts, is an experienced, award-winning health writer with an avid interest in nutrition. She’s also one of the few people I know who isn’t addicted to sugar.
People often say if you want something done, ask a busy person. Well, it could also be said that if you want to understand how to enjoy non-sugary food, ask a person who’s not hooked on it! Together, as a writing team, we represent two opposite sides of the sugar-eating spectrum. We hope to present an unbiased, balanced view of how sugar affects all of our lives.
The Sugar Addicts’ Diet is a healthy eating programme for life. It will teach you about sugar so that you understand what it does for you (both good and bad), where it is in your food and how you can have more control over it so that it no longer controls you.
It’s really about lifestyle – learning skills for life and changing your ways without too much effort or heartache. And whether you’re reading this book because you want to lose weight or you’re fed up with being controlled by sugar, we hope it gives you the guidance and support you need to finally kick your sugar habit for good.
