How to Lose Weight with a Two-Week Sugar Boycott

Stop thinking and start doing -- drop sugar from your diet for two weeks. Why? You'll begin to retrain your sweet tooth; you'll learn to better manage your cravings; and best of all, you'll remove hundreds of calories that lead to excess pounds.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Add two weeks to today's date. That's your target date for this project. Remind yourself that you're only committing to a sugar boycott for this block of time -- and you can do anything for two weeks.

2. Don't let any sugary foods pass your lips during this time. Sugary foods include the obvious desserts and snacks such as cookies, cake and candy but also sweetened beverages, sugared breakfast cereals and honey. Don't worry about dropping products with small amounts of added sugar, like ketchup.

3. Don't substitute artificial sweeteners for sugar. One goal of this project is to retrain your taste buds and substitutes work against that goal. It may not be easy to drink black coffee or tea at first but keep reminding yourself that it's only for two weeks.

4. Decline desserts if they're offered to you. If your host or hostess persists, accept a small serving and push it around on your plate as much as possible. At worst, you may have to take a few bites -- just make sure they're tiny bites and remove your plate as soon as you can.

5. Eat fresh and dried fruit -- as much as you want. Roasted vegetables, like sweet potatoes and beets, can also be surprisingly satisfying. You'll be amazed by how sweet they taste by the second week.

6. Take note of the times you have to stop yourself from reaching for a treat. Is it the cookie jar when you're just in from running errands? the vending machine at work when you're feeling stressed? the signature dessert at your favorite restaurant? Knowing your habits helps you modify them once you've completed the boycott.

7. When you reach the target date, take a few minutes to assess the boycott. Chances are your scale's dial is beginning to move in the right direction. Are there any sugar habits that you'll drop now that you're aware of them? Do you want to continue the boycott for another two weeks to see what happens? You may find that treats you enjoyed before the boycott taste overly sweet to you now and that it takes less to satisfy your cravings. That's success, and the first step to a healthier lifestyle and a slimmer you.

[Marilynda]

on 6/2/2009 Sugar is a big weight sabateur and many of us are addicted to sugar. Good article on how to beat this and boycott sugar. I'm going to give it the two week try and see what happens. 5*