More thoughts on Sugar

Next week this time I will be back in Germany...

I will miss the beautiful Cape Town summer and the view....

I woke up this morning at 5am and decided instead of trying to fall asleep again to pick my Tosca's * Your Best Body Now * book and see what she has to say about sugar...

Gosh, how did I miss her message when I read her book the first time...as it's in the book that SUGAR is amongst unhealthy saturated fats, trans fats and alcohol - I will quote from her book!

* These are collectively best considered as public enemy number one and have been linked to everything from obesity to heart diseases to cancer. Unfortunately, saturated fats, trans fat and sugar lurk in surprising places. When I began reading labels I was surprised at the number of foods that I thought were good for my family-even "diet", "low calorie" or "healthy" foods and frozen foods contained large amounts of unhealthy fats, sugar and sodium *

This quote above from Tosca's book once again tells me I am on the right track...once I have cleared my body of all Candida ( hence no fruit ) I will be able to go back to eating fruit but limited to one a day, not like I was doing on the new WW program where i was eating 3 fruits with my breakfast, two fruits as snacks and sometimes more after dinner ...after all fruit and veggies are free!

I have no idea how anyone can be on this lifestyle and not read labels, every book I read on healthy eating says * READ LABELS * - educate oneself on what you are putting into your body...From Bob Harper, Jillian Michaels to Tosca and of course many more, but those three are my favorites to read at this time.

I started reading labels when I was diagnosed with MS as Aspartame and all sweeteners I had to keep out my diet....this trend has just continued with me as I went into the Clean eating plan...

I never put anything in my mouth without reading the labels first....

I have educated myself....I have made the changes ~ this works for me!

This is my motto for myself.

MARCELLE ~ Don't eat calorie-dense foods that offer no nutritional value

Update ~ Where I am right now.

I need to update this blog to let you know what is going on in my life right now when it comes to my eating plan and training program...

As you might remember 12 days ago I was put on NO sugar eating program due to my body having Candida....I noticed within 3 days the change in my body and I felt so much better. I managed the NO sugar without any problem. I attended a picnic and a bloggers get together where I was not able to eat any of the things presented to me, and managed without feeling deprived...I was shocked to find that Woolworth's ( Woolworth's is the best food chain store in South African for foods ) pre - cooked chicken has sugar in it...I also attended my nieces birthday party today and was so happy I had my camera as there as nothing I could eat there either....so I walked around shooting images.

Anyway, back to my story..,

Yesterday I went back to the Kineticist for my check up ~ she said my body is thriving on NO sugar and wants me to go without for 3 full months...

I told her I am missing my fruit ~ this is huge for me as I love my fruit with my breakfast or an apple during the day as a snack...she said to stay without fruit till mid January and then to only introduce one apple a day and to take special note on how the sugar makes me feel...do I hit a 3pm slump, if I do to stop, cause as from what she sees my body is preferring no sugar..

This got me thinking and I want to share with you here.

I lost my 20kg's doing the Weight Watcher's old program...then a year and a month ago the new program was introduced to Europe - I like everyone else embraced the new program and went along with all the changes. I slowly gained weight...over the year I was doing the new program I gained about 5 kgs _ I also never lost weight doing the Clean Eating..which I am still doing and enjoying...I remember mentioning here in this blog that I was thinking of going back to calorie or Point counting with the Clean Eating as I could not understand what I was doing wrong..

Well after my visit yesterday I know what was wrong, why I gained the weight...SUGAR..all fruit is free in the new WW program and I enjoyed my fruit...I had 3/4 fruits a day...with the Clean Eating fruit is good so one can enjoy...and I did

But for my body...Sugar is bad...so I gain weight.

Being without sugar for 12 days my weight has come down to 59 kgs...I came to Cape Town weighing 64.8kgs...I have finally lost the weight I gained since I started the new WW program a year ago...

So my advice to anyone who is watching their weight and struggling...take a look at the SUGAR in your diet....read labels....Sugar is everywhere...

My eating plan today is very different to when I arrived here....I no longer eat fruit or vanilla yogurt or soya as all filled with sugar, I eat Bulgarian yogurt with my sugar free muesli for breakfast...without my fruit, I no longer put honey in my coffee...as sweetener I gave up a year ago, besides a cup of coffee once a day I drink only water....nothing else, no flavored water as also filled with sugar...( fructose)

I am not eating bread as all the bread sold in South Africa has sugar in it....When I get back to Germany I will visit my bakery as see if my favorite bread has sugar in it and find out what does not, am hoping the 100% rye is without as I love the German bread. Oh and NO wine!!

This holiday has been a very interesting one for me ~ and I feel slowly over the last year since being diagnosed with MS that I am finding an eating plan to suit me. I am accepting all these changes with a positive attitude as I have see the difference in my body already so know these changes are good for me...

Training wise I have been put off running till mid January...my band popped out again when I asked why the Kino said cause I went back to running too quickly after my last visit...

I am able to do this as I have one more week left in Cape Town before I return to Germany and have a busy schedule and then its Christmas and New Year ~ so will be ready to get back when I have been given permission to run again...I will do sit ups and some toning in the mean time as I have to strengthen the band running down the side of my legs......

So thats where I am in one update.....

Hot Summers Run

It was such a lovely day in Cape Town today...I knew I had to run today as the rest of this week I have such a busy schedule I'm not sure when I'll be able to run again.....

My youngest daughter mentioned she wanted to run today, so this morning I got ready and waited for her...she slept till after 10 am...then ate a huge breakfast so had to wait an hour for food to settle while she got stuck watching a TV program....I waited as I wanted to run with her...to keep at her slow pace, just enjoy our time together.

Finally with lots of struggle and bribing I managed to get her to get ready and to leave with me...We started off with a walk to the complex we're living in's gate, chatting up a storm...laughing and having a good time...Once out the gate I said....*lets jog...DOWNHILL*

Which we did...at the bottom of the hill, which is only a few meters my daughter started complaining that her breakfast had not settled and it was TO HOT for her to run...

I turned a deaf ear for a while, hoping she would get herself in the mood..

But after a few more minutes I turned around to her and said.

* Turn back and go home * this was at 1.5km

She went back and I ran on my own...I really was so disappointed in her...

I continued to run along the road till I got to 3.5km before turning back...once back in the complex I did the sand dunes run which I am showing you via the photo's with this entry....

I ran over the dunes then home....7.5km...collected my camera and walked back and over the dunes to take a few photo's

I did 8.5km today...and burned nearly 1000 calories.

It was 26 degrees, hot, but thankfully a breeze which cooled me down during the run...

I'm glad I got out today ....

I am still *without* sugar in my diet...I have another two days before I know if I have to continue longer or if I am okay...

I have decided that for future purposes I will make sure I don't eat sugar in my regular foods...but will go back to eating fruit...I need to find what I am going to do for my coffee without sugar...will I develop the taste...?

I have a few ideas for what I want out of my training for 2011

I will discuss on blog at a later stage...

I do know I want to concentrate on weights next year and run 3x a week

I now need to find a good woman's weights program..

Anyone got any suggestions on a book I can buy?