A Personal Update (My Year of No Sugar, Weight Loss, Castor Oil, Etc.)

A Yr With out Sugar? Virtually!

As most of you understand, I made a private decision at the start of 2024 to go a complete 12 months with out consuming sugar excluding six free days. So how did I do?

Effectively, I did higher than I assumed I might, however not so good as I needed to do. The actual fact is that I did nice for a lot of the 12 months, and I got here so near undertaking my aim. However for some cause, when December rolled round, all bets have been off.

You’ll have seen in footage of our lounge and my studio that I hold Starbursts round. I like having candy treats for visitors (and so they do take pleasure in them, which I like to see!), and I like Starbursts notably as a result of they’re fairly and colourful within the bowl. I hold a bowl on the espresso desk in the lounge…

And I hold a bowl on the nook of my desk within the studio…

For a lot of the 12 months, I used to be in a position to stroll proper by the bowl with none temptation in any respect. In my thoughts, they have been extra of a colourful little ornament than a deal with for me to take pleasure in. So I had every kind of self-control for eleven months.

However for some cause, as soon as December hit, all bets have been off. It began off with me permitting one or two Starbursts a day, pondering to myself, “It’s tremendous! I’ve self-control now!” Then that elevated to 5 a day. The subsequent factor I knew, I used to be grabbing Starbursts each time I’d stroll previous the bowl. And earlier than I knew it, I had plowed via half of a three-pound bag of Starbursts all on my own in a matter of about 2.5 weeks.

I don’t know why I began doing that. I went the entire 12 months with Starbursts within the sweet bowl, and I by no means touched them. They have been for visitors solely. However December introduced the “it’s the vacations” mindset, and I let my guard down. After which a number of days earlier than Christmas, that “it’s the vacations” mindset that I used to justify the Starbursts consumption additionally advised me that it was okay to take pleasure in different sweets. So I fully blew it in December. I made it eleven months, and misplaced all management over the last month.

It’s tremendous, although. I’m nonetheless very happy with myself. At the very least I made it for eleven months, and I discovered that I actually might have a complete lot of self-control and dedication with regards to sugar. Earlier than final 12 months, I felt helpless and uncontrolled when it got here to sugar. I felt prefer it was an impossibility for me to say no to dessert when it was obtainable, or to go up candy treats within the checkout line on the grocery retailer. However saying no to these issues for eleven months made me notice that I actually am in management. And I can say that since Christmas, I’ve regained most of that management again. I did have a number of bits of carrot cake that my brother purchased and shared with us throughout lunch on Wednesday, however for essentially the most half, I’m again to saying no to sugary treats.

I gained’t be making the identical decision for 2025, however I do plan to maintain the candy treats to a minimal this 12 months, and I really feel like my very strict 2024 has proven me that I can proceed on with out a lot sugar in my weight-reduction plan with out feeling like I’m lacking out. However this 12 months, I gained’t attempt to restrict myself to solely six “cheat” days for the entire 12 months. I’ll permit myself to have the cake on birthdays and particular events, whereas aiming to maintain my regular each day weight-reduction plan sugar-free.

I really feel like I can and can do this going ahead. About ten years in the past, my New Yr’s decision was to surrender Dr. Pepper for a 12 months. I went from ingesting solely Dr. Pepper all day day-after-day to having none for nearly a whole 12 months. However I by no means went again to that Dr. Pepper behavior. Ever since then, I’ll have the occasional small Dr. Pepper, however it’s probably not a part of my life anymore. And all it took was that one 12 months of strict no-Dr. Pepper to interrupt me of that behavior. I plan to have that very same outcome from my almost-year of no sugar.

My Weight Loss Progress

I ended the 12 months 20 kilos down from the place I began on January 1, 2024, and 30 kilos down from the place I used to be in the summertime of 2023. And similar to my no sugar decision, I’m each happy with myself, and somewhat dissatisfied in myself.

A twenty-pound loss (or a thirty-pound loss since mid-2023) is one thing to be happy with. On the similar time, I really feel like I might have performed so a lot better had I actually caught with an train program. I finished doing my kettle bell exercises in some unspecified time in the future throughout the summer time. After which as soon as I packed up our residence gymnasium to have the ground and subfloor changed, and all of our gymnasium tools bought stashed within the nook of the sunroom, I critically don’t assume I labored out a single time for the remainder of the 12 months. I didn’t even a lot as go for a stroll or choose up a kettle bell.

So whereas I began off the 12 months sturdy with my exercises, that solely lasted about six months. Had I caught with that, I really feel like I might have made a complete lot extra progress on my well being targets throughout 2024. I’m happy with my progress, however I’m additionally somewhat dissatisfied that I didn’t keep dedicated.

However I’m not going to get too down on myself for it. Twenty kilos for the 12 months (and 30 kilos within the final 18 months) remains to be nice progress. I nonetheless have a protracted technique to go (about 70 extra kilos) to fulfill my final weight reduction and well being targets, however the starting of a brand new 12 months is a good time to get refocused and make a renewed plan.

To succeed in that aim, I do have to discover a place to arrange my little treadmill, and I have to dig my kettle bells out of the nook of the sunroom and place them in an space the place I’ll see them and use them day-after-day.

Castor Oil Replace

Final 12 months, I began having severe bother with my pores and skin. Not solely was I coping with dry, itchy, discolored patches of pores and skin on my face and neck, however I used to be additionally noticing that my pores and skin (particularly round my eyes) simply seemed so outdated and wrinkled. I began utilizing castor oil on my face each night time earlier than mattress, and it made an enormous distinction!

However then my bonus sister began making a castor oil/tallow balm and requested us to strive it out. As soon as I attempted it, I caught with it and by no means went again to the plain castor oil. So now, I exploit her castor oil/tallow balm day-after-day on my face and neck, and I discover it really works superbly beneath my make-up.

However after I began having points round my chin space that the castor oil/tallow balm wasn’t serving to, so I went in quest of one thing to assist these areas, and that’s after I got here throughout this Rescue Balm. It has performed a beautiful job at serving to to assuage these downside areas (once more, it was dry, itchy, tough patches), and it’s additionally extremely moisturizing. So now my routine is to make use of the Restore Balm on my face and neck at night time whereas I sleep, after which I exploit the castor oil/tallow balm throughout the day.

I’ve seen an enormous distinction in my pores and skin with this new routine. In the beginning of the 12 months, I used to be so discouraged with the dry, wrinkled pores and skin that I used to be seeing on my face. I do know that wrinkles include age, however I plan to combat them till the day I die. 😀 My new routine has made an enormous distinction, and I’m nonetheless seeing these tremendous strains and wrinkles minimized with these merchandise. Here’s a image I took simply this morning, proper off the bed. No make-up, no filters, no retouching, no enhancing.

I do nonetheless use castor oil straight out of the bottle after I use my castor oil pack on aches and pains. Castor oil is magic in a bottle, and I’ll all the time hold some round. I’m simply now not utilizing it straight out of the bottle on my face as a result of I like the combination of the castor oil with the tallow for my face.

I feel these are all the updates y’all requested for, but when I missed one thing, let me know! I’m wanting ahead to persevering with my well being and weight reduction journey this 12 months, and I’ll hold y’all up to date alongside the best way.