Here are some of the benefits that I have personally experienced by giving sugar the boot…for good.. 

  
It’s not all about weight loss.. But it’s a big part of it!  As I have said before.. I lost 60 lbs in 1 year (70 lbs in 2 years) and 5 sizes! 

I’ve lowered my risk of diseases.. With my lifestyle 2 1/2 years ago.. I was well on my way to heart disease, diabetes and a long list of many other diseases at an early age.. The fact that I’m doing everything in my power to prevent these things makes me feel a lot better, for myself as well as my children.. http://www.m.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20100420/high-sugar-diet-linked-lower-good-cholesterol

The amount of energy I now have continues to amaze me.. Call me crazy.. But I actually WANT to work out!  My change of diet also changed my lifestyle.. I want to get up and move, I want to get outside and run or hike!  And I am committed to doing those things at least 4 days a week.. Also, I have more sustained energy… I hear a lot of people talk about going home after work and relaxing..but when I get home at 5pm, that’s when I work out. I don’t get those crazy sugar highs and blood sugar spikes.. So I don’t have those crashes.  I also sleep like a baby because of all of that!! Of course, I still need my coffee (I mean, I am still human 😜) but I can keep up with my kids, a very busy schedule and a regimented work out routine. 

My sugar cravings have been reduced greatly since starting this journey.  For those of you just starting..it does take about 3-4 weeks before they really start to go away..so stick with it!  Once the sugar cravings were just about gone..I stopped craving refined carbohydrates as well.  I was amazed by the link between consuming sugar and craving other carbohydrates. I do allow myself a serving of  refined carbohydrates (breads, etc) every once in a while (twice a month at most) but I don’t have the cravings I used to anymore.. I actually feel fuller and more sustained with lean proteins and vegetables. (I know how crazy that sounds, by the way, I wouldn’t have believed me either, but I promise it’s true!)  For the first time in my life, and this is huge, folks: I finally feel like I have the control over the food, not the other way around. 

Ever have that foggy brain feeling? Well, that has all but gone away with me now.. Of course it’s there from time to time if I didn’t get enough sleep or something.. But overall, my focus is a million times better than it used to be. 

Giving up sugar has been AMAZING for my immune system! This is a big one!!! When everyone around me is getting sick with coughs, colds, the flu, etc (including my kids bringing home school germs) I have been sick once in the past 3 years. And when I say sick.. I mean a runny nose and slight sore throat.. I still went to work and went about all my other business as normal..so I was a little sick.  Obviously I’m not completely immune…but you can’t say giving up sugar hasn’t helped!  Sorry, but nobody will ever convince me that not getting sick is just a coincidence. 

“Eating or drinking too much sugar curbs immune system cells that attack bacteria.” Source- http://www.m.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/10-immune-system-busters-boosters

Sugar is hard on your skin cells too.. My skin has cleared up quite a bit since I started this journey. I’ve also seen a reduction in fine lines and wrinkles (and trust me I’ve been through enough stress to put quite a few on this face of mine). Again, you can’t tell me that this is just a coincidence. 

I would say, though, that most importantly I have gained the confidence in myself that I was so desperately missing before.  This journey has been just as psychological as it has been physical.  I now know how strong I truly am.. I know that I have the strength and willpower to absolutely anything I put my mind to. Period.  At a certain point it isn’t about the weight anymore, all these benefits I found are all great..amazing even..

but it becomes about knowing your own worth. 

I am worthy of being the very best version of myself…and so are you.. I have proven that to myself..and I continue and will continue to prove it to myself every single day. 

Now it’s your turn…you only deserve the very best…of yourself!