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

A 12 months With out Sugar? Nearly!

As most of you already know, I made a private decision initially of 2024 to go an entire 12 months with out consuming sugar except for six free days. So how did I do?

Properly, I did higher than I believed I’d, however not so good as I wished to do. The actual fact is that I did nice for many of the 12 months, and I got here so near engaging in my purpose. However for some motive, when December rolled round, all bets have been off.

You will have seen in photos of our lounge and my studio that I maintain Starbursts round. I really like having candy treats for visitors (they usually do get pleasure from them, which I like to see!), and I really like Starbursts notably as a result of they’re fairly and colourful within the bowl. I maintain a bowl on the espresso desk in the lounge…

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

For many of the 12 months, I used to be capable of 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 get pleasure from. So I had every kind of self-control for eleven months.

However for some motive, 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 fantastic! 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 by 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 bask in different sweets. So I utterly blew it in December. I made it eleven months, and misplaced all management over the past month.

It’s fantastic, although. I’m nonetheless very pleased with myself. At the least I made it for eleven months, and I realized that I actually might have an entire lot of self-control and willpower on the subject of 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 accessible, or to move up candy treats within the checkout line on the grocery retailer. However saying no to these issues for eleven months made me understand 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 received’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 loss program with out feeling like I’m lacking out. However this 12 months, I received’t attempt to restrict myself to solely six “cheat” days for the entire 12 months. I’ll enable myself to have the cake on birthdays and particular events, whereas aiming to maintain my regular every day weight loss program sugar-free.

I really feel like I can and can try this going ahead. About ten years in the past, my New 12 months’s decision was to surrender Dr. Pepper for a 12 months. I went from consuming solely Dr. Pepper all day each day to having none for nearly a complete 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 consequence 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 pleased with myself, and just a little dissatisfied in myself.

A twenty-pound loss (or a thirty-pound loss since mid-2023) is one thing to be pleased with. On the similar time, I really feel like I might have executed so significantly better had I actually caught with an train program. I ended doing my kettle bell exercises sooner or later through the summer time. After which as soon as I packed up our dwelling gymnasium to have the ground and subfloor changed, and all of our gymnasium gear obtained stashed within the nook of the sunroom, I critically don’t suppose 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 an entire lot extra progress on my well being objectives throughout 2024. I’m pleased with my progress, however I’m additionally just a little 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 satisfy my final weight reduction and well being objectives, however the starting of a brand new 12 months is a superb time to get refocused and make a renewed plan.

To achieve that purpose, 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 each day.

Castor Oil Replace

Final 12 months, I began having severe hassle 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 regarded 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 attempt 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 each day on my face and neck, and I discover it really works superbly beneath my make-up.

However once I began having points round my chin space that the castor oil/tallow balm wasn’t serving to, so I went seeking one thing to assist these areas, and that’s once I got here throughout this Rescue Balm. It has executed a beautiful job at serving to to assuage these drawback 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 through the day.

I’ve seen an enormous distinction in my pores and skin with this new routine. Firstly 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 battle them till the day I die. 😀 My new routine has made an enormous distinction, and I’m nonetheless seeing these fantastic 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 once I use my castor oil pack on aches and pains. Castor oil is magic in a bottle, and I’ll at all times maintain some round. I’m simply not utilizing it straight out of the bottle on my face as a result of I really 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 maintain y’all up to date alongside the way in which.