That one time I quit sugar....

A lot has changed since last I posted.  Made it through the worst stinking winter of all time with limbs attached, but can't say I emerged unscathed, or that I am fully recovered.  For all of the fantastic events I've been gifted (moving in with my amazing partner in crime, adopting Meowly, taking a few trips out to Colorado and the Dakotas, buying our new car together, moving to a brand new role created for me at work, having more fantastic times with my family and friends than I probably deserve, etc.), there have been things that I struggle to deal with on a daily basis and that I've come to allow to dictate my feelings and outlook on the whole.  Confirmed spinal damage, setbacks in the office, giving up my beloved little red car, feeling financially strapped and emotionally stretched thin, and the isolation that's grown on me while living in Logan Square have all sort of buried my happiness in last winter's snow storms.

But more on that later - - let's talk solutions.
I've struggled increasingly with fatigue and sluggishness over the past couple of years, particularly after the damage in my spine started interfering with daily life last summer.  Always the internet stalker, I stumbled upon a hopeful dietary alteration that might be a solution for both physical pains: eliminating refined sugars and processed foods.



Say what?

Yeah - the dedicated Cheetos and chocolates girl thought that it might be a worthwhile experiment to attempt kicking a lifelong BFF-ship with sugar in order to reduce inflammation in my back and get some energy back. Now, I've tried to quit sugar before with absolutely ZERO success.  By 4 PM I'm cranky, have a splitting headache, feel lethargic, and want to cry.... Queue trip to the work snack room for a few cups of peanut M&M's and Swedish Fish. This time, however, I knew I was plummeting stomach-long like a runaway train towards diabetes and loss of mobility, so I took to the web and read just about everything I could about being successful in giving up sugar.

It seemed that eating enough protein early on in the day and never getting hungry helped others reach success... DONE.
Most hard core people cut out fruit, as well, with the mindset that the sugar in fruit is just as bad as the sugar in our processed foods... FUCK THAT.
Science shows that eating replacement sweeteners and caffeine can give you worse peaks and lows than cutting them out altogether, as well..... OH SWEET JESUS NOT MY COFFEE!

So for one full month I eliminated ALL refined and natural sweeteners, save fruit, from my diet, as well as any and all processed carbohydrates.  I didn't cut carbs completely - sprouted grains held a place, but absolutely nothing processed was consumed. (Let's not lie though - I totally had beer and wine on the weekends. I'm not a masochist!)

The first week was rough. The headaches, constantly flooding emotions, and never ending feeling of hunger (regardless of how many calories or how much food I ate) was not.fun.  After that, things got a LOT easier and, by week 3, I was sleeping well for the first time in over a year and felt sustained energy throughout the day.  My attention span increased and I experienced freak instances of previously elusive motivation at work - IT WAS WORKING!  On top of that, friends and family I hadn't seen in a while kept telling me how thin I looked - a result of what I assume is bloat deflation (no, seriously, old pants fit - very exciting).

........aaaand then it all fell apart after the one month mark, of course.  I should have NEVER set a goal time - should have left it indefinite.

So, after one week of being off the wagon, do I notice a difference? Um yes... in the form of:
-Bad breakouts
-Consistently feeling puffy/bloated
-Worse headaches than the first week of quitting sugar
-Constantly feeling crushed and depressed
-Guilt

At this point, I'm scared I won't have the initiative to get back to where I was; I now fully believe that sugar IS a destructive addiction and realize with uncertain agony that, yes, I am a sugar addict. There are so many fantastic sugarless recipes for amazing sounding foods out there - I know that I could be so thoroughly entertained by spending free time cooking and baking them, but the motivation just disappears at the first sign of a set back!

Has anyone out there been through these ebbs and flows while reducing their sugar footprint?  It's important to me from a health and environmental/socioeconomic standpoint and I am not ready to give up, but can't seem to find the drive to get back on track....  Should I just clear the house of all treats and hope I avoid them at work?

Help!!