I blame that seductive Gold Class cinema. How dare it be such a perfect host – wrapping me up in the comfort of those cushioning lounges, dim lights, luscious food and wine, transporting me to another world of cinematic fantasy – no wonder my defences were down!
Village Gold Class Cinema, Jam FactoryFor twenty-six days, I stuck firmly to the NO SUGAR – ONE LINE RULE diet, but an evening at the movies last night defeated me…
Knowing I was going out with friends, I’d deliberately stuck to a healthy diet all day. Muesli and yoghurt for breakfast, a can of tuna and Cruskits for lunch, cashews for a snack, plus homemade protein balls – making sure I ate nothing containing more than five per cent sugar.
Shaw and Smith ChardonnayI’d had an alcohol-free day, the day before, so was delighted when I spied a bottle of one of my favourite chardonnays – Shaw and Smith – on the Gold Class menu. Wine doesn’t come into my version of a sugar-free diet, so I thought I’d treat myself while watching the movie. And Gold Class is like flying first-class on an airline – just as comfy and uber-indulgent, but much more affordable…
Sucked into a world of make-believe and happily scoffing back my wine, it didn’t take long to forget about my sugar-free diet. Now I know I’ve had wine on many occasions while sticking to this diet, but I think it’s the combination of wine and being IN THE DARK and watching a movie, that led to my next mistake.
Choc top ice-cream
Towards the end of the movie, a friend passed along a box of another of my favourite treats – CHOC TOP ICE-CREAMS!! Without thinking, eyes still glued to the screen, I reached out and grabbed one, whipped off the cellophane and chomped away. After the first mouthful, the realisation hit me.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING????? DAMN! Too late. So of course, I finished it.
So there you have it. I will never be like Emma the Guru who hasn’t had a lolly for seven years. (see Friday’s blog) She has the resolve of a nun. But I DID last TWENTY-SIX DAYS!! I shouldn’t be too hard on myself. I knew I’d have to break sooner or later. And you know what, that Choc Top was the best Choc Top I’ve ever eaten in my life. Bloody well worth it.
Back on sugar-free band wagon today. Will keep you posted.
That is soo funny Jennifer! I would have broken it day 2, you are a saint and an inspiration! Don’t feel too bad…
Thanks Lynette – it’s fine – all written in the spirit of fun – and hey, it doesn’t mean I’m going to give up altogether! A new week, a new sense of purpose!
Also Jennifer, I have found a drink you might like: Coles Vienna instant coffee (like the Jarrah’s, remember…?). It comes in at 5.5g sugar, so perfect if you allow yourself to go over .5!
Hi Lynette, thanks I’ll give it a go! I think an occasional .5 over is okay?? 🙂
Jen I have been following your sugar free gig – not literally- just watching you progressively struggle – and here’s the thing! One day we will die …. And I doubt very much that the only thing people have to say about you is a) cant stick to a diet and b) she was so skinny and awesome without sugar! Xx hope you’ve had fun hols – have enjoyed all your blogs, they make me smile – ps st Dalfour jam has no added sugar (made with grape juice) xx
Hi Row, Thanks for your lovely feedback – much appreciated! And of course, you’re right – in the long run, it ain’t that important – but it’s all good fun and anything that can help healthwise can only be a good thing! It’s a bit of a Seinfeld thing – sometimes the trivial things in life become funnier the more you focus on them. Thanks too for the tip re jam – will definitely check that out at the supermarket. xx
Hi Jen et Al,
There will always be those days when something will get under your guard – the value of the ONE LINE RULE is that it’s an awareness that once you make a start with it can only benefit you moving forward!
A word about food labelling – in reference to that jam! I’ve taken this from one of my blogs…… Quite simply what that label is telling you and what you’re actually getting are two totally different things…
Here’s a pretty simple users guide to what you’ll find in big print on food labels:
‘Fat Free’ – Most likely high in sugar & salt.
‘No Added Sugar’ – Check Sugar line (ONE LINE RULE) in nutrition panel it’s probably got plenty already in the ingredients (dried fruit and fruit juice is concentrated sugar – fructose no less!)
‘Only Natural Sugar’ – Fructose is the part of sugar that’s implicated more and more in the obesity crisis as well as other health issues, Type 2 Diabetes, Cancers and Heart Disease to name a couple – Fructose in high proportions will generally be found in any product (often fruit juice) with this claim on the label.
The Ingredients List
Don’t feel that you have to understand the Nutrition Panel – look FIRST to the Ingredients list, this is where the true story is told, let’s take a popular muesli whose ingredients list reads as follows:
Rolled oats, nuts 8.5% (almonds and cashews), brown sugar, raw sugar, glucose, oat flour, canola oil, seeds 3.6% (pepitas and sunflower seeds), starch, natural vanilla flavour, antioxidant (306)
What you need to know:
Ingredients in a list on packaged food must be listed in order of quantity contained in that food.
So, in this product the oats are very dominant, with nuts at just 8.5% next. Here’s where the scary part comes in – brown sugar, raw sugar and glucose are 3, 4 & 5 on the list of ingredients in order of quantity contained in the mix. (Add all 3 together and you’ve got more than the 8.5% in second place!). Then there’s oat flour and at number 7 – before the 3.6% pepita & sunflower seeds, is canola oil!
This muesli costs $4.95 for 500g – a real case of – you get what you pay for – when you break it down like that!
The perception that ‘they make a healthy start to the day’ and that ‘muesli is one of the best breakfast foods you can have’ is why there are so many of them on the market.
It’s also why so many people unwittingly make a bad decision when buying their breakfast – ‘it’s muesli so it’s good for you – right?’ Wrong! Not all mueslis are created equal and a quick look at an Ingredients list tells the story.
Hi Em,
Thanks so much for that detailed response – just brilliant! All excellent advice and I will send out a Tweet to alert readers to the new info. A shame about the jam though…. boo hoo. Jen. 🙂
I too, have fallen off the wagon. I’m so cross with myself. I was diligent up to, and after Christmas,and then I don’t know what happened. I’ve gained 2kg, and I think it’s made me lose the plot. Perhaps it was the bubbly, as I’ve been good with the chocolates and fruit cake. Anyway, whatever it was doesn’t matter, I’m going back to being a sugar nazi, starting now!! All my work friends wouldn’t know what to do if I wasn’t lecturing them every lunch time on the evils of sugar
I know, I know – Deb, it’s a hard road and I very much relate, but I think it’s worth persisting! We all fall off the wagon at some point. The important thing is to get back on it. Good luck! Jen. 🙂
I can hear you singing “They tried to make me go to rehab, I said, ‘No, no, no'”
Love this – thanks Aris – will use this in my sugar update on Tuesday!