Sugar-Free Mama?

I don’t know. I’m just thinking “Sugar-Free mama” doesn’t quite have the same ring to it as “Sweet Mama.” “Sweet N Low Mama” isn’t working for me either. “Splenda Mama?” Not so much.

It’s probably not time for a name change yet, anyway. But I am kind of proud of myself that I made it one entire day without drinking any sugar. Yes. I did mean to say “drinking” any sugar.

Despite my New Year’s Resolution, I have been thinking about trying to reduce the number of calories I consume in liquid form. I got up Monday morning, and without any premeditation, decided it would be the day. I made my morning tea, and… GASP! … didn’t add any sugar.

I took a few sips, and instead of immediately giving in, like I usually do, I started getting used to it.

It takes a lot of beverages to get me through the home-schooling day around here. With the cold weather, I have increased my daily consumption of hot, sugary liquids to an all-time high. I usually have two cups of tea in the morning, with sugar. I start craving a can of Coke around lunchtime. The afternoon usually includes some hot chocolate, decaf coffee, herbal tea or maybe some chai latte. Whatever the case, it always includes sugar.

It takes a lot of sucrose to keep this home-schooling mama sweet all day long. But I started doing the math and figured that I’m drinking at least half of the 1,800 or so calories I should be consuming per day.

The first thing I noticed this morning was that I was a LOT more hungry. By about 10:30, I was ready for lunch.

Then, I started craving a banana. That was weird.

Later, my glucose level was getting so low I had to have an orange. Who knows what will be next? Apples? Grapes? An old container of baby food?

I’m not trying to cut out all sugar from my diet, although I would love to try that if I could ever find that much will power. I’m also not looking to replace sugar with its equally evil counterpart (in my opinion), artificial sweetener.

But a day without liquid sugar felt pretty good. In fact, I feel kind of powerful that I defeated the one thing that seems to have the most control over me: Sugar.

I’m going for Day 2. And if I make it, maybe my kids will abandon my old name of “SW-EEEEEET MAMA!” start calling me “Super Mama!”