Waterman Nicki - Sugar Addicts Diet

As a fitness expert, I am regularly told, Youre so lucky that youre so slim. I always think, You dont know the half of it! I may be slim now, but that hasnt always been the case. And even though I work hard to be this way, I used to fight a personal demon every minute of the day my desire to eat sugar.

It was sugar that made me a chubby child and a chunky teenager. And in my 20s I gained even more weight thanks to my sweet tooth. Two pregnancies in quick succession made my weight problem even worse. My husband (now my ex) loved my spare tyres and discouraged my attempts to lose weight. I tried every diet under the sun, had acupuncture and hypnotherapy, and even resorted to slimming pills to shift the weight. But it didnt go in fact, it all came back on and more.

My saving grace, 18 years ago, was discovering the importance of exercise. An inspirational trainer got me off the powerful prescription drugs Id grown dependent on. As a result, I lost five stone and decided to spread the word about how weight loss could really improve your life.

But behind the scenes I had developed an unhealthy tactic to keep slim. Id learned that by exercising in excess, I could still eat the sweets I wanted and maintain a reasonable weight. Id developed my own eating pattern one proper meal a day and plenty of sugary foods to sustain this weight loss. I knew it wasnt healthy but it worked. Maintaining my weight loss, however, was a constant struggle. Although I looked slim, I was still flabby and covered in fat, despite my exercise regime. I was a slim, fat person someone with the unhealthy attitudes of an overweight person contained within a slim frame.

I could have carried on like this for ever. I looked fine and no one would ever have known about my secret eating habits. But just a year ago, something shocked me into realizing that I had to change my ways. My mother-in-law was in hospital being treated for cancer. One day, when I was visiting her, her specialist came to talk to us about what she should eat when she came out of hospital. Ill never forget his words Do not touch refined sugars they will kill you.

Thinking about how much sugar I was consuming on a daily basis made me realize that it could easily be me lying on my deathbed if I didnt drastically mend my ways. On an average day Id happily consume at least half a pound of pick n mix (my big weakness), large packets of American hard gums and jelly beans, a packet of biscuits and anything else that came my way (I cant believe Im admitting this to you!). Putting an end to my sugar addiction wasnt just about me but other people too. I had a responsibility to my two children, husband, brothers and friends. This was the wake-up call I needed to help me tackle my serious sugar addiction head-on. I told all my friends, family and work colleagues that I needed their help and support. I was giving up sugar completely, and that meant no chocolate, biscuits, cakes or pick n mix.

Like all addicts, my decision to kick my habit wasnt without pain I endured three weeks of excruciating headaches, something I found almost unbearable but knew I had to go through. Different addicts have their own preferred method for distracting themselves in moments of weakness. A nicotine addict might chew a pen as a substitute for having a cigarette in their mouth. I knew I needed something to stop me going into the local newsagent to get my sugar kick, so I starting boxing lessons with a professional coach. While I was focusing on boxing, I wasnt yearning for my next sugar fix.

Every time I ate something, Id text my best friend so we had a record. I didnt trust myself to write it down honestly. Different people including friend and nutritionist Amanda Ursell advised me on what to eat to help get me through my cravings.

But before I knew it, I was falling off the wagon. Willpower and exercise alone werent enough. I soon realized there was no point in just giving up sugar unless my diet was right too. Looking into it, I began to understand that I needed support both physical and emotional if my attempts to give up sugar were to succeed. Thats when I decided to devise my own sugar addicts diet. My aim was to even out my blood sugar levels, which I was told were probably a key part of my cravings. This would ensure I was never hungry (so never tempted by sugar!) and make me more capable of dealing with the inevitable emotions of trying to kick the sugar habit. To be honest, at first I was a little sceptical that it would make a difference to my life. However, I can honestly say hand on heart that the 21-day plan really did work for me.

The weight has fallen off me and so has the body fat. I have achieved this without the need for over-exercising, which is just as bad for your body as doing no exercise at all. Its hard for me to believe that I dont have a weight problem for the first time in my life.

The Sugar Addicts Diet has had countless benefits besides reducing my weight and body fat. I used to wake up with big dark rings under my eyes, and my skin had an unhealthy pallor. I put it down to ageing but, since kicking the sugar habit, I realize my diet was to blame. In my experience, the old saying You are what you eat is so true. The bags under my eyes have now gone, my eyes look bright, my skin glows with health and my hair is thicker. The sugar highs and lows are a thing of the past, which means I have so much more energy than ever before.

Im not saying I dont ever have cravings, but I seem to be able to control them a lot better. I control them they dont control me, as they did in the past. A big part of it has been developing strategies to help me avoid situations in which I might be tempted to slip off the straight and narrow.

Since I made the decision to tackle my sugar addiction, Ive discovered how many secret addicts there are out there. And I thought I was the only one like that! is something I now hear a lot.Sugar is everywhere and its hard to avoid it. Thats why it can be such a battle to kick your addiction. But Ive come a long way, and I want other people to know they can do it too. Like me, you will find you lose excess weight, feel fantastic and lay the foundations for a longer and healthier life.

Ive been shocked by peoples lack of knowledge about the hidden sugars in their diet. There are confusing messages about sugar all around us, whether its on food labels or in fast-food joints. I have written this book to help sugar addicts like me understand why they crave sugar, and how they can get it out of their system and beat the craving once and for all.

A lot of people think that all sugars are bad, but my focus here is on refined sugars. Due to illnesses in my family, Ive had the (mis)fortune of spending time with some of the worlds leading oncologists. They all say that refined sugars those found in processed foods, sweets, cereals, bread, etc. are a real danger. Obesity is just the start of it.

Some people have said that naturally occurring sugars are equally bad; I vehemently disagree. Natural sugars in fruit, for example, are unbleached, unrefined and delicious. Mankind has been eating fruit since the dawn of time. Like everything, its sensible to eat it in moderation and as part of a balanced diet. While fruit may contain varying quantities of natural sugar, called fructose, most varieties are still reasonably low in calories and come with a whole raft of nutrients that keep us feeling and looking good including vitamins, minerals and fibre, which can help protect against stroke, heart disease and high blood pressure, and may lower the risk of certain cancers.