One Small Thing: No Sugar

A few weeks ago when I was outlining our family's goals for 2013, I mentioned that I was going to do something new for about a month. The inspiration came from this TED video:

Matt Cutts added or subtracted a habit for 30 days; I will do each "small thing" for a month.

January Small Thing:  No Sugar    

For January, I did not eat or drink any foods that contained added sugar. Though I am not about to launch a crusade against sugar, I did this partly for health reasons (especially after gaining some holiday weight), and partly just to see what it would be like. That's the inquisitive scientist in me, I guess.

You're wondering, "How did you do, Joey?" Thank you for asking, Reader.

Day 1 started off with a big strike, as I unthinkingly put jelly on my biscuits for breakfast. And another time, I forgot that didn't think about salad dressing having sugar. And another time . . . Well, nobody's perfect.

But mostly, I was pretty careful. And my kids kept eating their treats and saying, "I'm sorry, Daddy!" The hardest things for me to give up were:

• My nightly cup of hot cocoa (I had a sugar-free variety, but it's not the same)
• Flavored creamer in my coffee
• Honey roasted peanuts
• Ketchup on my hamburgers and hot dogs

Did I notice any difference? Yes, I noticed that soooo many things have added sugar. Try finding a cereal that has no sugar. I mean, what's the point of eating Corn Flakes -- go for Frosted Flakes!

Health-wise, I don't know if I lost any weight or feel any different. But if I did, I don't think it had to do with choosing no-sugar hot cocoa over regular. I think it more has to do with not eating that cookie with my hot cocoa at 10 o'clock at night.

So, I'll add some sugar-containing foods back to my diet, but I will try to keep be conscientious about those "little" snacks.

February Small Thing:  Photo per Day

Next month, I will take a photo per day. While not an avid picture-taker, I was encouraged by Matt saying that he vividly remembers when he took each picture. We'll see how it goes.

I'll try to update my Instagram (joeyespinosa) and other social media each day, so you can follow along. Hashtag #1smallthing

The Rest of the Year

Here are some other ideas I have for March - December:

• Jog or walk 20 minutes per day
• Build a Lego creation every day
• Write a novel (in November, of course)
• Eat one new food each week
• Wash dishes every day (my family will love this)
• Do 5000 push-ups in a month

What about you? Do you have any ideas of new things I can try to do, or not do?

Even better -- Would you like to join me? (You can have different goals than I have.)