It's time to decide -- is this a healthy habit that can be realistically worked into day-to-day life?

• Piece of cake! I can definitely work this into my daily routine.
• Not my cup of tea. This is harder than I imagined. Still, I plan to stick with it and do my best.
• Nuts! This seems nearly impossible to keep up. But I'll definitely do it whenever possible.

(Believe me, this week more than ever, I wanted to choose the cake.)

Here's what it boils down to: Giving up sugar has made dieting easier. In just seven short days, I'm already seeing how this not-so-simple step is going to help me lose weight. Not only have I cut calories, I'm also eating more fruits and vegetables at snack time, instead of sugary treats. I'm certain that banning sugar in the short-term is one of the very important keys to my weight loss success.

But can I imagine a life without sugar? No. I really, truly believe in the advice that a healthy diet can include anything in moderation. So while I'm comfortable, for now, living a mostly sugar-free lifestyle (I really missed my beloved poppyseed dressing this week and just may have to make an exception for it in the future), eventually I know I'm going to have to find a way to enjoy sugar without going overboard.