On October 1^st I gave up soda for a month.  Of course the big question is why.  The simple answer is that I was drinking way too much.  Between Kool Aid and soda I was probably drinking the equivalent of at least 2-3 20oz. bottles a day, on most days.  That is way too much sugar and high fructose corn syrup to be ingesting into my body. I also wanted to see if I could do it or if I was too addicted to soda and sugar to give it up.  Well, so far I’ve made it 21 days without consuming any of these overly sweet beverages.  To be totally up front and honest, I haven’t completely gone sugar free in the beverage department.  I do allow myself a glass or 2 of juice, on some days, and, it being autumn, I was not about to give up cider, but other than that, no sugared drinks.  That included my iced tea, which like many Southerners, I like pretty sweet.  It has taken some time to get used to the unsweetened iced tea, but it’s not bad.  I’ve always drank my coffee black so that was not a problem.

I’ve learned a few things about myself over the last 3 weeks.  1.  I have learned that I was totally addicted to sugar and high fructose corn syrup.  The first 5 days of my “experiment” were tough.  Much tougher than I had expected.  I craved soda all the time and no amount of water seemed to quench my thirst.  I have to admit that by the third day I was about ready to give up and hang my head in failure.  I couldn’t believe how hard it was, it was almost as bad as quitting smoking.  I don’t know if the addiction was physical or psychological but I truly was addicted.  2.  I mostly drank Coke and Mountain Dew and hadn’t realized just how much I relied on the caffeine, those drinks provided, to get me through my day.  Without my sugar and caffeine fix at lunch by mid afternoon I was dragging and ready for a nap.  It became apparent that the 5-6 hours of sleep, a night I was getting, no longer was enough.  It may have been when I was younger but without that caffeine buzz to get me through I needed a good 7-8 hours to get me through the day.

I had expected more of a weight loss with this regime of no soda.  I didn’t drop as much as I would have thought but I have lost weight over the last few weeks.  I guess a little loss is better than none at all.

So what happens on November 1st?  Will I go back to drinking soda, kool aid, and sweetened iced tea?  I imagine I will, but this time it will be in moderation, a word I am becoming more and more familiar with the older I get.  No longer will I feel the need to carry a 20 oz. bottle of soda with me everywhere I go.  Many of my friends have asked me, “Why not just switch over to diet soda?”  The simple answer is because I don’t care for it.  That may change with this month long absence of my favorite sodas, but I doubt it.  I just need to remind myself that the key is moderation.

“What’s next?” I ask myself.  I don’t know.  I have plenty of vices that need to be reigned in and brought under moderation, but I don’t know which one I want to work on next.  I turn 40 in just a few months.  I figure by the time I’m 80 I should have all my vices under control and will be ready to lead a “healthy” lifestyle.

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