(example given: me: "i'd really like to [insert random idea i'd had]" chris: "i know, i read about it on your blog already. let's do it.")
while bobbing around in the gulf of tonkin in northern vietnam a few weeks ago, chris mentioned an article he'd read that claimed that many american were getting nearly fifty percent of their calories from sugary drinks, and that if we gave up these drinks, the average person would lose ten pounds in a year.
while i can't find that article specifically, i did find a few that discuss the implications of sugary drinks and obesity, like this one from cnn that was published just two days ago.
which of course, has me thinking about that small obsession i have with those small little cans. you know the ones...
le sigh.
on vacation, i happily enjoyed two cans a day of these lovely, delicious, caramel-hued bubbilicious drinks. that's about three hundred additional calories each day.
crap.
so i decided: who wouldn't like to lose ten pounds in a year? certainly, this girl wouldn't hate it. (and really, if you add up an average of a coca a day for a year, that's more like twenty pounds a year. eek.)
so.
we're going to give this a little experiment. i've given up coca cola and coca light (diet coke) before. i've endured the headaches (god, that makes it sounds like i'm an actual addict) and that in itself is a reason to make the official switch from sugary drinks to...
water.
(our medical officer would be so proud.)
a great article written on the cnn blog eatocracy last fall said it best when they noted that some people can enjoy a soda without it being the.thing.you.look.forward.to.each.day. some people don't let out that relaxing sigh- like it's the fix they've been waiting for.
so, here it goes. officially for the next six months, one soda per week- diet, regular, or otherwise. no other sugary drinks (like the amazing, delicious coffees readily available here), unless that is the substitute for the one soda.
i'll let you all know how it goes.
anyone else a coca addict who has turned in their badge for other, less delicious drinks?
I'm so impressed! I hardly ever drank pop back home, but here I crave the carbonation on really hot days. You can do it! Maybe get some crystal light to help your water addiction take hold?
ReplyDeletethat is precisely the plan! we have a ton of crystal light/propel packs so those will become my "i need a sweet fix" drinks!
DeleteI just came off of a month of no pop (for my 101 in 1001 list) and it wasn't too difficult, though it was harder when we were traveling. I've recently gotten much more into teas because of this and I think it's much more satisfying. When I want a little sweet treat, I might add a bit of honey and milk to it, but I feel like it's much healthier than a mid-day diet pop. And an added bonus--it keeps me away from candy!! When I feel a craving, I have a cup of tea and don't feel the need to munch.
ReplyDeleteGood luck while you cut back!! You'll probably be much happier in the end for doing it.
I tried to stear away from caffiene in general after feeling gross from my first red-bull experience! I still have a cup of coffee in the morning, but it's usually iced tea (unsweetened) or water other than that.
ReplyDeleteI second the Crystal Light comment, it does help water to become a little more interesting when you're not feeling it. Also, I prefer really cold water to warm or room temp water (ew!)
I've pretty much stopped drinking non-diet soda, and have even trained myself to drink Diet Coke (which I used to hate with a vengeance) but I think I'd have trouble cutting sodas entirely. Although it has helped to replace soda with fizzy water! I like the carbonation, I guess. :)
ReplyDeleteI drink mostly water and a diet soda once in a while. You can do this!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was the track and cross-country team back in high school our coach made us give up soda. He said if he caught us drinking it during the day (he was a cool coach, but even had our teachers in on the plan), he would add time to our workouts—and you do not want longer workouts!
ReplyDeleteSo, I gave it up cold turkey and haven't looked back sense. I'll occasionally have a drink of someone's soda, but I can count on one hand how many full cans I've had in the past year. I now crave water and (unsweet) tea. When my husband met me he used to drink coke allllll the time, and now the only time he drinks one is if we're out and they have coke "on tap" (rare here). Good luck!
Does this break from sugary drinks include (gasp) alcoholic beverages?
ReplyDeleteyeah right! although, i do drink very few of those here, except for a few beers when i'm in the capital. though, we did find the best place for great cocktails for around 1.50 in the capital and i had an amazing mudslide last week....might have to count that if i drink another! :)
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