Tuesday, March 24, 2015

We're Out of Soda... (and the Reasons I'm Not Buying More)

As part of my "Get Healthy 2015" goals, I've decided to stop another bad habit of mine. We've successful cut down eating fast food to 2-3 times a month (if that), and we're back on track with three months under our belt of home-cooked dinners. My house is slowly getting organized as I continue to clear out the clutter. There are major things left on my list of getting healthy, and those are cutting out soda from my diet and working out regularly.

We're Out of Soda... (and the Reasons I'm Not Buying More) -a Get Healthy 2015 journey

My husband and I are soda addicts. When you say "grab a cold one" in this house, we're not asking for a beer. We want an ice-cold Coke (for me) or Dr. Pepper (for my husband). We've been known to go through entire 6-packs in a day. Our recycling bin is often in a state of overflow, from soda cans.

Putting the above paragraph down in writing is a huge step. It's not like I was ever not educated about how bad soda is. It was a habit, and I ignored the warnings from others. I've struggled with weigh issues most of my adult life, but yet I was constantly in denial that soda could be the root cause.  Reading this, you might ask, "why now? Why all of a sudden are you committed to not buying soda anymore?"

I'll start with some of the more obvious reasons:

1. The calories
When I have soda available, I don't just stop at one. I might drink 3 or more cans of soda before the afternoon is up. At 140 calories per 12-oz can of Coke, that's an extra meal's worth of pure liquid calories. I'm sure my waistline will thank me!

2. The cost
I'm spending upwards of $25 buying 6 cases of soda a week, depending on what kind of specials the store is having. I'd rather use that money on a pedicure once in a while, or just save a little more (College tuition isn't cheap!).

3. My teeth (and bone) health
All that sugar and acid can't be good for the enamel of my teeth. Why risk cavities and extra wear on my teeth when I don't have to? Also, the phosphoric acid in colas weakens bone and lowers bone density. Who wants that?

4. Sleep
Drinking fully caffeinated sodas late into the evening is leading to poor sleep habits. My husband and I have never been good at going to sleep at a routine time, and being awake late into the evening is leading to worsened sleep habits for both of us. To make matters worse, being tired in the morning had me replacing my morning coffee with a morning soda, just so I had a quick burst of caffeine.

5. My kids want to drink them
Our teenagers, bless their soul, are really good about not drinking our soda, even though their dad and I are major culprits of soda addiction. To even type "our soda" is making me cringe. Our three year-old has recently made a game about sneaking sips of soda, and throwing tantrums when we say he can't have any. Of course, I don't want this behavior to continue, so the easier solution is to just stop having soda at the house.

6. I don't want to be a hypocrite
Along the lines of number 5, why am I drinking copious amounts of soda while telling my children it leads to teeth decay and obesity? How can I be the best I can be while guzzling down liters of high-fructose corn syrup and other ingredients that I can't pronounce? I want to change my behavior to be a better example to my kids.

I don't want to be a hypocrite - Get Healthy 2015. Will you be a part of the journey?
 
Am I losing a lot by cutting out sodas from my diet? Not really, but what I'm gaining is everything. I'm excited to start seeing what effects cutting out soda from our house produces, and I'll be happy to share it with you.

Have you already cut out soda from your diet? If not, will you consider joining me in my journey to "Get Healthy 2015"?

4 comments:

  1. Wow, congratulations on taking this step! I gave it up years ago but do have it once or twice a year. It sounds like you're making some great steps to focus on your health in 2015 - congratulations!

    Thanks for linking up again this week at the Thank Goodness It's Thursday party, Renee!

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  2. I've cut soda about 95% out of my diet. On a very, very rare occasion, like a birthday party, I might split one with my hubby. Good for you for doing this!

    Thanks for sharing (and for linking up to the SHINE Blog Hop).

    Wishing you a lovely week.
    xoxo

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  3. We try to limit the soda we have in our house. Our oldest is not much of a soda drinker, but the youngest two love it (even thought they have had very limited amounts). I find that it is easier to just not have it then constantly have to tell them no and to go put it back.

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    1. That sounds like my house. The teens don't really seem to ask for it, but my youngest was always grabbing for it! I still keep seltzer water in the house, because I enjoy my bubbles (but now without calories).

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