SODA

Since the challenge is over I'm now making the decision to not drink soda instead of being challenged to stop all together. Although stopping my addiction was a challenge, I was also curious that once April hit, if I would even enjoy the taste. Nick and I decided to try it out together. We hit up Wawa and argued in the car about what size to get and ultimately decided on a fountain drink. I cheated a little and got the Coca-Cola slushie and Nick got Dr. Pepper. I may or may not have exuberantly stated that I have fallen off the wagon upon my first sip after saying cheers with Nick in front of 3 teens who seemingly didn't like my Bud Light t-shirt/jammie combo.

My first taste was like seeing an old friend after a month of only talking on the phone. It was refreshing to see each other again, the reunion was sweet, the meal was short lived, and by the end I was satisfied with the visit. It was all the flavor that I remember and I felt so joyful to have one again without guilt. It felt like I was having a treat, which is the biggest difference to me. Before I was drinking out of habit and addiction but now it feels like something I won't need as often but just once in a while would be nice. Nick was unaffected by the Dr. Pepper all together. He kept repeating it was a disappointment and seemed to be unsure of whether drinking the soda was worth it.

This is where things are clear now, I don't need soda - whether it was the caffeine I was ultimately addicted to, or the taste of the sweet syrup melted together with the fun bubbles that I enjoyed more, either way I don't want to drink that like I used to. I figured drinking a Coke would be this pivotal moment where I would have to make some grand decision to challenge myself to cut the soda again, but I didn't feel that way after I finished.

Water has replaced that necessity and it feels great. I was worried more about the flavor I was missing than how much I was gaining from cutting soda for those 31 days but now I am more energized, my heart burn occurs less often, I'm losing weight without trying, and I sleep through the night soundly. I would say I'm doing well without it.

Here's to choosing water over Coke! Cheers!