4 days of NO DIET COKE

So I have to say it is easier than I thought.  Ok, so the headaches are AWFUL but other than that, I'm doing good.  I had a small set back today though.  My 3 year old has had a stomach bug and decided to give it to me - UGH!  There was a moment this morning when I got a can of DC out of the refrigerator and almost opened it telling myself I NEEDED it to feel better.  It was in my hand and I had to talk myself off the ledge.  In 4 days, that was really my only moment of true weakness.  I am feeling confident that I CAN do this and I WILL do it.

24 hours down and a lifetime to go...

So here I am 24 hours after the decision to quit!  Here is what it feels like:

• I was yawning at 6:30 last night ready to go to bed
• My head was throbbing when I would stand up
• I went to bed at 8:30
• Woke up at 4:30 am dying for a Diet Coke but chose water and green machine instead
• Went to the gym
• My head is pounding still 
• I'm eating everything in sight

However, I have already had 5 bottles of water today and am ready to fight this.  I feel this bad because I was addicted to the chemicals in soda.  This just makes me mad!  

I am more ready than I ever thought I could be to take on this challenge.  

Week 2 - Thanksgiving Week

Ok so this has been a tough week! I think just knowing I'm giving up sodas has made me crave them more. I have even had a few Mt. Dews which I gave up months ago.

The hard part isn't during meals. I am doing good drinking water with meals. It is when I'm at home or in the car that I want a soda. We did a lot of traveling this week.

I've come to realize too that it is the sugary taste that I'm addicted to. It isn't the carbonation. I've noticed if I drink some Green Machine by Naked Juice my craving stops. At least I know what I'm up against.

So, here is what I have decided. I'm am done drinking sodas as of right now. It is 12:26 on Monday 11/26/12. There, I said it and I'm done.

My sister and my 3 year old son on the Wed before Thanksgiving

I have also convinced my sister to do this with me :) YAY!!!






In the spirit of Thanksgiving I am thankful for:

• Family that supports me in cleaning up my diet
• Friends who spoke up about our food supply and led me to this journey
• Robyn O'Brien
• Farmers that grow healthy food organically
• The internet for providing us with access to Information - good and bad :-)
• All the documentaries that expose what is really going on that no one wanted us to know
• My boys are young enough I still have a chance to teach them the right way to eat real food
• Being healthy enough to exercise 
• Having the guts to try, I mean DO this thing :-)

Week 1 - Making Progress

So after that first day where I drank 1 water before I would have a Diet Coke (DC) it became harder and harder.  Day 2 was good.  I only had 3 DCs and 4 waters so I felt good.  Day 3 however, I rationalized with myself that I could have a drink of the DC then drink the water because I needed to wake up faster.  Well, let's just say that water tasted gross.  I had a really hard time getting the water down.  I finally had to just chug it down so I wouldn't feel bad about it anymore.

I spent some time cleaning out the frig and the pantry too.  I threw away a lot of "bad foods" and replaced them with the good stuff.  In this journey I know it is going to be hard and I planned to do this gradually over time but I just can't stop thinking about how bad it is.  I am not saying I am going ahead full steam but I am going to make smarter choices.  For example, I bought Almond Milk instead of regular milk, and I did get the yogurt again but I got plain and will add my own fruit to it.  I also got some Almond/Rice crackers vs my regular Ritz crackers.  The trick will be getting my kids on board.

As I packed my 6 year old's lunch this morning I kept thinking about how hard it is going to be to get them on board.  I put in his lunch Annie's version of Goldfish, Pretzels, Ritz Bits Peanut butter, and a turkey sandwich on whole grain thin buns.  I know it isn't as bad as it could be but I am not sure how I can get him to eat better.  I need to do this gradually as I know he will just not eat so any advice out there is welcomed.  You always hear, replace the sandwich with a salad - well, I've been trying for a while now to get him to eat a salad with no luck.  He acts like he is gagging - ADVICE???

Anyway, the rest of the week was fine.  I never had more than 3 in a day.  Progress!

I have gotten a lot of questions of WHY?  It is hard to answer but here are a few reasons:

1. I just turned 40 so I thought I should start to act like an adult and eat adult foods and take better care of my body
2. I know aspertame isn't good for you
3. I need to hydrate myself better
4. I want to be healthier to be on earth longer for my family
5. I don't want my kids to grow up with bad habits and I believe you lead by example
6. I don't know - maybe it is my mid life crisis to torture myself

So that is it, off to week 2 - maybe I can get to only 1 or 2 a day this week.  I only have 1 more week until I quit them forever!  

Day 1 - The Choices

So I woke up this morning to a decision.  I went to the refrigerator just like I normally do while the boys are still sleeping and reach for a Diet Coke.  Today though I reached for a water too.  I made sure to drink my water before opening the Diet Coke.  That was a big step!  I drank the water as fast as I could so I could get the Diet Coke.  LOL - Baby Steps Right???

Anyway, went on my normal routine of the following:

1. Make the boys pancakes, "Hulk Juice" (Naked Green Machine), and Banana
2. Wake them up and get them settled to eat.
3. Make Collins breakfast consisting of 4 eggs (organic) and turkey bacon
4. Make the coffee
5. Get the boys dressed and get their teeth & hair brushed 
6. Get the family out the door for school
7. Clean up the mess from the morning shuffle

Ok, now time for me - I don't have a routine really.  I either go work out or get directly in the shower to start the day.  Today, I am writing this blog first (while downing a tube of go-gurt) then I will get my work day started.

So the rest of the day went like this:

I had a 2nd Diet Coke before 10am so since my first was at 5:30 am, that is a span of 4.5 hours.  Not too bad in my mind.  Then I went for a run during lunch and had my 3rd at 2:00.  I guess I needed a pick me up.  Then we had PTA meeting and open house last night at 6:00 so I had one on the way there.  That one was because it was routine to have a Diet Coke when I go to get in the car.  It is a habit I will have to break.

That was it, only 4 which seems like a lot but it almost 1/2 what I normally drink.

I didn't see any side effects which I didn't expect to but I am sure when I cut them out completely I will.

Now for the bad news, I did eat everything in the house from leftover pizza, to Doritos.  I have to make sure I don't keep that up or I will gain 25lbs during this adventure :-)

The Decision to get Healthy

Today I made the decision to finally change my life and I have a plan :)  Here is my story:

I grew up in a small town and ate whatever my parents put on my plate.  Well, mostly what they put on my plate.  You see, I was a very picky eater so what the family had for dinner wasn't always what I had.  I sometimes got my own meal because I didn't LIKE what the rest of the family was eating.  

One of my fondest memories was in the 3rd Grade I had a teacher named Mrs. Walker.  She was a very strict teacher and I was really scared of her.  The way I remember it was that at lunch they were serving spaghetti and that was one of those meals I didn't LIKE.  I remember her "making" me eat the spaghetti and I vomited all over the floor.  I'm not sure if she actually made me or just suggested, I'm also not sure if I was already sick or what by in my 8 year old mind, the spaghetti made me sick and it was all her fault.  So from that time I would use this to make sure I LIKED what was on my plate.

I can remember in High School, every day after school stopping at the local Hardee's and getting 2 cheeseburgers for the ride home.  I was not a heavy child either.  I was probably 5'5" and 115lbs so I didn't think it was bad.  I would eat whenever and whatever I wanted with no regard to it at all.  

When I got to college, I was danced on the POM squad at our school which was ranked number one in the country for the previous 7 years.  This was the first time I ever heard that food wasn't just food but there were good foods and bad foods.  I remember drinking a SunDrop and my coach freaking out.  I never did that again.  We had weigh ins every week so my diet soon became a combination of baby food, tuna fish and baked potatoes.  This consumed my every thought.  I was worried about what foods were going into my body.  I probably only consumed 600 calories of "food" and the rest was from alcohol.  Not to mention we practiced 3 hours a day and I usually didn't make my weight so I would have to run an extra 2-3 miles after practice.  So I worked out approximately 3.5 to 4 hours a day / 5 days a week not to mention games.

1.5 months after baby #2 and a long way to go!

After my POM years I didn't really do much exercise wise.  I would run 2-3 miles a couple days a week and ate whatever I wanted.  My weight fluctuated between 120-130 for a good 10 years.  Then I had children.  With each of my kids, I gained 50-60 lbs.  I was able to get the weight off after by exercising and taking Phentermine to curb my appetite.  I also worked with a personal trainer 3 days a week.  It was hard work but I loved it.  I started getting into running marathons and triathlons.  I have even competed in 2 half IronMan competitions since then but I always felt like I should look more fit than I do because I worked out so much.  

After baby number 2 - starting to slim down

Running and Running and Running but still looking flabby.

I was forever changed when I saw a Facebook post by a coworker out of another state that said he felt better than an 18 year old one day.  I started watching his posts and finally asked him what was up.  He told me to watch the documentary "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead" and that was it.  I started researching and finding all kinds of information about our food supply and GMOs and wow was it overwhelming but I still couldn't MAKE myself eat better.  I started buying organic veggies and fruits, grass fed beef, organic chicken, etc but I still made it back to eating mac and cheese, eating out, etc.

If I now know how bad our food is and that my eating is killing me, why can't I change?  I know every time I drink a Diet Coke how bad it is but I can't stop.  This is an addiction that is worse than any other.  I am addicted to bad food.  How do I stop?

I have made the decision to stop!

That is it - I have to want to and make the decision to so here is my plan.  I am going to take out one of the bad habits and replace it with a good one, one month at a time.  So I decided I need to write it down and hold myself accountable while sharing it with all my friends and family so they can hold me accountable too.

December 2012- NO MORE SOFT DRINKS and only drink water from now on!!!  Wow, I said it, now let's see where I can take it.  

January 2013 - cut out all processed foods - I already don't eat that much so this should be ok but this means for my kids and husband too.  Fixing lunches will be a challenge so I will be looking for helpful ideas.  

February 2013 - remove dairy - whew this will not be easy because cheese is my major comfort food.  It is my "go to" food when nothing else sounds good.  I each cheese on everything and with everything.  

March 2013 - remove all breads and gluten.  This is going to be a challenge and maybe even harder that the dairy.  

April 2013 and beyond I plan to eat only vegetables, fruits and lean meats.  It sounds so simple but I know it will be hard.  

So, here I go!