All I want in the world right now is a Cherry Coke...

I'm not sure that I mentioned it, but recently I stopped drinking pop.

I miss it.

Significantly.

I love Cherry Coke. And Dr. Pepper. And the new Cherry Dr. Pepper. And every once in a while, like whenever I'm at McDonald's, a plain regular fountain Coke. Mmmmm....

I'm a caffeine addict. I've known it for a while. I've detoxed several times, usually unwillingly, and I experience full out nausea, double vision, debilitating headaches, and a general lack of will to live. It's actually pretty scary, knowing how totally and physically it controls me. Of course, when you're sick already, as I happened to be a couple weeks ago, dosing Nyquil and Dayquil around the clock, and expecting to feel crappy, you don't necessarily notice these symptoms. Four days later, when you finally decide to get out of bed, you might realize "Hey, I haven't had a Coke in a while..."

And then you're faced with a conundrum: stay on the wagon? Or suck it down?

I know I have a lot worse habits than drinking pop, but it's not one of my better ones either. My teeth have visibly yellowed, and I have nightmares of them falling out. I probably drink 2 cans or 1 X 20 oz a day at my desk, plus whatever I get if I go out for lunch (realistically another 16+ oz). And have you noticed how much restaurants are charging for soda now?!?! $2.50! I'm kind of aghast. But I really do love it...

I haven't had a drink in 2 1/2 weeks. I want one every moment of the day. I really wanted one at lunch when dear old dad took me to Red Lobster - and I strongly considered it, before ordering my water. But I stayed strong. Here are my reasons:

1. Pop has gotten expensive. It adds $3 to a meal, or $1.25 if I buy a bottle at work. I'm broke. I should cut this ridiculous luxury.

2. Pop is not good for you. The acid & sugar destroy your teeth. I only like regular soda, so it has plenty of sugar - also not great for my waistline. Cherry Coke has 312 calories in a 20 oz bottle. In comparison, the Vitamin water I'm substituting has 25 calories in the same serving size. Hmm. Since I know I'm not gonna exercise, cutting calories is my only real hope for shaping my flab to fab. Saving 287 calories + per day can only help me at this point.

3. Lesser known facts, to help motivate me: drinking soda contributes to osteoporosis & diabetes, both of which run in my family. It is also linked to obesity, mineral depletion, and dehydration.

Timing-wise, this probably wasn't the best - with all the stress of throwing a major party, it's sort of like quitting smoking right before a holiday. I half wonder if it's even worth it, but I think I owe it to myself to stick it out for at least a month. Then maybe two. Then we'll see.