Wednesday, July 15, 2015

I'M COLA FREE

I was going to wait until it had been 6 months but "5 months or 150 days" just goes so well together.  

I'M COLA FREE!!!  

That's right.  Not a drop since February 14th, Valentine's day.  I don't know if I will ever drink it again.  It is truly an addiction with me.  I could go a week or even up to 5 weeks without it, take one drink of it and I was back at it.  Sometimes 4 cans in a day.  I was becoming a "closet Pepsi drinker" trying to keep Brad from knowing how much I was drinking.  Like he was stupid and didn't notice the 12 pack he'd gotten with the groceries was empty already.  

When I was a child I remember soda was a special treat.  I always had milk with my meal.  Mama would get groceries and buy a 6 pack of soda for us kids.  Pammy correct me if I'm wrong.  We got to pick what flavor soda we wanted and we each got 2 bottles for the week.  I remember loving grape soda, but I don't remember ever drinking it at meal time.

Then I became a teenager and it seems like pepsi became part of the meal.  We didn't always have it in the house, but if it was we drank it.  Usually 2 liter bottles of it.  Occasionally we'd have Coke because someone was visiting who preferred it.  I wasn't too picky, but Pepsi was my cola of choice for a long time.  Evenings with popcorn, birthdays, holidays, playing a game .. any excuse to have pepsi with the ice clinking against the edges of the glass.

I got married and our grocery list always had Pepsi on it.  We had it with our meal every night.  Brad swears that's why he gained 10 pounds that first year.  (he's probably right)  I don't remember when I became so addicted to it, but part of my addiction was the cold can in my hand and the sound when you "popped the top".  Ahhhhhhhhh.  I preferred my Coke in a bottle, but an ice cold can of Pepsi in my hand was bliss. 

I was convinced if I was stressing about something, Pepsi calmed my nerves and helped me cope.  Brad would run to Mic Mac to get me "just one to get me through".  I would often run through McDee's just to have an ice cold Coke. The cup filled with ice and the cola poured over it was like balm to me.  Of course, cola always tasted better if I had something sugary to eat with it, or if I ate something sugary it would make me want cola to go with it.  Or anything salty, or Chinese food, or a Roast Dinner on Sunday, or ... ok, I drank it with anything and everything or nothing.  Addicted. To cola.  Pepsi is worse than Coke.  I weaned myself from Pepsi by switching entirely to Coke and then finally just stopped the Coke.  

One day at a time .. I don't know what made me flip the switch, but I'm so glad I did.  I really think I feel happier and just knowing I'm not putting that stuff into my system is reward enough for me.  I love water with fresh lemon squeezed into it and lots of ice.  I drink too much coffee now, and I'm working on that!  I am VERY thankful my addiction didn't spill over onto my kids.  There's an awareness now that we didn't have when I was growing up.  It just tasted good and we knew it was fattening, but what's a few pounds?  (more like 50)

Next step is exercise ... I've done it, I've proved it makes me happier, makes me feel better physically and mentally so why am I not doing it?  Same reason I kept drinking Cola even though I knew the stuff is nasty and terrible for you.  I haven't flipped the switch yet.  I have to flip it sooner than later.  I'm going on 54 and I want to feel young again.  Exercise will do that for me. I know it will. 

So color me Cola Free!  No it's not a cigarette or alcohol addiction, but it's a very real one just the same, and I beat it.  I admire and am proud of anyone who beats an addiction no matter what it is. So proud of my friends who have given up cigarettes after years of smoking.  I know in a small way how hard that was to do.  So GO YOU!


1 comment:

Laura said...

Kelly girl, I'm so proud of you!!you are going in the right direction! When we were growing up, soft drinks were strictly reserved for our birthdays! Later after we were married, we got to drink and eat anything we wanted. Thank goodness I gradually started to go back to what I was taught about health growing up. Now, especially after Roy had cancer 17 years ago, we try to eat very healthy. It's so great, we have no desire to bi be on junk food.
You've probably read about the endless benefits of coconut oil? We now put a teaspoon to a soup spoon full in our coffee every morning. And now I also add a dollop of butter!! The butter is Kerrygold. Imported from Ireland from grass fed cows. Cause as you know, good fats don't make us fat or sick, sugar does!