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There was a show, I think it might have been Seinfeld, that had a conversation about someone drinking again and whether it was that they fell off the wagon or did they get on the wagon? In either case, it’s confession time again.
I gave up soft drinks months ago and things were going great. I slipped a little when we went on a trip to visit our parents and I drank some Sprite. Water just doesn’t taste as good while on a trip and I don’t like buying bottled water. Once we got back home, it was hard to go back to water and kool-aid. Carbonated beverages were creeping their way back into my life.
Granted, it wasn’t as much as before. A two liter would last a few days, and I still was refraining from caffeine. Then Christmas came.
I received a gift of some tea and I’m not a tea drinker. I decided to try it, and to my amazement it was very good. It became a morning drink for me while working (I’m not a coffee drinker). I enjoyed the warmth and the taste and became excited while waiting for my water to boil for my daily cup of tea.
That was a mistake for the tea had caffeine in it. While not a large amount, it was still there. With every sip I was getting hooked on caffeine again. After I ran out of the tea, I went to the store and before I knew it I had a Mountain Dew 2 liter in my cart. I needed a fix.
What this means is that I will have to wean myself off of caffeine again so I can try to quit drinking soft drinks again. I won’t give up quitting because each time I do quit it means money saved.
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Posted: February 9th, 2007 at 8:12 pm
Well I am sure I wont be the first to tell you, but just in case… there are decaffeinated teas you can buy, in almost as many flavors as regular. As for soft drinks, I myself try to stay away from them because of the ridiculous amount of sugar and per/volume price is insane (more than gasoline!). What I have stumbled across is small boxes of 10 and 20 packets of splenda sweetened drink powder that you add to a 16.9 oz (500mL) bottle of water. They are so sweet that I usually use a 20 oz bottle. The water is free, and the packet cost can be between 20 and 40 cents (hello walmart!).
Posted: February 10th, 2007 at 10:51 pm
Kool-aid? That’s probably just as bad as soda. I think the greatest advantage to kicking the soda habit (I’m trying to as well) is avoiding the empty sugar calories. I’m not as concerned with the caffeine. Sugar is the key, and Kool-aid is probably 95% sugar before the water is added. I shudder when I see my in-laws making Kool-aid.
Posted: February 11th, 2007 at 11:30 am
Actually tea is very good for you with the antioxidants and it has also been found that caffeine is not as bad as once believed. The key of course, is moderation. I think if you stick with the tea which is less costly than sodas you will be fine. I cut out sodas not just for the cost but the sugar. Just by doing that I’ve lost 20 lbs over the last year which helped cut the cost of buying bigger clothes and I’ve fit into older clothes that were hanging in my closet. I agree with the other poster about Kool-aid. It is only a special treat for my daughter in the summer and some of it is made into popsicles.
Posted: February 11th, 2007 at 11:52 am
Doc - That’s an interesting idea about the splenda and the water. As for the tea, it’s a specialty tea that you can’t buy in the grocery store. I have figured out the cost, and it does come out cheaper than pop. Unfortunately, the flavor of tea I received does not come in decaf. I have tried tea in the past and that’s why I never drank it. I didn’t like it. This particular tea is VERY good.
Don - I have a bad habit of calling anything that is flavored water Kool-aid. While I have had some actual Kool-aid (not too much, though), I have also had the generic brand of Crystal Light that you can buy from Walmart. It’s something that has more flavor than water. I wish you well with trying to kick your soda habit!!
Donna - thanks for bringing up the antioxidants point. I didn’t even think about that. And congrats on the weight loss! I could stand to lost 20 lbs or so
Posted: February 12th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
It took me about a year and a half to completely give up drinking Cokes. Hang in there. Eventually you’ll get to the point where you’ll get one and discover that it tastes absolutely horrible. I never thought that would happen, but it did!
I recommend you buy some club soda for the pantry for those weak moments. It has carbonation but no caffeine or sugar. Be sure to read the label! There is a national brand that has sodium/salt in it (yech) but the generic brands in our area have no sodium at all (plus the generic is cheaper). You can get it in liter bottles or the smaller individual sizes.
Club soda really helped me through those tough times both at home and when out of the house. You can get it at anywhere soft drinks are sold and when in a restaurant/bar ask for it with a lime or lemon to jazz it up a bit.
No calories, no sugar, no caffeine, lots of bubbles. Definately a better choice than soda. I probably could have given up drinking Coke without it, but it made it a whole lot easier.
I prefer plain ole water now, but sometimes carbination just hits the spot. (Shh, don’t tell anyone I told you this, but my bubba cut his beer consumption way down by drinking club soda instead - he calls it ‘bubbly water’).
Best of luck.
Posted: February 26th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
I accidentally forgot and ordered a beer on Friday, breaking Lent. I was completely distracted by some bad news. Oh well. I recovered and remembered to order something else for the next one.
Cutting out soda and caffiene is a good idea, but I find I get too much work/productivity benefit from the caffiene to give it up completely.