How about the part where I said I gave up soda?

For those who didn't see my FB status, I gave up soda again two weeks ago (9th of June 2012) for what, the fourth time now?  I tend to quit, stay off of soda for anywhere up to 1-3 years before going back to it.  This time, other than a day or two of discomfort, it hasn't been hard at all.  I'm now up to drinking over a gallon of water most days, but I am feeling much better, and it makes me happy to think of all the money I am not dumping into the soda industry's deep pockets.

I don't think I made myself entirely clear to the hubs though (who is still drinking soda, but it doesn't bother me, since this was a personal choice) because of what happened about a week into the new no-soda routine.

I had asked the hubs to stop by the store on his way home to pick up something I needed to go with dinner that night.  He does, and then brought it home to where I was waiting.

"Here you go", he says, handing over said dinner ingredient.

There was  a pause and then he continued with, "I bought a surprise for you where I was there".

Me, still chopping and simmering and sauteing paused, looked up and said, "Oh? What for?"

"Because you've been doing so good with this soda thing", he replied, and then pulled out two cans of my favorite flavors of soda and set them on the counter.

It is safe to say I was dumbfounded.

I looked at these two brightly designed cans, cans that were fresh from the soda machine at the grocery.  So cold that beads of cool condensation had formed and were running enticingly down the sides of the cans.

"Baby", I said, trying to remain calm, sweet and nice, when on the inside a part of me was screaming grab the can! grab the can!  "Why did you get me these when you know I gave up soda?"

He looked at me with sudden alarm crossing his face.  "Gave up?  I thought you were just cutting back and I was so proud of all the water I've seen you drinking...."

I felt bad for him, doing something he thought would be nice (after all, he did pick my two bestest and favoritest flavors) but I admit I wanted him to take those cans and put them out of my sight.

Thankfully he drank one of them that night, but the other one is still sitting in the fridge just waiting for me to slip up.  Not that I am all that worried about it.... if I have a soda it is not the end of the world.  I am just happy that if nothing else that I have gotten myself to the point where not having a soda is fine by me.  After all, Richard is still chugging away, and its not a temptation to me anymore, but I am not about to turn down a root beer float should one come in through my front door and I find myself in the mood to partake of such a delicious and refreshing treat.

Here's the strange part though... I've noticed now that I have sent soda packing for parts unknown, that my sugar cravings have gone way down.  We're talking a freakishly huge reduction.  I was that girl who'd chug soda (mostly diet, but a lot of full sugar Shasta brands were making their way home as well) all day long.  Single-handedly going through a 12-pack in a weekend was not unheard of.  But along with that I constantly had the munchies and the munch in mind was candy, ice cream, or chips.

Now that I am a water girl again (I stopped with the Crystal Light after day 3) I have noticed when I went to the store the other day I bought fresh pears and couldn't wait to get them home, wash one and take a bite.  The gauntlet of candy bars that holds sway in pretty much every grocery in America wasn't even a temptation to me.  Let me tell you that pear (and the banana I had the next day) were literally like the fruit of the Gods... a sweet, sweet ambrosia to my usually chemical-stimulated taste buds.

Now that alone was worth giving up the soda for.