The first post

I've always loved soda pop. My favorite variety is a certain radio-active-yellow-hued lemon, lime and orange-flavored, caffeine-filled brand that is usually marketed to young men and/or skaters & BMXers.

There are a multitude of reasons I want to quit my sugary habit. Here are the first few that come to mind:

• I'm gaining weight! After losing almost all the 40 lbs. of the 'baby weight' in the first two months after I had my kiddo, I was excited that maybe I could actually continue the trend and get below my pre-pregnancy weight. Well, fast forward a year and a half, and all of a sudden I'm noticing that my pants are getting too tight around the waist again. Argh!
• My teeth hurt. I don't have dental coverage on my insurance. I brush my teeth usually 4 times a day, and I use fluoride mouthwash every night before bed, but I have been experiencing achy teeth lately.
• My daughter. She knows the names of pop brands when she sees the label. I've never let her drink soda, but she knows what it is, and she sees me drinking it all day. I don't want her to become a soda fiend! She drinks milk, water, and a little apple juice. She is a good role model for her mom.
  
• I'll save money. I honestly don't know how much I spend on average per week on soft drinks. But let's say (conservatively) I drink $1.75 worth of pop each day. That means $12.25 per week, which means $637 per year. YIKES. For some perspective: That's more than the credit limit of the credit card I'm trying to pay off. It's almost 2.5 months of rent (yes, I have an excellent rent price, but still!) For $637 I could buy a very good new digital camera or a laptop. My point is, I spend too much of my hard-earned yet meager salary on something that serves no nutritional purpose.
• I'll sleep better. When I've stopped drinking caffeine in times past, I find that I sleep better, and feel more awake and refreshed in the mornings. Go figure...

I've decided that after work on Friday (tomorrow) I will attempt to go "cold turkey" and quit my soda habit.

Since I imagine it will not be an easy journey, considering that David also drinks soda, I plan to write a little about it here. Hopefully this will migrate into a weight loss blog after I've kicked the soda habit and can refocus on my eating habits!

Maybe I should get a mini-fridge with a padlock so David can have soda in the basement and I can't get my hands on it... hmm....