Letting go...slowly

It's been one week. I've had 20-24 ounces of Dr. Pepper everyday. That's about 1/2 (or some days a 1/3!) of what my typical consumption was.

And guess what...

I'M STILL ALIVE! YAY!

It's going to be a process, but I'm letting the 23 flavors go...all 23 wonderful flavors.

I've definitely felt sluggish most of the week but I've also been pretty slammed at work and home. Hoping now that I'm through that crazy week, my body will have an easier time adjusting to the reduced amounts of caffeine.

I will be watching the scales closely this month (like I don't every month?) as I am definitely consuming fewer calories. I'm also very interested to see how this affects my running. I should be better hydrated and not all sugared up. As you can tell, I have have high expectations for this life change.

I can do this. Seriously.

L.O.V.E. this stuff!

Readers who've been following my blog or really anyone who's been around me for a significant amount of time are well aware my addiction to Dr. Pepper is a (HUGE) stumbling block for my journey to a healthier lifestyle. I can't stand the taste of Diet Dr. Pepper and although I had a brief love affair with Dr. Pepper 10 a few months ago, I have long-since returned to the "real thing" and all its carbonated, surgery goodness. If it were just one a day, it probably wouldn't be a big deal, but I shudder to think about the number of calories I drink each day.

Alas! I believe I may have found something to help! On the recommendation from a friend, I (begrudgingly) bought some of these on-the-go packets and much to my surprise...I love it!!

A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. (and no, they are not paying for this post...although I wouldn't mind a retro-active endorsement deal...). You simply dump the packet into your water (another area I'm working on!) and shake.

I made it until almost 1 p.m. today without a Dr. Pepper and never felt like I was dragging. I think there are other flavors (maybe I'll "L.O.V.E." those in another post), but the Wild Strawberry gets two thumbs up from me.

Maybe I WILL make that February 6 goal after all...

More Water, Less Dr. Pepper Wrap-up

The more-water-less-Dr. Pepper challenge officially ended yesterday. I would love to report it was a smashing success and my plan to "ween" myself from Dr. Pepper was well on its way. Unfortunately, I got a little off-track after the Frostbite 1/2 marathon.

There were only a couple of days when I drank a Dr. Pepper after my 2 p.m. "curfew," but my water intake declined drastically - in fact, there were some days I doubt I even drank 20 ounces of water. I really can't explain it and I'm frustrated with myself for going backwards; I was doing so well. In fact, going into that weekend, there were several days I only had one Dr. Pepper. And then in my I-just-ran-a-half-marathon-so-I-can-eat-whatever-I-want phase, I got off track. Ugh.

Tomorrow is a new day and February is a new month. I will do this...

UPDATE: More Water - Less Dr. Pepper

It's day five of my "More-Water-Less-Dr.-Pepper" challenge and I'm still alive...and so are all those around me. I'm not going to lie - it's been rough, but I've gotten all 64 ounces down every day and have not had even a drink of Dr. Pepper after 2 p.m. I'm a little embarrassed at the level of my caffeine addiction as I really had no idea how much I was drinking until now or really how dependent I am on it to...well, function. I'm battling a pretty intense headache, but that just makes for a good "excuse" to go to bed earlier. I'm finding other substitutions (Crystal Light) when I get to the point I just can't drink another class of water.

I have two tweeps (@Ginny26_2 who blogs at Happy Feet26-2 and @JennRunsChi) who've joined me in the challenge and the accountability has been great! I really appreciate them checking on me and posting their progress reports. Jenn even found a great app to help track water consumption from Florida Hospital.

So, if you've taken part in the challenge and haven't let me know, keep going! There's just 19 more days left until February 1. If you haven't committed, jump on board! The more the merrier!

It's just water...What's the big deal?

Water. It's essential for most things to function, including my body. So, why can't I make myself drink it? There is no "taste" to speak of; I can't use that excuse. There is no "texture" so I can't really fall back on that one. I just can't seem to make myself drink the necessary 64 ounces a day...or more than about 8-10 ounces for that matter. When I express my frustrations to my husband, he says, "Well...that seems like it would be the easy part of running." Yeah, it does.

I know I need to: I feel better. My skin's clearer. I run better. I weigh less. Those are all good things, right? According to an article from WebMD.com, drinking water before a meal can actually help you lose weight. Uh. Hello? This is a win-win; there are no cons in this pro-con analysis (For a more scientific approach to the benefits of water, see this Mayo Clinic article).

Ok. There's one. Anyone who's been around me for any amount of time can attest to the fact that I have a serious caffeine addiction in the form of Dr. Pepper. Its 23 flavors are simply magical for me. I need it to start my day and as my students would probably tell you, my thoughts are incoherent until I've had it. My husband and children would probably tell you I need it to get through and finish the day, too. It's one of the last few "bad habits" I need to kick, but I can't seem to take that step. I start the process and then battle the withdrawal headache until I give in and drink one...or two...or three. But, hey! At that point, who's counting? **Note: Before you suggest I try Diet Dr. Pepper, please know that I have and I can't make that switch. The aftertaste is horrendous.

Here's the deal. I've been reading a lot of different fitness/health challenges to help everyone kick off the new year. So, here's mine and I'm putting it out there for all to read (and hold me accountable):

1. I'm going to drink at least 64 ounces of water per day until February 1.
2. I'm not going to drink any Dr. Pepper (yes, you read that correctly!) after 2 p.m. each day.

This is NOT going to be easy for me, people. I'm a working mom of two small children; caffeine at night = survival. But, I'm committing to it. I may be shooting Dr. Pepper at 1:45 p.m. each day and staying up late to drink all the water, but I'm doing it. I hope that by February 1, the new challenge will be one Dr. Pepper per day and then March will be...well, you get the picture. It's a process, folks. A process.

If you want in on the challenge, let me know and we'll be accountability partners. It's just water, right? What's the big deal?

So...are you in?