I have a drinking problem....

I'm sure that when I posted this, a few people gasped and wondered what in the world was going on with me. But if you know me, or you've been reading me for awhile, you know that most (not all but most) of my blog titles are done pretty tongue in cheek. This one is no different. I do have a problem with drinking, but not in the way many people probably thought.

I don't have a problem with alcohol, but I do have a drinking problem. I drink a lot of empty calories. What do I mean by that exactly? I mean I drink a lot of calories that don't do me any good. They're not protein shakes or anything like that. They're just plain old sugar. In the past, I have tackled this very same issue, and for awhile, it actually seemed to be pretty subdued. I was zoning pretty hardcore and coffee and soda were things that I allowed myself every ONCE in awhile. They weren't the everyday necessities that they had been in the past. But somwhere along the line, the hardcore zoning slipped, the diet slipped, and I was never really able to right the sinking ship again. I went down in an eating frenzy and just never really came back up.

A few months ago, I started making better choices. I went primal for awhile and really enjoyed it, but had trouble with it once school resumed and life in general went from somewhat serene to psychotic. And it was amazing how over a few months, I didn't notice that soda and coffee were no longer those little 'treats' that I used to allow them to be. They were becoming an everyday occurance, and sometimes multiple times a day! It was scarey how much I was intaking. So I made a conscious effort to cut back and again, for awhile, I did.

Now, one thing I never did do was go back to drinking venti white mochas each morning. I did at least steer clear of those. But unfortunately, Starbucks has become a regular stop each morning and the soda fountain at work, which is GLORIOUSLY free, has become a frequent stop of mine as well. So, after looking at the scale this weekend, I decided that enough was enough and it's time to deal with this so-called drinking problem.

This drinking problem really is worse for me than anything because it gears up my body with a dependency on sugar, and let me tell you, when I don't get it, man am I ever cranky and angry, and all sorts of headachey. I know that means that my body is dependent on it, and now especially since it's not getting it, it is detoxing itself. I know it's a necessary evil, but it's one that I really need to learn to get a handle on. It seems like I do this to myself about once every four months or so. I'm fine for a while and then little by little, the bad habits inch their way back in. I definitely need to take a firmer grasp on this and really limit my sugar intake.

To help combat this, I've begun drinking the Crystal Lite 'on the go' packets. Now I know what you're thinking.... I went from one processed pile o' poo to another. Yes, I know... but I'm hoping that the flavor will be enough to keep me from drinking soda or coffee and that eventually I'll be able to scrap it all together. I know though that breaking an addiction is hard. So, I am just going to have to keep working on this drinking problem. The good news is though, even with the Crystal lite, I've gotten into the habit of drinking a lot more water, which is always good for things. Here's to hoping that I can stick with it. I am 4 days coffee free, and 2 days soda free. Here are the calculations already.... of course everything is approximate, but even the approximations look good!!!

Calories saved in 4 days by not drinking my regular coffee (grande vanilla latte):
1,000
Grams of sugar saved:
144g

Calories saved in 2 days by not drinking soda:
500
Grams of sugar saved:
140g

Totals: 1,500 calories 284g sugar