Going Coke-free....almost.

Recently, I went on a mini-rant about feeling pretty crappy about myself and my post-baby body.  I hate looking at pictures of myself.  I don't really like looking at myself in the mirror.  I'm tired of taking FOR-EV-VER to get ready every morning, trying to disguise my extra baby weight, only to feel self-conscious the entire day.  Every time I felt bad or a little heavier than I would have liked, I whined about it.  But I wasn't doing anything to change it or get back to my former self.  I complained, I said I needed to work out, but I wasn't taking any step towards changing.  Today, I went through some of my old college photos.  I was amazed at how skinny I was and how good I felt in my clothes.  I saw a happier Devan that looked good and felt good in her clothes.  I want to be her again.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you have to be skinny to be happy.  I know that I'm not going to get back to my former weight.  Heck, I'm probably not even going to get close.  My goal is not to be skinny.  It's to have confidence and feel good in my clothes again.  To do that, I need to get my butt in gear and get rid of my Avery weight.  Today, I'm taking action.

Step 1:  No more Cokes (P.S. in my world, everything is a "Coke"...when I really don't even like Coke).  During my pregnancy, I drank water like it was going out of style.  I stocked up on the giant 1 Liter bottles and drank 3 a day, at the minimum.  I couldn't get enough of it.  Then Avery arrived, I became wrapped up in my life with her and forgot to eat some days, much less drink my required amount of water.  Now, fast forward to present day.  I've been so used to not sleeping well at night and relying on Dr. Peppers and the included caffeine to get me through the day.  It's quickly become a habit that's out of control.  When I'm thirsty, I crave a Pepsi.  In the morning, I want a Dr. Pepper.  At night, I reach for a can of Pepsi.  I'm never going to lose my extra pooch if I don't knock it off.  I'm realistic.  I cannot completely quit drinking caffeine cold-turkey.  I will be the meanest person in the world.  Since I love my family and don't want them to hide in fear when I'm around, I'm going to restrict myself to ONE can of Pepsi a day.  If you see me at McDonald's ordering a large Dr. Pepper, you have my permission to smack it out of my hand.  If you see me with a can of Pepsi, ask how many I've had that day.  If I tell you any number greater than one, take it away.  They say that the easiest way to drop some unwanted pounds is to stop drinking Cokes.  My hope is that I'll eventually be able to stop drinking them completely.  But for now, I'm embarking on Step 1....one Coke/Pepsi/Dr. Pepper a day.   Orders of the day:  drink water......drink water......one Coke.....drink water.....stay awake......try not to kill anyone......drink more water.....