my cup runneth over (with water)

I’m trying to give up soda (3 days and counting). My reasoning is two fold.

Fold #1: it’s expensive. I normally drink 2 sodas a day. The sauce drinks 2-3 sodas a day. That’s a minimum of 4 sodas a day, which means we blow through a 12 pack in 3 days, assuming no one goes hogwild and drinks an extra soda. At $4.39 a 12-pack, we’re talking about $13 a week or $52 a month. Sure, sometimes we score a 3 for $11 sale or maybe a 4 for $11 sale, but that doesn’t happen often enough to factor it into the soda budget.

Fold #2: health reasons. Soda has never really been on my caffeine radar. I only notice the effects if I drink more than 3 in one day and that’s usually more of a taste overload than a noticeable caffeine binge. I scoff at people who say “oh, I don’t drink soda because it has too much caffeine.” I scoff equally as much at the people who say, “I don’t need coffee, I just drink a diet coke for a boost!” I guess you’re doing pretty well if you’re drinking such small amounts of caffeine that a diet coke will give you a fix. Just so you don’t think I’m pro-caffeine, I also scoff at the people who claim that coffee keeps them alert and helps them focus. Perception is reality, so you can pretend that 93rd cappuccino for the week is going to get you through your important meeting, but the physiological evidence for this claim points in the opposite direction. Caffeine actually raises cortisol levels, which contributes to more stress. It’s all in your in head, you caffeine junkies.

Back to the point: caffeine also contributes to muscle tightness. I’ve been experiencing a lot of wrist pain the last couple of weeks (months/years), and I’m looking for obvious ways to make it better (writing this post being in direct contradiction to my plan of action because typing is definitely one of the culprits). There are several vitamins that have anti-inflammatory properties, so I spent the rest of my soda budget at Puritan’s Pride stocking up on Vitamin B, B-12, calcium, magnesium, Vitamin D, and the mother of all joint supplements: glucosamine/chondroitin with MSM. This opposes the first fold of my reasoning to some degree, but I’m viewing it as wise diversion of funds instead of an impulse buy.

I’m also planning to refrain from the following:

- using jackhammers, screwdrivers, and other construction equipment
- Metal bats
- playing my nintendo (sorry Tetris, I'll miss you)
- meat cutting
- handstands
- painting
- writing long letters (that's why you won't be hearing from me)
- rod & reel fishing

You get the idea. Repetitive motion injuries are apparently my specialty. IT Band syndrome, stress fracture, pinched nerves, swollen wrists... I'm beginning to think maybe I was meant for an existence of watching Sex & the City while eating frozen yogurt, taking care to rest in between elbow flexions spoonfuls.