I am having difficulty wrapping my head around the fact that it’s August! This has felt like the weirdest summer to me. And it’s kind of almost over, but also kind of not.
Ethan starts school in a week and a half, on August 15, but Asher doesn’t go back until September 3! So that’s going to be weird, too. Fall high school sports both officially kick off in mid-August also.
Soda Update!
I feel like I owe you all an official “I quit soda” update, since it has now been just over a month. (Quit date was July 1st.) It’s…. going.
Oddly, the first couple of weeks were really smooth sailing and felt quite easy. Really, it has been smooth sailing overall- I have had zero “cheats” and not even any like, close calls, diet soda, nada. HA. I’m still 100% off soda!
But this past week or so I have been struggling with some cravings!! Which is strange, because shouldn’t it get easier, not harder?
I think it’s due to a few things.
First, I had a pretty stressful last couple of weeks at work. Soda was always my go-to “ah let’s go take a break and forget about that for a little while” treat. I have had multiple moments lately where I have the unconscious thought pop into my head that it’s time to get a soda…. and then I realize, Oh wait. I can’t.
😫
Again, I’ve never felt close to actually caving, but it’s more of a feeling of being persistently annoyed that I can’t have one. Like I just have nothing to look forward to anymore. Yes, I have my various replacements (sparkling water, plain iced tea, flavored water, hot tea) but none of them have that Wow factor. It just feels sad. lol. (I’m not dramatic at all.)
Second, I was away these past few days at Asher’s State swim meet in Kenosha, WI. There are a lot of hard-wired soda triggers for me at an away meet!
a) the long car drive
b) sitting in a hot pool and then wanting something really cold and refreshing afterwards (A soda. It has to be a soda. An ice water or other doesn’t fill the same void…)
c) lots of meals out with Asher.
d) wanting something yummy to just sip on at the meet
e) a slight undercurrent of stress/anxiety always hits me at these big swim meets (they’re just…loud and overstimulating (so much cheering, yelling and WHISTLES), I’m always a little worried I’m going to end up missing his race, or that we’ll be late, or that he’ll somehow miss his race, or fall off the blocks, or DQ, or swim poorly and be disappointed…. 😆). And stressful/anxious moments= I want a soda.
*This all sounds so bad!! I sound like a serious addict. But, just being honest. 😬
Anyway, I’ve felt a little downtrodden about it this week, but really only from time to time. For the most part, it crosses my mind, I try to ignore it, and eventually it fades. I still occasionally feel a little sorry for myself, though. 🤣
One issue for me I think is that so many replacements are “fruit flavored”. The canned sparkling waters are usually always fruity- berry, cherry, strawberry, grapefruit, peach, etc. They’re good (enough), but I guess I just don’t love the fruity stuff.
Soda is very sweet, obviously, but my past go-tos of Coke or Dr. Pepper have like a…. different depth to them. Like almost a bitter sweetness to them. If you know, you know. lol. I can’t find anything that replicates that for me.
Oh well! My most successful tactic so far has been to just push it out of my mind and not dwell on it, but I guess I’m sort of dwelling in this post. haha.
I can’t say that I feel like I’ve had any life-changing results in this past month without soda, unfortunately. I mean, it’s hard to say. Do I feel a little more energetic without all the sugar rushes? Maybe? But it’s been a busy month, so I’m mostly just kind of tired a lot. Ha.
I do feel like I have dropped off a couple pounds from where my weight had crept up to its highest ever after a pretty soda-heavy month of June. But then again, I don’t think I’ve had any significant body comp changes. And it’s hard to know if maybe I just had a little “Hawaii fluff” that finally settled down? My weight is still a few pounds higher than where it used to always be, but I guess maybe this is just my new weight. I feel like my body has shifted around some lately- even though I don’t really feel like I look heavier, some of my clothes just fit a little… different in not a good way. lol. Maybe a 40 year old thing. 🤷♀️
State Update!
Asher has been busy the last few days at his State swim meet in Kenosha (south of Milwaukee). The meet runs Thursday- Sunday which is awesome since no parents work in the summertime, anyway. Errr…..
There was a little ahem, misunderstanding, on my part, and it turned out he had swims both in the morning prelims and relays in the evening finals session both Thursday and Friday. (He has not qualified for finals in individual swims, but the relays were moved to the p.m. session.)
I realized this at about 1 pm on Wednesday, after having sketched out an elaborate plan for how the next few days would look, involving Asher staying at my parents’ house and me going home on Friday. Well, the whole having to go to the pool twice per day thing threw a total wrench in my plans- my parents live too far from the pool for multiple back and forths each day.
Anyway, I ended up booking a last-minute hotel room right by the pool for Wednesday and Thursday nights so we’d be close by for the early 7:30 arrival times, plus then have somewhere to go in between the sessions. And this way I could work from the hotel, too.
We packed up after work on Wednesday and drove the ~1 hour 45 minutes there, stopping for Chick Fil A on the way. Got to the hotel by 8:30 p.m.- just enough time to catch a little primetime Olympics coverage before bed.
He swam Thursday morning and I watched, and then we went back to the hotel where he lounged around watching the Olympics, etc most of the day while I worked.
Then Thursday night he had his evening relay late (end of finals session)- at 7:50 p.m.!
We got Noodles and Co. after the late session and then he crashed early. I went down to the hot tub for a bit and stayed up too late just sort of enjoying the quiet hotel room and some late-night Olympics coverage after what felt like a hectic day.
Friday I had an early work meeting, so he caught a ride to the pool with his friend’s family and I drove over just before his swim. After his morning race, he hung with his friend while I worked (of course, terrible timing- I had not one but two big work projects due and was on video meetings alllll day….).
After his evening relay at 5:15 pm, I drove the 45 minutes to my parent’s house to hand him off before driving another hour home. It was a gorgeous evening, and as I often am when I actually pay attention, I was struck by how BEAUTIFUL the stretch of country farmland between Milwaukee and Madison on I-94 is. Mile after mile of farms and red barns and a golden sunset. It was topped off with a nice 90s country playlist that hit the spot. 🙂
Got home around 8 pm Friday. Asher has the day off from racing today, but has 2 more individual events and a relay tomorrow (Sunday), so he’s staying with my parents and hanging out with them today.
All in all, I enjoyed my impromptu 2 night getaway with Asher! It was busy but also a nice break from regular life, too.
Not sure yet if I’ll drive all the way back to the pool tomorrow (would be an early drive for me!), or just let my parents take him to the meet for the final day. TBD.
Ivan and I have to go to a friend’s daughter’s quinceanera tonight, so that’s why I came home….(I do not feel like putting on a dress and going to a party tonight really at all, but I guess I will… 😫)
Daily Gratitude:
I am grateful for how excited Charlie got when I got home last night. He’s the cutest. Ivan said he acted a little sad/ mopey while I was away.
GRATEFUL KAE 
You had another busy week! The start of school is so soon for Ethan! That is when I went back to school when I was a kid. Paul goes back on Sept 3 which I prefer. I want to enjoy the full month of August before getting back to school mode! Although our lives don’t look all that different in the summer since he’s still in full time care. There is just a different vibe once school starts again.
Good for you for staying strong on the soda thing! I can relate to your feeling of addiction. Ha. When you really love something and associate it will experiences it is hard to ditch those associations! My dad used to use chewing tobacco but gave it up many years ago. 10+ years later I remember him saying that he still felt the urge to use it! The brain is crazy.
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I hear you on the soda. There are so many bad habits that we all have that aren’t that “bad”, so stopping them doesn’t lead to some magic revelation. If you had a dramatic increase in energy without soda or other blatantly obvious great things, it would be easier. As it is, you’ve got the same old stress, and no soda to help smooth things over. I totally see the parallels with my stress snacking, so you writing about it is helping me to take notes about things that I would like to change in my own life. And HELLO YOU’VE GONE A MONTH WITHOUT SODA!!!! You stuck with it even though it’s hard sometimes!!!!
Obviously dogs love all of the hoomans in their houses, but our old dog loved my husband more than me, so when he was gone she pretty much slept for the entire time and was so excited when they got back. Now the tables have turned because I am Doggo’s special person.
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So hear you Kae on the stress/long time commitment of the state swim meets. Our daughter had hers out in Oregon a two weekends ago. Ours is also Thus-Sun, relays usually in the pm. Of the 8 sessions, there was one she did not swim:(. Survived by: it only being only our daughter (son/husband were camping), packing running clothes and running everyday and taking wet wipe baths, 2 great books, and afternoon iced coffee. Can totally imagine how this would be a super soda trigger. Think you get extra extra credit for making it through….plus Asher looks really happy in the photos. That relaxed, supported kind of happy that can be hard a big meets. Amazing job mama!
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That’s an amazing busy week! How you manage to combine supporting your kids sports interests and keeping up with your job and what sounds like very intense deadlines – I am in awe. Even if you don’t always feel like you got it all under control, from my little corner of the internet – it absolutley looks like you got it and you rock it. 🙂 And you didn’t give into your cravings.
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It takes time to get rid of an old habit, especially if you’ve had it for long and it seems it was part of your comfort practice. Maybe you’ll need to adopt a new one to feel comfort without a soda. It’s not easy but you’re doing it!!!
Those meet up sounds exhausting at the time when they are so far apart involving over night stay. Fortunately it’s not part of the swim culture here, for now.
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I am reading “Atomic Habits” right now and it says that once you’ve formed a habit, you’ll never forget you – you have to change the circumstances around it and that you might always be triggered. So way to go for pushing through these hard, triggering moments. It’s very good that you’re so super-aware of the triggers because being aware of them is the only way to “conquer” them. I think there will always be moments where you crave a soda, but it’s how you manage that craving… just sitting with it or redirecting your attention is probably a good strategy.
You and Asher had a couple of busy days. So much driving, too. I am glad you were able to work from the hotel and be with him during the swim meet!
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*you’ll never forget IT, not you LOL
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I stopped caffeine for health reasons (it didn’t help with the issue, but now when doctors ask me about caffeine, I can tell them it’s not a problem) and I miss my Diet Coke. It’s been years. Someone told me that after six months I wouldn’t crave it anymore, but that was a lie. I still salivate when I drive by a McDonald’s because I think we can all admit that fountain pop for McDonald’s is superior to any other pop. *sigh* I wish I could tell you that it gets better, but it gets easier to say “it’s been so long and I don’t need it.”
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Kae, I totally hear you. It’s not like you can make yourself stop loving soda, and life feels kind of flat without it (in certain circumstances.) And, to make matters worse you don’t even feel that different. If you could see a dramatic change in your health, it would be easier to keep going. I don’t know what the answer is, other than to keep reminding yourself of the long-term health benefits. Like soda is TERRIBLE for your bones- envision yourself with severe osteoporosis when you’re older- it wouldn’t be worth it. Hang in there.
I’ve been watching so much Olympic swimming (sob- it’s over now!) and I kept thinking of you and Asher. I love watching swimming, but I can imagine how anxious I would be if my own kid were swimming.
I’m in Waco right now, staying at my son’s house- and his roommate is taking care of his parents’ dog for the summer, and the dog looks JUST LIKE CHARLIE. He’s a Goldendoodle (is that what Charlie is?). Anyway, he’s so lovable and affectionate, I feel like I’m experiencing what life must be like with Charlie. I’ll post a picture of him (Baxter) on my blog this week.
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So proud of you for sticking with the no soda trend. And I think it’s super healthy to still vent about it here. Kicking a habit is HARD and I’m proud of you for just being human and being honest about that. Writing is very cathartic so you are working through a hard thing this way. And yeah that was a lot of tetris with the swim meet and work and a Quinceanera. Hope this week is nice a chill for you!
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Don’t know if this is helpful, but…
That said, my nemesis is…Diet Coke. And I’ve tried so hard to replace with coffee and the above caffeinated seltzer. But when I don’t feel well – which is more often than I care to admit – I don’t want coffee. I want bubbles, and specifically, DC. Today was one of those days and I’m beating myself up about it, even though I know I shouldn’t.
So kudos to you for sticking to it! And yes, restaurant club soda + lime and lemon = so, so good. 🙂
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What?! There’s a Dr Pepper seltzer?! I have to try this, stat!
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I cannot promise anything. But you never know! I wish there were a plain cola one – that might help more with my DC addiction, sigh.
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