One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

I cheated today. I had Dr. Pepper. If I had been smart, I would have taken a bunch of water with me…or drank the La Croix that I did take with me. But no, I didn’t do that.

It started innocently enough. We had to go pick up my step-daughter for the weekend, which is a 2 hour drive one way. I wanted something with some flavor and that would last the trip, so I rationalized that Sprite did not have caffeine. I got a fountain drink and sipped on it.

Then, once we got M, my step-daughter, we needed to pay a visit to my niece since we’d have to miss her birthday party this weekend. We knew it would be late getting home, so we opted to eat at the cheapest place we could think of—Taco Bell. 6 people for less than $20…you can’t beat it. I got one large cup to share with the whole family. We put Dr. Pepper in it.

I cannot begin to describe to you the sensation of utter bliss I experienced when that syrupy, bubbly goodness hit my taste buds! Suddenly, all of the reasons that I need to get off the soft drinks seemed not quite good enough anymore. My husband and I shared two more Dr. Pepper soft drinks on the ride home. I am ashamed. No…not really, but I should be.

Rationalizations

I am completely justifying my actions by saying that it’s been a week since I had any kind of caffeine or soft drink, and that a person cannot deprive themselves completely of the things they enjoy forever. Otherwise, you end up bingeing and getting more hooked after the binge than you were before you gave it up. Believe me…I have experienced this when quitting smoking, as well as when I swore off caffeine before.

So, I am going to try to look at this as a treat for a week of self-restraint…a reward of sorts. As long as I don’t go back to keeping this stuff in the house, a fountain drink once in a while when we travel is not going to make or break my health. Right? Oh, someone please tell me that I’m right. Please?

But that’s it…no more soft drinks for a week at least. If that means C has to take M home alone on Sunday, then ok. I’ve had my little indulgence so now it’s time to get back on track. I don’t know how that’s going to work out, since I’m going to be pulling an all nighter tonight with work, but I’ll get through it. Speaking of, work is calling…and I can’t ignore it. On to it, then.