Tea and Running and Sleep, Oh My!

Okay, I just wanted to share my excitement in this moment-- today marks ONE FULL WEEK of no carbonated, delicious, fizzy beverages! Sad day for my taste buds, happy day for the rest of me. I've been combating the extreme urge to pop open a can of yummy by keeping a filled water bottle with me constantly, drinking hot tea (with no added sugar), and occasionally having a little milk or orange juice. I also try to go running when I'm craving a cold can of something tasty. I think a few of the hardest parts during this past week have been 1. when I come home tired from work but don't want to take a nap, 2. when Tracy opens a can of Pepsi and I can hear it... My mind is clearly conditioned to react to the sound, and it practically makes my mouth water for my own can, 3. when I see all the pop in the fridge that I can't have. I know it's only been a week, but I already feel better. The lack of pop combined with the fact that I've been running for about 3 weeks now makes me feel as though I'm looking a little more toned than I was. Also, I'm sleeping (a little) better. With the student teaching I don't typically sleep well at night because, as my friend Mary Rachel pointed out, your mind just doesn't stop racing about all the little details of teaching, even though your body is exhausted. When I was drinking pop, if I took a nap after school, I wouldn't sleep till after midnight; now, I can take a little half-hour snooze to recharge and still go to bed at a decent hour. And finally, I'm just beginning to see myself craving less sugar. I got on quite the little sugar binge for awhile, and it's nice to be able to pass up the Oreos or the popsicles without my brain screeching, "No!!!! Miiiiiiine!" like a demented 3-year-old. So that's the big exciting thing going on in my life-- try not to wet your pants or anything :). We'll see how round 2 of Operation: Stay Out of My Belly goes between pop and me.