I made it 30 Days without Coca Cola. Hooray!

And the thing is: it was difficult only sometimes. Like the time Edmund and I went to see a movie with our friend Gennyfer and I hadn’t remembered about the Coke thing. But I had Pink Lemonade instead. And the time forgetful Edmund ordered me a Coke at the restaurant. The rest of the month went about the same as I described in this post: My Little “Coke” Experiment.

Here is a recap of my goals:

So from now until end-of-day November 4th I will quit drinking Coca-Cola.

Here is a list of my goals:

• No Coke for 30 days

Additionally:
• No substitute soda
• Try to make own tea as much as possible
• Drink water (ugh)

If I fall off the wagon, I have to start the 30 days over again. This is an important rule. Because one of the reasons why I think this will work is because I am not telling myself I can NEVER have a Coke again. I don’t think I could make it if I did. Instead, I am going to give it up for 30 days with the hopes of only having it for special occasions. I was drinking a lot less of it, but then things went all crazy with school and with my Dad and I kinda didn’t want to quit. I couldn’t bring myself too. Guess I’m ready to break the chain. For 30 days.

Fortunately I didn’t fall off the wagon. Because, you know what that means? I can drink Coke again! Yay!

However, my plan is to keep up the non-Coca Cola thing at home AND at work. I will keep drinking Coke only for special. Like, for instance, this week I’m traveling to Kansas. If I go to a restaurant that is serving Coke I might partake.

The thing is, I did notice something. I’m not sure if I’m feeling any better or not. But my cankles have receded over the last month. I don’t really talk about my cankles. I mean, if you had cankles would you talk about them? Probably not.

And it’s nice not to “have to” have Coke. I mean, a couple of times I drank WATER. And I LIKED it!

I’m pretty sure this is the longest time I’ve gone without any kind of soda since childhood. I bet this will make me a better person.

So far, so good! No Coke since October 4th! I’ve been tried a couple of times.

Here is a recap of what I’m doing, from my original post:

So from now until end-of-day November 4th I will quit drinking Coca-Cola.

Here is a list of my goals:

• No Coke for 30 days

Additionally:
• No substitute soda
• Try to make own tea as much as possible
• Drink water (ugh)

If I fall off the wagon, I have to start the 30 days over again. This is an important rule. Because one of the reasons why I think this will work is because I am not telling myself I can NEVER have a Coke again. I don’t think I could make it if I did. Instead, I am going to give it up for 30 days with the hopes of only having it for special occasions. I was drinking a lot less of it, but then things went all crazy with school and with my Dad and I kinda didn’t want to quit. I couldn’t bring myself too. Guess I’m ready to break the chain. For 30 days.

So far, I have hit every single goal. Not only have I not had Coke, I haven’t had any carbonated soda since October 4th.

Work was my problem place. I was drinking 2 or more Cokes a day. I still drink coffee and to substitute with Coke I make myself tea, Celestial Seasonings Herb Tea, Tangerine Orange Zinger, which tastes good hot or cold. I have a system and this week I hit my stride. Hey, I’ll do a pictorial next week, it’s quite a process.

At home quitting Coke not an issue. I started not drinking Coke at home a couple of years ago, sure I’d cheat now and again, but usually I would not have it in the house. My substitute for Coke was Arizona Iced Tea. But now I’m also cutting out pre-made iced tea (had to drink the rest in the house first). This weekend is my first weekend making my own tea at home. And my new challenge is to find a good system to do so. I’d rather make a bunch at once than keep making individual portions.

Going out: this is where I am most likely to take up drinking Coke again, dining at a restaurant. For now I’m substituting iced tea.

So far so good.

The picture to the left has nothing to do with this post. Well, except for the fact that these lads were chillaxing in the hallway when I got home.

Tonight I went out. First for drinks after work with some co-workers, at Duffy’s Tavern and Grill in Kennebunk. I drank iced tea (NOT COKE! Yay me!). We snacked on snacky things. Then I high-tailed it to the Maine Tweetup at the Portland Regency Hotel‘s The Armory. There I had some more snacky things, but did not drink anything. Even water. I was too busy talking to people. People I just met tonight, others I haven’t seen in a couple of years, and still others I saw a few weeks ago. And the talking was fine.

I had to pull myself away.

It’s been a while since I’ve been so unabashedly talky. I missed that Lanna. She hasn’t been far, mind you. Tonight I was having so much fun talking, and I was feeling that pull to stay because I had that don’t-want-to-miss-anything-and-everyone-is-so-interesting-and-maybe-someone-will-say-something-funny-and-if-I-leave-I’ll-miss-that feeling. You know.

Is that the extroversion thing? If I’m not there, I might miss something fun. I like fun things!

Whatever it is, I’m glad to feel that pull again.

Status of Lanna == Good. Not great, mind you, but I have recovered some of my equanimity. This equanimity has been hard earned and runs the risk of shattering at any moment, but I will simply remain grateful for its presence.

In spite our finances, we had dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings tonight. Sometimes you just gotta. It was a great treat, and it served as my first real TEST since I gave up drinking CocaCola. Edmund got there first and without thinking, ordered me a Coke. It was sitting on the table as I walked in: bubbling merrily in its glistening glass. And I DIDN’T drink it. Even though I really, really, really wanted it. Instead I had Iced Tea. Now that’s winning!

And I’m grateful. Grateful to be alive. To be doing fun things. Grateful that so many of my friends and family have reached out to help me reach my goal to get to Kansas. Because of their (your) help, I bought my plane ticket this weekend and I am that much closer to getting there. There’s still 5 days left! My new goal for the indiegogo is to raise $1000 total on the site. More, of course, would be astounding. I get to keep everything I raise whether I meet my $3000 goal or not, so any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Also Grateful that my Mom is healthy and that Edmund and I are relatively healthy.

If you’ve been keeping score, Edmund’s Dad is still in rehab. They are going to transition him to a nursing home. It looks like he will not be quickly bouncing back from his paralysis. Otherwise, I hear he’s doing well. It’s very hard to be so far away.

Past my bedtime. Another grateful: CLEAN SHEETS!

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In November I travel to Kansas to talk about how Facebook and Blogging helped me and my family through my father’s terminal illness. In order to go, I need your help. If you are able to give, please contribute to my in my indiegogo campaign. Any amount is greatly appreciated; if everyone gives me $5, I might even be able to rent a car when I’m there!

Here is where I explain why it is necessary for me to ask for your help.

Thanks for your support.

Please believe in me and support this endeavor.
It’ll make you stronger and better looking!

I passed my first real COKE test today. I went to McDonald’s (shut up) and I did NOT buy any Coca-Cola. This weekend was easy because I stayed home all the time.

Tomorrow will be another test. I’ve already prepared myself mentally and I have a plan B – homemade tea. Yay. I think it will be okay. Of course there is always coffee. I like that too.

————————————————
In November I travel to Kansas to talk about how Facebook and Blogging helped me and my family through my father’s terminal illness. In order to go, I need your help. If you are able to give, please contribute to my in my indiegogo campaign. Any amount is greatly appreciated; if everyone gives me $5, I might even be able to rent a car when I’m there!

Here is where I explain why it is necessary for me to ask for your help.

Thanks for your support.

Please believe in me and support this endeavor.
It’ll make you stronger and better looking!

Pictured to the left: the Coca-Cola I drank after lunch.

If you know me any at all, you know that I LOVE Coke. And I’m very particular about my Coke (NO PEPSI). In recent years I’ve cut down my Coke consumption: I no longer drink it at home. But I’d drink it at work, at restaurants, whenever I went out and about. I’ve been thinking about quitting for a few months (years).

From now until November 4th I will quit drinking Coke

Last Sunday I had a flash: I should give up Coke for a month. Just to see what happens. My inner rebel did not speak up right away, so I knew I was onto something. The thing is, I had just purchased a 6-pack of Coke and had a few cans left over at work. If I stopped drinking Coke, that would all be waiting for me when I was done for the month. It would also be there to tempt me during the month. I could throw it away, but I’m too much of a Yankee for that. Instead I drank the rest of the Coke this week at work. There were two left over today. I drank one and gave the other to a co-worker.

Whew, no more temptation.

So from now until end-of-day November 4th I will quit drinking Coca-Cola.

Here is a list of my goals:

• No Coke for 30 days

Additionally:
• No substitute soda
• Try to make own tea as much as possible
• Drink water (ugh)

If I fall off the wagon, I have to start the 30 days over again. This is an important rule. Because one of the reasons why I think this will work is because I am not telling myself I can NEVER have a Coke again. I don’t think I could make it if I did. Instead, I am going to give it up for 30 days with the hopes of only having it for special occasions. I was drinking a lot less of it, but then things went all crazy with school and with my Dad and I kinda didn’t want to quit. I couldn’t bring myself too. Guess I’m ready to break the chain. For 30 days.

Wish me luck.

Oh and this happened while I was writing this post:

Writing today’s blag post. Falling asleep. Keep going into dream state, almost typed that I need to negotiate with the ghosts. Not really.

— Lanna Lee Maheux (@lannalee) October 6, 2012