My Year Without Swill

In April 2006, I gave up soda.

I was never a big fan of carbonated drinks as a kid. I always preferred water. I actually disliked the chemical taste, but I started buying Mountain Dew for the caffeine while working at my first and only full-time job (cashiering).

Before I knew it, I was drinking soda all the damn time and even starting to enjoy the flavor. When I turned THAT corner, I realized I should probably stop. I bought a bottle of caffeine pills for the Sakuracon road trip. Half a pill was usually more than enough to get the same buzz as soda, only without the crash at the end. These days I stick with water and I absolutely don't miss soft drinks at all.

My sense of taste has changed since quitting soda. It's like I had built up a tolerance for nasty tasting junk food over the years as a result of drinking Mountain Dew. When I stopped, it went away.

Which is why, on July 14, 2006, I ordered at McDonald's for the last time. I went cold-turkey on fast food in general. This made road trips kind of sucky for a while, but I learned to adapt. (Once in November, I had to buy cereal, milk, a spoon and a bowl at a Wal*Mart so I could have dinner on the way to the North Shore!) Quitting fast food was a three-fold decision.

First off, the nasty slimy feeling I would get after eating it, as if I'd been marinating in greasy steam all day. If my dinner leaves me feeling like I need a shower, what am I doing putting it in my body?

Second, I wanted to stop giving my money to the fast food industry for various wanky social-awareness reasons.

Third, I wanted to see if I COULD quit, after years of drive-through dependence.

In the end, it was really easy. I just decided not to go anymore, and in about three months, I stopped wanting to. The only thing I miss is the fries, and that's not so bad. I have read about the various flavoring additives that get added to the fries to make them so irresistible.

Knowing there's voodoo involved makes it easier for me to turn my simple dietary choice into a moral high-ground, and I'm nothing if not stubborn about my hamster-wheel activism.

I still visit the drive-through on a food run for my roommates, but it just doesn't feel like a temptation to be overcome. Somewhere around month 6, I started thinking of it as something I just plain don't do, and now I'd hate to break my winning streak after over a year of success.

But but but... I HAVEN'T LOST WEIGHT!

OMG! MY TV LIED TO ME!

Okay, okay, just joking. I don't despair. I feel fucking awesome. I'm healthier and more energetic than I've ever been, have some really impressive muscles under the flab, and the caffeine pills are gathering dust on a shelf. There's just something so satisfying about being a 216 pound midget who can pick up and throw irritating people who assume I must be jealous of their ~*~petiteness~*~.

It's been a good year and change. I don't regret anything except not having done it sooner. Was giving up soda and fast food easy? Sometimes yes, mostly no.

Was it worth it? Oh fuck yes. I'd do it again in a hot minute.