I never considered myself a problem soda drinker. I didn’t drink coffee so drinking soda was always justified to me. Sure I have one or two sodas a day but some people drink four or five cups of coffee. A few years ago I made the switch to diet soda and convinced myself that since it was diet, no calories meant it wasn’t that bad for me. I knew I should drink more water but there were just some foods that didn’t taste as good with water; Chinese food, pizza, anything at a greasy spoon diner. How can you go to the movies and not get a big tub of popcorn and a enormous soda?

I really became concerned when I noticed my teeth weren’t as white as they used to be. I don’t smoke, still no coffee, so it really had to be the many fountain diet cokes. I thought I should probably stop drinking so much soda, but I didn’t.

On Twitter, I keep an open search for anything with “Charlotte” and I started noticing the NoFizzUSA information. I was curious and started paying attention. This was in the middle of the first challenge and I thought “I should have done that”, as I sipped my diet coke. Around the same time I decided I would do the 24 Hours of Booty ride in July. As I started riding more and more, I noticed that I didn’t feel well during the ride but would still come in and grab a soda. Again there was a lingering feeling that I should be drinking more water, but soda just tasted so good.

Then I saw that NoFizzUSA was launching round two of the NoFizz Challenge and I signed up immediately. I’m not going to lie – the night before the challenge started I stopped at a gas station for one of the huge jugs of soda. But the next day I packed a big bottle of water and started fresh. I found that it was easy to drink only water at work. There is a water cooler and it certainly was cheaper than the $1.00 for the cokes from the vending machine. I was a bit nervous heading into the weekend but knowing the challenge was there kept me from cheating. I avoided fast food restaurants so I didn’t have the temptation. I told everyone I was doing NoFizzUSA to help me stay accountable.

So I am halfway through the challenge and so far have not had anything to drink except water. I find that I actually crave it and I feel much better on my bike rides. I still worry that Chinese food and pizza won’t taste as good without my soda, so I am just not eating those foods. I’d always like to lose some weight so staying away from those foods is a good thing too. I still crave a fountain diet coke now and then, but I know that I FEEL better with water and that, along with the challenge is enough to keep me straight.

I’m 36 and realizing that my body is much smarter than I am. I feel slow and sluggish when eating and drinking crappy foods and conversely feel more alert with healthy foods and water. I knew I should stop drinking soda but it took an online challenge to get me to listen to my body and really commit. It’s funny that a group of people that I have never met could make such a positive difference in my life, but I am glad I stumbled upon them and am now doing my best to spread the information to everyone.

I have wondered many times if I will go back to soda after these 30 days and I honestly think I won’t. I just feel better on water. And you know what? Last weekend we went to the movies where I had a free soda coupon. I looked at it, threw it away and ordered my bottle of water. I didn’t even get the popcorn. The world didn’t crumble, no alarms sounded and I still enjoyed the movie. Who knew?