About four in the morning, when I
tend to start my day (early bird, gettin’ a worm and all that rot), I would
slug onward to the refrigerator and pour myself a luscious serving of Pepsi
cola. Mmm, Pepsi.
Of course, when I officially begin
my day at about 6:30 or 7:00, it’s time for another glass of Pepsi. And another
at mid-morning. Typically, two Pepsis for lunch, one in the middle of the
afternoon, two more for dinner and one or two in the evening.
At the end of any given day, on
average I would consume nine full servings of Pepsi. Nine of ‘em.
And what does nine servings of
Pepsi really mean?
An average serving of Pepsi
contains 94 calories, 19 mg of sodium and 25.6 g of sugar. My daily addiction
to this beverage added the following to my diet:
846 calories
171 mg of sodium
230.4 g of sugar.
Recommended daily allowances of
sodium for an adult under 51 years of age is 2,500 mg and 1,500 mg if over 51.
The recommended daily allowance of sugar for an adult is 25 g. An adult should
consume between 1,800 and 2,000 calories a day, more or less. In other words,
through my Pepsi consumption alone, I took in nearly 10-times the amount of
sugar a person should consume in a day and almost half the calories of a
typical diet.
One of the first steps I took in my
campaign to lose weight and restore myself to a healthier lifestyle was to try
to break my Pepsi addiction. After three weeks Pepsi free (and soft drink free
in general) I feel safe in reporting that I have busted my close affinity for
this beverage.
By taking this step alone, I’ve
eliminated unhealthy sugar from my life. And, I have cut my overall daily caloric
intake by over 800. In the grand scheme of things, these are no small things.
I thought eliminating Pepsi from my
life would be a challenge. Initially, it was not easy to forgo this beverage,
if for no other reason it was my default drink of choice. I was so used to
automatically ordering a Pepsi when in a restaurant.
I did have some cravings for Pepsi
when I initially stopped drinking it. But, I kept other healthier beverages
around my home to replace Pepsi when I had such a craving. These were beverages
that contained far less sugar and calories and yet satisfied my desire for
something sweet.
I do not intend to reintroduce soft
drinks into my diet. I am glad to bid them adieu. It seems obvious that these
types of beverages were major players in my overall weight gain.
Stay tuned.
P.S. As a writer, I cannot miss a
chance to plug my work. I eat when people consume what I write … my goal is not
to starve, but to eat less.
My latest novel, Vine Dancing, is in pre-release at the moment and an
advanced, signed copy can be ordered by writing mike@mikebroemmel.com. An advanced copy
is discounted to $15, plus shipping and handling.
In addition, the latest play I have
written, entitled The Hours of Anne,
opens on April 8 in Denver. From Denver, it travels to Topeka, Kansas.
Information on the play is available at www.act-one-productions.com.
Sugar, oh, how I love it! My name is Diane, and I am a sugar addict.
ReplyDeleteI am not into soft drinks, a significant source of sugar, sodium and calories, as you have found. I prefer my sugar in a more pure form: candy. And because I don't much care for chocolate in any form, I can't even excuse part of my addiction by claiming the anti-oxidant benefits of dark chocolate (in moderation, of course).
No, I prefer the candies of my childhood, though my specific cravings seem to run in seasonal fits and spurts.Currently, I prefer Smarties, those tart little candies nearly packaged in tiny rolls of cellophane. But I don't eat just one roll here and there; I eat 10-12 rolls at a time. Each cellophane-wrapped roll is considered a serving, and each serving contains 25 calories and a whopping 6 grams of pure sugar. The only benefits are that Smarties are fat- and sodium-free.
That's 250-300 empty calories--maybe not so bad, I think, but the 60-72 grams of sugar in one sitting is a different story. That's almost three times the recommended daily amount in those tiny candies I love so much.
My other favorite poisons include Mike and Ike candies. Those are even worse at 140 calories per serving, especially when I generally eat the whole, theater-sized box. That box contains 3.5 servings, so 490 calories, 87 grams of sugar, and 105 mg of sodium. That's a significant hit to the 1600-1800 calories dietary sources recommend I eat in one day. That's the equivalent of a small meal worth absolutely no significant nutritional value. No protein, no fiber, no fat, no vitamins, absolutely none of the essential nutrients my body needs to maintain health. This would be why nutritionists call these types of calories "empty."
Just about the time Mike started this blog, I'd decided I needed to do something different and better for my health. I'm 57 now, and can't afford to keep putting these amounts of junk into my body. I also need to lose about 40 pounds.
A friend of mine (and retired nurse colleague) said she was going to start the "rainbow diet." To be honest, I've not researched it by name, but both the name and idea behind it make intuitive sense from a generalized nutritional standpoint.
The basis of the rainbow diet is that the foods we put on our plates should be those rich in color and nutrients, with a protein source about the size of a deck of cards, be it meat, fish or vegetarian. It excludes processed foods; it focuses more on fresh produce, preferably those high in fiber. It downplays those foods that have minimal or no color, such as white bread, processed grains (e.g. white rice), and white sugar and flour.
My plan, starting this weekend, is to start incorporating elements of the rainbow diet into my snacks and meals. For example, I hope to break my sugar addiction by replacing candy by snacking on baby carrots, blueberries and celery sticks. I might allow myself an occasional treat by placing a small amount of reduced calorie peanut butter or string cheese (low-fat mozzarella) on the celery.
I, too, plan to incorporate walking, whether outside or on my treadmill, and swimming, as soon as weather permits.
I've never been good at sustaining an exercise regimen. Therefore, once it's too cold to swim again, I likely will seek a personal trainer, also. I'm also interested in learning yoga, so will be especially interested in your experience with it. I had back surgery not long ago, so am limited more to walking and simpler exercises for now.
Thank you, Mike for sharing your weight-loss journey. Besides being an inspiration to me, I'm sure you'll encourage a great many others to eat better and exercise more.