Friday, July 20, 2012

Lesser of Evils

I love soda. It's terrible, I know, but I seriously love soda. It is a problem. I am a firm believer in lesser of evils because, let's face it, not all of us have an iron will. I know people who do, and it seems like such a simple thing; you just choose to do or not do something, and that's all there is to it. My brother-in-law Nick is one of those people. He resolved to cut out soda and candy, and he started working out. He did it, and he lost a ton of weight. Now, he is a fitness freak, gym junkie, and diet conscious. I don't mean those to be insults either because I envy his dedication. But as for me, I will continue to just try to choose the lesser of evils.

If you are a soda lover like me, I might have a solution for both of us. I do my best not to buy soda when grocery shopping. If I see it in the fridge, I grab it even with the twinge of guilt I feel as I pop the tab, which is why it is best for me to just keep it out of the house altogether. I know that drinking calories is terrible, so I needed a solution to my pop problem. I went for the lesser of evils. I know that there are some people who are dead set against artificial sweeteners, but I have no real issue with them. I started drinking Crystal Light Energy. I didn't want to compromise the caffeine fix in the soda, which I know also isn't great for you, but I wanted to cut down the calories I drank each day.

I have tried the Crystal Light Energy and the Great Value option, and both are good. I have a few warnings though for those who might want to try them out. First, it is advertised that it is only 5 calories per serving, but as with most things, one packet it actually 2 servings, so just be aware of what you are actually consuming. That's a good rule of thumb for all intake. Also, if you see the "citrus" flavor that comes in an orange box and has a picture of an orange on it, it is actually lemonade. I didn't really want orange flavor, but I bought it once because that's all that was stocked, and I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be lemonade.

I may not have completely quit drinking soda, and the Crystal Light is still just a lesser of evils, but I have come to an understanding through reflection that life should be conducted through conscious decisions. When it comes to my diet, I have realized that the smoothest path to change will be traveled through a series of conscious decisions. I am not the type of person who can change over night. I am making small changes, one at a time. Things like choosing the Crystal Light over soda, or picking black beans over refried pinto beans like my Anything for 10 Sister has been trying to get me to do. I did grab the black beans when I made tacos this week, but I still picked the full fat sour cream. It was a conscious decision for both items. I decided that next time, I would take the next step by choosing the low-fat sour cream. A series of conscious decisions.

2 comments:

  1. Lesser of two evils on the journey of healthier things...love it! I like black beans in moderation and served certain ways. But I LOVE refried beans. Guess what? I found a NOT-refried beans recipe several months ago and absolutely love it. You cook the pinto beans overnight in the crockpot, adding desired seasonings, etc., for an amazing flavor, then use a blender/immersion blender to get them smooth. AH-mazing! Try em!!! :-)

    http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2011/08/not-refried-beans-275-recipe-031.html

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  2. Tif, that's awesome! I will probably do that with black beans. They weren't that bad once they were mashed, and black beans have way more nutritional value than pinto beans. I'm sure it is way better to make the beans you described compared to a can because it has a ton of added fat from the frying part!

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