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.