Written by Steven Chaffin, Jr.
Yesterday, I came across an awesome post on zenhabits. I've been visiting Leo's blog for over a year now, finding inspiration in his work and advice aimed towards helping people live more focused, less cluttered lives. This post, titled A Year of Living Without, details things Leo will be giving up throughout the year and the healthy habits he will be replacing them with.
Inspired yet again, I would like to make a similar pledge and find what I can do without, and what is truly essential to my everyday life. Unlike Leo, however, I will only be taking this a month or two at a time, as opposed to providing what I'll be living without for the next twelve months.
Because July 1 is already behind us, I was considering postponing this blog post until next month, in August. But that's silly, and just my attempt at excusing myself from adopting a healthier habit this month.
Here we go.
I give up... Soft drinks.
Throughout my childhood, soft drinks were the drink of choice. In fact, it was rare that I drank anything but soda. I remember my pediatrician telling me that I should limit my soft drink consumption to two sodas a day, and I was fairly taken aback by that seemingly impossible task. Thankfully that has changed, as I generally only order a Coca-Cola in a social setting or on impulse.
That in mind, I think it's time I stop kidding around and drop soda entirely. The empty calories don't make my fitness goals any easier to achieve, and the "mmm" that comes with opening a cold soda has become less and less satisfying over the years.
My new habit... Drink 8 glasses of water per day.
This shouldn't be difficult, but for some reason or another, I never am able to consume enough water. Sometimes, I get so transfixed on the tastelessness of the water that another sip almost inspires a gag-reflex. More often, I simply get sidetracked in the daily grind and forget to grap a bottle or glass of water.
But because of my increasingly long and frequent runs, a failure to stay hydrated isn't acceptable, and I could find myself passed out in a ditch in the middle of a several mile run. Drinking a glass of water before and after bed, before each meal and snack is a good starting point.
Steven Chaffin, Jr. is an American writer and blogger. You can get more from Steven on Twitter @runnersravings.
