My Name is Duggs and I'm A Sodaholic

Who loves Code Red Mountain Dew? Duggs loves Code Red Mountain Dew. I dew, I dew, I dew-ooo.

The year was 2001. The place: my middle school gym locker room. That's right. Duval County has soda machines in their locker rooms. This is where I first tasted that delicious red nectar. I was instantly hooked. It became my favorite drink, even more beloved than cherry coke. I would get up early some mornings in order to have time to stop at the gas station across from my bus stop so I could buy a Code Red before school. Back then, you could get a 1 liter bottle for only $1.49. 

As I entered high school and continued to grow, my addiction grew also. Code Red may as well have been a 2nd pyramid in my daily diet. My morning Dew would usually get me through lunch. By 4th period, I would start to have withdrawal and need to hit the vending machines one more time. I don't know why, but as soon as that miracle liquid hit my lips, my nerves would calm and I could focus on class again, although class wasn't usually my focus. I'm no doctor, so who knows if it's physical or mental or both, but that cherry juice has had me hooked for the better part of 20 years.

There was a time from about 2013-2016 that I didn't drink soda. For years, I was told that if I just cut out the soda, I would lose weight. So, in 2013, I decided to test out this theory. Well, I cut out the soda, but the weight stayed. It was upsetting to say the least. I sacrificed something I loved and got nothing in return. Well, the devil is in the details. Apparently, cutting out the soda doesn't make a difference if you just replace it with beer. That part was not explained to me, but after slowing down on the alcohol consumption, it makes sense. So, as part of my 30 in 30 challenge, let's try this no soda thing again and this time, I'll only substitute water for it. Who knows, maybe I'll even become the Water Champ. Let's try it out!