Every New Year, many people make it their resolution to get back in shape by working out and dieting.

There are plenty of advertisements that may trick you into thinking you can get abs in two weeks, which cannot be considered as false advertising only because everyone has abs in the first place (just maybe not in top condition).

I do not know a ton about work-out tricks, though, or if they work; I only know that what has worked best for me is simply consistency in doing it.

In terms of dieting, I am not a fan. My dad was a vegetarian for over 20 years and I still get a quiver in my lip when I catch a fish, but my ideal meal always has a reasonable portion of meat in it. Don’t even get me started on cheese. Who am I talking to? I just got myself started on cheese by typing it. I’ll eat a block of Gouda in one sitting and then take 20 shakes of Parmesan on my Mostaccioli.

When I was younger and my mom would tell me that we were having stir-fry with vegetables or a side of broccoli would be served, I would tell her I only liked it on Tuesdays. She would then tell me that it is Tuesday and I would say, “Oh, I meant Mondays.” I stick by that to this day.

There is one thing I can be proud of though: my typical drink of choice on a daily basis.

I made sure to insert the word typical because on the weekends, I am a sad sucker of the booze. But with almost every meal, I refuse to drink soda, Gatorade, juices or basically anything besides water. It is a great way of maintaining a healthy diet without having to sacrifice delicious meals.

“Giving up pop and drinking a lot of water,” said Brian Nallon, a senior finance major, as one of the best ways for people to become healthier.

Genius, Brian; that is exactly what I was thinking.

In fact, the American Heart Association recommends that women consume no more than 100 calories from sugar, or 25.2 grams and no more than 150 calories from sugar, or 37.8 grams of sugar for men.

These recommended amounts may come as surprising to any of you peaking at the nutritional facts on the soda you just bought.

In one 12 oz. Coca-Cola, there are 39 grams of sugar, which exceeds both the recommended amount for women and men. Just imagine the 32-ounce cups of Coke at a gas station or even up it to the Big Gulp size at seven eleven.

Let’s take the 32-ounce bottle of Coke: that is 104 grams of sugar, which is comparable to the amount of sugar in eight ice cream sandwiches; there are only six in a package.

I can understand why people eat so unhealthily, though. It is convenient. When you are trying to grab lunch in a 30-minute time frame, it is hard to find a place that can serve you fresh, healthy food quickly enough for you to still have time to eat it.

What is super convenient, though, is water. Substitute some quality H2O for all those high-sugar beverages that cost nearly $1 for every 12 ounces. It’s healthy, it’s delicious, and it’s free.

Stay thirsty my friends.