LIVINGSTON, Mont. — If you think you can’t stick to a New Year’s resolution, maybe this 11-year-old’s story will inspire you.
At Christmastime last year, Jonathan Sarisky’s parents, mother Renee Shifley and stepfather Rick Shifley, of Livingston, and father Jason Sarisky, of Washington state, offered then-10-year-old Jonathan and his older brother, Andrew, a choice. They could have $100 now, or, if they chose to accept it, a payout of $500 later, with just one condition — avoiding all sugary beverages for an entire year.
“We called it the no-pop challenge,” Sarisky said last week at Renee and Rick Shifley’s home.
They had to consider carefully, Jonathan, who likes to be called Jon these days, explained last week. The $100 was a sure thing, but holding out for the $500 was dicey — there was the chance not only of not getting the $100, but failing in the sugar challenge and not getting the $500, either. A risky proposition all around. Andrew opted for the sure thing.
Jon, a sixth-grader at Livingston’s Sleeping Giant Middle School, took the yearlong challenge, sipping his last soda on Jan. 3, 2014, on the occasion of Andrew’s birthday. He remembers the beverage well — Fanta Orange. And, knowing it was his last soda for a long time, he savored it.
“I didn’t brush my teeth until I couldn’t taste it anymore,” he said.
The sugary beverage ban included not only soft drinks, which Jon calls “pop,” but sports drinks and other sugar-filled flavored waters, hot chocolate, fruit juices — even 100 percent fruit juice, which contains a lot of sugar, even in a natural form — and Mark’s In and Out milkshakes. This ban left only water and straight, unflavored milk as beverage options.
The contract is a real live contract, complete with legal-sounding language. For example, it states, “For the purposes of this contract, the term ‘drink’ means to take a liquid into the mouth by means of a cup, bottle, straw or any other such device normally used for drinking. Consuming cereal, soup, and other such liquid foods is considered ‘eating,’ not drinking.’”
And “Attempts to circumvent the spirit of this agreement are fraudulent and strictly prohibited.”
The contract concludes, “This is a zero-tolerance agreement. Therefore, under no circumstances will Child receive a ‘second chance.’ Child takes full responsibility for honoring and upholding this contract.”
With his eyes on the prize, Jon said the no-pop challenge wasn’t very difficult. He never had a weak moment. The hardest part was maintaining his diligence and not accidentally accepting a pop at a friend’s house.
“People would just forget and offer it to me,” Jon said.
And when the family dined out, Jon had to remember to order only water.
His mom said the serving staff in restaurants were always impressed by Jon’s self-discipline.
“They’d look at him like they were thinking, ‘What a good kid,’” she said.
His friends, Jon said, were skeptical. They didn’t believe his parents would really give him $500.
“I think they were kind of jealous,” he said.
At Christmastime last year, Jonathan Sarisky’s parents, mother Renee Shifley and stepfather Rick Shifley, of Livingston, and father Jason Sarisky, of Washington state, offered then-10-year-old Jonathan and his older brother, Andrew, a choice. They could have $100 now, or, if they chose to accept it, a payout of $500 later, with just one condition — avoiding all sugary beverages for an entire year.
“We called it the no-pop challenge,” Sarisky said last week at Renee and Rick Shifley’s home.
They had to consider carefully, Jonathan, who likes to be called Jon these days, explained last week. The $100 was a sure thing, but holding out for the $500 was dicey — there was the chance not only of not getting the $100, but failing in the sugar challenge and not getting the $500, either. A risky proposition all around. Andrew opted for the sure thing.
Jon, a sixth-grader at Livingston’s Sleeping Giant Middle School, took the yearlong challenge, sipping his last soda on Jan. 3, 2014, on the occasion of Andrew’s birthday. He remembers the beverage well — Fanta Orange. And, knowing it was his last soda for a long time, he savored it.
“I didn’t brush my teeth until I couldn’t taste it anymore,” he said.
The sugary beverage ban included not only soft drinks, which Jon calls “pop,” but sports drinks and other sugar-filled flavored waters, hot chocolate, fruit juices — even 100 percent fruit juice, which contains a lot of sugar, even in a natural form — and Mark’s In and Out milkshakes. This ban left only water and straight, unflavored milk as beverage options.
The contract is a real live contract, complete with legal-sounding language. For example, it states, “For the purposes of this contract, the term ‘drink’ means to take a liquid into the mouth by means of a cup, bottle, straw or any other such device normally used for drinking. Consuming cereal, soup, and other such liquid foods is considered ‘eating,’ not drinking.’”
And “Attempts to circumvent the spirit of this agreement are fraudulent and strictly prohibited.”
The contract concludes, “This is a zero-tolerance agreement. Therefore, under no circumstances will Child receive a ‘second chance.’ Child takes full responsibility for honoring and upholding this contract.”
With his eyes on the prize, Jon said the no-pop challenge wasn’t very difficult. He never had a weak moment. The hardest part was maintaining his diligence and not accidentally accepting a pop at a friend’s house.
“People would just forget and offer it to me,” Jon said.
And when the family dined out, Jon had to remember to order only water.
His mom said the serving staff in restaurants were always impressed by Jon’s self-discipline.
“They’d look at him like they were thinking, ‘What a good kid,’” she said.
His friends, Jon said, were skeptical. They didn’t believe his parents would really give him $500.
“I think they were kind of jealous,” he said.
via Smart Health Shop Forum http://ift.tt/1rLTTAs
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