One Year Without Soda

A year ago, I finally stopped drinking soda completely. My husband has never liked soda, so he wasn’t a fan of me drinking it. After I had my fourth kid, I realized it really was just a bad source of very unhealthy sugars. I did not realize how addicted I really was. All I knew was that I needed to lose the baby weight and there was no way the syrupy carbonated drink was going to help.

The first few days were very hard. I had a constant craving. I had gotten to the point where I would look for reasons to go out and pick up sodas if I was out or find fast food stops with my favorite drink (Dr. Pepper or Cherry Coke). I didn’t realize I was hooked until I tried to stop. Since I was only drinking about one soda a day, it didn’t seem that excessive.

I have never had trouble cutting alcohol or anything else before. This was wild. I would hear someone else open a soda and immediately get an intense craving. I wold see billboards or think about a favorite meal and get that urge to get a soda.

Tips for Kicking the Soda Habit

At first, my best friends were substitutes. Instead of soda, I would drink Gatorade or wine or something a little sweet. Finding drinks that were sugary (but not as much as soda) helped me curb the intense cravings.

Another thing that helped was realizing when I would be most tempted. Eating fast food, pizza, fried foods, large pretzels or chips (really, anything salty) were all the moments I craved soda. By knowing ahead of time I would be tempted, I could either avoid the situation altogether, or find that drink replacement ahead of time. Beating cravings to the punch made them less powerful.

I almost caved so many times. At first, I said I might go back to occasional drinks. But over time one week soda free turned into a month…and like a true addict, I knew one soda wasn’t going to cut it. If I had one, I would be back on the bandwagon.

Choosing Better Habits

It’s been a year now. I can’t believe how hard it was. Occasionally, I still have something spark a thought about how good a soda would taste. But for the most part, I’m not very tempted. I was shocked at how much the sugar impacted me.

I can now say: I’m not a soda drinker.

It’s a strange change in my identity. Between this, working out regularly and Curly Girl, things are rapidly shifting for me. The things I thought were part of me, aren’t. It’s a strange feeling. But so far, they’ve all been for the better. I used to think of myself as the girl that hated working out, loved soda and had (mostly frizzy) blonde beachy waves. I plan to cut carbs next, which will be another identity crusher. But it’s completely possible to become someone else in your 30’s. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.