How to Stop Drinking Soda – One Year Update
It has become an every day habit for me when I get to work to grab my 32 oz water bottle and fill it up before I start my work day. I continue to drink water throughout the day and consume at least a gallon a day now. I don’t even think about what I’m doing anymore, it’s a legit habit.
Rewind back to a year and a half ago where I would have had one can of diet soda driving to work. I had no idea how to stop drinking soda, or if I even could quit drinking soda. At lunch I would go out to eat and always wanted to sit inside the restaurant because I wanted to get as many refills as I could while I ate. I would always leave lunch will a full BIG GULP (as I like to call them..it reminds me of Dumb and Dumber haha) and sip on it when I got back to my work desk. When dinner came around, I would easily have another 2-4 cans depending on if I ate at home or out.
That could come around to 7-10 cans a day if I ate out twice in a day!!!
Looking back at my habits back then, it makes my stomach turn. I thought that I was being healthy since I was drinking a diet drink instead of regular.
You can see my post here about How to stop drinking soda.
One Year Since I Quit Drinking Soda Update
Now that I’ve been soda free for one year and 4 months now, I couldn’t be happier. I’m saving money, my skin looks better and I feel better overall.
Benefits Of Quitting Soda
According to CNN.com,
“Studies have shown that even minimal soda consumption may lead to weight gain. Unfortunately, that weight gain can lead to the development of Type 2 diabetes and a heightened chance of stroke.
Increased soda consumption also has been linked to kidney stones and tooth decay. Unfortunately, caffeine can be highly addictive and habit-forming, and many Americans are wary of cutting it out cold turkey.”
I think for me, it came down to a habit that was formed more than an addiction. When I set a personal goal for myself of making sure I could drink a gallon of water a day, my habits slowly started to change because my main focus was on my new water goal. Drinking soda was just a bad habit that I thankfully kicked to the curb! Adding a water goal for myself helped tremendously on my venture to figure out how to stop drinking diet soda.
It’s a lifestyle change, kind of like dieting. You can’t have a quick fix for something like this. You need to make a lifestyle change all together.
If you want to quit, don’t let it be around you. It’s kind of like junk food. If you have it in the house, you’re more likely to eat it!
“It’s a simple solution, but ridding your environment of soda altogether can prove vital in your battle for a soda-free diet. If you do the grocery shopping in your home, don’t buy it to begin with. If your workplace is your pitfall, advocate for healthier options in your office’s vending machine or take a new walking route to avoid the lure of soda calling your name.” (CNN.com)
In the past year and 4 months, I’m not going to say I haven’t had a sip of diet soda because I have. If I had to count, I’d say in total I’ve had about 5 cans of soda in the past year and 4 months. I think that’s quite a bit better than my old 10 cans a day!!!
If I can do it, YOU can do it!!!
Have you kicked your soda drinking habits? If so, do you have any tips that may help others who are struggling?
Well your doing a great thing for your self i also doing this on my everyday life since this January i found out that my metabolism is quite great now than before and i feel good with this change of life style off-course all of this along with the exercise.thanks for sharing this.