How This Teacher Kicked the Soda Habit
I used to drink 2-3 sodas a day. Every day, I packed two cans in my lunch kit. I would drink one at lunch and have the other one at my planning time. Then, I would have another one most days at dinner. I wasn’t drinking regular soda because I didn’t want to waste my calories on soda. There were many other places I would rather use my calories (like wine or queso). So, I was drinking diet soda like a fiend, but have you ever looked up the dangers of aspartame? If not, you totally should…. later. Stick with me here and look that up later. The Cliff Notes version is that it is baaaaad stuff. I knew I couldn’t keep going like this. I had to make a change. But how?
Timing
I chose to make the habit change in the summertime. This allowed me a different routine to help jumpstart the change. Since I wasn’t packing a lunch, it was easier to not have soda at the ready throughout my day. I also didn't want to make the change when I knew I would be stressed. If summer won’t work for you, I suggest trying to work on this during another break from school. While I didn’t have any major side effects from cutting sodas out, you may have a different experience as we all react differently. You may want to limit how much you need to “people” when going through the process. During school breaks, I just know that I am able to better focus on me than when I am juggling school and home life.
Drink lots of water
I drank lots of water. I mean lots. I was trying to flush out my system for a healthy change. It is recommended that you drink half your weight in ounces every day. This means that a 150 pound person should be drinking 75 ounces of water throughout the day. I had to really track this because I was not used to so much water. You can use an app, make a chart, or whatever works for you. I used lots of fun cups to help in my water drinking endeavor. I tried straw cups, glasses with ice, stainless cups of varying sizes, with and without straws. You will find that you gravitate to a favorite vessel or two for your particular preference. I know I did! If plain water isn’t doing the trick, you can add in lemon or lime slices to add some zip.
Replacement drinks
I found that I was missing something when I cut the soda out. I missed the carbonation. It wasn’t the sugar for me, but it was the bubbles. So, I tried out all kinds of fizzy water. Luckily, there is a plethora of them on the market to try. I like some better than others. When you are looking for a replacement, be sure to read those labels and make sure there is no artificial sweetener. I ended up drinking lots of LaCroix. Now, my favorites include Spindrift, Aha, and TopoChico. It may take some trial and error to find your favorite flavor. Some, I loved, some others, not so much. It helps to have a buddy to go through this with, because you may love some that she doesn't. You can split a package of different flavors to see what you prefer and trade out the ones that may work better for your friend.
Grace
Give yourself some grace in the process. You may slip up and that doesn’t mean you fail. Get back at it and you are still much better off than before. My biggest challenge was eating out. It was such a habit to just say, “Diet Coke” when the waiter took our order. I had to retrain my brain to ask for water. If I was feeling fancy, I’d ask for iced tea. In the south, you have to specify unsweet tea or you are going to get tea that is sweeter than the soda you are trying to replace. When we go on vacation, I allow myself a Coke from time to time. I actually enjoy it now since I’m not having them all the time. I can savor the taste and not want an endless supply. Do I buy them for my home. Nope! There is no shame in this game. Imperfect progress is still progress, my friends.
If this resonated with you, I have more where this came from to share. Reach out below and I can help get you on a healthier path.
