As of today, I have gone 30 days without soda.
Those who have been following my blog for a while know soda is an addiction I have been trying to kick for a while. I drink regular soda because I can’t get over the aftertaste found in diet drinks. I’ve had friends send me links to articles about how terrible regular soda is for you, and what it does to your body, but still, the addiction lived on.
The hardest part of quitting an addiction is getting past the hump of cravings. People tell me all the time that once I get past that, past the headaches and fatigue and cravings, things got a million times better.
I could never get past that hump. Cravings would hit and I would give in. Because that’s what I had learned: sometimes, you just have to give in to cravings. “Have it and get over it,” countless Weight Watchers leaders told me. I agree with this mentality, but I also agree with the thinking that depriving ourselves of having the craving helps us out way more in the long run. It gives us more power. It makes us feel more capable and in control.
I didn’t set out with any specific goals or parameters. I didn’t announce it anywhere until I was at least 6 days soda-free. I didn’t have a plan for how long I was going to go without soda. I just knew I had to cut it out of my life cold turkey.
My soda addiction has been the biggest thing holding me back in my weight loss journey. For one, it’s filled with calories and sugars and a whole slew of rotten things, and for another, to completely cut out soda would mean a complete shift in my diet and thinking. When I have a bad day, I’m not one to reach for a wine glass or a beer bottle, I’m more apt to reach for a bottle of crisp, cold Coca-Cola to refresh me and calm me. It was soothing, something that never failed to lift my spirits and make me happy.
I spent all of 2012 taking steps to cut out soda. And while I can look at all those attempts at failures, I did drastically reduce my intake. By the end of the year, I was rarely buying it for the house, and more often than not, I was drinking water at work. I could go a day or two without soda and didn’t experience any side effects, but cravings would hit and I would give in. I would allow myself to give in on the weekends or when I was at a party. On vacation. Soda was always my beverage of choice.
At the beginning of this journey, I substituted juice for soda. Water was still tasteless to me and I wanted something with a little sweeter kick. While these juice were made of natural sugars, they were still very sugary and I felt as if I was trading one bad addiction for another. As in, yes, I am not drinking soda anymore but I am still drinking lots of sugary beverages. But there has been a shift in the past week or so, where most days, I only drink water. And I drink a lot of water. My body is developing a taste for it and a need for it. It’s still water so it’s still tasteless and bland (even when I add a lemon to it!), but I’m finding it so much easier to drink now.
It’s been an interesting 30 days. Most days, it has been easy and I haven’t had any cravings. The cravings usually hit on the weekends but I learned early on that even though I crave it, I’m not wasting any willpower resisting it. I crave it, but I don’t want to have it. If that makes any sense.
So where do I go from here? What’s next? That’s a question I’ve been asking myself for weeks. A part of me is a little terrified to have a soda because I don’t want to fall off the wagon. (And break my streak!) But then there’s that other part that really, really wants to taste soda again. I know I need to give myself strict guidelines, at least for now. I can tell that, though my addiction is gone, my want for it is not. It’s still a part of my life, albeit a tiny part. If I want to have a soda, I can have one. But only on Saturdays and only when it is in a glass. (So, basically, only if I’m out to eat on a Saturday at a restaurant.)
I’m crazy proud of myself. I have shown myself how capable I am of achieving something that’s been weighing me down (literally) for years. I have beaten my worst addiction. I have transformed a part of my life. And now it’s time for a new challenge.
Way to go!! Giving up something like soda is SO hard, especially after years of consuming it on a regular basis. I gave up soda when I was on the WW program, first shifting to diet, and then cutting it out completely. Now i have it occasionally but I do not crave it, which is crazy to think about because I used to crave it so badly, I would drink Mountain Dew for breakfast! (gross, I know).
Definitely pat yourself on the back for accomplishing this!!!
I used to have sodas for breakfast, too! It didn’t make me feel any better, but I did it anyway. I don’t crave it at all anymore, either. It’s amazing to discover how your taste buds and cravings can change and adapt.
That is SO GREAT, Stephany. I had three in two days the day that I texted you, but I haven’t had any since. I even brought water bottles and grape juice for myself and the kids for the movies on Sunday so I wouldn’t buy Sprite. I think I’m back over that craving, and at this point I’m not going to beat myself up about it, I’m just trying very hard not to make it a habit.
Getting over the craving hump is the hardest part, really. Then, it’s totally easy breezy and I don’t even crave soda anymore – something I never imagined would happen to me! You can do it – and you’re doing so good right now. Just making everyday choices add up in the long run.
PS – coffee date soon? Now that I have my own wheels, my schedule is wide open!
I’m the same as you when it comes to water. I just really hate the non-taste of water. But then I realized that when I’m really thirty and really need water, I can drink it no problem. It’s probably just when I’m not very dehydrated that I don’t really like it as much. My body knows when it needs water and when it needs it, it likes it. So that’s just something I’ve observed lately and why I find drinking 64 oz. of water a day to be really hard.
That’s exactly my problem, too! It’s easy to drink when I’m thirsty but when I’m not thirsty? It’s so hard for me to drink it! Still, I’m drinking more than I ever have and drink about 32oz a day, which seems to be my sweet spot. I know I *should* be drinking more but for now, I’m happy to get my 32oz in AND I am *very* happy I am not craving or drinking soda anymore. Yay!
That’s so great, Stephany! I’m so proud of you!
I remember when I gave up drinking Red Bull and soda cold turkey. It was so hard! I definitely had cravings and headaches, too. But after a while, I didn’t crave them anymore. Now I can have a Red Bull or soda once in a while and not feel like I’m addicted again.
I must say though, I’m pretty addicted to coffee. However, I only have a coffee drink one time a day in the morning, rather than multiple times a day. It’s just that I can’t go a day without it or I start to crave it and get headaches. I’m currently working on switching to green tea in the mornings. It’s healthier than coffee, and it helps speed up one’s metabolism! I’m hoping it helps with my weightloss goal.
I think the caffeine addiction is a strong one for most people! I had a hard time getting over not having that in my system and I was SO TIRED for weeks. I knew I didn’t want to trade one addiction (soda) for another (coffee) so I had to hang tough and try to get in as much sleep as I could. But I find a coffee addiction not to be as detrimental on the body as soda so even if you ARE addicted, especially if it’s only once a day, don’t beat yourself up too badly. Switching to green tea is an excellent idea!
That’s so awesome! I’m so proud of how far you’ve come!
It’s good that you realized that swapping soda for juice is not much better. My husband and I gave up soda in 2008, but we still consumed a lot of juice, Gatorade, lemonade, and sugary tea, so I don’t know that we accomplished much. Now I’m off sugar for the year, but I have to still make sure that I’m not just swapping refined sugar for tons of juice, agave, and natural sweeteners. Once in a while is fine, but if I’m giving up the calories in refined sugar and consuming empty calories somewhere else, I haven’t accomplished much.
I meant to add that I don’t really agree with the “just give in to your cravings” mentality. No one would tell that to a cocaine addict or an alcoholic trying to recover. Sugar/soda addiction is the same. We have to push past cravings in order for our bodies to detox from the addiction. Giving in to cravings, even a small amount, keeps that addictive substance in our body and limits detox.
What worked well for me was having a small amount of sugar (coffee creamer) every day, and no more. It kept a little bit of sugar in me so that detox was gradual and withdrawals were not as harsh as they would have been cold turkey. Then, when my creamer was gone, I didn’t buy more, and my body was so used to only having a little bit of sugar that it didn’t mind permanently giving up such a small amount.
Oh, I totally agree! But sometimes telling people they have to completely cut out a food (or a whole slew of foods!) leads to disordered eating. I don’t have that tendency, but it’s a very real problem with a lot of people. What I mean is that, sometimes, if you’re craving a cookie and have been craving it for a while: Have the damn cookie! Eat it and get over it. Sometimes, that *does* help. Cookies in moderation are not a bad thing. I wholly believe eating in moderation, which means though I am trying to cut down my sugar addiction, I’m not of the mindset that I will never have dessert again (and will probably have it a few times a week!). That said, what this soda-free journey taught me was that you really just have to get PAST the craving part and you’ll find the cravings go away. Getting over that hump is that hardest part but when you do, you feel so powerful and in control of your emotions. So, while I still do believe in that “eat it and get over it” mentality in some instances, I also believe we can deprive ourselves and feel better. This comment feels so rambling! Haha. I totally understand where you are coming from, though!
Ummmm awesome!! Cutting these extremely sugary parts out of your life will go a long way for your weight loss journey, I think. I used to drink soda more regularly as a teenager but back when I was less conscious of these things, I just decided I didn’t want to drink it anymore and I’m so grateful I broke that habit quickly. Now when I try and drink one, all I taste is the sugar. The longer you go without something that is BAD for you, I think the more your body realizes it. Same thing with me and fast food. I cut it out of my life for some time, and now I have it on occasion but I NEVER order a whole trio. I order like a small fry and a kid-size burger, just to satisfy the craving. I know you’ll understand this with soda, but it’s such a wonderful feeling to feel like you don’t need these items in your life anymore. It’s freeing.
“The longer you go without something that is BAD for you, I think the more your body realizes it.” <-- I totally agree with this statement! Your body definitely gets used to the bad crap and then once you take it out of your diet for a while, your body lets you know how awful the food/drink really is! It's been an eye-opening experience for me, that's for sure.
You can do hard things. I’m so proud of you!
So awesome! Kudos to 30 days without soda; that must feel great!!!
Good for you – what an awesome accomplishment!!
I actually haven’t had any coffee or soda for the past week. This is mostly because all the caffeine started giving me migraines too often, and that was starting to get annoying, so I’ve been drinking water with flavored Propel packs mixed in them. Actually, the only coffee I’ve had since last weekend was a cup of Donut Shoppe coffee yesterday from the Keurig. I was a little concerned it would give me a migraine, but none came. I’m thinking that as long as I’m not drinking caffeinated drinks days on end, as long as it’s within moderation, I’m okay to drink it without having to fear a migraine. But soda was something I already wanted to cut down on anyway, and the Propel water has just been my substitute. I already drink regular water every day, so I didn’t think the Propel water would be too bad, although it does have its fair amount of sugar. But I counteract that with my history with low blood sugar and theorize that I need it for my health. 😉 I don’t want to give up soda entirely, because I like mixing Sprite with my favorite adult beverages and also like a crisp, cold Diet Coke (I’m actually opposite of you, regular soda gives me a bad aftertaste) on a hot, summer’s day. I just want to reduce the amount of soda I actually drink.
Any little change helps! I made little changes all through 2012 and I think I was just ready to completely cut it out this year. It’s a big step and I think I will still have it from time to time… just not as frequently as I did before. You can do it!
How amazing! I was doing good for awhile and then fell off the wagon. It’s funny, it’s only at work that I really want a soda. On the weekends I can do unsweet Tea and at home I have other drinks to keep me happy.
Good luck on your next set of goals!
I am the exact opposite! I do fine during the weeks, but I would almost fall apart on the weekends. That’s when I always craved it the most.
You can do it, though! It’s just getting past those cravings. It took me a little over 3 weeks to not feel like I would punch someone in the face for a soda. Hehe. 🙂
congrats, that is so awesome! definitely a huge accomplishment and good luck moving forward.
This is amazing! My husband is also addicted to soda so I might just forward him this post. 🙂
Oh, my goodness, Kathleen, if I can kick this habit, ANYONE CAN. I honestly never thought I would get to a point where I wouldn’t crave the stuff or even WANT it anymore! And I don’t! Forward along. 🙂
Good for you! Quitting soda was really challenging for me too, but when I did, I dropped 15 pounds immediately. Now, I don’t ever crave soda, and when I do drink it, I don’t even really enjoy it.
Great job! I know that this was really hard for you; I know how much you like soda! If you can do it for 30 days, you can probably cut it down a little for the long haul without problems!
Congrats Stephany!! I’ve obviously been really interested in your journey with soda since I had a similar journey in early college. After 40 days of giving it up, I really wanted to go back and when I did it tasted awful. You realllllyy taste the sugar and carbonation after not having it for a long period of time. I’m excited to hear more about what happens next!
I’m on day 1 I’ve cut back by 50% and feel horrible already. I figure I’m lucky as I have the next 3 days off to lay in bed and pitty myself. I still have part of a case sitting next to me but its mainly there as a cusion. It’s pepsi and I’m a coke feind lol. Good job on kicking the addiction keep up the good work!
I finally gave it up a few years ago. At first the cravings were so strong, and I also gave in sometimes but eventually the cravings went away. Then about a year later a funny thing happened, no only did I not crave it, I couldn’t stand the taste of it. To me soda just tastes really nasty now and I’m amazed to think I used to love this stuff and drink it all day. Now I only drink water with every meal, or on the rare occasion that I just want something with flavor I’ll brew up some tea.