Cutting out soda

[Treasure]

I have a serious addiction to diet soda. I don't like water all that much, even the flavored, sparkling kind. I know that substituting soft drinks with that kind of water is a popular way to cut down on sodas, but it just doesn't cut it for me. Does anyone have any advice?

[BettyBoop]

That is a problem Treasure.  I used to be totally addicted to coffee, drinking at least 3 pots per day.  The older I got the less I drank so that now I'm down to 1 or 2 cups a day.  Do you like tea?  Maybe you could try diet Lipton tea or maybe diet green tea.  I love them both. 

[Melee]

I have a similar addiction, only my addiction is non-diet soda, specifically Coca-Cola. I know it would do me some good to get to a point where I drink diet soda, and have a diet soda addiction, but I just can't do it.  

One thing that can positively put me in a very bad mood is if, when I get home after grocery shopping, I discover that I've accidentally grabbed diet soda instead of just regular soda.

All that being said, maybe you could try to like water a bit more than you do now. Water is a miracle in a bottle and can become as addictive as soda. If you start to drink more water than you do now, and you do so on a consistent basis for about a week, I feel confident that you will notice such a difference in your energy level, your skin tone, and other things, that water just might become your new addiction.

[horizon]

I read and heard that diet soda is actually not any better than the regular soda. It brings the same health risk. I stayed away from all soda drinks since then.

Treasure and Melee, why do you like the soda so much? I'm asking because I think it will be easier to change if you know in the first place what's causing it.

[Treasure]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions!


BettyBoop, I've never liked coffee and we rarely had tea in our house growing up. Soda is an addiction of mine that has been around for quite some time, unfortunately. That's great progress for you, though! Congratulations. I like teas, but only when I had a lot of sugar...so it doesn't really feel like a healthy alternative, you know? Clearly, I have problems regulating my sugar. I just love it so much.

Melee, I don't know if diet soda is really all that much better. I've actually read that it can be worse for you. So, I wouldn't feel too bad about not drinking the diet ones. I'm glad I'm not alone in the soda addiction, though! I'm the complete opposite. I absolutely cannot drink soft drinks that aren't diet, except for Sprite. I would love to have an addiction to water.I don't know if I'll ever really like it, though. I have been seeing ads on Facebook for a water bottle that lights up when it's time for you to drink more water, so you can stay properly hydrated throughout the day. Maybe I should try one of those.

Horizon, I've read the same thing. Unfortunately, I didn't transition to diet soda because it was a healthier alternative. By the time I was old enough for my parents to be alright with me drinking soda, diet was all they had in the house. I guess it's a familiarity thing. I just think it's a crisp, refreshing drink and I like the bubbles. I think part of it is that I like drinking out of a can, so maybe I should be looking at some canned sparkling water alternatives.

[horizon]

It's great that you're able to figure out some reasons why. Now it's a matter of finding the alternatives that work for you.

Have you tried using the low-carb sweeteners for the drinks? I also like making infused water, especially with lemon. Add the low-carb sweeteners and keep it cold as it tastes best that way. When you need a quick drink, grab that one instead of the soda. I'm not sure about re-using the cans for other drinks, so I guess finding a similar bottle is the answer for now.

[Melee]

I have also heard that diet soda could actually be worse for a person than drinking regular soda. I don't know all the facts on that because I'm not a diet soda drinker, so I have not really looked into the matter all that much.
That being said though, my general take on food and drinks is that I always go for the "full-on" version rather than the diet version.
Treasure, may I say, I think it's a great idea for you to try one of those water bottles that lights up if you feel that will help you to like water more. Water is life.

Horizon, I feel like my reasons for drinking soda are probably deep-rooted. Soda reminds me of a lot of childhood things that I went through, and not just any soda, Coke. Pepsi depresses me, but I'll drink it as a last resort. Like if a store doesn't have any Coke, Sprite, 7Up, Dr. Pepper, orange, strawberry, lemon lime, or grape soda, then maybe I'll grab Pepsi.

Coke is kind of like a security blanket to me, as strange as that might sound.  Thankfully I also love to drink milk, so I feel like all the milk I drink kind of counteracts all the soda I drink.

[Treasure]

Melee, it seems like you're making the right choice then!

I wanted to update you guys: So far, for the past three days, I've had one Diet Mountain Dew a day and have been drinking over 75+ oz of water. I just told myself that I didn't have to cut out the soda, I just had to up my water intake. So I've been making myself batches of lemon water and making myself drink it throughout the day. I'm so full of fluids that cracking open a soda doesn't usually even tempt me. I've also noticed that I'm thirsty all the time now. My body is used to getting all that water and the soda no longer cuts it! I'm just hoping I can keep this up.

Horizon, if I fall off the wagon then I'm going to give those low-carb sweeteners a try!