Breaking Up With Bubbly- How I Broke Free Of My Soda Addiction

19 Feb 2019 ByKate In30 Days, 1 New Habit

It’s the New Year, and guys, I wish I could make some major changes. But I’m going to be totally honest. We’re having a new baby soon, and my life will already be undergoing so much change. Huge resolutions and sweeping proclamations of ‘living my best life’ just aren’t in the cards for me in 2019. [Side note: if you’re feeling me on this, check out this great read. You’ll love it!] Anyways, I recently checked out an encore performance of Rachel Hollis’ ‘Made For More’ which inspired me to undertake a small habit change each month… The idea being that small changes are more ‘do-able’, and eventually add up. First up, I’m quitting a fierce soda addiction… Read on to see how this first transformation went!

Everyone knows soda isn't the healthiest choice... I finally made the decision to commit to a month with out, to see how I fared. (Spoiler alert, I'm totally soda free now!) Check out my tips to make this positive change for yourself! #smallchanges #newhabits #newyear #gethealthy #nosoda #drinkwater #hydrate #progress #progressnotperfection
Disclosure: This post is not sponsored in any way.

QUITTING MY SODA ADDICTION

soda aisle in store

The Backstory

Alright guys, I’m not gonna blame anyone but myself for my intense love of the bubbly stuff. But I willlll say that my parents were not terribly strict about my soda intake as a child… So by now, my thirty-something self is pretty much dependent on the stuff. I’ve never been a big fan of most juices, have yet to find a flavored water I enjoy (suggestions welcome!), and don’t really love plain water. So my dependence on soda is well established.

soda selection

Full disclosure, on a typical day I would drink a large fountain drink from McDonald’s. (Their fountain sodas are the best. It’s like a proven fact.) But I’m a grown up, and I know, it’s just empty calories, has ZERO nutrition, and sets a terrible example for my kids, who are only allowed a sip or two of soda at a time. Choosing to break my soda addiction once and for all (hopefully) seemed like a logical first step for this experiment in creating new habits.

My Month

bottled water

I saw ‘Made For More’ on January 2nd, so I didn’t quite commit the entire month of January to developing this new habit. But I did start battling my soda addiction on January 3rd, so it was pretty darn close. (So, I’m counting it. Deal with it.)

01.03.2019 1155pm: Drinking extra water at 31 weeks pregnant may have been a silly idea. Already doubting how much sleep I will actually get tonight… Committed to the process, but not sure if it’s worth the crankiness!

01.04.2019 1247pm: Target run with #thelittleone. Feeling thirsty, and not in the mood for any more plain water after this morning… Decide on an iced latte at Starbucks instead. Note: need to monitor caffeine intake as this little experiment progresses.

01.05.2019 946am: Out for a late breakfast with the kids and my parents. Swapped a small cup of apple cider for my usual soft drink… Still empty calories, so really not sure whether to consider this successful.

01.09.2019 555pm: Doing really well in general, just sticking with water for the most part. Having dinner out tonight to celebrate the hub’s birthday, and this was definitely a time when I wanted a soda. Stuck with a berry lemonade though, so I suppose I could have done worse.

01.17.2019: Just a general check in, as the month has begun to fly by. I’m finding that for the most part, I am able to fight back the cravings very easily- MUCH more easily than the times I have tried to give up caffeinated soda in the past. Maybe switching to caffeine free before quitting was a crucial step?

01.23.2019: Still soda free, and doing great with it. I do drink a berry lemonade once or twice a week, and often a small orange juice during breakfasts out with family. Sometimes I drink a small glass of the kids’ high protein, lower sugar chocolate milk when I have a sweet drink craving. I’m still not loving water constantly, but I know it’s worth it for my health, so I’m sticking with it.

water bottles

All In all:

01.31.2019: I did it! I’ve gone nearly an entire month without soda- and have no intention of reintroducing it to my diet. Yes, I’m still up using the bathroom ALL NIGHT, EVERY NIGHT thanks to my crazy amount of water intake, but I’ll live with it. I do still LOVE me a berry lemonade, although it may just be a pregnancy craving. We’ll see if that hankering fades after I deliver this baby in March. I’ve kept my coffee runs minimal, which is shocking for the third trimester of pregnancy, when I’m pretty exhausted. Honestly, I’m thrilled about the changes I’ve made, and absolutely plan to stay soda free indefinitely.

My Soda Free Tips:

flavored water

Plan ahead. I don’t love most juices, ‘health’ waters, teas, etc, so I know that to be successful when I’m out and about, I NEED to have a bottle of water in my bag. That keeps me hydrated, comfortable, and far less tempted to grab a quick soda.
Experiment a bit. I’m still struggling to find other beverage options that I really like, as sometimes I just get sick of water. Lemonades and some juices seem to be the best for my belly right now, but I’ll be interested in potentially trying a few iced teas or some infused waters in the near future as well.
Make it a family thing. I’m lucky- my immediate family really didn’t drink soda prior to my quitting. My husband drank it occasionally, and my boys had occasional sips of mine, but they were all happy to give it up entirely at home while I did. Having that support, and no in-my-face temptation made it much easier to break my bad habit. Get everyone on board with the process if you can!