Breaking the soda addiction

I’ve had several instances in the past 6 years or so during which I’ve attempted to break my soda addiction, and I hate to say that usually, I end up back on it. At the moment, I’ve been soda-free for 6 weeks, which really is not that long, but this time it was my 4 sugar free weeks that really helped me out. I actually drank a sip of Nick’s Mexican Coke the other night, and it really did not taste good. I instantly said “aww I think I ruined myself on soda!” :P So I’m reflecting here on why soda is such a problem in my own life, and the methods I’ve taken to cut it out. (Note that I’m using the word addiction which I mean as participating in an ongoing practice that is known to be detrimental to my health.)

Why is soda so easy to drink?
+ It’s everywhere! You can’t throw a rock without hitting a soda machine or some other soda-providing space. In my senior year of high school, a friend and I would always get a Sprite during lunch to last through Spanish class, which was plenty easy thanks to the soda machines on campus. That was 10 years ago, however, and now schools have largely banned the sale of the sweet stuff, which I definitely agree with.
+ It’s cheap. We go to a pizza place here on campus sometimes for lunch, and the pizza + salad + soda combo is actually $1 cheaper than if you just buy the pizza + salad. It makes no sense that water would be more expensive than soda, but that leads me to…
+ The government is subsidizing it with our tax dollars. Corn is the #1 agriculture subsidy that the US government provides, which helps companies like Coca-Cola receive high fructose corn syrup for cheaper than actual sugar, so why not use 39g of the sweet stuff (~3 heaping tablespoons) in a 12oz can? This is why soda can cost 99cents for a 2 liter, yet the same amount of water can easily cost 3x as much.

Moving on to ways to cut it out… I am not claiming to be the expert here, this is simply a collection of methods I’ve tried myself or seen others use.

Methods to cut down your intake:
+ Recognize your triggers. I love a cold soda when I’m eating out, probably because the food tends to be higher in sodium and therefore a sugary soda balances it out nicely. When I know I’m eating out, I have to literally think to myself “you are not ordering a soda” before the waiter comes to ask what I want to drink, otherwise I find myself automatically saying “coke, please!” If you can recognize your own triggers, you’re one step closer to being able to control the urges.
+ Get friendly with water. Personally, I find that water is more refreshing than what I think I’m going to get out of a soda, and once I start drinking it with my meal, my urge for a soda diminishes because I am satiated. Also, it helps to always have a water bottle handy so that you have access when you’re thirsty. I carry mine to work meetings, to lunch, and always have my bottle hanging out near me, all which help me drink more water but also to prevent me from drinking soda “because I need something to drink!” And of course, if you already have it with you, you won’t feel as annoyed with paying for water as I know *I* usually do! It’s oftentimes more expensive than the sodas, argh.
+ Give yourself rules. The rules can be anything from “I can drink a soda as long as it’s diet” – which is good for us regular soda drinkers who can’t stand drinking diet, or vice versa – to “Only 1 soda per week.” It all depends on your triggers, level of intake, and what you’re hoping to get out of it (to cut it out completely, simply cut the frequency, etc).
+ Don’t keep it in the house. I am sure some people will have trouble with this due to their family/roommates/significant other, however if you can control it, do not bring it into your house. The last time someone left 8 cokes at our place, I think I drank them all in 5 days, just because I would open the fridge and hey, here’s a nice cold soda waiting for me!
+ Reward yourself with something else. If you really love buying nail polish (like me!), it might help to connect the lack of soda with being able to purchase a new polish. So for every 2 weeks I go without a soda, I may reward myself with a new polish, and looking at my pretty nails will remind me of my dedication to avoiding soda. Find something that you can reward yourself with, and stick to it – don’t pick something you’ll need to buy anyway, for instance.
+ Remind yourself why you’re doing it – frequently. For me, I just don’t want to be drinking liquid sugar/empty calories unless it is naturally occurring, and even then it’s usually only in our morning smoothies. All I need is that above picture of the amount of sugar in a soda to remind me to avoid it, but for you it may be something different altogether.

Now if you just read all that, you may be wondering why not just switch to diet soda? Well, diet sodas still contribute to health problems, cause tooth decay, and contain sweeteners that have been linked to diseases such as cancer. Personally, I don’t find any of those things to be a good alternative to regular soda!

So to all of us who are struggling with an addiction to soda, I wish us luck and good health!! :)

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