Eek, this is a hard post for me to write. Buckle up, it’s a looong one.
I have a big confession. I have a very bad habit that I have never really delved into on this blog but am going to today! I’ve maybe hinted at it here and there, and people with an observant eye maybe have noticed it in photos. But I’ve never come right out and talked about it.
I am seriously addicted to soda.
OK, fine, maybe not in a serious, serious way, like someone who drinks a 12 pack a day or multiple 2L bottles a day. Not like that level, thank goodness.
But I loooooooooooove soda. I love the taste, the fizz, the flavor…. And I drink it every, single day. Usually more than one, if I’m honest.
Also, I’m talking about regular, full sugar soda. Not the diet stuff (though I’ve tried subbing that in- more on that later).
I know.
I can hear people gasping from the other side of their screens. Ew, people still drink regular soda?? KAE drinks regular soda?? Isn’t she like, a nurse? Isn’t she someone who “works out and tries to be healthy”? Didn’t she once do a blog series on macro tracking? And the whole time she was drinking regular soda every day?
Yep, basically. 😩
Background
I was born in 1983. I am a child of the 80s-90s! Soda was kind of a “thing” back then (still is, obviously, but there was way less of a focus on its negative health impacts back then). No shade to my parents, who were excellent parents (but also, 80s-90s era parents..), but they totally stocked our basement fridge with Coke, Dr. Pepper, Jolly Good Cherry and Grape soda (mmmm the memories of the cherry soda…). My dad drank Coke. My mom was a die-hard Diet Coke drinker. Everyone drank soda. So guess what? I drank soda! It was at every family gathering, birthday party, you name it. My friends came over, we got out snacks and sodas. It was just totally the way of my world. No one really batted an eye.
*I should clarify- it’s not like they filled my baby bottles with Coke. I started drinking it more in my later childhood years- probably in the 9-10 year old range, I’d guess? By the time I was in middle school and more independently choosing my beverages, I know I was drinking it regularly, though.
Fast forward to 14, and I got a job at McDonald’s. Fountain soda was always my favorite kind ever, and now I had it at my fingertips, for free, ALL day, every time I worked. I distinctly remember literally just filling and refilling a medium cup and keeping it tucked under my register all day.
Every time we ate out, which was quite often in our household, I got a Coke! If we ordered pizza, I got a Coke. Heading out to the pool? Brought a Coke. Long car ride? A Coke. You get the idea. (I didn’t sit around drinking it constantly at home- I’m not trying to overplay this either. I was also always the scrawniest, skinniest girl around, so no one was ever concerned about me being overweight or unhealthy. But the point is, Coke became my go-to favorite beverage, and I drank it quite often. I always had milk with dinner and generally ate a balanced diet, otherwise, but, it was the 90s! We had a lot of good snacks back then. Lol. And, soda!)
As a result, soda is now embedded in so many of my life’s moments and memories. Which sounds weird, but is also a fact, and important to recognize. Just like a smoker who always lights up with his coffee, I formed SO many deep-seeded, happy associations with drinking soda.
Fast forward to college and adulthood, and I was still loving my Coke. As I got older, I naturally matured and had occasional thoughts questioning if all this soda intake was really that good for me. I know I went through a brief phase in college where I totally stopped buying it at my apartment for a while, but I never totally gave it up. I’d still buy it out somewhere on campus (daily!)…. and I waitressed in college, so I drank it at work…. it never went away.
For the most part, I waved away any thoughts of fully quitting it. My argument was always, well, I very rarely drink alcohol. I don’t smoke. I don’t even drink coffee! This is my one vice. It’s just soda! Also, I was always just really skinny when younger (genetically, I guess, because heaven knows my diet wasn’t particularly on point, thanks to all the soda). So, I didn’t have any real motivation on the “vanity” front back then, either. I was in multiple sports all through high school and generally felt fit and active and figured what can a little soda hurt? It’s not affecting me.
Fast forward a little farther, and now I’m a mid-20s something woman, with 2 young kids and a full-time job as a nurse. Yep, still drinking the soda. (Fun fact- I asked the labor and delivery nurse to bring me a cold Coke with my sandwich at 2 am after I gave birth to Asher at 12:42 a.m.) I used to crave my 2x/ daily soda breaks at work. On days off, I loved buying one on ice at Target while out shopping with the boys, or swinging through a drive-thru to bring one to the park with us.
The Quitting Cycle
Somewhere in there, probably in my late 20s, or maybe closing in on 30, I had some more serious realizations that I was really drinking quite a bit of soda! Again, not always obscene amounts, but definitely daily, and sometimes upwards of 3-4 servings a day (some of these “servings” being the giant fountain sized ones…).
Over the next few years, I went through several periods of trying to decrease my soda intake. I lose track of the specifics, but I know in June 2018 we went to New York City. I would have been 34, I think. Leading up to that trip for a few months, I did a “challenge” where I told myself I couldn’t drink Coke until after our trip.
So what did I do? I started subbing in Dr. Pepper. (Insert face-palm emoji). My reasoning was that while I liked Dr. Pepper, I didn’t love Dr. Pepper the way I loved Coke. So I thought naturally I wouldn’t want it as much, and this would help me to cut back.
Welp, turns out it was pretty easy for me to learn to love Dr. Pepper!! How about that.
Before long, Dr. Pepper just moved in in place of Coke, and I actually to this day still prefer Dr. Pepper now to Coke! Very strange, but true.
So now I was in the exact same situation, but Dr. Pepper was the main vice instead of Coke. (Although I’ll still never turn down a Coke, either…😬)
In that same timeframe, I started to realize it was not quite as easy to maintain my figure while drinking and eating whatever I wanted anymore. This was when I worked with a trainer and did a few rounds of macro tracking, etc. Of note, even then, I never fully gave up soda, but I did have to decrease my intake by a LOT in order to squeeze a can into my daily macros.
Then that whole thing sort of ran its course, so I relaxed my eating habits, and soda crept right back in and trended upwards again….(though I have maintained a much lower overall amount compared to my peak intake years ago).
Roll forward to 2020 (pre-pandemic 2020, January!) and I decided enough was enough. I set a New Years goal to QUIT SODA for good. And I did! For a little while. LOL. I ended up basically doing the same thing as the last time, and I started ordering Orange Fanta at McDonald’s, or getting a lemonade…. (neither of which I even really like as much, but they kind of “scratched the itch” for me and satisfied the cravings. But, they have the same calories + sugar, so what was the point then of not just drinking what I ACTUALLY liked….). Add in the whole pandemic stress, and I finally caved by ~July 2020 and just started drinking Dr. Pepper again.
From there, I played lots of mind games with myself to keep the habit at bay. I’d only drink it in restaurants. I’d only drink one a day. I’d buy the little tiny cans! (those are evil- they give you just enough for a taste, basically, and are extremely unsatisfying!) Okay, I’d just have two cans a day, but never in restaurants. Eventually I tried subbing in Diet Dr. Pepper (I hate Diet Coke, but Diet Dr. P is decent), so I’d allow myself one regular can + one diet can per day. Or I’d order a Diet fountain drink from the gas station instead of a regular, telling myself “no calories! no sugar! This one doesn’t count!)….
Anyway, you can see how this all goes. I went around and around, spinning my wheels. Writing it all out is so embarrassing!! In fact, in true addiction fashion, I’d say I honestly kind of hid just how much soda I was drinking sometimes. I mean, Ivan, my parents and the kids all knew I drank a good amount of soda- it was obvious; everyone who knows me well knows I love soda!-, but I think during some phases I was drinking more than I really let on.
Last August, 2023, I had one of those epiphany moments. I had been drinking a large regular Dr. Pepper from McDonald’s (MY FAVORITE) and had driven an hour to pick up Ethan from my parents’ house. It was a hot day, and after a while the soda kind of got warm and extra “syrupy” tasting, for some reason. I had this momentary thought of “GROSS, this tastes so bad. Why am I drinking this?!!”
When I got home, I dumped the rest out and then and there. I was tired of constantly thinking about managing and regulating my soda intake, anyway. It was like this constant nagging thing in my mind. Should I? Shouldn’t I? I want it. But you already had one. You should drink water instead. But water is boring. I want a soda. Drink a sparkling water! Meh, no, those are kinda gross. Etc etc. Nothing ever compared to soda.
So I gave it up! August 9, 2023.
Cold turkey, just like that. I was SO PROUD of myself!! I set a timer in the app Quitzilla that would require me to re-set it if I caved. (At the time, I found this oddly motivating.) I didn’t really tell anyone, except my family, because I guess I wasn’t convinced I would stick with it. (And I was embarrassed to even admit that I was addicted to soda.) But I did it! For over 100 days. Not one sip of soda.
Fast forward one more time, to Christmas Eve 2023. We flew to Mexico, and upon arrival, I found that my in-laws, unaware that I had quit soda a few months before, had stocked their fridge with some (expensive for them) big cans of Dr. Pepper. They were so sweet- and so excited- to have those waiting for me, the perfect hosts! They knew just what I wanted.
UGH. I felt like no way could I not drink them, right?? I mean, that would be so rude!! I consulted with Ivan, who is a total moderator- he personally doesn’t have trouble limiting things and actually hates soda himself and has always struggled to really understand why I even want to drink it in the first place – and he said, “Well, maybe just have it while here on vacation.” OKAY! I didn’t need a lot of encouraging. lol!
I’m not blaming him- this was obviously ultimately my decision. But it’s another example of a mind game I played. Again, not blaming Ivan, but he is more of someone who will say, “We are all going to die one day. Enjoy life, do what makes you happy…. if you like it, drink it! Just don’t drink so much.”
And I agree! He’s right. But unfortunately, I have proven time and time again that I cannot just “not drink so much”.
Anyway, so I drank the Dr. Pepper in Mexico. And then once I had broken the seal, I proceeded to drink Coke all during our time in Mexico, too.. (Soda is still very much a THING in Mexico. At every meal there is a 2L bottle of Coke on the table…). I enjoyed it immensely- my little holiday treat!! I intended to stop drinking it as soon as we got home.
Except, I didn’t.
This is already way too long, so I’ll just leave it with that after being totally off all soda from 8/9/23- 12/24/23, I have now been back ON soda ever since.
AND I AM TIRED OF IT. Like I said above, I am utterly exhausted from thinking about it.
This spring I half-heartedly attempted to quit a few times, sort of in solidarity with Sarah, who was herself working on her own quitting goal of giving up compulsive Reddit scrolling. But I wasn’t mentally all in and it didn’t stick. (We were apparently a crappy pair of accountability partners, because neither of us really stuck to what we were giving up!! 😂🤣)
Until I saw Sarah’s post and got a text from her recently about her decision to once and for all delete her Reddit account and go completely cold turkey on it, asking me to help hold her accountable. She was all in, hard core.
Hmmm. I mean, if she can do it, so can I, right? This sparked another thought that I should quit soda again.
After chatting on and off about it all last week, she suggested that I use upcoming Monday, July 1st, as a big RE-SET day! A New Years Day, take 2.
I LOVED this idea. I still had 5-6 days to mentally prepare, so I had the chance to drink all the soda I wanted and say our goodbyes and make my peace with it. (Dramatic, much?! LOL. 😆😆)
And now, here we are. July 1st. And I’m saying it here, loud and clear: I HAVE OFFICIALLY QUIT SODA. FOREVER.
No Diet soda. No “only on vacation”. No “only on Friday nights with nachos” (this one was a very tempting proposition for myself, but I ultimately decided- no. My addiction is too long and too real. I need to fully and completely lose the taste and any desire for it, which I believe means for me, I need to quit it 100%.)
So there’s my very long soda story! Whew. That was cathartic. It feels good to put all that out there!
I truly am embarrassed by this particular habit. I told Sarah I feel like it was one thing to drink a lot of soda in the 90s-2000s, but 2024 is a different world. I sometimes feel like drinking all the regular soda I did is now akin to me lighting up a cigarette! Just very socially frowned upon these days, I guess. (With good reason!)
Here is a list I sent Sarah, so she can help remind me if I ever waver. (But I won’t.)
My Reasons for Quitting Soda, in no particular order:
- Sugar is highly linked to dementia, and I have a very strong family history of dementia on my mom’s side!!
- Sugar is inflammatory and linked to a multitude of inflammation-related diseases, including cancer.
- My metabolism is just going to get slower…and slower… as I age. While maybe I can generally handle all these empty, high carb calories now (which is actually debatable, recently- I feel like I have noticed some slow, trickling upwards weight gain already lately- I’m actually at the highest scale weight I have ever been at right now…), it is highly unlikely that I will maintain a healthy weight forever while consuming daily regular soda!
- Soda is bad for your teeth. No issues currently, but I want to keep my teeth!!
- Soda is expensive! And it adds up. Fountain drinks are up to $1.89 even at McDonald’s now, and often gas station prices are even higher. A 12 pack is $7-8 now! I’d say double what it used to be. I bet I spend over $100/month on soda, all sources combined.
- Drinking soda constantly is a horrible example for my kids. Not only do I not want them to drink soda (they don’t, fortunately!), but I also really, really want them to be tenacious people who stick to their word! What example am I setting by “saying” I will quit, and then continuing to drink it?
- Soda and sugar may be related to skin issues I’ve developed- both some melasma and acne prone skin. High sugar diets are also linked to premature aging in skin.
- Excess sugar is linked to stroke, heart disease, diabetes, etc.
- The frequent hits of high fructose corn syrup likely are wreaking havoc on my blood sugar levels- huge spikes and dips. This is just not good in general, but also likely contributes to sluggishness and lower energy levels and alertness.
- All the sugar and caffeine may be affecting my sleep overall.
- Soda is linked to osteoporosis. I already have a body type that fits the general risk profile for that. (My strength training probably saves me some, but might not keep up long term!)
- Continuing to drink soda despite saying I “don’t want to” proves to myself that I am not a woman of my word. Quitting soda will help develop a further sense of self efficacy.
- Soda and sugar are not helping to fuel my body or my workouts! What is the point of working hard in the gym, and then coming home and drinking soda?!
- When I consume so many excess calories in sugar, that’s fewer calories that I could be consuming of protein or fruits or vegetables.
That’s a pretty comprehensive list, but let me know if you can think of anymore, and I’ll add them!
I’ll wrap this up here. I think writing this post and making this PUBLIC will hopefully help me to never, ever go back. I can do this!!! I am sure there will be moments that I miss it. So many moments! (With microwave popcorn. Every time I clean the house. At a movie. With certain meals. Driving Asher to a faraway swim meet…. Sitting on the deck on a hot afternoon. And most of all, OUT A RESTAURANTS!!! I love it there so much.)
But I am committed and deep down, I know that this is what I have to do. No more half-ways. This is sadly not something I can moderate! I have realized and accepted that.
And you know what, it will be fine! I am sure at this time next year I won’t even think about it anymore. (Note to self- add reminder on calendar to write a follow-up post on July 1, 2025). 🙂 Besides, I like the idea of quitting when I’m still 40. (40 now, will turn 41 in October. For some reason it sounds nice and clean to say, “I quit soda when I was 40.” 🙂
Someday, I hope I will be like my dad (who quit soda himself almost 20 years ago now?!) and think how did I ever like this?! I hope I will one day just have no desire to even drink it anymore and my soda-drinking days will be just a remote memory.
Any advice? Have you ever quit anything? Do you drink soda, or have you ever given it up? Is this completely appalling to you, or do you get it?! Be gentle… 😉
P.S. Thank you to SHU for encouraging and pushing me!!! ♥♥
GRATEFUL KAE 
Hey we all have our vices and no one is perfect. And your body composition is amazing so it hasn’t seemed to impact you from an appearance stand point! I used to drink a ton of soda when I was in college. One summer I went to Colorado with a friend to work at a resort. This friend was the healthiest person ever who worked out allll the time and I was just kind of average in terms of healthy eating. On the drive out, she challenged me to quit drinking soda. So I did great and then one morning I realized there was some coke in their basement bar fridge. I guess I saw it in a moment of weakness and I SLAMMED that thing. And then I was like – omg, what am I going to do with this can? If I throw it away down here, Amy will see it and know I failed! I don’t remember what exactly I did but later in the summer I joked about it with her very cool aunt and uncle that we lived with and they were like – do not do any experimenting with drugs because clearly you have an addictive personality. Ha. And to be clear, I’m the last person that would ever try drugs, besides legal things like alcohol. I can’t even get behind THC/CBD products because they were banned for so long and I am such a rule follower!
Anyways, all this is to say that it’s hard to quit something you love. Soda was always more of a treat for me and not something I had frequently but then in the last year or 2, Phil started to buy coke. At first it was just when it was on sale but it seems like it is always on sale. Sometimes we would split a can but when I was working from home, I would often drink one in the afternoon. But I ultimately had him start to buy coke zero and I drink that occasionally. I probably have 3 cans/week which I figure is fine. Like you, I am an abstainer so it’d odd that I can just occasionally drink a coke zero and not convert it into a daily habit. But I am very sensitive to caffeine, so when I am at work, I don’t drink soda because it’s so dang expensive to buy a can at the convenience store in our skyway. And I would never drink one at like 5pm. 3pm is the latest I can drink it and that’s even pushing the limits a bit.
But oh to be like Phil and Ivan, just moderating away and not falling prey to temptation. Another problematic thing that Phil buys is ice cream! I have asked him to just buy some ice cream with gluten in it for the love of God. Then I won’t eat it. But no. He buys things that are safe for me to eat. I have gotten better at abstaining from it lately. I guess there are downsides to him doing all of the grocery shopping. If it was up to me, we would never have these foods in our house!!
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Haha, that story about chugging the secret Coke is too funny!! I could totally see myself doing that. HAHA. (But not anymore!!) If I could just drink it a few times a week or like pick one up now and then from a drive thru as a treat, that would be ideal for me! But in reality I know I have tried this so many times and it always ends up morphing into more and more. I guess in my case there are just too many times I want a treat, lol! Like I like an afternoon can at home, but I also love getting a fountain soda out somewhere, and then I ALSO love it out at a restaurant… so it’s never a case of “just now and then” that I want it. But I have recognized this is my reality and I have to just face that, I think! I think what you’re doing with 3x a week or so is totally fine! Sadly I just can’t trust myself to do that…
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YESSSS! WE CAN DO THIS. I love love love this. And the idea to have a reminder for July 1, 2025 is genius!
I quit a week or so earlier (6/23 I think?) but I will also plan on using 7/1/25 as a date to remember to go back. I do think that in itself will be motivating.
This post is one of those truly honest ones that makes me realize why blogs are the best. ❤ ❤
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Yes, we can do it!! Thanks again for all the support and motivation! Seriously, it helps so much to know someone is there rooting for me!
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I have had BIG issues with Diet Coke in the past. Like a 2L bottle a day. Maybe it is calorie free, but it is full of chemicals. Plus it was SO embarrassing if a patient saw me drinking something I would definitely tell them not to. I have also tried to stop on a few occasions but stopped a couple of years ago for good!
I did find replacing it helpful. I have a few pre-planned go-to options for when I might have drunk diet Coke in the past, just to take the thinking out of it. I will drink sparkling water or seltzer often if I am out at a restaurant. I like iced tea, but only if it is unsweetened. I also found this lovely bright red herbal iced tea that I drink on my WFH days. It makes my WFH days a little indulgent. It isn’t cheap but I feels so much better about it than the diet coke. Of course I do sometimes worry people will think I am drinking a tumbler of iced wine midday on Zoom calls.
It took about 18 months but I don’t crave it anymore and I feels so much better about my beverage choices. Good Luck! This is the hardest part.
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Oh, this is so inspiring! It’s so helpful to hear success stories! When I quit last year, my biggest replacement drink at restaurants became unsweetened iced tea. I found I really liked it overall! I’m a big hot tea drinker (plain black English breakfast) so I usually drink several cups of that throughout the day while WFH. But iced tea is a great option for when out somewhere. Still not soda, of course, but mentally it feels much more satisfying than just ordering plain water. (blah… I know many people can go to a restaurant and just order a water, but I literally NEVER have done that in my entire life, so it feels so, so sad to me. Haha.) I think sometimes I used to look more forward to getting a fountain soda when out to eat than the actual food!
When you order seltzer water out, are you talking about actual cans of a flavored sparkling water? Or do you just ask for seltzer from the bar fountain gun and add lime or something? Or do you like it just totally plain? I wish restaurants would start carrying flavored seltzer water (like La Croix type stuff) in the machines/ soda guns like they carry soda! I would love to be able to order something like that on ice, and be able to get a refill!, but it’s still usually just soda many places. Maybe one day.
I will also have to look into some special iced tea options maybe like you said! Too funny about the iced wine though, hahaha! 😉 Hey, on a rough day, I wouldn’t blame you. hehe.
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You are so brave to share this Kae, I’m so proud of you! This is big and I think you are going to quit this time because you’ve acknowledged the issue comprehensively and committed, and putting it out to the public!
I like to be moderator too, but I know sometimes it’s better to go cold turkey than having to make so many decisions all the time.
I can’t think of a bad habit I’ve want to quit for a long time. If I realize something is bothering me, I quit and give me the option to go back if there’s good reasons for it. When I noticed I spend time scrolling when I’m bored or need to decompress, I just deleted all the social apps from my phone.
I like Ivan’s approach, moderator, life is short, we will all die, hahaha… he’s very similar to Tony in this sense.
OH to add to the list of reasons to quit: model how you can quit a bad habit to your boys. I often time think about how my girls would benefit from my actions, sharing the struggle, deciding what to do about it, and do it and stick to it.
Good luck Kae, I’m here cheering you up on this goal. You’ll do great.
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Thank you!!!! This means a lot to me coming from you Coco! 🙂 And yes, absolutely- I really do hope my boys will see that I am sticking to my word. I think they were actually both disappointed in me when I restarted drinking it last year. I remember Ethan saying something about how hard I had worked to give it up, and now I’m just erasing all that hard work by starting to drink it again….
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I love everything about this post. I sounds exactly like my thought process for various things that “weren’t that bad” but had gotten out of hand in my life. I would bet money that “I quit soda when I was 40” will continue to be a true statement for you.
When I was a kid I loved soda because my parents were so against it, but when I started working fast food oddly enough there was something about seeing so much of it that revolted me so it’s never really been my thing. I did have a diet soda phase at one point, and can I just say how much I respect you for not drinking diet soda? Ew. I cut it out gradually, from one can a day to just on weekdays and then just three times a week…but that was my situation and not yours.
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My mom always drank diet coke (though she actually gave it up this past fall too, which is another inspiration for me- she drank it for YEARS and gave it up shortly after I did last August, but I ended up caving in Dec and going back to it, and she remains off of it… so I feel like, ok, if she can, I can!). I never liked diet soda though but sort of introduced it a little bit mostly just looking for a “free pass” type thing, or a way to keep drinking soda without all the sugar and calories. Really the only diet soda I like is diet Dr. pepper, but I don’t LOVE it at all- it does have sort of a weird chemically taste to it. (huh, weird. Maybe bc it’s full of chemicals!!) I would just have it here and there as a replacement for regular soda sometimes (e.g. I already drank a couple regular cans at home but now I’m out somewhere and want another soda, so I’d buy a diet one to convince myself that this was ok) but only more recently in last couple of years.
That’s why this time around I decided I am going all in on NO soda of any kind. I don’t want to wake up in a year and find, ok, great, I no longer drink regular soda, but now I drink 3-4 DIET sodas a day!! Argh. No. Not doing that!
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KAE. We are twins separated at birth. I also grew up drinking soda, and I love it so much. I drank a ton of it growing up, and into my 20s and 30s. By my 30s I was aware that it wasn’t good for me, so I cut back, but still drank it when I went out or to a party or something. At some point I’ll go into more detail in my blog, but I’m basically a sugarholic. In my mid 40s I quit sugar entirely, cold turkey, and after the initial withdrawal, I felt GREAT. I went on like that for many years and now it has been creeping insidiously back into my diet. I’m due for a reset which is going to be painful.
Back to the subject of SODA. If there were one thing in the world I could get a “free pass” on, in other words I could have it with no ill effects, it would be soda. Not cake, not potato chips, not cookies… SODA. But it is so, SO bad for you. Your list is comprehensive- I can’t think of anything to add. Soda is just bad, bad, bad. SOB! I can tell you’re like me- an abstainer. Drat these “moderators” who can have it every once in a while! That doesn’t work for me. If I have a little, I just want more and more.
Here’s something to think about- go back to the part of your story of how you switched from Coke to Dr Pepper, because you didn’t like it as much (lol) and then learned to love Dr. Pepper. YOU CAN LEARN TO LOVE SPARKLING WATER. There are so many delicious flavors- you can experiment to find your favorite- and then my tip is to drink it icy cold (I put a can in the freezer for about 20 minutes before I drink it.) Honestly, it’s a delicious treat! You can still have the fizziness without all the terrible stuff.
One more thing- over the last couple of years I’ve started to have a Coke Zero on special occasions. Growing up, I HATED diet Coke but now Coke Zero tastes pretty good! Of course, it’s not good for you. But I don’t have trouble moderating it like I would regular Coke- probably because it doesn’t have the addictive sugar. It’s not necessarily something I would recommend, but it makes me happy to know I can still have a fountain soda every once in a while.
GOOD LUCK. You can do it.
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Omg Jenny, I had no idea!!! We are the same!!! hahaha! I absolutely agree with you that if there was one thing I could get a free pass on, it would be soda!! Oh how wonderful that would be….
Oddly, I do not generally crave sugar otherwise though. I mean, yeah, I like some here and there, and I do feel like when I don’t drink soda I sometimes find myself reaching for a handful of chocolate chips or an Oreo instead. But I don’t CRAVE it, and I actually don’t care too much about desserts, ice cream etc. I like them, but I have no trouble moderating them and just eat them all pretty occasionally. Example- I bought ice cream almost 2 weeks ago (mostly for Ethan) and it’s been in my freezer since then and I haven’t had a single bite, nor have I really even cared to. I guess the one sweet that I have trouble resisting is a jar of Nutella! I have basically stopped buying it bc I always just want to stick a spoon in. lol.
I would LOVE to be able to just have an occasional soda treat, even if it were a diet dr. pepper or something. I just completely banned it ALL though because I don’t trust myself, honestly. I have tried the switching to diet/ calorie free versions and then I always just start trying to replace with that! So I think I’m going to steer completely clear, at least for a very, very long time! Maybe in like 5 years or something I’d be at the point where I could have a single coke zero or diet dr pepper occasionally, but I just don’t even want to tempt fate!
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This is amazing and I’m proud of you for drawing a line in the sand. I feel 100% confident it will stick this time and love that you were brave enough to share this on the blog. I agree with SHU: this camaraderie and honesty is what makes blogs like yours so authentic and inspiring.
I am Team Sparkling Water! Finding a few flavours you love is the way to go. That said, I wonder if sparkling water would make you crave soda more since it mimics the profile of what to expect from soda (the tingling, the carbonation)?
I know I’ve texted this to you before but I have NEVER HAD Dr. Pepper (or Mountain Dew). My mom always, always had diet soda in the house growing up (and still does), but it was never something that pulled me in. Like I’ll have a few glasses when we visit next week but that will be it. Every once in a while I do love having a cold glass of Root Beer.
My kryptonite is chips (if they’re open; I have restraint not to open them, but if someone else has opened a bag I could legit eat the WHOLE BAG). Oh, and chocolate covered almonds. I just. cannot. stop.
I always think of Elizabeth Craft (G. Rubin’s sister) who talks about giving up French Fries forever and declaring it to be freedom from French Fries. It’s so true. Giving up something forever eliminates the mental hurdle of trying to decide how much/when etc.
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Yes, thank you for the Elizabeth Craft reference! I remember her talking about that, and also Gretchen with her carb thing. I do agree there is definitely a sense of “freedom” right now in my head! I am glad to no longer have to think about it. I was doing so much of the back and forth reasoning all the time. And just like you said, giving it up completely just eliminates any thinking surrounding this! It does feel really great. I also just feel very determined and much less emotional around it this time. In the past I have let myself get wrapped up in thoughts like, Oh… normally I’d have a soda right now…but I can’t….poor me….this sucks…. I wish I could….etc. Now I’m just more like NOPE- don’t want it, not having it, not an option, moving on!
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I am so proud of you! Def been in that situation where someone knew I didn’t quit a food and didn’t want to hurt feelings. I have quit so many foods because of post-40 weight gain, chronic acid reflex, etc. Soda went about 5 years ago. I love sparkling water and I buy my kids all the Bubbl’r they want. (It costs 50% more in the high school vending machine than just stocking it at home, so it’s a money lesson too). We do Crystal Light (aspartame, prob not so good) and brew iced tea at home.
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Thank you! That’s encouraging to know that you gave up soda successfully too! And thanks for the tips. I wish I could say I love sparkling water, but it’s definitely more of a “like” for me right now. It is a nice replacement/ something to at least crack open that is refreshing that is sort of “soda-esque” (like if we get pizza, for example, I love the fizz!) and not just plain boring water. I have tried several sparkling waters but am going to continue sampling a bit to see if I can find a true favorite. I’m not opposed to crystal light sometimes either. Ivan’s cousin always stocks the little single serve pouches of those at family gatherings and the boys like pouring them into a water bottle and I agree they’re pretty good! I think I have enough replacements that I will be fine! I do like plain unsweetened iced tea and I think that will generally be my restaurant replacement. Only issue is not “everywhere” always has unsweetened iced tea. But certainly many people don’t drink soda and they survive. LOL!
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Good luck!! I know you can do it! I am a moderator for sure, so it is always fascinating to me to hear about the thought process of cutting something out cold turkey. Even the thought of ME telling MYSELF that I “can’t” do or have something ever ever again would piss me off 😛 (REBEL to my core I guess) I enjoy a coke (regular) but probably have like 1-2 a week at the most, and for sure it’s seasonal for me. I used to have an INTENSE Mountain Dew addiction in college, I’d have like 5 a day. GROSS!!!! Then all the sudden it repulsed me and I never had it again – even one sip makes me shudder now.
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I so wish I could be a moderator on this!!! haha. But like I said, I finally had to just accept the reality that I cannot. Other things- yes. Soda- no. Oh well!
That’s so funny about your mountain dew addiction! I can’t imagine just waking up one day and never wanting it again. I have had some moments, like I mentioned in my post, where it suddenly tasted kind of bad, either from getting warm or maybe just having the mix concentration off in the fountain, etc. But I always would come back for more…. lol….
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I don’t drink soda at all, because I don’t like it, but I’m also not appalled. Meh, it’s soda not crystal meth. But you list a lot of good reasons to not drink it, and so I’m proud of you for making that decision and I know you can stick with it! FWIW I don’t think diet sodas are better, yes they don’t have the sugar but they also have a ton of other stuff in them that’s probably not great.
I also am at high risk for osteoporosis and that is a motivator for me to do strength training, even though I dislike it!
Sometimes cold turkey is just the way to go. Go you!
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I agree- there could certainly be worse things! I think that’s where I would always get mentally stuck, because the reality is it’s not THAT bad! I could perhaps continue drinking it my whole life and never have any true negative outcomes. (I mean, there’s no way to know, and obviously healthy people still get sick and “unhealthy” people sometimes live to 100+, so it doesn’t always make sense.) But I feel like overall the list of cons greatly outweighs the pros, like 20:1. Haha.
Thanks for your encouragement!
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I was another 80s/90s kid who drank pop all through high school/college but I sort of naturally gave it up in my 20s without too much effort, and now I never drink regular pop and maybe have a Diet Coke every 1-2 months. But like Elisabeth, if a bag of chips is open, i will eat the whole thing! I try to just never have them in the house and figure if I eat chips at parties/restaurants, it’s not the end of the world. We all have our struggle foods! For me the thing I quit in my 40s (this was two years ago when I was 41) that I’m most proud of is biting my nails! I have been a nail biter since childhood and despite a few attempts to quit over the years was always unsuccessful. Then two years ago my then-8-year-old daughter started biting her nails and it was driving me crazy–but if I tried to preach the downsides of nail biting she’d just throw it back at me that I bite my nails! So we decided to both quit together, cold turkey, and WE DID IT. You can do this too–I can tell you’re highly motivated and will put in the work!
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It is fascinating to me the things that are hard for some people vs easy for other people! I wonder what exactly it is that wires us all to have these distinct “addictions”. I like chips, but I never would have a desire to eat an entire big bag. But I can’t imagine just “naturally giving up soda without too much effort” like you did! Haha.
Thanks for the encouragement! I do really feel highly motivated, and definitely putting it out in pubic will help too, lol! Nothing like a little peer pressure. 😉 hehe.
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Rooting for you! Your list of reasons has me feeling like I need to address my sugar addiction too! I love baking and will bake a lot for parties and meal trains, but having sugar in the house is not great for me. It’s so hard!
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Meant to add, I love Olipop if healthy sodas are an option or Spindrift is great too! I am loving the Island Punch this summer!
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Thanks, I’ll check those out! I have tried Spindrift but only a couple of flavors. Our store seems to have a LOT of different ones.
I feel like sugar from baked goods is not as bad as sugar from soda. Soda is literally like PURE sugar….whereas at least with baked goods there are some other ingredients in there! (ok, maybe those other ingredients are like, butter and flour and chocolate LOL, but you know what I mean.) But I still feel like the overall quantity of sugar in a single muffin or cookie doesn’t compare to 2-3 big fountain sodas. So maybe you’re not doing as bad as you think! I suppose if you’re eating large amounts every day I could see that being an issue. Giving up all baked goods would be a lot harder to go cold turkey on. I think in that area I would definitely figure out a way to moderate it somehow! Soda is just a single item, so it’s pretty straightforward, but I don’t think I’d want to never ever have another bread, cookie, muffin, pastry, cake, etc again! That’s too much. 🙂
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It is hard, so very very hard. I had a huge Diet Coke addiction. I mean, huge, I could probably drink 3 cans a day, maybe 2 of the 20 oz bottles (or whatever size they were). I decided I needed to stop drinking it because I wasn’t drinking anything else. I tried cold turkey and the caffeine headaches just about did me in. But I finally did it, for the most part. I will admit to having one here and there, but I can go months without one and usually just a bit of the one satisfies whatever craving I might have had. I’m weak, I know. I should totally give it up. Now I use MIO Sweet Tea water enhancer and I go through a lot. But at least I’m finally drinking water.
I’m sending you all the positive vibes I can, you can do it. It’s hard, but now you have it out there for everyone to know, I think it will help. Good luck!
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Thanks for sharing this! The first time I quit soda years ago I remember getting terrible headaches. My more recent attempts it hasn’t been nearly as bad, I think because I actually have decreased my soda intake over the years compared to my peak. So that must help. I also drink hot black tea every day, so I am still getting some caffeine. I think my headaches in the past were actually sugar withdrawal headaches! (yuck…that just sounds terrible).
I really like MIO water enhancer too! That’s actually my go-to when at home now. I get the watermelon strawberry one. (I actually like to keep a couple of the empty big McDonald’s cups and just fill it with ice water from my fridge and then add the water enhancer… something about drinking it from that cup with the straw makes me “feel” like I’m still getting my fountain drink treat!) haha.
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First of all, I want to give you a big hug. It is so hard to struggle with something like this, that you simultaneously want and don’t want in your life. I’m so glad it was cathartic to write it out, and I want you to know this is NOT something to be embarrassed about in any way. What matters is that you identified something in your life that is no longer serving you and you are taking steps to address it, and that’s a hard, wonderful thing.
(Also, I completely empathize with your love of soda. I used to LOVE IT so much. In high school, back in the wild 90s, we had soda machines IN THE SCHOOL and I would drink a Coke or Mountain Dew every morning during first period! There was a fast food place in my hometown that offered what we called “big pops” [just really giant sodas] for the price of a small soda some months, and my best friend and I would guzzle those things like there was no tomorrow. Eventually I switched over to diet sodas, and then at some point I started slowly phasing even diet soda out of my life. Not necessarily consciously, it just sort of happened. I went a long time with only drinking diet soda out at restaurants or on car trips, but now I drink an occasional can in the middle of the day. I do have this awareness of not wanting to get back in the habit of depending on it though. Soda is totally addictive.)
Add me to the list of people cheering you on as you pursue this goal!
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Okay, I was never quite as addicted as you, but I would have a can of Diet Coke (I’m salivating just thinking about it) with dinner every night. And if I was working late I’d get a large Diet Coke from McDonald’s (it was only $1) and McDonald’s has the best fountain drinks. But I was having constant headaches and my nurse practitioner recommended I give up caffeine. So I did. I haven’t had a Diet Coke since that day.
(I do occasionally treat myself to a decaf americano at a coffee shop. My FIL stocks Caffeine Free Diet Coke at his house and I’ll allow myself one or two when I’m visiting him. So I’m not quite a total teetotaler.)
It can be done. But there are people out there who will say something like “if you don’t drink it for X amount of time, you won’t crave it anymore.” Those people ARE LYING. I want a Diet Coke every time I pass by a McDonald’s and there is a McDonald’s everywhere.
(Fun fact. I still have those headaches. But when medical types ask about caffeine, I can tell them I don’t drink coffee or pop.)
So how do I deal with this? I think you and I know that I am not the type of lady who has willpower to deal with constant cravings. I have substituted. I rarely drink plain water and I have regrets about this because it puts a dent in our grocery budget. I drink a lot of fizzy water (mostly Kirkland from Costco). I drink a lot of Gatorade Zero. I drink a lot of fruity non-caffeinated tea. I really wish I could deal with just regular water, but I just can’t.
Anyway, good luck!! You got this!!
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As a 80s/90s child, in the Soviet Union, Pepsi/coke not only tasted sweet, it also tasted like capitalism and success to me. I think I tried my first Coke when I was in the teens?…
Quitting anything…Not really, no. I know I am addicted to my instant coffee. But that’s pretty much it. Can I quit being lazy and start exercising?…
You got this!!
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Bravo for confessing this, Kae. I think saying it out loud makes it more real and it’ll hold you accountable going forward.
I don’t judge you in the slightest, I think it’s true for a long time in the 80/90s it was a “lifestyle” and people didn’t think much about the affects.
I am a total moderator, so I can have an ice-cold coke (it IS refreshing!) every once in a while but generally I have never drank much soda and I don’t personally understand the appeal… but I do know that it can be addictive for people. I applaud you for recognizing that you have to be an abstainer to beat this. I am here cheering you on. You can do this. (And this list is a great reminder of the WHYS!).
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Thanks, San!! I feel like I can moderate some things that other people find “addicting”, but yep, this is one that I just have a really hard time! 4 days in now and it’s going just fine! I still mentally feel all in and that makes a huge difference compared to previous attempts.
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