Thank you to all of you chimed in and offered words of encouragement on my post about quitting soda! Truly, it means a lot to know I have people behind me!
Today is DAY 3 and going great!
I have had no thoughts at all of caving. I think obviously the public post helps a lot. lol! I would be pretty darn embarrassed to show up here today and have to say, So, guys…..um….I have something to tell you….. 😆
But I think mostly it’s just a mental thing. It’s really true that for someone to quit an addiction they have to be really, fully on board! I feel like that now. I just feel so motivated, like there is no part of me that is even considering caving.
I know it’s only Day 3, but there’s something different this time.
One big change is that I am no longer approaching this from an “emotional” side. Every time I quit in the past, I’d almost feel sorry for myself. Like a “Oh, woe is me, so sad, I can’t have what I want, wah wah wah.” When the time would come that I’d normally have soda and I couldn’t have it, I’d whine to Ivan, “Ugh, I want a soda!!! This is so hard!!!” etc etc. I just made this whole big deal out of it!
This time, I am approaching it much more pragmatically. Like, ok, nothing to see here, we don’t drink that anymore, carrying on. I’m literally just immediately pushing any thoughts of it away. Not an option, nothing to even consider, no emotions.
I do think it helps that I quit soda just last year for a full 4 months, so I do have a sense of, “Ok, I’ve done this before. I know I can do this” and also, during that last stretch, I developed a bunch of replacements/ stand-ins that work pretty well.
What I will drink instead of soda:
– hot black tea: my standard morning beverage and basically all day drink anyway. Usually English Breakfast, but I also keep a few fun flavors like Vanilla Caramel or Pumpkin Spice/ Apple Caramel in the fall on hand for an afternoon “treat”. Always black tea though usually for me.
-ice water with Mio strawberry watermelon flavoring: after tea, this is my big “at home” drink of choice now. I actually like to keep a couple empty large fountain cups on hand and fill them with ice + water and the flavoring. Something about drinking from the fountain cup with the straw does an extra good job of replacing that “fountain soda feel” that I loved so much.
–unsweetened iced tea: this is my main restaurant stand-in for when we go out to eat. I also like that McDonald’s and the gas station carries this!! So if I’m craving that “nice cold something on ice” when out and about, I can still hit a drive-thru and get one of these. (Will still limit this, since it still costs money and that was one of my “reasons to quit”, but nice to still have something I can get.)
–beer: I drink beer, but I don’t love beer. I’m usually good for one, max. However, you all know Ivan and I go out for Mexican at least once a week. Sometimes I’d get a beer or a margarita, but 95% of the time I’d also get a Coke! I love the combo of the salty chips, spicy salsa and the Coke. They also don’t carry unsweetened iced tea…. So my go-to there is going to be a bottle of Corona Premier. It’s only 90 calories and is so refreshing with a lime. (It’s not that I’m trying to replace soda only with purely “healthy” options- I just don’t want to consistently sub in other equally high sugar options, like lemonade or something. I have no problem drinking a couple beers per week, or even a margarita. Usually after one beer (or margarita) I don’t want anymore anyway, so then I’ll just switch to water + lemon or seltzer water + lime. This is VERY different from my soda situation there, where I’d typically sit and drink down several refills….
–sparkling water: This is mostly an at-home option. I still haven’t found any that I LOVE love. But they are decent and scratch the itch when I want a cold can of something. I’ll be keeping these on hand. I’ve also noticed that they have been offering these more and more places (definitely gas stations, our gym sells them, and they’ve even been selling them a swim meets!). So it’s nice to have something I can pick up when I want a little something to drink besides just plain water.
–plain water: Yes, at the bottom of the list…. I will admit I’m not a huge fan of plain water, but I did notice that last time I quit soda, I found myself enjoying plain water more and more as time went on. I do like it a lot when at the gym. I will definitely be drinking more plain water now! I love adding a fresh lemon slice, so I’ve already bought a couple lemons and have cut up slices waiting in the fridge.
I think that’s it! Let me know if you have any other good beverage suggestions. I have honestly wondered in the past, “What do other people drink when they go out to eat?!!” I was always so conditioned to just get soda. The thought of ordering plain water in a restaurant every time really seems so sad to me. (Though I am sure MANY many people do this!) But it always looks like…. womp womp. Such a letdown. Lol. Maybe because for me, getting the fountain soda was almost more exciting than the food…. Seriously, sometimes I wanted to go out to eat just mostly because I loved the idea of ordering that soda.
I have no photos to add this post, so I’ll drop this cartoon here that I saw yesterday. It’s not exactly related, but in a way, it is! I think it’s a good representation of the fact that “the only way out is through”. Sometimes you have to go through the $#!t to get to the good stuff on the other side…. 🙂
Daily Gratitude:
I am grateful for all the support from you guys!
GRATEFUL KAE 
Well done! I drink a lot of tea but mix it up throughout the day – black in the am, switch to green at lunchtime, and then non-caffeinated tea at night. My nighttime favourite is lemongrass and marigold looseleaf, and Tick Tock roibos earl grey.
LikeLike
Ha ha… that cartoon!
Great job so far, and I know that feeling. When I quit sugar 7 years ago, we still had cookies around the house for the kids, and I wasn’t tempted AT ALL. More like relieved to be off that roller coaster. And, you’ve really hit on the key to success- having lots of substitutes. i also love black tea- I drink earl grey in the morning, but in the afternoon I love black iced tea. And yes- McDonald’s has a good one! I’ve gotten it on road trips. So does Chipotle. And drinking your flavored water out of a fountain cup is a brilliant idea. It still makes it seem fun and festive. You are doing GREAT!!!
LikeLike
I want to get a really cute pitcher that I love and then brew a pitcher of black iced tea. I feel like pouring it from some fun or festive pitcher would help make it feel “special” too!
LikeLike
When I eat out, I get water during the day or an arnold palmer if I want something that is sort of a “treat.” In the evening, I get Sauvignon Blanc. 🙂
I think if you play around with brands and flavors, you may find a flavored water that you like. There is a brand that has a sweeter flavor to it, but I am blanking on it. My parents have it at their house so I will take a pic and send it to you this weekend. That might be a good gateway to La Croix.
LikeLike
Spindrift has a small amount of fruit juice in it so it’s more than just water. The pineapple flavor is really good!
LikeLike
I am not sure I have ever had an Arnold Palmer! I could see getting that as a special treat. I think I’ll try to stick with plain iced tea most of the time, just because like I said, I don’t want to get into the habit of replacing with anything else high sugar/high calorie on the regular!
LikeLike
I order water at restaurants because I am cheap. LOLOLOLOL. Also, let’s be honest, I don’t eat at restaurants very often, so the food is a real draw for me.
LikeLike
Not sure if you are a saver or spender, but one thing might help with ordering water vs. other drinks at restaurants or when out and about in general is to find something you really want to buy yourself and then think of it in terms of how many sodas that would be. So say it’s a massage, that’s like $100, so roughly 20-30 sodas/drinks from a gas station/McDonalds right? That might help if you had some short term rewards for your work to quit.
LikeLike
I have thought about this! That “Quitzilla” app I was using last time had a spot to estimate total frequency of habit per day plus total cost/time. For everyday I went without it, I showed a rolling total of how much money I was saving. The only tricky thing was that I was still sometimes buying iced tea out, or buying cases of sparkling water, etc. So not exactly totally clear cut. But I do like the concept a lot!
LikeLike
Good for you! Love the openness and transparency so thanks for sharing (I type as I have my mid-day Diet Coke haha). We all have our things but I hear you on the mental energy it can drain when you have bigger and better things to spend those brain cells on.
LikeLike
Hey, absolutely no judgment whatsoever from me for anyone drinking soda!! Obviously! Hahaha. In fact, if I could drink it like you- just once a day or so, in moderation- I totally would. But I just always seem to spiral out of control and end up having it too much. I think a big thing for me too is the love for the fountain drinks + we eat out frequently. If I just drank a single can per day at home and never other times, I feel like I would be okay with that! But I know myself…. lol.
LikeLike
Bravo!
I’m a plain water kinda gal and I drink a lot of it. I adore coffee, but I can only have one cup a day or I will have issues with caffeine. If I’m going to drink something that’s not water or coffee, it’s most likely going to be iced or hot tea. When it’s really hot I like plain tonic water with lime. On the booze side of things, I’m here anytime for beer, wine, or a margarita.
LikeLike
I wish I loved plain water! I don’t dislike it, really, but it just feels boring to me. Like I love drinking it at the gym etc. But to just sit and sip and while working or out to eat… boring!!!
LikeLike
Great plans! I mostly drink water, tea, chia tea with milk when I’m in office which is super cold. When I go to restaurants, I always take water and the girls occasionally take iced tea. No soda for the family. Good to not be emotional about it and just do it.
LikeLike
HaHaHa! I love the cartoon! I too drink English Breakfast tea in the morning, I do doctor it with milk and a bit of sugar, a habit I got into when I was in Berlin and getting tea from the Brit food truck. It was the only thing I could drink that would ease my morning sickness. Iced tea is my go to at restaurants, or even plain water. I have a problem drinking plain water at home, but out and about I don’t have any problems.
I think you have a great frame of mind, “nothing to see here”, if you aren’t thinking about it every two seconds then it won’t get to you. It sounds like you are going about it in a healthy way and you will totally be successful.
LikeLike
I gave up diet coke at the end of March and have found I’m saving a lot of money! I did it to stop damaging my teeth and to see if going caffeine free would help with sleep. Drinking more water has actually helped me snack less! I still get a diet sprite or other decaf soda sometimes but it has been so much less soda than I used to drink. So hang in there, you can do it! I never thought I could stop diet coke but it has been a lot easier than I expected.
LikeLike
My rule is: if I am thirsty, I quench that thirst with water. Period. It usually does the trick. And then I only “allow” myself something with flavor when I have a REAL craving for it (because you know, intuitive eating and all that). “Feeling thirsty” and “having a craving” is not the same thing!
Oh, and here’s something that I just read about “identity shift” when it comes to changing a habit. It’s much more powerful to say “I am not a soda drinker” than to say “I am trying to quit soda”. Internalize it, live it.
LikeLike
P.S. A real thirst quencher: sparkling water with some apple juice! Try it.
LikeLike
I also have a cup of black tea in the morning (vanilla chai for me!), and I fill my 40 oz thermos with water/ice/a packet of powdered Propel flavoring with electrolytes. Once I finish that, I drink about 20 more oz of flavored water, then switch to sparkling water – I usually buy the Wal-Mart brand because they have so many different flavor options and they’re a bit sweeter. They use a sugar-substitute so it’s still zero-cal, and I only drink one can most days.
When going out to eat, I’ll usually get water. If we’re just going through a drive-thru, I’ll bring my own thermos. But several fast food places have the Coke Freestyle machines now, where you can choose different flavors of Dasani, Powerade Zero, etc. Love those!
I wish you luck on your continued soda-free journey!
LikeLike
I actually just tried those Walmart brand ones at my sister-in-law’s- they are good! Way more flavorful than the others. I suppose they do have some artificial sweetener of some kind, so maybe not something to incorporate all the time, but like you said, in moderation those could definitely be a nice treat or afternoon pick-me-up.
And I agree, those Freestyle machines have a lot of nice sugar-free/non-soda options! I just got a Minute Maid sugar-free drink at one of those at Cousin’s Subs yesterday to take the our 4th of July parade with a sandwich. 🙂 It really helps me to still have some options besides just plain water to help fill that void where soda always was.
Thanks for the tips!
LikeLike
This is so inspiring to read!
At restaurants, I usually drink water, or if there is a special house drink, like soda from scratch or horchata, I like trying those. I don’t drink alcohol, so I feel like I can splurge on a fancy non-alcoholic drink when I go out. We don’t tend to go out to eat at restaurants very much, so I think getting a fun drink is part of the experience. Like getting dessert.
For special treat drink, I do drink soda – when I know I have a long commute, I’ll bring a Coke with me, to help perk me up when the drive is slow. Grapefruit juice or lemonade. Sparkling water – I didn’t drink sparkling water much until my brother gifted me a soda stream. Sometimes I also make my own syrups for the sparkling water. I also drink chai and matcha lattes – I’ve been making them myself, but I do use whole milk, so I’m sure there are a lot of calories there. I also drink black tea in the morning. Lately, though, if I don’t finish my tea in the morning, I will pour it into my to go cup with ice and have iced tea.
I really like your idea of drinking from the fountain soda cup too – as if the packaging of the drink is half the fun. I also find that there is something really satisfying and almost decadent-feeling when I drink from a straw.
I mostly drink water day to day. I splurged and got myself a really nice insulated water bottle and it keeps the water very cold all day. I even get panicky when I can’t find my water bottle. The kids used to steal it because it was nice and I bought them cheap water bottles because they kept losing them. But then I yelled a bunch and now they don’t try to use my water bottle. I think there’s something very practical about water that makes it easy for me to drink a lot of it – it’s kind of how I like to tell my kids “Food is fuel” when they get really picky about dinner… the main point of water is to keep me from getting dehydrated, so I just need to drink it, even when I’m not thirsty. My Husband has an alarm that goes off every so often during that day to remind him to drink water.
LikeLike
You are going to rock this challenge!
Since you mentioned Mio, I will share that one thing I like to drink is sparkling water with a sugarfree flavored syrup like Mio (I prefer the Cherry Koolaid kind, but I know there are tons of options). Sometimes I will squeeze in a lime, too, and it feels festive and “special.” I don’t care for sparkling water on its own, but when I add a little extra flavor I enjoy the semi-mocktail feel of it.
LikeLike