I found an article on Wikihow.com on how to Quit Soda in 9 Steps. So this is the basis of my blog today:
Why are you quitting soda? One reason listed was saving money. I never thought about that!!! But yeah soda is kind of expensive when you buy the single bottles.
- Find Substitutes!!! That is what I have said!!! They list juice, but I don't know if I would substitute juice, it is high in sugar. Although, occasionally I would have one. Number one substitute was flavored water!! That is what I said!!!
I agree with the first two, these may be helpful if you are trying to cut down.
- Track your soda consumption – do you know how much you buy a week?
- Make a quitting schedule
- Buy less soda every week
- Prepare for caffeine with drawl
- Remind yourself why you are giving up soda.
- Calculate how much sugar is in a bottle of soda.
- ??? It is missing!!!
In case you want to read the entire article, here is the link:
Okay let's look at this. I totally agree with Step 1 and Step 2.
Why are you quitting soda? I am quitting because I realized along time ago, drinking soda made my legs swell. I already have enough trouble in my legs with my lymphedema, I do not need soda to help them. Plus my flavored water I get, I enjoy much more. Not as fizzy, just a tad bit of carbonation, cheaper and works for me. But saving money was never the reason I switched to it.
Finding substitutes. When I began my No Sugar and No Soda in Sept 2009 that is when I went in search of substitutes. At first I drank a ton of water!!! I still drink a lot, but need to drink more. I rely too heavily on this flavored water.
I think the easiest for me in limiting myself with it or tracking it, is that I only buy one or two bottles. Then if I want more I have to go back to the store. Ain't gonna happen, not that desperate. Ha ha I am fortunate that I do not have caffeine withdrawls. Why? Are you ready for a funny but true story?
Storytime
I grew up in Iowa in a welfare family. My mom had to be very careful with money and the amount of treats we got. But she loved her RC Cola!! I remember one year at the store on Christmas Eve and we were picking out a drink for Santa. My mom talked us into getting Santa an RC Cola instead of milk. She just knew he would like it better, because all the other kids would leave milk. So he got RC Cola that year.
Anyway, in my days growing up, soda came in glass bottles with a bottle cap, not a can or a screw off top. My mom would buy the RC Cola and Pepsi for her, 7-UP and Root Beer for us kids. Now think about this, where is the caffeine? In mom's drinks. I had no problem with the Root Beer and 7-Up they are still my favorite sodas today. Now my brothers, they were all about the caffeine. When she would yell at my brothers they found a way to still have their caffeine and not get in trouble...at first. True story....they used to ever so carefully take the bottle cap off, and drink a few sips of the RC or Pepsi, fill it up with water and put the bottle cap back on, and put it back in the fridge. I don't remember this working for very long, as they went to get some soda and there was no RC and Pepsi and we had just returned from the store. We knew mom had hid it, but where? Are you ready for this? In the TOILET TANK!!! The water is cold and clean!!! I don't remember how we eventually found out where she hid it, but it didn't matter to me, I liked the Root Beer and 7-UP. So because that is what I was left to drink, that is what I like to drink. No caffeine withdrawls. By the way, anyone remembering hunting for "pop bottles" to turn in for candy? We got 3 cents a bottle!!! Man I am old!!! HaI used to find it amazing that we would come home from the store and put the groceries away then go watch TV and when we came back for a treat, there was no more ice cream and cookies. My mom would say she hid them!!! She wouldn't tell us. So where would you hide them? Would you ever think to hide them in the snow outside? It was cold enough to keep the stuff cold and the ice cream frozen. There was one small problem. One day while out playing I stumbled in the snow. Digging in the snow to see what I stumbled on, hit the jackpot!! I found the cookies and ice cream!!! Ha Ha Busted!! True story!!
Okay that was off tangent but you get the idea. Limit yourself. For me I substitute the flavored water but know I have to be careful still and limit myself as well and drink water, water, water!!!
So what is everyone else doing for the NO Soda part of the challenge (if you are doing it?) Anyone got a funny soda story?
Good Job on Day 3 everyone!!!!
We didn't have sodas in the house when I was growing up. We lived right across the street from the community grocery store and my dad would let us go get a pop every once in a while. I rarely could drink the whole bottle. As a kid I drank milk with every meal. I never aquired a taste for tea or coffee, which I realize now, is a good thing!
ReplyDeleteI don't even know when my soda habit came about. It just started to be the thing I would reach for with my meal. The city water in Waco, where we do most of our dining out, tastes HORRIBLE! Drinking a soda would mask the tast somewhat.
I recently read about an increase of Osteoporosis in children. It has been linked to kids drinking carbonated drinks at such an early age. It removes calcium from their (our) bones. If a can of Coke will remove corrosion from battery posts, you can imagine what it is doing to our body! And we are ingesting this??!!
I have a refrigerator in my garage that I keep stocked with drinks, bottled water, sodas (not any more)juice, Capri Suns....etc. As I was stocking up for guests this Christmas, I noticed in the juice isle that Juicy Juice now makes carbonated apple and berry juice! They are sneaking it in everywhere!
Day three wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. I was craving cookies at the kiddos snack time, but I held off.....there are none in the house that I will eat!! Yay ME! ;)
I love all the research you are bringing in Bev. By the way, the label from yesterday? It is a Key Lime Pie Yoplait Yogurt....MY FAVORITE!!!!
ReplyDeleteWow! Because it is yogurt we assume it is good for us. Reading labels is a must!
ReplyDeleteI remember looking for pop bottles with my aunt to turn in and then buying penny candy.
ReplyDeleteToday I had my first sugar urge. I was cleaning up and there were some candy canes on the table left from Christmas. I picked them up to put them away and then really had an urge to eat one. I didn't give in.
@ Kathy.....Good for you for not giving in!! Remember if you are going to give in.....MAKE IT WORTH IT!! Ha Ha Candy Canes would not be worth it for me!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd ahhh yes the penny candy....ha ha We had a store nearby us and that is what they had. I remember giving them a pop bottle and getting a whole bag of candy!!! Ha Ha The good ole days!!!
I had the same urge for a candy cane today too. I had bought enough of the VERY large candy canes to put in everyones Christmas stockings and today I found them in my room.Ooops!
ReplyDeleteMy throat has been hurting some today and all I could think about was how soothing that peppermint would be on my throat. But I didn't give in! Instead, I called and made a Dr. appointment for tomorrow. :)
So let me ask you guys this? Have you found having the blog and a place to report to has helped you think about picking up the sugar (in this case Candy Canes?) It's great you have not given in (I think) but am just curious what you think the difference is this time and the times before?
ReplyDeleteIt has helped. I didn't do the challenge with you last time, so I can't compare to that.BUT I can compare to other times that I have tried dieting. It makes a difference to have a place to come to where others are going through this with me. We are all here to support each other. I wish others wouldn't be afraid to jump in on the comments! We are all here for each other!
ReplyDeleteI know I could always turn to my family for support, but I'm not going to check in with them everyday. They are all training right now for a half marathon, so they have their own daily goals. Plus, I am hoping to surprise them with a huge, or even a noticeable weight loss!
And Laura, I will always be honest here too. I haven't given in to any temptations,yet. I will confess if I do :)