Removing soda from your diet isn’t easy. You can actually be more addicted to it than you realize. But it’s a good habit to kick as soda is not a healthy choice for your body. These are 7 hints to help you cut soda out for good.
Before you try to break any habit, it’s good to define your motivation. If you don’t, then you won’t have that to fall back on when you’re having a tough day and want to reach for a Coke. There are many different reasons that people want to break the soda habit. You may want to save money, lose weight, cut your caffeine or sodium intake. All of those are very good reasons to cut out coke.
If you’ve been drinking caffeinated soda, then you want to come up with a caffeine withdrawal plan. Stopping suddenly can cause you to have bad headaches for several days as your body adjusts to going without caffeine. Some people choose the cold turkey method but most people find that cutting back gradually is more comfortable. You could gradually switch over to caffeine free soda before you stop drinking soda completely. You could also have some tea or coffee while you’re cutting out soda to prevent headaches from caffeine withdrawal.
It’s always good to have the support of those close to you when you’re trying to stop a bad habit. Ask your closest friends and family to support you while you’re removing soda from your diet. There may even be someone in your circle who wants to cut out Coke, too. If so, then you have a partner. It’s great when you can have a buddy trying to accomplish the same thing you are.
Once you’ve decided it’s the day to finally quit, don’t look back. It’s best to not even bring it into your home. It’s too easy to give into temptation when it’s in front of you. You may have decided to allow yourself to have soda once in a great while, such as when you’re eating out. I have a friend who’s done this and it’s worked for her. As long as she keeps soda out of her home, it can be an occasional treat and not a bad habit.
There are lots of other, healthier beverages you can have as a treat in place of soda. Everyone needs something nice to drink sometimes. You could have iced tea, iced coffee, fruit juice or a smoothie. Smoothies can rack up quite a few calories if you aren’t careful. But there are ways to prepare them so that isn’t an issue.
One of the best things you can do for your health is to become friends with water. Water is very healthy for you. It can improve your skin as well as helping to fend off problems like high blood pressure, bladder infections, headaches and tummy woes. There are many different brands of bottled water to choose from; you’re sure to find a favorite. There are also things you can do to spice up a glass of water. Try adding lemon or orange slices. You can also add a drink mixture like Crystal Light.
Kicking the soda habit isn’t easy. Once you’ve successfully weaned soda out of your diet, reward yourself. Treat yourself to a night out with the girls, a new purse or whatever your heart desires. A nice reward makes all your hard work seem worth it. You’ll probably also receive some natural rewards from your body such as weight loss, better quality sleep and feeling better.
These are 7 tips to help you cut out Coke from your diet. What’s your motivation for giving up soda? You’re welcome to share!