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Growing up, soda was always a special treat. In fact, I would get to have my favorite soda if my family was going out to dinner, if we were seeing a movie in a movie theater, or if I was over at a friend’s house. It certainly wasn’t something we kept inside the house, but boy did I look forward to every chance there was to have a soda!
Then, when I became an adult and become responsible for my own decisions, I realized I could have a soda whenever I wanted. No parents to tell me when I could or couldn’t have the most delicious beverages known to man? Needless to say, I went a little crazy with soda consumption.
I soon realized that not only was my soda obsession costing me a lot of money, but it just wasn’t healthy. I needed to find ways to curb my addiction, and though I haven’t cut it out of my life forever, I probably drink one about once a month.
So, if you’re also struggling with your soda addiction and are looking for ways to cut back, here are a few easy tips.
The first thing I did when trying to cut back was to set small goals. For example, instead of having a soda every day I just went to having one every other day. Then I progressed to every week and now I’m at every month.
Cutting an addiction out of your life cold turkey works for some people, but for many others, it just leads to binging. Take it slow and work up towards your goal, you’ll be less likely to fail.
I realized that one of the reasons I love soda is because I love the carbonation. So, I decided to substitute my daily soda drinking with sparkling water, specifically La Croix.
I know, La Croix is not an equal substitute for soda, but trust me when I say it’s a more enjoyable beverage than just plain water. Focus on drinking beverages that are good for you (like water), so you spend less time thinking about the fact you haven’t had a soda in days.
If you’re a frequent soda consumer and you buy it for your home, immediately stop buying it when you go to the grocery store.
Not only will this hopefully save you a few bucks every trip, but this eliminates the temptation you’ll feel when you get home and you find yourself really craving a soda. If you’re not looking to cut out the beverage completely, at least save it for special occasions outside of the house, like when you go to the movies or out to dinner with friends.
