I realize kicking habits like smoking and drinking are extremely hard. Luckily, I don't have problems with either of those two habits. The one problem I have health wise in my life is soda. I'm looking to quit soda officially for now. 

Why Am I So Attached To Soda? 

Growing up I lived in a house hold where we always had a bottle of soda in the fridge. Even visiting my grandparents, we always had the opportunity to grab this delicious drink out of the cooler. It was just a normal beverage for me, and always part of my day to day consumption. I never realized how much of a problem this was until recently.

A few years back, I met my beautiful wife. While we grew close, I also grew very close to her family. While spending time at family events, I would commonly notice that not everyone was drinking soda. My wife for instance isn't a big fan. She will however occasionally drink it, but a extremely normal serving size. She doesn't guzzle down drink after drink like me.

Over the course of the past few months I've realized how bad of a habit it truly was. I've noticed that it was almost like a drug and I constantly needed to have it. During my work hours I would constantly crave it, and at home as well. At family events I would need to have one in my hand. When we would go to restaurants I needed to order it, no matter what. It's sickening how addicting it is.

"People really can become addicted to soda, so you have to be a realist and not an idealist," says nutritionist Stefanie Sacks, author of the forthcoming book What the Fork Are You Eating?. "I don't recommend going cold turkey; you need to wean yourself off, just like you would anything you've become dependent on."

Honestly, it isn't the healthiest beverage in the world to be putting into your body. Not only is the sugar a problem, the caffeine fix is also a concern. From what I've read online, it doesn't matter if it's diet soda either.

So why do I have such a problem with it? You're probably reading this wanting to just throw water at me and scream "DRINK THIS". I have a psychological problem about not drinking flavored things. I hate regular water for that fact. I understand it's a billion times better for you, but I hate the fact it doesn't have flavor. It's such a stupid mental block, but it gets me almost every time. I understand you probably want to reach through the screen and punch me in the face for saying that, but it's my one big block.

 

How Am I Kicking The Habit? 

I've stocked up on drink enhancers (without sugar or calories in them), tea, and other healthier flavored drinks. I plan on forcing myself at first to drink at least one glass of regular water a day. This will help cure my mental block. I'll start off slow, but I'm starting off realistic. I realize if I did this at first forcing myself to drink nothing but water, I would fail miserably. Over the course of the next few weeks I want to wean my way off of using the drink enhancers and drink just water. I will still enjoy a flavored drink that I crave, but eventually in smaller servings. Maybe have one of these drinks with just dinner.

I don't want to touch a soda until my 25th birthday on October 24th. That gives me just under three months to push through this, and on my birthday if I want one soda, I've earned it. However after that, I will plan on cutting down drastically on this if I decide to bring it back into my diet. I've heard from many friends who have cut it completely that I won't want it anymore.

Why am I setting a goal on our radio station? I want listeners to see its possible to kick these habits, and I want YOU to hold me up to it. If you see me at a live broadcast with a soda, I'd like you to kick me in the leg.....or maybe just ask me to not have the drink.

I want to keep you updated on my journey as I'm on the road to a healthier lifestyle. I understand this habit is nothing compared to quitting smoking, but to me soda is a drug and it needs to hit the curb.

 

This challenge was inspired by Lite 98.7's Naomi Lynn's personal challenge to quit smoking.

 

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