On January 5, 2016 I made the decision to finally stop drinking soda. 💖😍
I had been thinking about this for a long time (it is on my 30 before 30) and was finally inspired to stop consuming the fizzy sweetness after watching the documentary That Sugar Film. Not only have I decided to stop drinking soda, but to also be much more conscious of the sugar that is in the foods I am eating and it is in A LOT of things. So many processed foods have large amounts of sugar and its often used as a marketing technique by companies when they mislead the public into saying something is ‘fat free’ when sugar has just been included (in large amounts) to make it taste appealing. I am not a dietitian or an expert in the field, but decreasing my sugar intake is something that I am pleased to be doing.
Soda had been a daily norm for so much of my life. I don’t blame anyone but myself for that. My parents and grandparents had told me over the years that I should “drink more water”. The truth is, I just didn’t really care that much and the cravings for something very sweet were so strong and I just drank it. Often it was the only drink I was consuming all day, and sometimes up to 6 cans a day owo . I won’t say that it has been easy, because I have still had cravings but I have been resisting them. I had times when my brain would try and trick me into it, but I still resisted.
Aside from quitting soda, I am also trying to focus on eating healthier (fresh vegetables and fruit, limited processed foods and lots of water) as well as exercise. Right now I am eating basic things, without any dressing and sauces and I don’t mind that at all. Once I become more comfortable I will probably start experimenting with different recipes to give a bit of variety.
I also got a Fitbit, and using the app has been really helpful with this journey so far. Being able to track my diet, weight, exercise and water intake gives me a clearer picture of where I am and helps with motivation. Essentially I feel like it makes a game out of getting healthy (with badges as rewards) and that makes it fun (probably also a smart marketing technique too 🤑).
If you decide you want to cut sugar as well that’s awesome. I would suggest that you do speak to a doctor, dietician or health expert before doing so, because our bodies are all different. 🍓
The featured image is an illustration I created as a parting gift. 😂
Questions
1. Do you drink soda or pop?
2. Do you monitor how much sugar you are consuming?
3. What’s the most unexpected thing you have found sugar in? (Sugar in Tuna really surprised me 😯 )
59 Responses
Good for you, Kya! I have the same fitbit in the same color, too. I used it for several months, but the battery hasn’t been holding up quite well, unfortunately. Wish you the best in this journey.
I do drink soda, in fact, I had a root beer with my dinner. However, I shared it with Jackson rather than having a full cup of it, I actually only had a few sips. I’m slowly weaning myself from soda.
I do try to monitor what I eat and how much sugar I consume. I’m gonna be honest, because I’m on vacation, I’ve been terrible with my meal choice and I’ve been consuming a lot more sugar than I normally would.
It’s hard, but I know avoiding sugar is so worth it.
That is a shame that the battery is not doing very well. 🙁
You do feel a lot better when you don’t have as much sugar in your system. 😀
Good luck! I have also been working on decreasing refined sugar intake because it’s pretty bad for you. I have replaced my morning snack at work with almonds and an apple.. I haven’t eaten this many apples since I was in school! Fortunately, for me, I don’t really drink soft drinks regularly and mostly just drink water. It’s those thick shakes that get me 😛 Plus they also have a bunch of fat in them too. I’m limiting myself to one a week (Monday – Friday.. I do have a weekend allowance :P) which I’m doing pretty well at.
If you’re trying to increase your water intake I find it’s easier to have quick access to cold water (tap water isn’t really the same) and a bottle or cup that as a nice wide opening and can take around 700ml of water. That way you have enough at hand and don’t have to be constantly stopping what you’re doing to go get more.
It annoys me that company’s label items as healthy and fat free when they just put a bunch of sugar in it instead. It would be good if we had more rigid advertising rule in relation to that.
I’d be interested in seeing how your adventures with the fitbit go, I’ve been considering buying one but haven’t because of the price. I do like the idea of gamifying it all though 🙂
I love the illustration you made! So cute! It can be where soft drink lives for now on, as a bunch of pixels 😀
It would be really hard to resist the shakes, but you might enjoy them even more! 😀
Hope it’s going well with your Fitbit. :love:
Hi Kya! I’ve haven’t been drinking soda and/or pop for the last 3 years. At first it was hard, but I got used to it. I also has so many benfits! :>
That is so great that you have not been drinking it for so long! 😀
Good for you, wise decision 🙂
I think I started about 10 years ago to cut the “obvious” sugar. I drank two spoons of sugar in my coffee, so I continued with one and then with none. I don’t drink soda, it’s so unhealthy, when we go for dinner I’ll have a beer or “Apfelschorle” (apple juice with bubbled water). At home I drink water or juice/water (you have to look at the juices carefully to buy one which doesn’t have white sugar).
I find it easier to buy our food at organic stores, they have less food additives in general. It’s time consuming at first to check everything you buy for its sugar but after a time you know how much sugar is in which food.
I thought sugar in fruit tea was very unexpected. Fruits have so much fructose, why does it need extra sugar (same with juice).
Instead of buying sweets I’ll buy fruit yogurt and eat that in the evening, I feel bit better about that, although it has quite some sugar as well 😉
Thank you for sharing! It does take a while to look at the sugar in everything, but like you said I think over time I will become more familiar. I am kind of sticking to basic foods right now. xD
Yogurt would be good, but again, have to find one that was limited in the sugar and so many of them have loads. :'(
Way to go, Kya! Drinking a soda is a habit I’ve almost completely eliminated, but to be fair I didn’t drink a lot of it beforehand anyways. I usually just drink water but when I do drink soda, it’s usually as a treat or when I’m at a party. Those are usually the only times I allow myself to. Plus, you save a bit of money when you order water out, so that’s always good too 🙂
It definitely becomes easier, so stick with it girl! I still get cravings sometimes, but I think I went at least a year and a half without soda and the first time I drank it again it definitely didn’t taste very good. You can do it!
Thanks. 😀 That is so great that you don’t drink it very often. I haven’t been tempted to have any, because I know it could start the addiction again. n’D
Good luck with your no-soda plan! I drink soda, but not always. I can go for days and weeks without them, but my one weakness is Chilsung Cider, which is the Korean version of 7 Up and tastes way better. When I really crave the fizziness, I’ll drink sparkling water, like a lime-flavoured one 🙂
And yes, sugar is everywhere X_X; It’s a good idea to monitor and keep track of what you consume and how much sugar is your food. It will definitely save you from any future health problems!
Thank you! 😀 I am really glad that I started doing this and I already feel like I am getting the benefits. (:
I am really happy to hear that you’re giving up soda! Soda has a lot of bad effects on people, especially when it’s consumed excessively. Drinking more water is always the healthier route than drinking soda. 6 cans a day is a lot! I used to drink 2 at most if anything @___@. Your future self will thank you for going down this route :).
I don’t really monitor how much sugar I consume, but I know it’s not a lot… Especially since I can’t handle sweet stuff as easily these days.
Thank you! I know it is going to be for the best. 😀
Good for you. I have been drinking a lot more water lately (I have to because of the pregnancy), but I used to be like you where I was drinking a lot of soda every day. It’s been years since I’ve done that though.
The one thing to keep in is while yes fruits are good for you, they contain sugar as well, and sometimes more so then what you would find in the processed stuff. I had not realized this was the case until my friend who’s had diabetes since she was 11 admitted she could not drink OJ, even if it was fresh due to the high sugar content.
Good luck on your goal to become healthier. I hope you are successful!
Thanks. Yes, you have to be cautious with the amounts of fruit of naturally sweet foods that you eat as well, because they have heigh sugar content as well. They should be more of an occasional treat instead of all the time. Soooo many juices that are labelled as ‘good’ are packed full of sugar. It’s kind of scary. >w<
Hooray! I’m trying (again) to do the same thing. I’ve also got a fitbit 😀
I’ve cut down on my diet coke consumption recently to two cans a day, which for me is impressive. I’ve also banned myself from any preprepared food. I need to avoid any milk, cheese etc.. so its the best way for me to do that.
My problem is that to do well I need friendly competition and encouragement, and it’s hard to do it alone.
Feel proud, you’ve doing so well.
We should become pals on Fitbit to try and help motivate each other! 😀
Great post! I stopped drinking soda when I joined the military. I have recently started taking a few sips here and there, but for the most part, I absolutely hate the way soda feels on my teeth now. It just makes my teeth feel sticky and dirty.
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Yeah, it’s not a very good feeling. >p<
I’ve been drinking soda since I was a kid. I drink more now than I did then. I’m so addicted to it, I just have to have it. I shouldn’t really be drinking it because it is unhealthy and bad for my teeth. I do have low blood sugar though, so it helps with that.
I found that I was starting to drink more and more and had to make a change. I knew that eventually it would have an effect on my body and wanted to prevent it. It can be very hard. u_u
I think that’s great that you’re focusing on eating healthier and decreasing your sugar intake 🙂 I haven’t heard of that documentary, but now I’m interested in checking it out. I struggled with cutting out soda for a while. It doesn’t help that my work has them for free, so it’s so easy to grab one. I used to drink one a day, but I’ve gotten it down to one or two a week (sometimes none on a good week). Drinking tea has helped a lot!
I have a Fitbit too! I actually stopped using it last year, but I’m getting back into running, so maybe it’s time for me to wear it again. I indirectly monitor my sugar intake I guess. I log my food to count calories, and it also keeps track of everything else. I’ve learned that pasta sauce tends to have a lot of sugar!
Thank you! That would be very tempting where they offer them for free. :blush:
I think the main thing is that you are making sure you have exercise. You don’t have to have a Fitbit to be serious about looking after yourself. However, for me it’s a great way to show myself that I am making progress and to try and establish a new habit of eating healthy and change my way of thinking. ;D
I was actually brought up with… no soda. I never drank anything carbonated and as a result I hated it. But since I started dating Nick… *eye twitch* A lot of the time he can’t drink water because it makes him feel a bit sick (weird, I know), so he opts for fizzy drinks. He always has the ones with no sugar, and they are full of fizz but once you know the taste they are a huge difference from the normal ones with regular sugar. Still, I would not say they are super good for you.
You’ve sort of poked me a bit with a gentle reminder in this post to not have a lot of fizzy drinks! I love to drink tea and I drink that a crap-ton. Just on the weekends I might have something sweet. But if you used to drink quite a lot of fizzy drinks then I am sure that you will start noticing a huge difference soon.
I once went sugar-free for a couple of weeks. I stopped eating anything with processed sugar, and I avoided very sweet fruits and ate vegetables instead (gotta have those greens!). I am no expert either but I know it made me feel sooooo much better.
Since I started my new job, my team leader is such a bad influence as he has a candy jar on his desk and you can grab whatever you want. I have been eating so much since I started, I think it really is time I stopped. I don’t even want to count the wrappers I have at the end of the day, but I never used to have that much candy and I am sure I ate at least fifteen pieces today.
As I was brought up with very little snacks/sugary treats in my childhood, the first time I ate a lot of candy I got really, really sick. If you stick away from the sugary goodness for long enough, you’ll realise and feel that having a little bite or two will be much more than enough in future intakes 😀 <3 Good luck Kya! I’m going to try not to take from my team lead’s candy jar tomorrow, even though it will be MEGA HARD.
PS. I hope you can find some nice alternatives to fizzy drinks. I have heard that even fruit juices can have too much sugar unless you make them yourself from scratch. But I hope you can also find joy in water or tea or something else 🙂
That is so good that you were brought up with limited sugar. 😀 Hopefully you can avoid that candy haha.
Yeah, juices can be pretty evil. I don’t drink them either and just try to flavour water naturally with lemon, but try not to do that all the time and mostly stick to water. 😀
Yes! You definitely will feel better about quitting soda!
University was tempting me with soda dispensers everywhere I go so it was hard to ignore it and think about how much it cost compared to water. I kept telling myself I’d drink more water later, but that was never the case. Now that I’m out of university I think soda is a luxury for when I’m going out to to a restaurant with friends and even then I’m more inclined to water. I think it helps since I met up with some friends I haven’t seen in a while who said I look like I lost weight.
I don’t keep track of my sugars, but I am spoiled by my mom’s alternative healthy cooking of Cambodian food. She had had high cholesterol and since our food is traditionally fatty and has a lot of MSG and salts she figured out a way to cut a lot of that out and still make it delicious.
We eat fruits for “dessert” so it’s getting some of the good stuff inside my body. Hopefully it’ll become a habit.
Good luck!!! ;D
Thank you! :love:
I have been working on cutting soda out of my life for awhile now. I have one maybe once a week. Its not easy. What is it about those bubbles that has us hooked? I’ve switched to carbonated water, no calories, no sugar, no salt. Next on my list is cutting out the amount of sugar and salt in my diet. Its a long hard road but I’m determined to walk down it.
Good luck with doing that. It can be really hard, but worth it in the end. 😀
I think it’s great you want to get more healthy! 😀 I think it can be really difficult, but once you get used to it, it can truly be life changing! I spent last year getting my health in check. I have a dietitian now, and she helped me get back on track, while not having to give up everything I enjoyed. It’s about balance. The thing I found most interesting (because I am a diabetic with hybrid type 1 and 2) that fat can make the sugar you eat harder for the body to process. I ate a lot of cheese and non diet soda, and while I never got really heavy, I got bigger than I wanted to be. Now I eat very little cheese and drink diet maybe three times a week. My health is so much better now! The holidays are a killer with the goodies, but I am usually not a big candy or ice cream person. So I am doing pretty well! 😀 Good luck to you!!! *high five*
It’s great that your health is much better now. 😀
I really want a Fitbit! I need to get an iPhone first, though, so I can use the app along with the Fitbit, because I feel like I won’t be able to get the full experience of using one without it.
I do drink soda, but I don’t allow myself to drink it after midnight anymore. Right now, I’m allowing myself to only have 1-2 sodas a day; I drink water the rest of the time…but I also drink (and eat) a lot of water. I try not to drink soda with actual meals at home, because when a person drinks soda with a particular meal, the soda basically cancels out any nutrients, or at least the majority of nutrients, they would have obtained and kept in their bodies. I do drink ginger ale, though, because ginger cancels out molds (e.g. cheese, milk (if I eat it in mashed potatoes, butter, cake, etc.), etc.)
I don’t really “monitor” it, per se; however, I can’t ignore it, either. I’ve been tested for diabetes and hypoglycemia, and came up negative for each—but I can’t handle more than a certain amount of sugar, yet if I don’t hit a particular amount of it (almost the amount in one soda), I’m going to start shaking. My body freaks out when it’s low on sugar. Sodas are basically an easy free way of reaching it, because I can’t handle…
…certain fruits and fruit juice. These things have an outrageous amount of sugar in them! I even have to dilute “Motts for Tots” juices. When I finally get around to making my own juices, they will have lots of water and a little sweetener in them (honey), if any.
Something I noticed about consuming more water is my energy level…I also sleep a little more sound at night.
Good luck! Consuming soda is a hard habit to break. However, if it comes to drinking diet soda instead of the regular, go for the non-diet soda; diet soda is worse than the regular soda. 😐
I think that you can get the Fitbit app with other phones. But it would have to be a smartphone. =)
You can, but I can’t add any more apps to my smartphone (Android), ’cause it sucks. >.<
Wow, you were a heave soda drinker. Luckily I can’t stand the fizz, I prefer punch instead. Something that goes down smoother. Well it’s good you are getting off the sugar high, you can get diabetes in the future.
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Yeah, I would not like to get that. So hopefully by stopping the soda now, I can avoid it. (:
Good for you! I know soda is supposed to cause most of people’s weight gain and such.
I know I should cut it out, or at least cut down. Just hard. I may try drinking more water soon. We’ll see. But good luck!
Hopefully you will be able too. 😀
Honestly, I used to hate soda as a kid…I didn’t like how fizzy it was (felt too strong for me). But since soda has been offered everywhere and anywhere, I’ve grown to enjoy it (sadly haha). I try to drink it for just special occasions though, like at parties and whatnot. It’s crazy how much sugar & calories are in a can of soda, and probably lots of other bad stuff in it too. My brother used to consume a few cans a day, so I know the struggle. Good luck on your quest of kicking soda to the curb! It’s a lot easier, I think, when it’s not easily available.
Thank you! I don’t think there is anything wrong at all, in having it as a treat. I don’t know if I could resist the temptation if I just had one though and it’s better if I just avoid it. :p
I personally have never been much for soda. Water is my choice of beverage for the most part. The fizziness always was too scratchy for my throat. However, every now and then I will buy a jug of juice. I try to stick with orange, but cran-lemonade is just too yummy sometimes to pass up.
I have a huge sugar tooth and my vice might not be soda, but candy and cake….yup. I eat tons of those sugary goodness.
I hope to cut back, and I find seeing it as a game might actually help me too. XD
Ahh, candy and cake. I really love them too but I have been so good at avoiding them. It doesn’t help that they look so cute and adorable. :'( :donut:
I have already started cutting off soda last year and I think I did a pretty good job of just drinking a few glasses. I can’t count the exact number but I’m sure that’s less than 10. I don’t really like soda so it wasn’t hard for me. This year I am aiming for zero soda at all.
I still can’t cut sugar because I like sweets despite the fact that I easily get tonsilitis and sore throat. I think that is also one reason why I’m good at controlling my sugar intake.
I also plan to eat healthy this year. It would be difficult for me because I don’t really like a lot of fruits. ANd as much as I want to take a lot of water, I always seem to forget to drink when I’m to occupied with work. But I’m trying!
I am hoping we’ll both achieve our goals this year! 🙂
Good luck, I hope you are able to do it. 😀 I found that I would often forget to drink water a lot, but if I make sure I have it around me, that I will see it and have a drink much more regularly.
This will be hard, I guess. For me it is. Been trying to lessen my intake of soda, and eventually stop, but I just can’t. Maybe it will be if you’re disciplined.
And knowing that I don’t drink too much water. I might die with this. LOL
Hope you get to cut sugar.
It’s not an easy thing to do when it has been apart of your life for so long. I think the first week is the hardest, and trying to not allow your brain to trick you into drinking it haha. n’D
I’m trying to do this as well! Unfortunately, I’ve not done so well over the weekend – it got too stressful and I just gave up lol. I’m back at it now though.
There’s definitely way too much sugar in fizzy drinks. Imagine drinking a cup of sugar, its disgusting.
Good luck with giving up!
Don’t be too hard on yourself. We all have setbacks, just have to keep trying and we should get there eventually. 😀
Stop drinking soda sounds like an excellent idea! All that sugar (or artificial sweeteners too for that matter) is just bad and unnecessary to put in your body, especially when you have access to clean drinking water.
In restaurants I usually go the middle road and have carbonated water. You still get the bubbles but with far less sugar, if any. But I should definitely cut soda out altogether…
I’m trying to limit the amount of sugar I eat, but it’s pretty difficult when there’s sugar in EVERYTHING these days. Should probably try monitoring my salt intake as well. I’m honestly more into salt than sugar. If I get a choice between crisps and candy I go for the crisps any day because they’re salty. I rarely get cravings for something sugary, but I can get mad cravings for salt!
Anyway, good luck with your goals! You can do it! 🙂
I am kind of the opposite and have never liked anything very salty. Thank you! :love:
That’s great that you are going it! I stopped drinking soda for the last 9 months now. I originally started because I thought it was the major cause for my sugars being high on my blood tests. Now I know it is actually an illness but I decided to stay off of it because since it has been so long they just don’t taste the same to me and make me feel all gross if I do try. Besides drinking more water and tea is much better in my opinion.
Yeah, it really does suck how almost every thing is made with sugar. There is even the saying that a lot of the nutrition facts on the foods don’t even tell you how much sugar is really in it.
Whats fun about eating healthier is learning to cook. I surprised myself in finding out that I’m not half bad and finding new and fun things to eat is so much better than all that junk.
Good luck on all your goals!
I agree with you 10000% about the learning to cook part. You have to take more time to prepare your food and you seem to get a bigger interest in it, and being able to add natural flavours and things. 😀
Hi again Kya!
I used to drink soda a little over 10 years ago. I cut down my soda intake when I was diagnosed with diabetes to just diet sodas. Eventually, I completely stopped drinking soda altogether back in the late 2000s when I discovered boba tea (even though they’re still added the sugar, my local boba tea places actually give you the option to have less sugar or no sugar at all so it’s not much of a problem) and eventually learning how to make my own tea beverages. I also quit drinking juice as well because of the tea beverages, though sometimes I would drink those blended juices for internal cleansing. I occasionally drink smoothies as well, but not as much as I used to. Today, my main beverages are water (mostly water), tea (hot and cold), and coffee.
I won a Fitbit on our annual holiday raffle at my workplace last month (Charge HR model) and have been wearing it almost every day. My only gripe with this one is that even though the product says the battery lasts for 5 days, mine only lasts for only 2-3 days and had to constantly hook it up to my computer to have it charged every day. I have to admit, it has been helpful for me, especially with food management.
The most unexpected item that I found sugar in is natural peanut butter. It’s supposed to be “natural,” complete with the peanut oil floating on top and everything. Why is there sugar in it? And then, here where I live (California, US), there is “organic” natural peanut butter, which is only just peanut butter. I thought “natural” and “organic” are synonymous with each other. What’s up with this confusing marketing? *sigh* ~n~
1. Do you drink soda or pop?
No, I hated soda drinks when I was younger. When people told me to drink it during parties, I felt like I was forcing some fizzy shit down my throat. I have infact, never consumed a whole can of soda in my life.
2. Do you monitor how much sugar you are consuming?
Not really…because I was never someone who was into sugar, so if I have a cupcake or something, it’s not going to kill me.
3. What’s the most unexpected thing you have found sugar in?
Cereal
I used to drink soda once a week. I ended up drinking soda a lot because I would get tired in the afternoon. I also ate ice cream a lot. When my doctor told me my sugar level is borderline, I had to cut down on my sweets. I couldn’t drinking too much soda and eat too much ice cream. My sugar level is still borderline. I’m drinking a lot of water now.
I’m like you. I’m trying to focus on eating healthier. I’ll add a fruit to my meal. When I get a plate lunch, I get toss salad instead of macaroni salad. I’ll eat salad every now and then. I drink more water. I do more walking in the daytime and at night.
It’s good to have a fit bit. I have Google Fit on my smartphone. You can set a time and that’ll be your daily goal. For example, my daily goal is one hour and fifteen minutes. It keep tracks of the number of miles, calories you burned, and steps. It gives you an average number of miles, calories to burned, and steps.
Questions
1. Do you drink soda or pop? Yes
2. Do you monitor how much sugar you are consuming? Yes
3. What’s the most unexpected thing you have found sugar in? Orange Juice
1. Do you drink soda or pop?
Nope. My mom’s a health buff. We were raised on water and fruit juices. I only drink soda during family parties and stuff, when there’s nothing to drink.
2. Do you monitor how much sugar you are consuming?
Not really, but I try to limit myself as much as possible. I prefer salty food over sweets but even salty meals tend to have sugar in them. D:
Good luck with your no-soda goals! 🙂 I think it’s great you made this choice. Sugar is insanely bad for you (so are high-fructose syrup and aspartame) and it’s good to know you’re prioritizing your health. Wishing you all the best! <3
I drink a lot of fizzy drinks (soda) but the diet or lite variety, so no sugar but loaded with other alternatives which isn’t great either! I don’t eat a lot of sugar as I mostly have sugar free foods or drink and tend to avoid fat free stuff as it can be loaded with sugar. I’ve tried to eat and drink healthier, joined the local gym and have been a Weight Watchers gold member since Sept 2013.
Need to ween myself of the sugar free fizzy pop!