Soft Drinks: Emotional Addiction

trijoe

I used to be in the same boat with sodas and diet sodas. Switching from regular to diet reduced my calorie intake, but it did nothing toward ending the cravings. What I found, after trying everything you've tried, is that it wasn't the actual soda I craved, it was the "reward" of getting it. I reached for the soda whenever I wanted rewarded. When other people say, "I need a drink", they reach for alcohol. I'd say that and reach for diet soda. I found I couldn't end this need for rewarding myself, so I simply changed my reward system.

My biggest hurdle was at the grocery, where I'd buy myself a diet soda with every trip. I tried fizzy waters and even just the plain waters, but they didn't cut it. So I started getting the unsweetened teas. With time, this became my replacement reward, and it has stuck. So, HUZZAH to that!

At home, the first thing I did was get rid of all sodas and beg my wife to not bring them home also. Those were some serious discussions. Eventually she relented, our house became a soda-free zone, and my at home reward system became fizzy waters, more tea, and coffee. We now have shelves of different teas.

That was a few years ago and I've managed to stay off sodas. I've lost my cravings (for the most part), and my wife can bring home sodas for herself again. She does, though, keep them tucked away in a corner where I never check.

So, my advice is, whatever trigger in your brain that needs that soda reward? Let it stay, just replace the reward.

mzfrizz15

If you don't enjoy it, begin cutting it out. Replace it with something healthy that you DO enjoy.

lemurcat12

What's wrong with calling it pop?