Shannon started a cross blog conversation (CBC) on her blog last night and I’m excited to get started (you can read a bit about what a cross blog conversation is over on Shannon’s 1st CBC post). This conversation will go back and forth until Sunday so you’ll definitely want to check back to both of our blogs daily so you can keep up with it. And with that I will answer her first question to me.
Angie,
I noticed on your blog that you have managed to give up soda. I’m really struggling with giving up soda altogether. I haven’t had a sugar-laden soda in 9 months, but I’m really having a hard time with diet soda.
Can you share any tips on how you managed to give up soda?
Great question, Shannon!
I’m sorry to hear you are struggling with the soda addiction craving. I have definitely been there so I understand. I’m happy to hear though that you went from regular soda to diet BUT you will feel awesome once you can let go of soda altogether because from what I hear diet can be just as bad if not worse than regular soda.
I personally gave up soda cold turkey so I really don’t have a story about how I did it. It was back in May 2005 that I just decided it was time and I have been soda free since then. There have been times I had some ginger ale but only when I was sick (it always settles my stomach) however after being soda free for so long even that is very hard to drink.
Soda addiction cravings can be detrimental to your health so I challenge you to start cutting back as soon as possible and I would love to hear in a few months that you were able to totally kick your soda habit. Your body will thank you for it!
Of course, it’s not going to be easy. As I said, I decided to do it cold turkey and although I’m glad I did, my experience wasn’t fun. I did get headaches for a while and and was just grumpy LOL I just started drinking 8-12 glasses of water a day and finally started to see a difference after a while with weight loss and my teeth & skin just felt better overall. So worth it!
Now it’s my turn to ask Shannon a question so here we go.
Shannon my question to you is
Have you ever read the Craving Secrets e-book?
I highly recommend it. I have the e-book and think you might find p. 39 helpful because it shares some examples of how to conquer your craving of soda but it has a ton of great info on how to help stop cravings for so many other things like fast food, salty and sweet things and much more.
We have discussed our struggles with weight loss and I wonder if you would care to share another struggle you might have when it comes to weight loss and/or fitness?
OK, maybe that was 2 questions in 1 ha ha! Now be sure to head back to Shannon’s blog tomorrow to read her answers to the questions I left above. This will go back and forth until Sunday so it should be a lot of fun to get to know us a bit better.
Now a question to my readers:
Do you you struggle with the soda addiction craving? If not and maybe have overcome it, what tips would you give to Shannon?
Yeah soda used to be a big addiction for me…not so much the sugar kind but the diet stuff was so addicting to me. I just had to give it up cold turkey and focus on drinking water and hot tea. I hardley ever have it now…maybe like once every couple of months and i find it kinda tastes too sweet and like chemicals.
Certifiably Fit’s last blog post..Week #10 – Strength & Endurance & New Post Content Ideas
Well if your topic for today is not an example of serendipity for me, I don’t know what is!
I am THEE (self-proclaimed) Pepsi girl.
Regular, not diet, of course. And caffeine-filled. Not proud of it, but not a Coke girl (unless I am in Mexico where Coke in a bottle always seems to taste so much better than Pepsi!)
Surely no one out there in the Universe drinks more Pepsi than me. It even got me a great mountain bike, beach chairs, and all sorts of other fun and cool gifts through my Pepsi points collection.
Ok, you get the idea. I drink A LOT of pop.
About a year and a half ago I made an appointment to see an Acupuncturist about my affinity for Pepsi.
That week a loved one in my family had a major medical emergency and the appointment was, of course, cancelled as my energies and attention went elsewhere. That loved one in my life ALSO loved Pepsi (not so much any more) – but while my loved one was craving a Pepsi in the Neurological Intensive Care Unit of a major medical hospital, I resolved right then and there that I would no longer drink any more pop until my loved one could once again drink it.
I stopped COLD TURKEY like you did. Just like that. The funny thing was, when I would see OTHER people drinking it after that, I would think what a terrible drink of choice! What a waste of calories! What a waste of money! How much better water was!
Then, several months later, my loved one was able to drink/swallow beverages of choice once again. With my loved one’s requests for just a sip of Pepsi here and there commenced, that started my brain into thinking Ok, I can now drink it again.
So I started up again. It’s the first thing I reach for in the frig in the morning, and the last thing I drink at night.
The fact that I personally stopped once – COLD TURKEY – for those 6 months tells me I already know it can be done.
I know it’s not the best beverage of choice for me – but I rationalize my habit. I say to myself, “I don’t drink alcohol; I don’t smoke; I don’t do drugs – why not enjoy a Pepsi ?” I could go a whole day and not drink or eat anything else except Pepsi.
Yikes! Just writing that is like a neon light shining in my window while I am trying to sleep!
If I can just make the decision to swap that can of pop for a glass of water – it would be like sleeping to the light of the moon!
It’s “funny” that of all topics I come upon during my first visit to your site – it is about the ONE not-so-great habit I have!!!!
I look forward to following your crossblog!
vicque fassinger’s last blog post..What You Will Find Here
Angie,
What a great idea to CBC with Shannon.
I appreciate your insight regarding becoming soda-free, although (fortunately) I haven’t drunk sodas for years. (Well, except a few times when, like you, I used Ginger Ale to calm my stomach. They’ve also developed a “green tea” version that’s now my choice.)
Having said that, I was a really heavy soda user years ago…many times as breakfast and lunch substitutes. Big no, no, I realize.
I’m looking forward to the rest of the week and your conversations with Shannon.
Karen McGreevey’s last blog post..It’s Like Pulling Teeth
Cross Blog Conversation with Angie of LosingitandLovingit.com - The Quest to Get Fit, Healthy, & Lose 100+ pounds! - The Shrinking Mommy // Dec 8, 2009 at 1:17 pm
[...] LosingItandLovingIt.com [...]
Thanks so much for sharing your insights with me! My answers to your questions and my new question for you can be found here:
http://theshrinkingmommy.com/179/challenges-with-diet-soda-cravings-cross-blog-wangie/
Thanks!!
Shannon’s last blog post..Challenges with Diet Soda & Cravings (Cross-Blog w/Angie)
I love a good fizzy beverage every now and then. I don’t generally keep soda in the house, but I grab them when I’m out shopping or running errands. I never really thought about cutting out the soda completely … but I should definitely cut back on my soda and caffeine in general.
I’m definitely a caffeine junkie, soda, coffee, tea, if it’s caffeinated I’ll probably drink it. I told Lisa if they put some caffeine in my water I would definitely switch from coffee to water in the morning LOL
Loretta’s last blog post..It’s a Grilled Cheese and Soup Kind of Day
uberVU - social comments // Dec 10, 2009 at 11:06 am
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by DianaWalker: http://losingitandlovingit.com/blog/1507/soda-addiction-craving/ My friend Angie blogging about Soda Addictions…
Great topic! I think a lot of people have this problem.
I tried to stop for 7 years. Coke was my only vice & it was so hard to stop. I drank it all day, nothing else. I would try to stop but never lasted more than a day.
In August I finally quit cold turkey. I was going to try the Body Applicator for the 1st time & wanted the best results. So I picked a day before it came & quit. You need to drink a lot of water to flush the toxins for 3 days so that’s what I did. Nothing else. After that it was just plain stubborness to keep me from drinking pop. Now when I try some it’s too sweet for me. I think I’ve finally kicked the habit!
Jennifer Swain’s last blog post..::The Heart Link Network | knowing more about your HLN Area Coordinator
Well… considering I drank at least 3 diet Coke’s today… I can’t imagine a more timely topic!
Thanks for sharing how you were able to give it up – sometimes hearing how others are able to accomplish something (I consider cold-turkey to be a story – headaches and grumpy! Not fun! How did you ever get through it!
)
Now you’ve inspired me… probably won’t go the cold turkey route… but maybe one instead of 3 tomorrow would be a good start!
Great CBC!
Trish’s last blog post..Brian Tracy Goals! – Free eBook Review
It’s easier if you don’t have any at home and you go on vacation. It’s not readily available that way. Drink water at the restaurant and you’ll save a bunch of money anyway. Really, that’s how I stop my cycle, by going on vacation and not starting up. Once I start up again, it’s difficult to go without for a day, though I usually only drink one a day. Unfortunately, I like coffeee too.
Diana’s last blog post..Vegan Desserts from Earth Balance