Had you asked me a year ago if I could give up soda forever, I would have told you, “not a chance.” I’ve tried and I’ve tried. I sort of saw it as “my thing.” It was something I really enjoyed. But, the truth of the matter was that I was addicted, and I would go to great lengths to get a soda whenever I wanted needed one.
I used to keep my own pantry and refrigerator stocked with soda, telling myself I was “saving money” by buying it in bulk. Years ago, my addiction of choice was Code Red Mountain Dew. For a time, I went to Diet Sprite and Diet Sierra Mist so I wasn’t “drinking my calories.” When I went to a more whole foods diet, I ditched the aspartame, but I couldn’t ditch the fizzy burn and the sugar high of the soda, so I went to Dr. Pepper, and later to Pepsi. In an attempt to lesson the amount I was drinking, I stopped stocking my own home, and started only having it when I went out. (I seemed to “go out” a lot.)
And I had cohorts in my addiction. Friends whom I could count on to have soda readily available. Friends who were more than happy to drive to Happy Hour with me. Friends who weren’t about to question my addiction because it might call into question their own. (You know who you are – I still love you!)
Bad day – Grab a Pepsi at the local Shoppette.
Out to eat with the hubby – Soda, please!
Hanging out with friends – Could you put some ice in my soda?
Tired, but need to keep up with homeschooling – Open a can of soda!
Yes, it was the answer to everything it seemed.
I say all this to make a point. I wasn’t a little addicted. I wasn’t a casual soda drinker, or even a social soda drinker. I was a junkie.
But, not any more…
Honestly, I had given up trying to quit. I didn’t think I ever would or could. I stopped caring.
Until something made me care.
Like Laura from Heavenly Homemakers, I needed a light bulb moment. That moment came when I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes.
I was devastated. 8 babies and passed every time. Number 9 – flunked, flunked, flunked. I had done so much to get my health under control, and this was how I was rewarded? I felt like an utter failure. (I have since learned some interesting things about why I might have failed the test, but that’s another post, and doesn’t negate the good this diagnosis did for me.)
As a consequence for not passing, I had to meet with a GD counselor and get a reading on my blood sugars 4x a day. Every week, I had to email my blood sugar numbers to my counselor, and there was NO WAY I was going to let any of those numbers be over the acceptable amount.
So, I quit drinking soda.
I knew if I drank a soda with my meal, it could linger in my system and make my numbers higher than I wanted. And I didn’t want to drink one in the afternoon when it might affect my sugars going into a meal. And I certainly wasn’t going to drink one at night when it might cause my morning number the next day to be off.
So, I just didn’t drink it.
It sort of sounds crazy when I say it. I knew all along soda wasn’t good for me, but it took me being accountable to someone who didn’t even know me to make me walk away from it. I didn’t want to look bad. I wanted to prove to everyone I DIDN’T have Gestational Diabetes. I was determined to do my part to keep my blood sugars under control. Drinking a soda was just NOT that important any more.
When Aspen, born at 8# 10oz, was nearly 2 1/2 pounds SMALLER than her last two siblings, I had to face a hard truth. My 11 pound babies weren’t because the women in my family have big babies (which they do – but come on, that’s extreme) – it was because I wasn’t nourishing my body. Sugar had packed on their weight and mine.
I stopped drinking soda in October of 2014. Several months ago, I thought I would have one for the fun of it (told you I was an addict!), but it burned my throat so badly and was so sickly sweet, I had to ask the waitress for something else.
My beloved soda had become poison. Proof positive that nourishing your body will change your taste buds. I no longer thought I couldn’t eat Mexican food or pizza without a soda, I couldn’t make it through a tough day without a soda, I couldn’t take a road trip or spend the day at a friend’s without a soda. My whole world changed.
I know for some of you, this post is going to seem like a “duh” moment. But, I know there are others of you who are just as addicted as I was. You have (sort of) wanted to quit. You know you “ought to” quit. But, you haven’t found a motivation strong enough to actually do it.
Perhaps some day you will. Perhaps my story will be enough to send you over the edge – someone else as addicted as you are who actually managed to walk away. But, more likely, what will do it will be an “aha” moment all your own. You see, I didn’t set out to kick my soda habit. It happened in a round-about way through an entirely different motivation, but…
Visit my Real Whole Foods & Weight Loss/Fitness Pinterest boards – you might find your own inspiration there!
Follow Amy Roberts {Raising Arrows}’s board Real Whole Food on Pinterest.
Follow Amy Roberts {Raising Arrows}’s board Weight Loss & Fitness on Pinterest.
Jenni says
Good for you! I don’t think I’ve ever had a major soda addiction, but I remember periods where life was hard, and gosh, that GT Cola from Aldi was just so affordable that it made sense to have it as a treat during our law school years. But my husband and I both quickly realized that downing a 2 liter in one weekend (and we limited it to weekends) wasn’t doing either of us any good.
We all went on an elimination diet a few years ago to accommodate our oldest son who had some suspected food sensitivities, and were surprised to find how better we felt too. After that, I still let myself have soda here and there, but I can quickly tell that it affects me, mainly for the sugar crashes, but also because I have a sensitivity to anything corn-related.
Emelia says
Wow, good work Amy! For me it’s coffee. I am very addicted to coffee. I didn’t even kick it during my last pregnancy, only reduced it to 1-2 cups a day spaced out. Even while nursing I am drinking way more than I should. If I make a large pot I will drink the whole thing in a days time… so I started using a mini pot that only makes 2 cups worth to try to pare it down! I am picking up my first SCOBY tomorrow to make kombucha, I am hoping to wean myself over to that instead and make coffee a ‘treat’. So, long story short, I hear ya! And, I am so thankful for your honesty and repentant heart.
Amy says
Kombucha is VERY yummy and VERY difficult to overdo 😉
Rebecca says
Oh I love coffee too! I only brew a few cups in the morning but if I made a big pot, I would go all day on it. Well, maybe not lately….it’s been 100 degrees plus humidity so by 9am, I am about hot coffee-ed out.
Rebecca says
I have played the yo-yo with Dr. Pepper myself. (It’s the only soft drink I will drink, thank goodness, I’d hate to have a love for them all). I got off of them a couple years ago when we started THM, then started losing weight/inches. I started “rewarding” myself with an occasional one. I’m now back to having 1 glass every evening. I remember “coming down” from them …..and I only mean that half jokingly. I was so miserable. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. I need to kick it and be done with it!!!! I had quit buying them, then just an occasional and now, as I look at my open pantry door, dadgum but there’s SEVERAL in that closet!! I think I need to seriously pray for God’s help for strength, as foolish as that may sound to others, it just confirms how I need Him in every part of my life. ps…..checking out your Pinterest boards and am really getting some info on exercise. I’ve been wanting to run for awhile and I’m kind of dumb about it, plus it’s so HOT here, (very humid south) but I’m getting some good ideas from your boards about shoes, timing and I am also going to make a few of those neck tie cooling things to wear. It gets SO hot and stuffy even just walking (I do all my walking/running outside cause I’ve got a great place to do it and I’m too cheap for a membership and wouldn’t go anyway.). Thanks for some spot on articles these last few weeks. Glad you are still blogging, since I gave up FB, I’m not getting to read after many Christian bloggers anymore. They seem to be using FB as a blog. 🙁
Amy says
It’s a tough road for sure. I was just talking to Ty this morning about needing more accountability in tracking what I’m eating. I need to SEE just how much I’m eating to actually get my eating under control. Keep praying! God does answer – and not always in the way you think!
Kirsten Pankratz says
Good for you! And I want to add something….what you’re doing is so good for the kids. We never drink soda, it’s never in our house. We don’t miss it…because we didn’t drink it growing up. Thank you, Mom and Dad! Not having soda will make it so your kids are not used to and will not be addicted and have to figure out how to get off of it when they are grown. We do water (we have our own well and really good water), milk (we are able to get it from the Amish-so thankful for that) with sweet tea now and then for a treat. Now, don’t ask me about coffee! Yeah, gotta have that….not even sure I’d want to try to kick that. Hey, it’s got stevia and raw cream in it so it’s good for me, right?
Dawn @ The Momma Knows says
Several years ago, the youth pastor asked us (the youth staff) to fast something for a month. I had realized I had a caffeine problem, since I was drinking FIVE 16-oz. travel cups of tea a day, which never had the tea bags removed from them as I drank. It was strong stuff! So I gave up tea, and all other drinks but water. It was hard, considering I ran the cafe at church 2 days a week and served up sweet, strong espresso drinks. I always had one while I was working, too, but I switched to drinking bottled water at the cafe. It took me 10 days to kick the caffeine, with headaches and inability to get moving any time during the day. I would fall sleep nearly any time I sat down! But that month turned into another, and another, and although I do occasionally drink a tea or coffee now it isn’t a normal thing, and I can’t stand the taste of soda any more. I lost that completely (and I was a die hard Dr.Pepper drinker too). Good for you! You will be so much healthier for it in the long run!
Amy says
Wow! What a story! Praise God!
MamaRay says
Thank you! I needed this. Pregnant with #4 and know I am addicted to soda. Just need to make the plunge. Need to give it over to God, and probably need an accountability partner – who is not my husband who gives into me 😉 What you said about big babies and the nutrition we are feeding them while the grow really resounded in my heart. Thank you again for your encouragement and wisdom.
Kim Crawford says
I too was diagnosed with GD my last pregnancy three years ago. I thought I was doing fine, but my bloodwork just showed I am prediabetic. I am only 10 pounds overweight, but I do like sugar. I am trusting the Lord for strength to change my diet and exercise most days. My doctor said exercise is the same as taking an insulin stabalizing drug. Anyway, a few years ago, I was able to get my father off of soda by encouraging him to drink seltzer water with Stevia Sweet Drops. Our favorite flavor is Vanilla Cream. Soda without calories or artificial sweetner! Yahoo.
Lindsay says
I am currently enduring a high risk pregnancy. While I do not have gestational diabetes, my doctor is encouraging me to drink much more liquids than I am used to, in order to slow contractions that have been plaguing me for the last month or so (I am 21 weeks). So, I’ve pretty much completely cut out soda (Dr. Pepper) in favor of sparkling juice. My husband would like to see me drink only water, but I’m not there yet. 😉 My husband, on the other hand, is an amazing example and gave up a two pot a day black coffee habit by simply throwing out our old nasty coffee maker because it was a morning sickness trigger for me. He said he can always start deinking it after the baby is born if he really needs it. Oh, and he’s a police officer. Have you ever met a police officer who doesn’t drink soda or coffee????
Amy says
LOL – my husband is just like this! I keep thinking, “If only I had HIS willpower!” But, I realize this is just one of those things I have to deal with with the Lord’s help. Keeps me dependent on the Lord!
Rebecca says
My husband is the same way….he’s not had sweet tea in years (other than oolong that’s very watered down and flavored with stevia) and he’s not had a soft drink in 10 years. Water only for him.
Julie says
Yay, Amy… I am just so proud of you! ((HUGS)) It is an awesome feeling isn’t it, when your body craves water instead? I was the same way as a teen, and a newlywed. Diet Pepsi was my fave back then. I’d drink it and even replace meals with it. It seemed to control my appetite. When you are 20, you think you know everything..heehee I thought that calorie counting was the most important thing back then…less calories+better body. It was the days of Diet Rite and Tab and Diet soda was the trend back then! How naive, but definitely understandable. Being pregnant with our first did it for me. I thought that if I didn’t give it up then, I’d just crave it more and more. I even remember my Dr. at that time telling me, “It is okay for you to just have a glass once a day or once in a while!” That was 1996. I knew that one glass for me meant the whole 2 liter!! And then, there would be no room for milk, juice or anything else. My husband even gave it up with me back then and he lost weight during my pregnancy as I gained..haha. Although I ditched the soda at age 25, it wasn’t until my late 30’s that I started to drink water faithfully instead of sweetened iced tea……another addiction. I have now moved onto unsweetened ice tea when I do drink that, and I drink my iced tea very weak…by choice though, I just like the flavor of it that way. I love hot tea with honey in the morning…I am -so- not a coffee drinker..(smiles) It is water all day for me. The more that you drink it, the more you want it. I guess that is true with any food or drink. Sorry for the run-on…just wanted to share 🙂 As always, you prove to be a great encouragement and friend across the miles. God bless you and your sweet family and as I have always thought, we’d be great friends for sure if we met in person. “Happy Thursday!”
Amy says
I used to NEVER drink enough water. It is funny how the more you drink it, the more you want it. Thanks for all the encouragement!
Michele @ Family, Faith and Fridays says
Right there with you Amy! I could have seriously written almost every word you said. Sad, but true, I am trying hard to stop the bad habit as well, and currently am drinking vitamin water to transition, since the only other drink I have is water. Hard road, but worth it in the end I know. Way to go in your success!
Amy says
You can do it, Michele!!!
Sarah says
That is so crazy. I feel like I could have written that story, but I’m still in the middle. I was just diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes after having 5 babies without it. I am trying to quit soda, and have made great progress so far (i think). I would drink soda all day long every day, and now I’m down to once a day if I have any. It is a battle that has been hard to win, but I think I will get there. Thank you for sharing your story, it was a great encouragement to me.
Kim Crawford says
Try seltzer water with Vanilla Cream Sweet Drops! They are made with stevia and taste just like pop when added to seltzer water. I was insulin dependant GD with my last baby. It does make you eat like you should when you are pregnant.
Amy says
You can do it, Sarah!
Christa says
The lady at the drive thru window at Sonic saw me drive thru and knew my order before I even got to the screen. A Diet Coke with Lime easy Ice was waiting for me at the window. When I was pregnant with my now four year old, it made me very nauseous. Even after my pregnancy it continued to make me sick. So I quit and haven’t drank a coke for four years. I have also tried again but it just tastes awful now. My blood sugars are better (even though I drank diet) and I have been able to loose weight much more easily. I drink lots more water and generally feel much better. I am glad it made me sick and I didn’t have any other choice than to quit.
My little guy born after not drinking soda was also almost two pounds lighter.
Amy says
Great story!
Alyson N. says
Great Job!! My husband is a soda addict and says he can drink water all day except with food, which adds up to about a 2-liter each day. He says he needs that fizz to wash it down. Do you have any suggestions on what to drink instead? Any help would be great!
Amy says
For me, it was a habit – I didn’t really NEED the fizz, but I thought I did. I felt like I would get heartburn without it. I usually drink tea when I’m out now and add lemon to it which helps me digest better. Kombucha might be a good alternative, but you can’t drink massive quantities of it. Or suggest he drink water with lemon and then follow up his meal with a peppermint which also aids digestion and won’t add nearly as many calories.
Erin Russell says
Oh My! You just described me! Perfectly, I am a pepsi addict, my last baby was gestational diabetic, I had to give myself insulin 4 times a day. It was A.W.F.U.L!!! That was my AHA moment. The thing is, I keep going back to it. I’ll quit for a few months and then I’ll have one at a get together with friends…and then it turns into two or three or four and I can’t stop! The next day I have to go to the gas station for my fix. Right now I am quit. Its been two weeks, I just pray daily for God to give me the strength to withstand the temptation of the first one. I know how bad it is for you, for my nursing baby,for my bank account ( we are full time ministry one income…) but like you said-its MINE, I don;t have to share it with anyone, it helps get me over the burned out mom phase of the day, but most of all I crave it at night after the kids are in bed and I just want a piece of indulgent pleasure, to reward myself for surviving my day. Sigh. Its a daily battle. But I am confident in Him! So I keep praying and trusting and starting over again when I need too. Because really, His name is comforter, I can lean on Him! Praying that you can stay quit of your habit Amy. I have been a follower for about five years now, thank you so much for blessing me! Every post!
Erin
Amy says
Oh Erin! I am praying for you! Perhaps there is something else you can do at night that would give you the same “wind-down” without the bad effects. Relaxing isn’t a bad thing, but dependency and feeding yourself junk is. ((HUGS))
Lori Alexander says
I just wrote a post about this very issue last week called “Gestational Diabetes and Soda!” 🙂 I shared this on my facebook page since it’s always great to have encouragement from someone’s whose been able to kick the habit!
http://lorialexander.blogspot.com/2015/06/gestational-diabetes-and-soda.html
Amy says
Oh wow! Isn’t it amazing how God does this?! I’m sharing your post on my FB page too!
Alicia says
Thanks Amy ! VERY timely. I’m trying to be more healthy. A show on t.v. featuring frugal housecleaning tips really messed up Coke for me. To me, it tastes better in ice cold aluminum cans, you pull the top and hear that crisp can sound and then it makes that little vapor of fizz………….ahhhhhhh……… Well, this Mom on t.v. with the cleaning tips said that once a month, she pours a can of Coke down the kitchen sink so that the acid in the soda will clear the drain. She popped the aluminum can open and now it wasn’t, yumm, instead I thought, what is that soda doing to my stomach, bones, etc. ? I was walking somewhere last week on a hot day, and I was thirsty. I remembered when I recently drank a soda that I felt sluggish and thought, no , I’ll go buy something healthy. Bottled water or pink grapefruit juice. I get to the store cooler and in the beverage section was a bottle of Coke with my name printed on the label. I thought, one more soda won’t hurt. Then I’ll quit. I should pack frozen water with lime juice, no sugar. That’s refreshing when it’s blazing hot. Thanks for the timely words Amy !
Amy says
ACK! That is something else about the Coke! Isn’t it funny how we make excuses for our bad choices. Just one more time… 😉
Alicia says
Dear Amy and readers at Raising Arrows, Thank you , if you’ve been praying for me. I thank God for taking away the desire for soda . I wanted to stop drinking Coke, but didn’t think I ever would. I thought maybe the best I could do was trim it down to a daily mini-can, to get that caffeine “zing” and the soda fizz. But one day, about a month ago, I walked into a dollar store where I walked to just about every day for a bottle of soda and I looked for something healthy instead. I want to LIVE. Not mess up my health. I got a can of V-8, a bottle of prune juice and tried something new I hadn’t seen there before, an aluminum can of Ocean Spray Sparkling Cranberry . It’s basically fruit juice and sparkling water. It has the same ice cold aluminum can feel as Coke , without the harmful ingredients. Even has that soda “fizz”. And it tastes good. Finding a tasty, clean substitute worked for me. When I went back about a week later to buy more, they hadn’t re-stocked. I asked a stock guy in the store about it and he said it was probably a promotional item and probably wouldn’t be there regularly. I thought “Oh no, I just found the cure to get me off soda.” I went online and found that it’s sold at Target and Walmart. They also deliver to you. There are also many brands of fruit flavored sparkling waters at Jewel. I hope this helps someone get off soda and LIVE healthier. God bless you. Alicia
Amy says
Yay Alicia! I’ve had a sip of soda once or twice since I wrote this and it just wasn’t worth it. So worth it to not drink the stuff any more!
Clarissa says
Good for you!
I drank mt.dew pretty much every day for YEARS when I was diagnosed with a serious autoimmune disease in May 2012. I was very sick. I knew that I needed to quit sugar and anything that caused inflammation in my body, so I quit old turkey that month and haven’t had any regular soda since, but I do drink “zevia” soda sometimes (sweetened with stevia).
Jillian says
Good for you!! The longest I went without soda was a couple of months (2-3) but when I finally did drink it again I was totally like, “where’ve you been my whole life!” It was every bit as delicious and bubbly as I remembered it. Now I usually only have a can or two every couple of weeks but most of the time I drink seltzer. Sometimes I can even drink plain seltzer!
Amy says
Not a chance I could drink plain seltzer! I’ve had one time when I was really tempted to order a soda with my meal, and Ty asked me if I was sure I wanted to do that. It was enough to make me stop and think and not go there.
Alicia says
I’ve only recently found “Raising Arrows”. What a treasure! One more thought on the “soda’s bad for you topic” : If you drank soda while you were pregnant, you might want to have your baby checked for diabetes. There are tests available the pediatrician can do to detect diabetes in children. Just don’t drink soda when you’re pregnant. AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS WORTH A POUND OF CURE.
Miranda says
I have so been there!! I used to love pop, but when my husband was diagnosed with an auto immune disease we switched to whole foods. To support him I also stopped drinking pop. Now I can’t stand it.
Amy says
Isn’t that amazing?! Good for you!
Samantha Hatcher says
My name is Samantha Hatcher and I have a sugar addiction. This in’t a small one, but a very large one. I’ve fought this all my life. I crave sugar when I’m tired, when someone has hurt me, when I am stress, when I’m anxious, when I want something to eat. Sugar is my go to. It is my “drug” of choice. I’ve tried to kick the addiction, but keep failing as the perfectionist in me doesn’t allow for mistakes so I give up. I know it isn’t the source of all my problems, but it certainly is the fake cure to them. I need to find a better solution. I need to take care of myself so I can take care of my babies and be blessed enough to see my grandchildren and great grandchildren. I too had gestational diabetes and stayed away while pregnant, but as soon as it was over, I was back on my soda/ sugar kick. Something has got to change. Praying for strength to face it.
Joanne says
I can so relate to a lot of this post. Fortunately NOT the soda addiction but the fact that getting to baby number 7 and then being diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes was a big blow for me. I completely refused to accept that the numbers on my blood sugar level tests were correct. It was spotted at 3months into my pregnancy, so I’ve had 3 months of the finger testing 6 times per day so far – another 3 months to go ! I also have insulin injections every evening. I love chocolate, especially when pregnant but this time it’s a BIG NO NO ! Vegetables are by best friend and I’m learning to “like” them lol….not easy !
Amy says
Awww, I’m sorry! Mine was diagnosed a lot later, and my numbers were never so bad as to need insulin. ((HUGS))
Reggie says
Ok, ok, I haven’t ever stocked my own pantry, but I can tell you what gas station has the best price on a Big Gulp any time of the year. For years, soda was my treat to myself whenever I went grocery shopping, errand running, etc. While I don’t WANT to use the word addict, the truth is, whenever I knew I would be running errands, my first thought was how to plan my trip to get the biggest gulp for the best price. Golly. After baby five, I noticed my digestive system began having an extreme reaction to Coke products…so I switched to Pepsi. Less severe side effects, but nonetheless, highly uncomfortable side effects all the same. I had to go cold turkey for a time during pregnancy six and now during pregnancy seven, I will have bloating and/or indigestion if I drink too much. I’m fairly certain I have Chron’s (tricky to diagnose, so not positive) but it’s mild at this point. As long as I practice moderation (only 8-12 ounces a couple times a week), I can still enjoy soda…but that’s the key, moderation. I fully believe God allowed my body to begin rejecting it, not because it’s horrible for me (though it is), but because I had placed WAY too much importance on it. Now when I see a gas station marquee advertising a Big Gulp for 59 cents, I don’t pull in. And I can tell my body thanks me.