Giving up Soda & Drinking More Water Part 2

By Nancy Bell @nancyfancyfree

It has been one week without soda and I am feeling great! I have had a couple soda cravings and a few caffeine headaches but overall I feel my body thanking me already. I already feel rejuvenated and “clean” after drinking water and juices instead of sodas. I have found that trying to avoid seeing soda and thinking about it prevents me from craving it. I have also been trying to keep water in arms reach at all times.

I have done a few things this week that have helped me really focus on drinking more water. Here are my water drinking hacks that might be able to help you drink more water as well.

• I read an article a while ago about how setting goals each day helps you achieve your goals, so I set a specific goal each day. I made sure I set the goals realistically and had points throughout the day to make sure I consumed water periodically instead of at one time.

• I bought a new water bottle that had a center compartment for fruits, veggies, or herbs so I can drink infused water. I am not a huge fan of plan water, I like to have a little flavor but keep it healthy. I have wanted an infusion water bottle for a while so this was the perfect time to infuse my life with some new excitement. I also made sure that it had measuring lines so I knew how much I was drinking and how long it took me to drink it.

• When I wasn’t drinking out of my fancy new water bottle, I drank out of a glass and straw. I think that drinking out of a straw makes you drink more because you don’t realize how much you are gulping down.

• I also tried to eat some water based foods this week like cucumbers, grapefruits, watermelon, and salad greens. I think that eating foods that are high in water content helps with keeping on track for the goal set earlier in the day. Clara downloaded an app on my phone to keep track of my water intake and calculates how much water is in the food I am eating.

• I am not going to lie, I really was craving a soda so instead of caving in I mixed juice with sparkling water. I know it still isn’t as good as plain water but it did a good job fighting off my craving. I used 100% fruit juice and lemon sparkling water, it actually tasted great.

I think that I am really going to be happy with this choice to give up soda. After just one week, I already feel better and I am sure once my body fully adjusts it will get even better.

Have you tried giving up soda? What do you find helped you the most?

Until Next Time,

Nancy