When I was younger, I was an avid drinker of Cherry Coke® and many other soft drinks. Actually, I was pretty much a Cherry Coke addict. I could never get past a day without one.

As I grew up and realized losing weight became a little bit harder, I became more conscious of the need to be healthy. Eventually, I took soft drinks completely out of my diet. In the rare occasions where I do drink them, I find the taste excessively sweet. Looking back, it was hard to believe I was putting so much sugar into my body. No wonder I was hell on wheels…

So, how can you give up Coke® and other soft drinks?

Identify why you want to quit soft drinks. 

To succeed, you need a strong enough reason. It can be to fit into your “freakum dress”, to be healthy, etc. Use this reason to drive you to quit the habit. Whenever you feel like giving up, recall this reason.

Get rid of the soft drinks at home.

If you want to quit, quit now. Don’t tell yourself that you’ll stop drinking after you finish the soft drinks in the fridge. You’ll only make it harder on yourself.

Have healthy substitute drinks.

After I quit drinking soft drinks, I switched to either plain water or fruit juices. Do not try and substitute soft drinks with coffee – the higher caffeine levels make it an unhealthy drink, as well. Try replacing coffee with pb Clean Energy! It tastes great and is packed with vitamins and minerals to help you feel energized and focused, without an unhealthy amount of sugar!

Keep track of your soft drinks consumption.

How many soft drinks are you drinking every day? Did you drink soft drinks today? Yesterday? The day before? Make a record of the times when you drink soft drinks. Then target to cut back by 50% every week, until it’s finally down to 0%. If 50% is too much for you, try 30%. Whatever you do, make your goal attainable!

Have a water bottle at all times.

Fill it with your favorite drink. Not only will you never get thirsty, it’s also economical. Remember, drinking up to 8 full glasses of water a day can help clear your skin and help you loose weight!

Persevere. 

As you start cutting away Coke® and soft drinks from your life, you may find withdrawal symptoms in the first week!  These symptoms may come in the form of restlessness, anxiety, cravings to drink again. Push through! If you need a little help detoxing, head on over to Planet Beach and hop in the Slim Capsule! You’ll sweat all that sugar out in no time!

Giving up soft drinks can be tough, but with a little help you will be sure to kick the habit! Do you have any tips on how to cut back on soft drinks? Let us know below!