Quitting Soda Since 2019: My Personal Challenge

When I was young, 👦🏻 I'd drink 2 to 5 small bottles of soda during occasions! 🥤 This love affair with sweets has stuck with me, ᯓ ᡣ𐭩 and even now, I crave sugary treats. (ෆ˙ᵕ˙ෆ)♡ But there's something undeniably special about a cold soda on a hot summer day, especially after a meal. >ᴗ< In the Philippines, it's almost a national pastime to crave soda – it's our go-to pick-me-up or stress reliever. ⋆｡°✩ Fiestas wouldn't be complete without a mountain of soda bottles, 🥳 and whenever my parents stocked up for visitors, I could easily polish off 10 bottles or more during the festivities. ٩(^ᗜ^ )و ´- My cousins and I would happily drink sodas like water, that's how deeply hooked we were. ᕙ( •̀ ᗜ •́ )ᕗ But that all changed in 2019. I officially left the "soda lover squad" behind.
ヾ(￣▽￣) Bye~Bye~

I wanted to see if I could live without it.

Yes, I can!

Giving up soda was my very first personal challenge. It was like an addiction, and I knew deep down I could live without it. But the truth is, I also craved it and enjoyed it a lot. So, I took a gradual approach. In mid-2018, I started to avoid soda and managed to cut back significantly. Finally, in 2019, I went cold turkey. The first temptation was tough. During a pre-festival hangout with my best friends, they tried to persuade me to drink the soda we bought together, but I laughingly declined!

Slowly, ignoring soda became a habit. Honestly, compared to my other challenges, it wasn't that difficult. But maybe that's when I started to develop a unique quirk! People might think I'm a bit strange sometimes, but most of the time, they appreciate it. They get to enjoy the extra soda others offer me, making everyone happy!

It's a struggle – once I start indulging, I crave more and more, making it hard to stop before feeling full or even a bit gross. But I'm actively trying to break this cycle. Losing two molars due to a combination of sugar and poor brushing habits was a wake-up call. Thankfully, one molar recovered, but the other wasn't so lucky. This experience definitely made me more sugar-conscious. Now, I brush my teeth more diligently, especially after sugary treats, to maintain good oral hygiene and avoid similar problems in the future.

Read how addictive sugar is and why it's bad for us.

I know deep down that indulging in too much sugary food isn't good for me. It seems harmless enough on the surface, but science shows the long-term damage it can cause. I'm hopeful that I can gradually reduce my sugar intake and gain control over those cravings. In the meantime, I'll keep striving for that goal!