Rachel, Stacie, and Irene,
Thanks for your suggestions on kicking the soda habit. I think ultimately
my problem stems from my childhood; although I realize that it's up to me
to kick the habit. My mom drank soda like water, and so did me and my two
brothers. My mom treated soda like a comfort and reward food. Her
favorite saying was "let's have a Pepsi." So I think subconsciously, I
also treat it as such. I actually find myself drinking them during periods
of stress or fatigue, which was daily for the first few months after my
daughter was born. I think I tell myself, subconsciously, that it's ok if
I have just one.
When I weighed 315 lbs in 1998, I was drinking the equivalent of a twelve-
pack of coke every day. I was constantly tired, my feet hurt, my eyesight
was getting bad. My family on both sides have a history of diabetes (we
also have a native american heritage), so I knew at that point that I had
to change my eating habits. That's when I discovered the Zone and then
Neanderthin.
The weird thing is that I took to the paleo WOE like a fish to water. I
don't have any problems with bread, pasta, dairy, or any other non-paleo
foods...just soda. After just one or two sodas in a given day, I get very
sick on my stomach and belch for hours.
As for water, I drink about 32-64 oz a day, and probably could drink more
if I always had it handy. At home, I drink bottled spring water. At work,
the filtered water machine is next to the free soda machine, so every time
I go to get water, I am tempted by the soda machine. Outside of the
office, I never have a problem with soda...I never buy it.
Stacie, my wife bought me an Aladdin one-quart thermos, and sends it with
me to work with watered down apple cider, which usually lasts me through
the morning. Unfortunately, I really dislike tea and club soda.
If anyone has any other suggestions, I would be glad to hear them. I
really would like to stop drinking sodas for good. Rachel, your
description of the effects of soda is probably enough to get me to quit for
a while: "imagine what the soda is doing to your insides---corroding
your teeth, stomach, bones." I think I will put a big sign on the soda
machine that says "Battery Acid"!
Thanks again for your suggestions,
Brad
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