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