Carbonated drinks taste good, but they are not good for your health. It’s terrible for your teeth, it makes you bloated, and we don’t need to mention that they aren’t good friends with your scale. You can still enjoy it from time to time but if you feel addicted to soft drinks, here are some tips to help you get rid of it slowly, but once and for all.

1) Read the Labels on Your Drinks

A can of coke contains 129 calories and lots of sugar. On top of that, there are some E-ingredients that you know nothing about. If you read the labels, you will be less inclined to choose a soda. Similarly, a diet coke may contain calories, but it is not healthy either. To make it easier, you can keep a drinking diary and write down how much you drink and how many calories and ingredients it equates to. Keeping track of this will have your coke addiction pass on its own. By the way, did you know that by drinking more water, you burn more calories? The choice is yours!

2) Dilute With Water

Dilute your favorite soft drink with water and drink it. This will automatically help you consume less of it and take in more water, which is healthier. Besides, your taste buds will adapt to the diluted sweetness, and after a while, you won’t be craving the pure sweetness of soda anymore.

3) Start By Drinking Water

Make it a habit to drink a large glass of water before you start drinking soda. Feel like having a coke? Have a big glass of water first. It would be best if you always have a bottle of water in hand. If you’re still thirsty afterward, ask yourself whether you want a soda and if it is worth it.

4) Slow Down

Sure, you can stop drinking and cut out all carbonated beverages from your life in one fell swoop. However, just like with crash diets, there is a chance of relapse. If you drink a lot of soda a day, change it by having only one per day until you gradually start consuming less and less. After two weeks, you’ll be drinking only three sodas a week. That’s how you’ll move forward. With weaning, allow some time to get used to it. Don’t want to drink just water? Then try these delicious infused waters.

5) Drink Tea

If you drink one cup of coffee in the morning and only start your day with a few cokes, you are most likely addicted to caffeine. At first glance, you may seem to have more energy, but it creates a short peak and then fades away. Choose tea instead. Not a fan? Then find a flavor that works for you. There are several available nowadays.

6) Try to Stop Your Soda Consumption for 2 Weeks

Although it is best to reduce the number of soft drinks gradually, you can choose not to drink any. However, this abstinence method should be done for a fixed period, such as two weeks or a month. This time frame is mentally more feasible than the idea that you “might” never drink a soda again.

A pleasant aspect of this experiment might be that you won’t want to drink carbonated beverages after that period of time, or at least not as much as you used to. Our sugar cravings are adjusted to the amount we consume in a day, so our bodies quickly and automatically adapt.

7) Keep It for Special Events

Once you can reduce your consumption of soda, you can classify it as a “special occasion beverage”. Having an occasional soda is not a bad thing. If you allow yourself a treat with a soft drink once in a while, it will be easier for you to quit soda on other occasions.

Have you been able to deal with soda addiction with these few tips? Let us know in the comments below!