I have always been a touch high strung. From homework assignments to different tests and all the things that come with living the college life, I've always been very stressed out. Part of my coping mechanisms was eating and drinking to my heart's content -which often manifested itself as soda. I found myself drinking soda almost 3 - 4 times a day, preferring it over water. It became virtually my only drink, and, after a particularly bad run of stress and sleepless nights, I finally decided that it was time to quit it all. On December 8, 2018, I made the decision to cold turkey quit soda. It was one of the best decisions I made.

People ask me often what the best decisions I've made in my life are. Off the top of my head, I can name two: first and foremost, committing to the University of Virginia to attend as a student, and second, cutting soda completely out of my diet. It was almost instantaneous for me. I ultimately ended up feeling less stressed out about work. I could sleep easier, I felt better, and I was overall just more healthy of a person. I read around online and found that soda was the main culprit for weight gain, for sleeplessness, and a whole host of other problems. My skin was better, my waistline was better, I was sleeping easier. Long story short, quitting soda dramatically increased my quality of life.

My testimonial to it is only one of many many more one can find on the internet, as well as personal stories from people you might know. Many of you might be wondering, how do I quit soda? Especially if I am as addicted to it as you were, or perhaps even more?

My advice to that is: just decide. Don't wait until tomorrow, or the next day, or the next week. Do it now. Do it for you, do it for your health, do it so you feel better. It will be REALLY hard for the first few weeks. You will crave it, you will want it, you'll dream about it in your sleep. Don't cave in. It takes 28 days to break a habit, so the first month is going to be your toughest. Drink water at meals. If you really crave something sweet, allow yourself one or two lemonades or apple juices a week. Learn yourself, and know that it can be done.

I believe in you - I hope that you can find something that is a good alternative for you.