Water, please!

Forming good habits is one the best things you can do for your health. Why? Because when you do something out of habit, it's second nature. You don't have to think about it. You don't have to stress or fret. You just do it! Eating healthy shouldn't be stressful and if you can create good habits, then it won't be!

An example is ordering a glass of water at a restaurant. This is a habit of mine. I rarely order a soda. And it's not because I don't like soda or that it wouldn't taste good, it's because I just don't do it! When the waitress comes to take my drink order, "I'll take a water" comes out of my mouth before I even have time to think about it. That's how i know it's a habit. I don't think, I just say "water, please!"

Giving up sugary drinks for water is not an easy switch to make at first. It can be really hard! Especially for those of use who have a pretty serious soda habit. I used to drink Diet Coke daily. At least two cans if not more. I know that doesn't sound too bad, but it does add up AND it was a habit! I don't even know if I actually wanted the Diet Coke. I was just so used to drinking it that I didn't think about it. I made it a point to stop at the vending machine at work on my way to lunch and grab a can of soda (a can only costs a quarter at my office - how could I not get it! It's practically free!) Then, I would come home from work, open a can of soda. Go out to eat, order a soda. Before you know it, habit formed.

And if you're thinking "Well, it's diet soda, not regular soda, so there is really no harm in drinking it". There is a ton of research on how bad diet soda is for your health. It may not have the calories due to the artificial sweeteners, but those same calorie-free sweeteners can trick your brain into craving sweeter foods. Also, you may end up eating more because you think you can. If your soda has no calories, then you can have a third slice of pizza, right??

That's the blessing and the curse of habits. They are wonderful when you've established good ones, but they can be detrimental when you've formed bad ones. A daily soda habit was one of mine. And I won't lie - it took me a pretty long time to give that up. I had to take baby steps. I started by giving up the second can in the evening. I still let myself have the can at lunch. Then after a couple of months with no soda at night, I thought "why not try not to refrain from soda on weekdays". I still let myself have a can on weekends. However, during the week, I'd keep a full bottle of water with me at all times.

After not drinking soda during the week for awhile, I kind of started to forget about soda altogether. I realized that I stopped wanting it. When we'd go to the grocery store, I stopped buying it. If I did get a craving, I'd pick up a single 20 oz bottle at the store - not a 2 liter or a 12 pack of cans. I know myself and if I buy a 2 liter, I will feel obligated to drink the whole thing, even if I don't want it. I know that a 2 liter can be cheaper than a 20 oz bottle (which is insane!) but it's worth paying the extra money for your health!

I've now kicked my soda habit for about 5 years. Do I still drink soda? Yep. Here and there. Do I still keep soda in the house? Sometimes. Mostly ginger ale because my husband and I like it (and we use it as mixer for whiskey). Do I feel deprived? Absolutely not! I let myself wean off of soda until I didn't want it anymore. I didn't make myself quit cold turkey and feel miserable. Also, I still let myself drink it if I want it. When I go to the movies, I ALWAYS order a soda. I look at it as a treat. I don't go to the movies very often, but when I do, I'm getting a Sprite or a cherry Coke! And I'm not getting diet, I'm getting the real stuff! It's not an every day occurrence so I don't beat myself up over it.

Look at your habits - both the good and the bad. Which ones are good ones? How did you form them? Do you have any bad ones? Maybe you always ask for extra cheese on a pizza without even thinking? Do you always order dessert at a restaurant, even when you're full? What little step can you take to start reshaping that habit?

Maybe you never fully give up your soda habit but just cut back a little. I would argue just cutting back is a success! Just taking a look at your daily routines and becoming aware is a huge step forward! Don't try to change every bad habit at once. Just take one and try to tweak it a little bit. Baby steps go a long way towards creating a healthy lifestyle!