After being addicted to  soda for the majority of my life, I knew that in order to have success I had to eliminate it. So I went cold turkey and never went back. 5 years in I give you 3 steps to help you win the battle:

1. 
   
2. Try to cut soda consumption. Keep a log of what you are taking in for 3 days to get a nice idea of your patterns. See how much soda you are drinking and cut it in half the first week. Then gradually decrease it down to none. It’s going to be hard, but well worth it. Sodas have ZERO nutritional value.
   
3. Drink more water. If you were like me, I absolutely despised drinking water. A drink without taste was not appealing. But, I knew that it would help keep the thirst down and help cleanse my system of the affects of soda abuse. Water is essential to good health. The Institute for Medicine suggests that men should take in at least 13 cups of water a day and women should take in at least 9 cups a day.
   
4. Have an accountability partner. This is one of the most important keys to having success. Find someone that will hold you acceptable to your goal. To support and give you encouragement and constructive criticism along the way.
   
5. The way I did it was hard. I went cold turkey because I knew that if I couldn’t overcome this huge battle, it would be hard to have true lifestyle change. I can proudly say that I haven’t had a soda in over 3 years. It has helped me gain traction with my weight loss journey by giving me early success to build on. I now have more energy and drink water 95% of the time.
   

Have you tried to eliminate soda from your diet? If so, how did you do it?