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I?ve tried on several occasions to remove soda pop from my life ? or at least curb my reliability on it. While it does give you a sugar and caffeine high, the effects on that front are brief ? and the long-term impact on your health certainly isn?t worth it.

Up until recently, I was drinking several cans per day rather than drinking healthier options like water and milk, and all for the boost of sugar and caffeine that my body craved. But I made a decision that I had to seriously cut back on the habit because I was getting tired earlier in the day, and was beginning to fear diabetes down the line. Whether that fear was founded or not, it was enough to get me started on kicking the soda pop habit.

I didn?t try just one thing to make it stick, either. I kept a few things in mind in order to keep me on track, since I?d tried to quit drinking soda pop before and had failed each and every time. The longest I?d ever gone was one month ? and after that I fell right back into my old ways. So if you?re looking for the best way to kick the soda pop habit, here it is ? from someone who?s tried time and time again to do it.

Buy a SodaStream

Having a SodaStream in your arsenal gives you a few advantages in your battle to the kick soda pop habit.

Firstly, it allows you to control the amount of soda syrup that goes into your soda. That means you can still undulge in a carbonated beverage every once in a while and not get whatever sugary syrup that store bought soda pop has. Secondly, you are being more environmentally friendly in that the bottles that the SodaStream comes with are better for the planet and you won?t be buying bottles and cans from the store filled with soda pop any longer. Finally, you?ll be saving money, as the materials needed to run the SodaStream are less constly than buying conventional soda pop at the supermarket.

Again, willpower will be one of your biggest allies in this challenge ? even with the SodaStream in your corner. Just make sure you get the SodaStream to work for you in this endeavour?and not against you.

Indulge periodically ? but only with the good stuff

Quitting cold turkey isn?t ideal for any habit you?re trying to break ? and when you?re trying to kick the soda pop habit you need to ween yourself off slowly or give yourself permission to indulge every once in a while. I went with the latter this time around, because the former has never seemed to work for me.

Why is that? Because by weening myself off slowly I still had the soda pop easily accessible, either at home or when I?d eat out for dinner. I didn?t commit to making it an occasional indulgence ? instead I tried to remove it bit by bit, and that wasn?t measureable for me. By removing soda pop for the majority of the time and allowing yourself the opportunity to have some when you?re in a situation where ? for example ? you may be out somewhere where you may be needed to be the designated driver, you?re not only giving yourself some breathing room in the challenge, but you may find that you really don;t miss soda pop after all.

Since I kicked the soda pop habit, I?ve had two small bottles of soda. And while I don?t crave it anymore ? and I really don?t miss it ? I do know that I can now have a glass of it every once in a while and be okay with that.

Keep coffee and tea close at hand

I do like my coffee. I drink it black, with no sugar or milk. I like my morning coffee?and maybe drink two cups of the stuff per day. And I?m beginning to get more and more into tea, especially since I largely removed soda pop from my life.

In fact, if you want to have some replacements for soda pop in your pantry while you attempt to kick the soda pop habit, coffee and tea aren?t bad ones to have.

Start juicing

Before soda pop was part of my diet, juice was. That?s because my parents let me drink juice well before soda pop was in the fridge. Mind you, the juice we had on hand wasn?t exactly the healthiest type out there ? and juicing wasn?t something done in my parents? house. But it is in mine.

Get yourself a juicer ? it doesn?t have to be the most expensive one?there are plenty of lower cost options out there ? and start juicing. It is far healthier than any juice you can buy and will do wonders to help you curb your cravings for soda pop.

Take trips down soda pop aisles in stores

I have made a point of going to the soda pop aisle each and every time I go to my local grocery store ever since I took on this challenge, and I still do it to this day. I walk down the aisle to remind me of not only where I?ve been with my diet, but also where I won?t be going again.

Kicking the soda pop habit isn?t easy, especially if you drank as much of it as I had been drinking. But if you are practical about yor approach to the challenge, consistent in what you do to stay on track and take what I?ve offered above as a means to help you take on the challenge, you?ll find that you can indeed kick the soda pop habit not just for a short while?but for good.

And isn?t that something worth resolving to do?

(Photo credit: Yellow Soda Can via Shutterstock)

Mike Vardy is a writer, speaker, and "productivityist". You can follow him on Twitter, listen to him regularly on his podcast, ProductiVardy, and read more from him at MikeVardy.com and at Vardy.me.