Morgan (on the left) and her sister.

That’s how long ago I made the decision to cut soda out of my life. Now, to be honest, I haven’t been completely soda-free. I made it through the 30 day NoFizz challenge and kept going. Around day 90, I did allow myself about 3 sips of Dr. Pepper and then tossed out the rest. And then, in April, I ordered a Coke at dinner with my sister. I had 1/2 of it and poured salt into the glass to ruin the rest. As a soda-addict, she was horrified. She guzzles the stuff like it’s going out of style – which I keep telling her — it IS!

I heard about the NoFizz challenge online. I had gone soda-free before in my life and decided it was time to do it again.

My husband and I are thinking about starting a family soon and I want to be as healthy as possible. I know artificial sweeteners are absolutely awful. If you’ve never researched aspartame, I highly suggest it. You’ll read some eye opening stuff.

Resisting my soda cravings was sometimes hard, sometimes easy. I like the carbonation and the way it stings my tongue. But pretty quickly, I felt an improvement in my well-being and I like that feeling better than any amount of carbonation. My stomach didn’t rumble around at night when I was trying to sleep. I didn’t feel as sluggish and bloated in the mornings.

I didn’t feel as tired throughout the day. I lost maybe a couple pounds but nothing really remarkable, like a lot of participants. Now, 5 months into this lifestyle change, I don’t crave soda anymore. I actually find that I crave water when I first wake up and even before I go to sleep.

My sister, the soda addict, tells me all the time that she needs the caffeine in soda. I always suggest tea or coffee but she doesn’t want to hear it. Coffee has become a great alternative for me. I drink it with Agave nectar, a natural sweetener, and one small cup is usually all I need to get my day started.

One of the ideas that kept running through my mind during the initial 30 day challenge – and something I share with others now – is to treat a soda like a donut: sugary and fattening. You wouldn’t eat a donut every single day – and you certainly wouldn’t eat a donut with every single meal. I don’t think soda has to be totally off-limits, but soda should to be consumed with awareness and only on occasion.

And a few words about diet sodas. I believe, and scientists have proven, that diet sodas are worse than regular sodas. Every woman I talk to about going soda-free says to me “But diet sodas are OK, right?” Nope.

NoFizz America Executive Director Bobby DeMuro shared a university study with me that showed how aspartame blocks the appetite receptors in your body that tell you when you’re full. The study found that people who drink diet sodas consume MORE calories throughout the day than someone who drinks regular soda because their body can’t tell them when they’re full. Crazy stuff!

[Editor's note: a few of the recent diet soda studies can be found here, here, here, and here].

If you’re thinking about doing the NoFizz challenge, just take it one meal at a time. If you slip up, you slip up. Don’t beat yourself up about. Get on with your day and make sure it includes an extra glass of water. Including more water in your diet is an easy way to improve so many aspects of your health!