How to give up pop?

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Guys - I have a serious addiction to pop. How did you kick the habit???

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  • ilovemypeekapug
    ilovemypeekapug Posts: 106 Member
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    Me, too! I use so many of my daily calories just so I can my "fix". Mtn Dew or Coke are my beverages of choice.
  • melisha0214
    melisha0214 Posts: 43 Member
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    Mtn Dew or Dr Pepper here! It's so bad...
  • Patti705
    Patti705 Posts: 264 Member
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    I went cold turkey on Diet Coke. I was on Martha's Vineyard over the summer and there are no convenenice stores on the Island to grab a fountain soda (my preferred version) so I just went without. I was there for seven days so by the time I returned home, I was over it. For about a month, I maybe would drink one a week (as a treat) but now they rarely even taste good--they just seem to have an unpleasant bloating effect. I occassionally have one at Costco (but it's D Pepsi I already don't dig it) but that's about it as I live in DC where, in a full circle, there really aren't convenience stores.

    You can do it and I promise you'll feel better when you kick the habit!
  • sneaky_teaky
    sneaky_teaky Posts: 30 Member
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    I also went cold turkey, just because I knew from the past I would make up excuses to have one or two when I probably shouldn't have. I gave up pop the same day I started using MFP, so that is 39 days 'soda sober'.
  • ashleyweaver3
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    I quit diet coke 7 weeks ago and it has made such a difference. I had been stuck at a weight for months and now I have beet that plateau and lost another 10 pounds. Mainly I don't crave sweets like I did. I stopped cold turkey however I do allow myself one 8oz coffee each day to avoid the caffeine withdraw. But after 6 weeks, I really don't even need that anymore. Get lots of water and make water convenient to drink (easy to grab like a soda). Once you stop your weight loss will your motivation
  • papayahed
    papayahed Posts: 407 Member
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    Coke is my Dark Lord. I bow to it. I've tried giving up regular pop and just drink diet but I kept slipping back so I quit cold turkey. It's been about a month and a half and I'm still thinking about it. Every time I get stressed at work (fairly often) I crave a coke. The only thing keeping me on track is my vacation in july. When do the cravings stop???
  • BioQueen
    BioQueen Posts: 694 Member
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    I was never a big soda drinker, but I drank a lot of Crystal Light and just wanted to get away from the artificial stuff. I now have a water bottle that is only allowed to have water in it (flavored with lemon if I want/have lemons on hand). I take it with me everywhere and I don't allow myself to drink anything else. I don't go out that often, but its either water or red wine.

    I do also drink coffee, but I now I switched to only drinking it black.
  • mkeeling876
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    It should take about 2 weeks for the cravings to stop if you cut all sugar out of your diet. I am certainly no expert but staying off of the blood sugar roller coaster will make it easier. It can be a nightmare process but worth the effort. Expect headaches and being short tempered (speaking from first hand experience). The most incredible thing that I experienced after limiting my sugar intake was not being able to drink an entire can of Coke because I thought it tasted too sweet! If you like carbonated beverages, try soda water. Good luck!
  • jlbroyles
    jlbroyles Posts: 2 Member
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    Soda water really helped me kicking the habit. If you live near a Sonic, they make a drink with soda water called a splash. The Sunshine berry has strawberries, lemon, and peach. Yummy! Only 60 calories for a large!
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    I never had any intention of giving it up - I enjoy it. But I knew I was wasting too many calories on it. So I limited myself to one soda a day. Some days I just need some caffeine and want to drink something cold, so I get a diet soda. But some days I just need a regular soda in all its sweet and refreshing wonderfulness so I have ONE, without guilt.

    Try making a pot of flavored tea at night (like mint or peach) and once it cools put it in the fridge to drink the next day - very refreshing. You can also get an infuser bottle and infuse fruit flavor in your water. I find having a combination of alternatives really helps!
  • IllBeBack1Day
    IllBeBack1Day Posts: 982 Member
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    Just will power! That s how i did it!
  • debubbie
    debubbie Posts: 767 Member
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    I add Mio Energy to my morning water to get a hit of the caffeine and some flavor to my water. After that water bottle is gone, I usually drink plain water or maybe add plain Mio to my water at dinner. About once a week or so I may have a Dr. Pepper that I drink over a couple of days. I find it to be too sweet now, and I don't like drinking all of my calories away. This has helped me tremendously because I used to drink about 60 oz of pop a day!
  • mandamrtz
    mandamrtz Posts: 13 Member
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    I was addicted lol my fav was dr pepper. I said I was giving it up for my new yrs resolution. Weird but I would drink it ALL the time. EVERYDAY. I'm not gonna lie it was real hard for the first two weeks. Now I can be around soda and not have any cravings for it. On the 1st it will be two months! Goodluck!
  • labeastette
    labeastette Posts: 82 Member
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    Cold turkey and a lot of will power. You can do it!!
  • omelet2000
    omelet2000 Posts: 110 Member
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    Soda pop is one of the worst things you can take into your body, not only sugar and caffeine but also artificial flavoring and coloring as well as carbonic acid. I was able to make a switch to diet soda for about a year and finally the realization I was developing an ulcer made me quit cold turkey. The habit of ordering a soft drink when you eat out was tough to overcome but most places have unsweetened iced tea or better yet just water. Very quickly I found I did not miss it and then even a sip of a coke tastes gross to me. Good luck and just quit and you'll realize how much better you feel!!
  • BobbiTracey
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    I went to diet coke or sprite zero for a while, but then ended up giving it up altogether in favour of water. It does get easier with time, but either limit yourself or go cold turkey. It definitely does get easier so give it time! :)
  • marykate_1203
    marykate_1203 Posts: 164 Member
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    I rarely have a soda.. but when I do its so worth the wait! I used to drink soda a lot.. but now I can tell my body feels better when I'm not drinking it all the time. Even diet is bad for you.. the chemicals they put in diet soda has been proven to "preserve" stomach fat.
  • ndulgetoday
    ndulgetoday Posts: 25 Member
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    I love coke and had to give it up completely due to the fact one can leads to several cravings of it through out the week. I drank it more than water :neutral_face: I've been without soda the past couple of weeks now and I've noticed that my stomach isn't as bloated as it once was...and I have a lot of energy. I use tea as a replacement when I crave it though...
  • ndulgetoday
    ndulgetoday Posts: 25 Member
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    ...My coworker surprised me with lunch today and bought me a coke to go with the meal because that's what I usually drink..I accepted it but once they left I just let it sit in the break room....I was so tempted to drink It but I resisted it! # Willpower