Trying to quit drinking pop

curraheu

Just starting this app and I'm a big pop drinker any suggestions on how to quit or cut back

majigurl

Just stop .... drink more water.. it is HARD. I did it a year ago. You may have headaches.. you may feel hangry.. you may be really grumpy and feel like you have less energy.

All normal.

I don't drink dark soda anymore. I may have a ginger ale now and then if I can calculate it into my day.

There is no EASY way to stop drinking pop other than to just stop and deal with the cravings etc. Took me a month before I really got over it.

Good luck!

HStheBusyBee

I used to drink a ton of diet coke everyday. I started cutting down by only drinking it on weekdays, then I cut it down to 1 can every weekday and then 1 can every other day and so on until I had given up needing/wanting it.

I also drink as much water as I can in the morning to stop me feeling thirsty.

Irishsugar

Push the water. Pop is so bad for you.. Even diet. I used to drink 6-8 cans a day. Like up til 2 months ago. Now I maybe drink 1 can a day and honestly don't even finish it. I still love it don't get me wrong... But if it is hindering my goals it's got to GO!! Maybe just have a can of pop with meals only to start then only with lunch then every other day... And keep cutting down from there

You can do it!!

kgirlhart

I would start slow. If you are drinking caffeinated sodas then you could have caffeine withdrawals. Unsweetened ice tea can be a good substitute. And water is always good Try infusing it with fruit if you get bored of plain water. You don't have to completely cut it out if you can fit it into your calorie goal, but if you want to cut it out I think it is better to wean yourself off rather than just going cold turkey. For me anytime I tell myself I can never have something it backfires on me.

kat00_ca

I started off by switching pop (coke to ginger ale) then cutting back just a little bit every week. So, first week, I only filled my glass 75% full. Next week, about 50% full then following week 25% full. There were a few times when I just couldn't cut back so I kept it the same for another week then keep cutting back. I also brought a bottle of water everywhere. It works.

Now, if I even drink pop, it's no more than 4 oz once a week. Everything in moderation, right?

sgonsuron

I know this sounds crazy, but I find it easier to drink water through a straw. I have a large thermos with a built-in straw, and I have to finish all water in it by the end of the day. Works well.

Kullerva

I was on 4 a day. One day I decided to drink 3. Nothing bad happened. I kept drinking 3 for a while (2-3 weeks), then I decided to try 2. So I drank 2 a day. Nothing bad happened. I kept this up until I was only drinking 1 every other day, then I brought in caffienated tea to deal with the little headache I'd get in the morning.

I've been soda-free for 2 years. Watching the grocery bill go down substantially was a huge motivator for me.

arditarose

Cut down to 1 per day and log it, transition to diet soda.

shannie018

I had to quit cold turkey. I'm on day 36 with pop. I tried to wean myself off, but I found it I drank one pop, then all I would do is drink pop the rest of the day, so cold turkey was best for me.

shannie018

I have to add that I drink coffee and tea, so I don't have any caffeine headaches.

curraheu

majigurl wrote: »

Just stop .... drink more water.. it is HARD. I did it a year ago. You may have headaches.. you may feel hangry.. you may be really grumpy and feel like you have less energy.

All normal.

I don't drink dark soda anymore. I may have a ginger ale now and then if I can calculate it into my day.

There is no EASY way to stop drinking pop other than to just stop and deal with the cravings etc. Took me a month before I really got over it.

Good luck!

curraheu

Thank you everybody for the advice

dubird

Swap it out for something else that you like. I swapped it out for unsweet tea with Equal, which helped me cut a lot of my normal day! I still drink it, just in smaller amounts and not every day.

Saying 'drink more water' doesn't help if you don't like the taste of water. For me, there has to be a flavor I like in what I drink, but there's lots of low/no calorie stuff that does, so I drink those.

freakymistkd

Softdrinks (that's what we call them in Australia) used to be just about all I drank. That along with ciders ;-). When I started logging my drinks on here it scared me to see how many calories they are worth. Especially after a whole day of just drinking softdrinks. I realised that if I cut them out I wouldn't have to decrease my food by so much. For the alcohol I started by cutting out on day a week, so at first I didn't drink on Mondays and when that became normal I cut out Wednesday and so on. Only leaving the weekend and eventually I got sick of seeing my calorie count being sooo high on the weekends when it was great for the rest of the week that I just stopped putting them in the fridge and now I only drink if we have a celebration going on.
For softdrinks, at first I switched to soda water with cordial. So I was still getting the fizz and yes I know that cordial is still full of sugar but it's alot less then soft drink anyway I gradually stopped that aswell because I decided I'd rather treat myself to a peice of chocolate then a drink of cordial if I was going to have a treat. Now I've started the "drink 8 cups of water a day for 30 days challenge" on here and other then , when I was at a party, I have only drunk water (and my one coffee in the morning) for this month do far.

Sorry if I've rambled alot.
Good luck on your journey

jperry_abc

I wish there was a fast forward button to prove this to you - but as you as you cut off the pop for a few months and then eventually longer - not only will you not crave it, but it will LITERALLY TASTE TERRIBLE! Lol I always had coke in my fridge during college 10 years ago and when cut cold turkey shortly after graduating every time i have a sip it just tastes like a chemical *kitten* storm.

Think about how the pop makes you feel when you drink it. Then replace it with something that doesn't make you feel like you're drinking canned poison.

DearestWinter

I would quit it cold turkey. But if you're not consuming caffeine in other places you'll need to deal with the withdrawal and that'll be rough for the first few days. You can make it though!

Drink water and add in lemon, berries, lime, cucumber, etc. to flavor it. If you crave carbonation then have some sparkling water. (I say splurge on some good stuff and make that a once-a-day treat.)

bragaj17

I quit soda completely, but now I'm drinking about a 1/2 gallon of Crystal Light a day because I don't like plain water. I do however, make a gallon from one 1/2 gallon packet, so it's not as strong/sweet. I'm not so sure it's any better health wise, though!

shakemybooty

I had to stop cold turkey. I thought I could have it in moderation and it turns out, I can't! I had one sip after not having any for months and it tasted awful to me. It's been at least two years for me. Water with ice and lemon helped a lot!

erinjochene

I love La Croix, such a better alternative. It is hard but worth it.

amandatapar

I quit cold turkey. I only drink water and protein drinks now.

wrknonmedaily

I was a huge mountain dew fan and it showed around the middle. Jan 1st I went cold turkey and I am now down 18 pounds. I drink a lot of iced water and hot green tea now. Love the green tea with orange blossom I add honey and a pack of sweet and low. So good.

cwolfman13

I used to drink about 5 sodas per day...pretty much I just quit doing that and started drinking more water. I still drink bubbly water when I want something fizzy...but now I have maybe 3-5 sodas per year. It really wasn't terribly hard...I just stopped buying it or having it around. It really didn't take long before I stopped even thinking about it...I haven't thought about a soda in months until I opened this thread.

cme4bb

I stopped cold turkey. First week was rough. Increase water, and drink coffee a couple times a day. It will help with the caffeine headaches. Just add a couple teaspoons of sugar. Not a ton of extras. You do get used to it after a while and at certain point you won't even miss soda.

Dvdgzz

I don't see anything wrong with diet or zero. I have 1-2 per day.

BestWishesForYou

I transitioned (not abruptly) to caffeine-free first, so no withdrawal. Omg I do love diet sodas. I succeed when I cut down and then cut it completely out. For me, cans of diet sodas fit the old saying: one's too many and a thousand aren't enough. When I drink one, I have to have another. It's true that after you've quit for a while, they taste awful. But go on a binge and the taste and cravings come back.

I've gone through this many times over several years. I can stop for months at a time and always feel better and have better fitness progress. Then I give in to old habits and soon I love it as much as ever.

Worse, the diet drinks give me a sweet tooth: I crave all carbs like crazy on days I drink them. All other factors being equal, my whole weight loss progress slows during the week if I drink sodas even one or two days. I have enjoyed a streak of weight loss success for the past three months – – yay! – – and the slowed progress/increased calories from days I drink sodas are startlingly obvious.

You've probably already read the ways they will cause a weight loss downfall and how diet drinks are even worse than regular sodas.

To stop, I often go on a jag of Arizona green tea, especially peach. With regular or peach, I find it much better to add a little grape or cranberry juice. It takes on the taste and (somehow satisfying) color of the juice, even from a small amount. That's a win – win for me, as I find green tea a little bit weak, but juice is a little too strong on its own.

(Parents, this is a great idea when serving your children juice. It looks the same as juice, the kids don't taste the green tea, and it cuts the sugar and calories of juice a great deal while adding the health benefits of green tea.)

Increase your water intake during all of this, even at times when you're not even trying to cut down on the sodas. The sodas cause dehydration. Lots of soda seems to spoil my taste for water, but my tolerance/desire for water increases as my use of the soda decreases.

Good luck to both of us!

Kullerva

Dvdgzz wrote: »

I don't see anything wrong with diet or zero. I have 1-2 per day.

I agree if that doesn't increase sugar cravings (it did for me). Switching to diet is a good first step if people are intimidated by cutting back or going cold turkey.

smit7633

I agree with majigurl! Just stop! Quitting pop is the same as quitting any other habit. You have to be committed, you have to want it completely, and then you will do it because its what you want. Like how many times have you gone out of your way to get pop, or some other food, just because you wanted it so you were determined to do whatever it took to get it. Quitting is the same, be honest with yourself.

kandeye

I just stopped drinking it. If I crave something sweet to drink I make suntea with a teaspoon of sugar or honey. The other day I had a sip of my boyfriend's coke and it was so disgustingly sweet . It's hard at first but after awhile you won't miss it