How to cut OUT soda/pop

shahbazmawgin

I'm trying to take baby steps for an overall achievement of weight loss. One of my weaknesses is Dr. Peppers and Root Beers. It's an addiction but an addiction I know I can overcome with a little help. What steps can o take to stay away?

cbl40

switch to soda water with lime. very refreshing and still has the bubbles.

bc2ct

Don't buy it. Drink water instead. Self control is really your biggest asset here.

Skyle33

^ yes. Just do it, and stop doing it

Jthanmyfitnesspal

There's a good reason you're struggling: sugar is addictive and soda has lots of it! You have to do a detox.

Get a Soda stream. Make up your own fizzies. I like to add a little juice. PomWonderful is very good with lime. Some people like tomato, which is low sugar. Anyway, it's fun, good for you, and you can make as much as you want when you want.

Gator4RTR

Just do it...I have tried all the tricks. Best to just go cold turkey.

GettingFit5551

I mostly have been soda free since Jan 9th. I was a Diet Coke drinker, but just decided it can't be good for me so I stopped drinking it all together. I just order unsweetened iced tea or water when going out to eat and drink the same at home and work. I have had a couple ginger ales since Jan 9th, that's about it. Just think about it before you drink it and you will get used to life without it!

L1zardQueen

Diet Dr Pepper FTW!

pomegranatecloud

Stop buying it and don't make excuses. Put the money you'd spend on soda monthly towards something else you'd like as a non-food treat.

marieamethyst

Switch to diet, then slowly decrease the amount you drink.

crzycatlady1

When I started my weight loss phase I switched from regular soda, to diet soda. That worked well for several years, but last week I decided to mostly cut out the diet soda (4+ cans a day), because I discovered the awesomeness of coffee I'm a 30+ year soda drinker and I've had absolutely no problems cutting it out, but I've replaced the caffeine that I was getting from the soda, with the coffee (which has more caffeine and is the reason for the switch). So many people carry on like cutting out soda is some Herculean feat, but I've found the whole thing to be pretty anti-climatic

foojay

I totally agree with cbl40 "soda and lime". It is delicious and refreshing and cheapish and you can sometimes add vodka lol. My best wishes, cutting out anything is difficult and (new) habit forming is hard.

Kaprese

I agree with SodaStream. Bought my first one years ago and since then soda has never been a problem. I was more hooked on the fizz of soda so I never did try out their soda flavors, their MyWater essence is fantastic if you want a light fruity flavor!

wellthenwhat

I did it accidentally. Kept pop at work, drank 2 or 3 mountain dews a day. Then changed jobs, took one along each day. Forgot one day, forgot the next day. Third day decided to forget, and I've been mostly free ever since

cinicxo

I just stopped drinking it and started drinking at least 8 cups of water a day. If I need something different I'll add crystal light to it or drink those sparkling flavored waters.

Afura

Sweet baby cheeses, we're going to have another argument about how sugar is not addictive (it's not). If you've tried cold turkey and found yourself going back, try cutting back slowly.
I slowly cut them out until it became habitual to reach for my tea, not my soda. I only keep the small cans around in case I decide (conscious decision, not mindless to reach for it) I want one. I was lamenting with a friend of mine recently that even the small 90cal Dr Peppers are super sweet to me (and I still eat sweets in general).

Soulfood77

The only thing that has worked for me is cold turkey. However I work in a concessions department so I am surrounded by free pop all day 5 days a week. So cold turkey did it for me. But figure out what works for you - maybe just lessen slowly until you work off it. I do think you need something to replace it or when you get a craving you will just reach for pop again.

Scotty_51

I was a 30+ year soda addict who stopped last year, also quit sugar. It was way easier to quit chewing tobacco than soda and sugar. I drank nothing but soda, no water or juice, just soda for all those years.
The good news is if I can quit soda, anybody can quit.

What I dd, YMMV:
Get 12oz cans of soda water and some crystal light/mio/etc in a flavor you like, for me it was lemonade. Limit your soda intake to x number per day and don't go over that. When you crave soda grab the 12oz can of water, pour in the Mio or whatever you choose into the can of carbonated water (over the sink as it will foam). This will fill the craving of having a cold can in reach, the sound of it opening etc. Gradually replace the soda with the carbonated water/mio mix. I did 3 cans of soda/day for 1 week, the 2 cans/day etc until I was off the soda. Once you go a few weeks to a month with no soda you will be amazed and how gross soda really tastes. Once you reach that point you are there and will never go back to soda.

The other thing for me is water has to be ice cold, I got some Hydro Flasks so I always have ice cold water. I drink nothing but water (and protein shakes) now and I find water to be more satisfying than soda ever was.

LessCookiess

Get yourself a fruit infuser water bottle or pitcher. Water with some mint, watermelon, and Lemon on slices is amazing !! I haven't had soda in forever.

cerise_noir

OP, do you like the diet versions? If yes, drink those.

Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »

There's a good reason you're struggling: sugar is addictive and soda has lots of it! You have to do a detox..

No to either of these.

ccsernica

I gave up Coke for 2 months, and discovered at the end of that time that I couldn't stand it anymore. It was absolutely undrinkable.

So just hold out for a bit. You may find at the end that it's just not tasty to you anymore.

prattiger65

Wow, I must have done it wrong. I lost 60 pounds and had a couple of coke zeros and a cup of bluebell ice cream every damn day.

olympus1112

Don't forget that the diet sodas may have more of other ingredients in it. Salt or other stuff. No matter what the thing is you take something out you have to put something else more.

AnvilHead

olympus1112 wrote: »

Don't forget that the diet sodas may have more of other ingredients in it. Salt or other stuff. No matter what the thing is you take something out you have to put something else more.

Yes. Most notably artificial sweeteners instead of sugar.

It takes nothing more than to read the nutritional label on a can of diet soda (or Google it if one is afraid to even go near the can) to see that a) the sodium in diet soda is minimal, and b) it's not significantly different from the sodium in regular soda. Neither of which are significantly different than the amount of sodium commonly found in tap water.

sara1984

Easy... gave it up for lent!!!

lightenup2016

Many moons ago I drank regular sodas. At some point I switched to diet, got used to the aftertaste, and soon came to love it! I loved it so much that in graduate school I found myself drinking 4 Diet Dr. Peppers a day. One day I decided I needed to stop drinking that much diet soda--I went cold turkey off the soda, and haven't had one now for 21 years. Except maybe twice when I accidentally drank my husband's Sprite, thinking it was my water--yuck!!

So anyway, I recommend cold turkey!! If you're currently drinking regular sodas, the calorie reduction and subsequent weight loss might be motivation enough to stick with it!

Fatmuscleguy

I drank a 2 liter of pop daily for more than 20 yrs.I didn't stop cold turkey ; I would buy a king can and drink half and dump the rest out.Did that for a week,by the second week I would force myself to drink it even if I didn't want to.That worked for me.I never had cravings or withdrawal.How I didn't end up with diabetes is a miracle.I'll have an occasional can of pepsi but I don't guzzle it like I used to.

Everyone is different ,this method worked for me.

CattOfTheGarage

You could try just logging your calories meticulously for a while so that you see how much the fizzy sugary stuff is eating away at the calories you need for food. That's what's made the difference for me. I haven't "cut it out" but I have had a mindset shift where sugary drinks are a treat rather than the norm. I just don't want to spend the calories on them.

Don't make it harder for yourself by loading up on excuses. "I'm addicted" is a great excuse and all it will do is get in your way.

RaeBeeBaby

I used to drink Diet Coke, but same as @sara1984, I gave up soda for Lent one year. Then just decided to keep going and never looked back. I started reading about all the junk in diet pop and figured I didn't need any of those artificial ingredients in my life. I don't miss it at all and when I've occasionally taken a sip of soda the level of sweetness just makes me cringe.

If I want a little fizz, I drink a flavored (zero calorie) sparkling water like La Croix. I've thought about a soda stream, but I'm not sure I'd use it enough to justify the cost.

mmmpork

La Croix! That stuff is so good. I also drink Coke Zero.

For regularly sweetened soda, I have half a can (per day) of Dry soda or Guayaki Yerba Mate Gold or Pomegranate flavor. I also like Reed's Ginger Ale, I have half a bottle diluted with sparkling water. It's about 60 calories for half a container in most cases, and the rest keeps fine for a day or two in the fridge once opened.

Ming1951

I would always drink about 3-4 cans of diet coke daily..I quite drinking regular coke years ago probably on one of my diets. When I decided to lose weight this time I thought I would drink a coke when the mood struck but I've made myself drink water, which I never enjoyed before. I drink the 64 oz of water , as water daily I don't count my coffee and tea. I just have no room for my coke now and after 6 months without it I don't even want it.