When craving soda, what do you reach for besides water?

jclist1

Izze. They are sparkling so it gives me something other than flat water, and it's 70% juice. Helped me really cut out the sodas.

icimani

I drink Diet Coke and I'm trying to cut down too - but I do love a cold one first thing in the morning.

I bought myself a SodaStream machine. I've discovered that I need the caffeine in the morning but after that I'm good. But I like the carbonation and sometimes everything else just tastes bland. I need bubbles!! And the SodaStream does that for me.

sabrafox

I like flavored water, or tea. Maybe fizzy water will help you? For me, nothing is quite as good as a glass of lemonade or iced tea, especially if it's sweetened with Stevia.
Keep up the good work!

DaveMurphy6

Arnold Palmer Zero..Half tea..half lemonade.

mrswine

I get a large light minute maid lemonade. Its full of artificial sweetener but I only have it once every month or so. It only has 20 calories and satisfies my sweet pop craving.

sarah44254

'sparkling mountain spring water'
is what i'm drinking right now. it is fizzy. 0 calorie. no artificial sweeteners. 1 ingredient listed: carbonated mountain spring water
its pretty ok. its nothing near a delicious pepsi, but its different enough from water (which i love) to make it seem like a new drink
this brand is 'talking rain' and has some light flavors, but the 'natural' flavor (unflavored) is good enough, too.

Stinkerbelle84

If I crave soda, I drink soda. If I am thirsty, I reach for water or unsweetened iced tea. I usually drink one soda every other day as a treat. I don't drink very much alcohol (maybe once a month, if that), so soda is my "glass of wine" at the end of a long day. I don't usually drink it with meals though.

Arsenal1919

The thing that had the biggest effect on me as an occasional soda/soft drink consumer but a massive sugar addict was the book "Sweet Poison" by David Gillespie.

Once the impact of how many wasted sugar calories made up my life became a reality in my thoughts, I began to make many, much better choices.

I am almost sucrose and fructose free these days. I add one or two changes per month to wind back bad habits of sucrose/fructose reliance ... and it's working.

Sugar is insidious 5h1t ... food manufacturers/processors add it to nearly everything.

Australians and Americans currently eat, on average (per capita), the same amount of sugar in two weeks that we used to eat in one year 160 years ago. That is scary.

paulaviki

Do they sell the small cans of coke in the US? In the UK we get mini cans which are 150ml. A little can like that might be enough to satisfy your craving so you don't have to cut it out completely.

FusionDancer13

Just getting some sparkling water and add something like mio in it.. or some low calorie flavor. It tastes good if you do it right!
I use half and half sparkling water and R.O. water with a bit of grape flavored Mio. Yummy, sweet, and low calorie. Usually an 8-ounce glass is enough to statisfy my craving for a few days.
Adding regular water also helps the body switch to just drinking flavored water, instead of carbonated.
Start with a 4:1 ration of Sparkling to regular, then every so often reduce the ratio of sparkling (3:1, 2:2, 1:3..) until you're down to just water.
worth a shot at least

Hexahedra

High Fructose Corn Syrup has been demonized too often just because of the name. HFCS for soft drinks despite the name contains about 55% fructose and 45% glucose, compared to regular sugar at 50% fructose and 50% glucose. Switching from HFCS to table sugar is not going to make any noticeable difference other than taste.

The problem with HFCS is not at individual level. HFCS is a problem because our farm subsidy makes it very cheap to produce, so food manufacturers put it in everything to improve the taste, adding calories in the process.

nathalier71

I love my Pepsi! - I will share a can with someone - or I buy the small cans - they cost more but I drink less.

No more than one a day - if even that.

Arsenal1919

When I am out with friends, I avoid the high sugar sodas and beers by buying a large glass (pint) of soda water (club soda) with a slice or two of fresh lemon or lime.

Ups your consumption of water. Has the bubbles/CO2 of soft drinks. And only about one calorie per serve.

scrdchao

Schewppe's Bitter Lemon (has fizz but not calories.) Izze sparking fruit juice ( sort of like soda but a lil healthier.) Tazo Herbal Lemon Ginger Iced Tea (yummy and ginger is good for your system.)

matti3553

I've found drinking carbonated water works to satisfy the fizz part. Lots of lemons in water is pretty good, too.

edfuentes

Other than water, I've started to buy these sampler boxes of fruit flavored caffeine free tea (you can find them in any walmart/target). So I'll take one flavor (usually 4 tea bags) and steep them in a small pot of water for 5-10 minutes. Then i stir, throw ice cubes in the pot (so it cools down). Then I pour it all into a plastic pouring container (with the bags still). Then I fill it with more water, about 75-80% high, stir again, then put it in the fridge. A no calories unsweetened tea thats better than your normal unsweetened ice tea.

Even better yet, I've chopped up pieces of fruit (for the cherry tea, i'll use a serving or two of cherries) and steep them with the tea bags. Same process, and it tastes even better! It now has some sugar from the fruit but its still much healthier than any soda or high fructose corn syrup drink.

You can even use your own sugar and limit it.

I don't even drink soda anymore because of it. Lately I've been thinking on buying one of those soda makers, and use the same process I use to make the tea. But then use it in the soda maker to carbonate it. I'm thinking it may be pretty good :-)

sapphyreskye

I drink a LOT of tea. All different flavours. Black, white, green, herbal. Plus, I never drink diet anything because I try very hard to stay away from artificial sweeteners.
I like to make homemade iced tea, either unsweetened, or with a teaspoon of coconut sugar per 30 oz container(the green or black tea is usually what needs the bit of sweetness). I usually make it with white or green tea, sometimes black tea, and sometimes I mix and match them, and drink it all day, instead of plain water. Especially unsweetened, you get the benefits of the water, and the extra added benefits tea has.
I have a hard time with the soda thing, and I do crave it, so will let myself have a Coke occasionally, but even then, try to drink just half or so. After a while, though, of drinking lightly sweetened to unsweetened, all that sugar in a soda is kind of yucky tasting.

Michelle_dirtracer

I can't wait to hit the store tonight and find something new to try!

AmyRhubarb

Iced tea with lemon!

laurenhugs23

I must retract my statement on artificial sweeteners, my knowlege was based on a documentary, I'm always sad when I found I've been mislead with faulty information. I just read an artical from a peer reviewed achedemic journal that disputes that statement.

This is what I found-
"Authors:
St-Onge, Marie-Pierre
Heymsfield, Steven B.
Source:
Nutrition Reviews. Jun2003 Part 1 of 2, Vol. 61 Issue 6, p219. 3p.
Document Type:
Article
Subject Terms:
*NONNUTRITIVE sweeteners
*WEIGHT loss
*SWEETENERS
*NUTRITION
*DIET
*BODY weight
*REDUCING diets
Abstract:
Artificial sweeteners provide lower calorie food products but have been thought to increase appetite and perhaps lead to increased body weight compared with high-sucrose foods. A recent trial demonstrated that subjects supplementing their diets with artificially sweetened foods lost weight, whereas those consuming high-sucrose foods gained weight. This review sheds some light on the controversy regarding the effects of artificial sweeteners in body weight control.[ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] "

christawitcraft

I had that same problem and ended going to the doctor for a kidney infection. Of course he told me I need to drink more water, and I told him, "I don't always like the way it tastes." He concluded with "try to drink not heavily sugared clearer liquids." Lemonade, vitamin water etc.

mlauck08

The steps I think is best is this

1) Wait for 5 mins and try to keep yourself distracted. Sometimes that helps because having your mind on the soda makes you want it. Having a bit a willpower and doing something else can really help.

2) If that doesn't work, my favorite thing is to sub in an ice water with lemon or just having cold bottle water in the fridge. I find frequently that it wasn't the sugar or caffeine I wanted but just a cold beverage.

3) Have just a small amount of the soda. Get a smaller amount then you usually get or split it with someone.

sapphyreskye

Other than water, I've started to buy these sampler boxes of fruit flavored caffeine free tea (you can find them in any walmart/target). So I'll take one flavor (usually 4 tea bags) and steep them in a small pot of water for 5-10 minutes. Then i stir, throw ice cubes in the pot (so it cools down). Then I pour it all into a plastic pouring container (with the bags still). Then I fill it with more water, about 75-80% high, stir again, then put it in the fridge. A no calories unsweetened tea thats better than your normal unsweetened ice tea.

Even better yet, I've chopped up pieces of fruit (for the cherry tea, i'll use a serving or two of cherries) and steep them with the tea bags. Same process, and it tastes even better! It now has some sugar from the fruit but its still much healthier than any soda or high fructose corn syrup drink.

You can even use your own sugar and limit it.

I don't even drink soda anymore because of it. Lately I've been thinking on buying one of those soda makers, and use the same process I use to make the tea. But then use it in the soda maker to carbonate it. I'm thinking it may be pretty good :-)

I was just thinking, as I posted my comment, that my tea might be good with carbonated water, to give it that fizz that soda has...
I like the idea of putting real pieces of fruit in it too. Must try that.
Also, I thought of something one of my friends told me they did, and that is to freeze fruit pieces in an ice cube tray and use them to flavour water...

annemarhughes

Carbonated water. then add non sugar flavours. even vanilla extract reminds me of cream soda. bought a carbonator to make my own kids like it too.

judy20in2011

I hate to say this, but I am addicted to soda. I have cut down to 1 a day and just went 4 days without one. But I craved it and it would drive me nuts. I do not drink diet sodas, yuck! How does everyone replace soda, I know everyone will say water. I drink about 10 glasses of water a day but it still does not give me that satisfaction of a good cold Coca-Cola.

No matter how much you crave it, eliminate it COMPLETELY for a few months. Then, and only then, allow yourself 1 20 oz soda/pop every 1-2 weeks. Seriously. That stuff is horrible for us...and it's probably sabotaging you more than you think. Even the diet soda/pop has horrible ingredients in it.

From that response, would you believe I used to live on soda/pop? I drank nothing but Mt Dew for 10+ yrs...I quit cold turkey June 2012 and could not be happier I did. I do still have one...usually 1-2 servings a month! Amazing! You can do this too! It's the only way to get out of this horrible cycle.

What helped me...is there one type of soda you live off of? Quit drinking that and switch to a less enjoyable soda or caffeinated beverage for a week. Then, cut it off entirely. Eat gum. Learn to love water. That crap ruins your teeth...and some of it's made with fire retardant. Yum.

Totally agree! The question you need to ask yourself is do you want to be healthy or thin? There is no nutritional benefit to soda, yes you can drink diet (Iam not getting into the sweetener debate), however my personal thinking is why add fake anything into the body if you don't have to? You obviously can lose weight and still drink soda, but its empty calories and that's space that food could be taking. I am definitely not opposed to one here or there, and even weaned myself off as well. I started by not drinking anything dark or with caffeine; trying to avoid the corn syrups etc...Then I only allowed myself one a day.. then 1 a week and now it's very occassional. I used to LOVE coke with lots of ice, and way back I LOVED Mountain Dew! Now I try it and all I can taste is syrup! I dropped 5 lbs when I stopped drinking it. Sugar/sweetener is a powerful stimulant in the brain. Can work as a antidepressant even. Switching to zero calorie, natural flavored water helped and even now I am almost off those too.
Good luck. Its not easy

kathrinkeeton

I was addicted to sprite. I'd drink about 4 cans or more a day. I had to slowly come off it. I tried to think of other flavors I like as much as sprite. I like lemons and I like limes. So I made my own flavored water with the lemon and lime concentrated juice, (in the lemon and lime shaped containers in your produce department). I added raspberries as well. And some time added this to green tea. Good luck.

Achrya

Soda.

edfuentes

I like your tea idea as well! I'm going to try it probably later tonight.

And if I do end up getting that soda maker, I'll post and let everyone know how it turns out.

My other idea is buying an ice cream maker and using almond milk, maybe some whey protein, and fruit.

Other than water, I've started to buy these sampler boxes of fruit flavored caffeine free tea (you can find them in any walmart/target). So I'll take one flavor (usually 4 tea bags) and steep them in a small pot of water for 5-10 minutes. Then i stir, throw ice cubes in the pot (so it cools down). Then I pour it all into a plastic pouring container (with the bags still). Then I fill it with more water, about 75-80% high, stir again, then put it in the fridge. A no calories unsweetened tea thats better than your normal unsweetened ice tea.

Even better yet, I've chopped up pieces of fruit (for the cherry tea, i'll use a serving or two of cherries) and steep them with the tea bags. Same process, and it tastes even better! It now has some sugar from the fruit but its still much healthier than any soda or high fructose corn syrup drink.

You can even use your own sugar and limit it.

I don't even drink soda anymore because of it. Lately I've been thinking on buying one of those soda makers, and use the same process I use to make the tea. But then use it in the soda maker to carbonate it. I'm thinking it may be pretty good :-)

I was just thinking, as I posted my comment, that my tea might be good with carbonated water, to give it that fizz that soda has...
I like the idea of putting real pieces of fruit in it too. Must try that.
Also, I thought of something one of my friends told me they did, and that is to freeze fruit pieces in an ice cube tray and use them to flavour water...

sslopez24

I hate to say this, but I am addicted to soda. I have cut down to 1 a day and just went 4 days without one. But I craved it and it would drive me nuts. I do not drink diet sodas, yuck! How does everyone replace soda, I know everyone will say water. I drink about 10 glasses of water a day but it still does not give me that satisfaction of a good cold Coca-Cola.

I do not like diet soda either but I have found that Coke Zero is not so bad. Like they say "Real coca cola taste and zero calories". I like it! But like the others said, if you can fit it into your calories then just have the real thing once in a while.

Joyella31

Try Pepsi Max (it tastes like the real thing), Sunkist 10, Crystal Light, sparkling water, or Vitamin water. Those always help me.