Soda addict! Help!
Osugirl2022
Posts: 2 Member
I need help! Who has successfully beat a soda addiction? In the past, I have been able to cut back on my soda and lose weight. But, because I never gave it up completely, I always had the craving for it and always went back to drinking multiple cans a day. I want to give it up completely. The most I’ve made is 7 days before I’m out there buying it again 
give me motivation please!!
give me motivation please!! 4
Replies
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Have you tried swapping it out for sparkling waters? Start slowly... Just swap out 1 or 2 and go from there. Let your body adjust slowly.4
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Is it the caffeine, sugar, fizz? Ease of cracking open a cold can instead of a glass of water? Try to figure out what is the appeal and work from there.
I drink lots more water when I have my travel cup and a reusable straw. I bring a big thermoflask full of ice and water to refill it at my desk, so no excuses to go near soda vending machines. I drink unsweetened tea (hot and iced) and use TrueLemon and TrueGrapefruit packets to liven up my water. I keep cans of seltzer in the fridge and don't order soda when eating out (it's ridiculously expensive there anyway).
Kicking the soda habit is hard! One small Pepsi and I know I'd be right back where I started, too. It is truly addictive.7 -
I think the strategy depends on the reason you want to stop
is it for weight loss reasons or cost or what?
weight loss reasons or medical issues with sugar - swap to diet sodas
Caffeine issues - swap to non caffienated drinks
Cost -I guess cut down and replace as much as possible with water or cheap/almost free drinks like tea/coffee
other reasons - depends what they are
ETA I dont find it addictive myself - I drink on average equivalent of 2 or 3 cans per week, most days none, no problem with that.5 -
Why do you want to stop? Would calorie free work for you? If you need another reason: Whoa, multiple cans per day! Think of all the garbage that is nearly impossible to recycle meaningfully! You're very welcome
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Osugirl2022 wrote: »I need help! Who has successfully beat a soda addiction? In the past, I have been able to cut back on my soda and lose weight. But, because I never gave it up completely, I always had the craving for it and always went back to drinking multiple cans a day. I want to give it up completely. The most I’ve made is 7 days before I’m out there buying it again give me motivation please!!
I had a Coke Zero addiction. My stomach finally had enough of the chemicals from the artificial sweetner and I was getting sick. I switched to seltzer waters and iced tea. I rarely ever have a craving for a soda now and if I do, I can only drink a few sips of regular soda and I’m good. I hope you find an alternative that works for you.3 -
I had a diet soda addiction for years and years,.....and years. I used to drink Tab back in my 20's, then switched to diet coke for the next 40 years. And yes, I'd drink a 6 pack of cans a day. As soon as I finished 1 can I'd pop another. I gave up cold turkey when I realized how much it was costing me. That was about IDK maybe 5-6 years ago. I switched out to plain bottled water. I found I needed a container of *something* to drink beside me, which was just a habit for me. I missed the fizz for awhile but every time I'd pass the coolers in the stores and think 'maybe just 1' I'd keep walking by before I gave in to the weakness. I haven't had one since I gave it up which is incredible because ever since dh moved back in 2 1/2 years ago, so did all the 6 packs of diet coke. Right now he's got about 10 of them in the basement; he buys them on sale. And I've watched him finish off 1 after another just like I used to. I still find myself tempted to 'just pop 1' especially in the heat of the summer. But I haven't.
Now if I could kick the sugar habit.......
Find out what makes it such a hard habit to break and attack that issue. Go with bottled water, or seltzer or coffee, tea, anything to break that habit. It does get easier. Eventually I switched from bottled water to tap water because that can get costly as well and our tap water is just fine.
And good luck!!
ETA: it's a little easier with soda once you get past the aisle or cooler and get out of the store. Just keep moving your body away. Lots of self talk helps. (There is nothing nutritional in soda except fluid and that's easy enough to come by). That's what I've had to do with the bakeries in the stores because that can be such a pull for me. 4 -
Thanks for your advice. I think if I make it last a certain amount of time I’ll be able to make it. I love it for many reasons lol. The sound of the can opening, the delicious fizzy/acidic taste in my mouth. The sugar is what I’m addicted to most. It all became worse when I started to work from home and also went through a divorce.
I didn’t tell you the worst part.. lately I’ve been drinking Mountain Dew!!! I’m worried about my teeth having problems. When I drink it I need to have a snack with it. I don’t want my 3 and 4 year old to see me drinking pop. I want to save money. So there are just endless reasons I need to quit.
I actually do like a number of alternatives. Powerade zero, the flavored water packets with a little caffeine to help with headaches, tea, and I do like normal water. I don’t like sparkling water though. Thanks for your advice!1 -
Avoiding future dental issues is also a biggie as to why I quit. I switched dentists and my new guy did a very thorough check up, asking me all kinds of questions. One was do I drink soda and how much. He told me I needed to quit, something to do with phosphorous. I quit for maybe a couple weeks. But it didn't stick. Year later I quit for good. It's no fun having to spend over 5K on teeth. Course the candy didn't help either.
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I am in this boat with you. I am addicted to soda as well. Many years ago, I trained myself to like diet soda. I had to train myself because, frankly, diet soda is actually quite nasty-tasting when you first start drinking it. Sure, it's sweet, but it's not the same sweetness that sugar provides and there's something bitter and acrid about the aftertaste.
I almost always have to have soda (or juice, or some sweet drink) with my meals. Yesterday I was at my mom's and she didn't have any diet soda but she had Pepsi. I drank a small amount even though I am trying to stay within a calorie budget and that soda cut into the amount of food I could eat for the day. I just had to have it, or else my lunch wouldn't have been satisfying.
If you can't stand the idea of not having soda, I would switch to diet. It's really the only alternative if the soda has to be sweet and caffinated. I would suggest La Croix (a sparkling water that is infused with fruit flavor but has no sugar or calories) but you said you don't drink sparkling water.
There are other, lower-sugar sodas out there as well. I think there's one called Wave that they sell at Whole Foods (but it's even more expensive than conventional soda).
As far as diet soda goes, Diet coke is the worst-tasting of the main ones. If you can train yourself to like that, you will be pleasantly surprised by the taste of Diet Dr. Pepper, Pepsi Zero Sugar and Coke Zero.
Diet white sodas like diet Sprite or diet Ginger Ale are absolutely horrible tasting- do not recommend. Unfortunately, those are the only ones that don't have caffeine, unless you specifically get Caffeine Free Diet Coke.
I apologize for having absolutely no solutions for how to actually kick a soda addiction! I haven't even tried and I'm pretty sure I would fail at it.1 -
These products helped me switch from soda.
-Swapping my regular preference out for a "zero sugar" version. I usually go for Pepsi Zero or Dr. Pepper Zero. I don't mind the zero sugar Mountain Dew, but it usually isn't my first choice.
-Buying Zevia brand soda. Again, I don't enjoy this as much as regular soda, but the creamy root beer flavor was great!
-Bubbl'r. It's sparkling water but has way more flavor and carbonation than La Croix or others (yuck). If you have it in stores near you it is most likely a bit cheaper than Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Antioxidant-Sparkling-Caffeine-Artificial-Sweeteners/dp/B0945BPCZL/ref=sr_1_13?crid=2C5FU57NEN8O2&keywords=bubble+sparkling+water&qid=1643042486&sprefix=bubbler+sparkling+water,aps,75&sr=8-13
-Sparkling Ice + Caffeine. I get my bit of caffeine while enjoying some carbonation. Usually 5-10 calories per can and zero sugar!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P7X7MP9/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&aaxitk=37de3cb9b0589bd8af7a7a507a74a13e&hsa_cr_id=6419216340601&pd_rd_plhdr=t&pd_rd_r=154db6cd-5180-433f-afd7-0d3331a07181&pd_rd_w=4fMNv&pd_rd_wg=iAgMV&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_td_asin_2_title
-Water flavor packets. I prefer Walmart's brand because they offer a lot of sugar free and caffeine free packets. I like having these in the evenings so I'm not having caffeine.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-Sugar-Free-Raspberry-Lemonade-Drink-Mix-0-07-Oz-10-Ct/173526281 -
I used to drink a ton of full sugar soda...like five or six per day. I drink zero sugar soda now, but I also maintain "rules" around how much. I usually have a Coke Zero with lunch and an evening mocktail of zero sugar ginger beer, lime, and mint.0
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At one point I was drinking a 2-liter per day of Pepsi. Tried switching to diet, absolutely hated the flavor. Tried going cold turkey, had the most horrible caffeine headaches. So I hear ya, I do.
My first step towards kicking the habit was allowing myself to continue to drink as much soda as I wanted, but first had to drink an equal amount of water. So before a 12-oz can of soda, I had to drink 12 oz's of water. Want more soda after the first is gone? Get more water. Doing this I cut back from 2 liters to 2 cans per day.
Next I started swapping other sweet beverages to try to cut down on the acidic nature of the soda, which I suspected was at least in part to blame for my nightly acid reflux interrupting my sleep. I came to love sweet tea, which further reduced my soda drinking to a can per day.
What ultimately broke things for good for me was when I cracked a tooth on a popcorn kernel, and until I got it fixed anything hot or cold was quite painful. Since warm soda was disgusting, I found about all I could drink consistently was water, which I supplemented with caffeine pills to prevent the headaches.
By the time I got my tooth yanked (it was beyond repair) and could drink what I wanted, it had been long enough that my craving for the sugar had faded significantly. These days I try to only have sodas with certain meals, such as when I splurge on pizza or burgers, so maybe a couple times per week, plus one on Sundays watching NFL games. Think it's a coincidence my weight dropped 30 pounds as I went from 2 liters per day to 2 cans per week?3 -
At one point I was drinking a 2-liter per day of Pepsi. Tried switching to diet, absolutely hated the flavor. Tried going cold turkey, had the most horrible caffeine headaches. So I hear ya, I do.
My first step towards kicking the habit was allowing myself to continue to drink as much soda as I wanted, but first had to drink an equal amount of water. So before a 12-oz can of soda, I had to drink 12 oz's of water. Want more soda after the first is gone? Get more water. Doing this I cut back from 2 liters to 2 cans per day.
Next I started swapping other sweet beverages to try to cut down on the acidic nature of the soda, which I suspected was at least in part to blame for my nightly acid reflux interrupting my sleep. I came to love sweet tea, which further reduced my soda drinking to a can per day.
What ultimately broke things for good for me was when I cracked a tooth on a popcorn kernel, and until I got it fixed anything hot or cold was quite painful. Since warm soda was disgusting, I found about all I could drink consistently was water, which I supplemented with caffeine pills to prevent the headaches.
By the time I got my tooth yanked (it was beyond repair) and could drink what I wanted, it had been long enough that my craving for the sugar had faded significantly. These days I try to only have sodas with certain meals, such as when I splurge on pizza or burgers, so maybe a couple times per week, plus one on Sundays watching NFL games. Think it's a coincidence my weight dropped 30 pounds as I went from 2 liters per day to 2 cans per week?
I like the idea of drinking water and then the soda! I may need to try that as a way for me to drink more straight water lol0 -
Avoiding future dental issues is also a biggie as to why I quit. I switched dentists and my new guy did a very thorough check up, asking me all kinds of questions. One was do I drink soda and how much. He told me I needed to quit, something to do with phosphorous. I quit for maybe a couple weeks. But it didn't stick. Year later I quit for good. It's no fun having to spend over 5K on teeth. Course the candy didn't help either.
Definitely the same with me. I used to be a soda addict myself, but then i had to stop because my dentist told me that it's just wrecking havoc on my teeth.
What worked for me was that i ended up switching to something else i liked which was green tea. I'm not gonna lie, i still get the craving, but not as when i first stopped it. Give it some time and it will get better.2 -
I got a soda stream. It helped alot. I use that with the squirty stuff or just straight up fizzy water. I like that you can puck the carbonation level too.
I still have a diet pop now and then but this helped alot.1 -
I am the same way. Pepsi was my Life I thought. Ha!!!! I have switched by mixing Regular and Diet Pepsi and almost all the way to Diet only now.0
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Every time I think I got it kicked I fall right back off the wagon
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Osugirl2022 wrote: »I need help! Who has successfully beat a soda addiction? In the past, I have been able to cut back on my soda and lose weight. But, because I never gave it up completely, I always had the craving for it and always went back to drinking multiple cans a day. I want to give it up completely. The most I’ve made is 7 days before I’m out there buying it again give me motivation please!!
Flavored sparkling water0 -
I believe Coca-Cola should be paying me with shares in the company, I'm up to about 4-6 litres a day of Coke No Sugar. I ditched the regular coke in 2009-2010 in favour of Coke Zero then they replaced it with the No Sugar.
I'm currently in the process of quitting smoking (again) with a prescription this time for Zyban. Maybe the medication will help with the No Sugar addiction.
I would definitely be quitting for the cost, even buying two litre bottles at $2.85AUD it comes to roughly $9 a day, more if I buy the smaller chilled bottles when out and about.1 -
I was drinking 3 diet pops a day
Now I drink carbonated water that's flavored. I still drink coffee for the caffeine. I've started drinking flavorful tea.1 -
I am just here reading everyone's comments and suggestions. I am in the same boat. My addiction is with coke cola. Its the cold sweet, caffeine flavor and the fuzz taste. It just taste so good with my food. Literally my mini goals have been how many days I can go without. So far week 3 I only failed two days....I was drinking one or two a day. For caffeine I drink green tea, for the carbonation I drink mineral water...but its been hard to remove it in general....so every day is a mini goal just to not drink. The reason I want to remove it from my diet is because I don't want this to have a hold on me. I want to be able to have that control to want it or not on any given day. But I noticed every day that passes I have less and less of a need for it. So iam bookmarking this thread.1
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I used to have several Coke's a day. My doctor said that I had to watch my sugar intake. So i quit cold turkey. The first month was tough. By the second month, I did not even think about having a carbonated beverage.0
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Switch to something else would probably be your best bet. I drink those spindrift drinks now but they're kind of expensive. Or diet soda every now and then. Or I also like kombucha which I make myself so I don't go broke buying them.0
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Used to be addicted to the stuff - took some experimentation, but discovered my trigger was the bubbles. At first I thought it was the sweet/flavor, so was trying all kinds of water additives (Mio, Crystal Light, etc) to no avail.
Then got some sweetened sparkling water and that was great. Tried cutting out the sweet (I try to avoid most fake sweeteners) and found I was still pretty dang happy without any sweet or strong flavors.
That's what helped me kick soda to only the occasional road trip drink now, but I keep plenty of sparkling water around the house!3 -
Osugirl2022 wrote: »I need help! Who has successfully beat a soda addiction? In the past, I have been able to cut back on my soda and lose weight. But, because I never gave it up completely, I always had the craving for it and always went back to drinking multiple cans a day. I want to give it up completely. The most I’ve made is 7 days before I’m out there buying it again give me motivation please!!
to be addicted to it it must be either energy drink, or sugar. I have a sugar addiction so understand completely.
I had to switch to diet drinks, they're really cheap at my supermarket, about $1 per large bottle. The really dodgy budget ones don't do anything bad to me but the higher quality diet fanta etc give me diarrhoea, so that's fun...
there are diet versions of caffeinated sodas you can choose. The caffeine headache is a killer to quit caffeine cold turkey.
The taste of diet drinks is not absolutely perfect but you know what? after 3 days you won't notice. My son drinks my diet sodas and would pull a face. Now he's giving them ago as well. 1 -
I’ve never been addicted to soda per se but I am an addict of various other things. In my experience the key was to understand what I want and to want that more. Just switching to something else by itself isn’t enough. Knowing my goal and that doing/eating/drinking X does not further that goal, then each time a craving or desire hits, remembering my goal and choosing to stay the course is what has worked for me. It’s the approach that has kept me a non smoker for over 16 years, enabled me to lose 70 lbs and keep it off for 18+ years, and to run everyday for the past 7+ years.
I’m back at mfp to finally finish what I started in 2002. When weakness knocks, I remember my goal(s) and knowing that this too shall pass, I do something else like drink some flavored water, go for a walk, cut and roast some veggies, have some decaf tea or coffee, clean something, etc. You get the idea. Maybe this approach could work for you.1 -
I thought I would never give up my Diet Mountain Dew/Mountain Dew in general, but I stopped cold turkey one day & tried the new Coke Zero. The Coke Zero reformulation tasted so bad that I also gave up that. I drink Sprite now, but eventually will stop drinking that. I need to get back in the habit of drinking more water.0
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For those of you that have given it up or switched for a no sugar version what was it like. I’m in iso this week so my access is not there. I’m hoping this week will give me the kickstart to breaking the habit. Have had quite bad headaches and wondering if it could be from this. I was drinking 2-3 cans a day. Thanks 😊1
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For those of you that have given it up or switched for a no sugar version what was it like. I’m in iso this week so my access is not there. I’m hoping this week will give me the kickstart to breaking the habit. Have had quite bad headaches and wondering if it could be from this. I was drinking 2-3 cans a day. Thanks 😊
I used to drink 3-6 regular sodas per day. I didn't just cut it out completely cold turkey. I started with cutting back to 1 per day at lunch then I cut back to every other day, etc and then to once per week and then figured I didn't really need that either. I did that over the course of a month or so...don't remember exactly.
I didn't drink any kind of soda for a long time except I would allow myself a sarsaparilla that is brewed at a farm we visit for pumpkins in the fall...so like one a year for a few years. I did ultimately miss it and started drinking Coke Zero a couple of years ago. I have one with my lunch most days. I don't think it would have cut it if I just went from regular to diet but I've been off the regular for so long, Coke Zero to me tastes pretty much how I remember original coke (but I haven't had one in about 9 years).
Headaches are likely caffeine withdrawal. Early on, I drank more caffeinated tea and coffee, so I didn't really ever have any caffeine withdrawal.2 -
Initially I went from regular sodas to diet but the aspartame and other artificial sweeteners gave me headaches so I swapped over to iced tea with lemon. I always drank iced tea with no sugar or sweeteners so it wasn't hard to do. So for quite a while it was iced tea, green tea (hot and cold), hibiscus tea, and water until a few years ago I started drinking coffee in the morning and some sparkling waters just for something fizzy with no calories. I could see Spindrift sparkling water being a good bridge from soda to other options since it still has some fruit juice in it.
It took some time but I finally got my mind wrapped around not drinking my calories and that added sugars weren't good for me. So just take it one day at a time replace your soda with something with less sugar until you can reach a point of no sugar. Once you stop drinking sugary soda your palate will change to a point where those things won't taste as good as they once did.1
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