Soda

Ammodawg

Call for help from anyone who has ever kicked the soda habit. I am just getting started on MFP and one of the things I am struggling with the most is Dr. Pepper. I grew up drinking the stuff and although I have gotten a lot better, I use to drink a six a day easily, I want to give it up completely. I have gotten to where I will have one maybe two throughout the work day. I find that its a lot like my brother who is trying to quit smoking. Without even thinking about it I find myself down in the break room with a Dr. Pepper in my hand.

What have you all done to kick the habit?

mrshilderley

I used to drink soda daily but I have maybe just maybe 1 -2 a week infact I honestly can't recall when the last time I had one was. I usually have 700ml of plain cold water with lemon in it, the to treat my self with something a little sugary I put mio or crystal light in the next 700ml, and once I am done that just plain cold water. That helped me!

Schafer1906

I agree - it's more a "mental breakup" than a "physical" break up. <although you may get some headaches from the caffeine/sugar withdrawls> I just try and make a concious effort to have a waterbottle with ice water and lemon in it wherever I go...I keep one in my car, work, home so there just isn't any excuse....and I do like something sweet once in awhile so I drink Crystal Light here and there, but now find even that's too sweet and have to dilute it. It's mind over matter. You've got this!

Slashnl

I had to kick a Pepsi habit, so I can feel for you! I did it by using Crystal Light for a while and then tapered down to just water. Now, just plain water or unsweetened tea is what I drink. You can get there, but it is a tough habit to give up. Once I got it to where I didn't need it every day, then I'd have maybe one a week. But even then, the thrill was no longer there. So I just don't drink it anymore. I don't miss it. Now.

Tvanarsdalejr

I used to run through 2-3 bottles of pepsi a day easy. So i feel your pain on trying to get rid of it. Depending on you, going cold turkey might be the best choice. (Its pretty much how i had to do it.) with some adjustment, i allowed myself a sip after work but never more then that. Which instead of me not allowing myself any at all. (And thus wanting it more.) After a week or two i just stopped wanting it altogether. And when i did, i just had some juice or water. Carry a bottle of water with you (if practical in your work environment)

Aside from that.. set yourself bench marks and goals and stick to it. Get it down from 2 a day to 1. And see how you can do from there.

segovm

I mostly went from Mt. Dew to juice. Started with the Naked Green Juice and slowly moved over to more of a fruit smoothie with lots of carrot juice and frozen fruits in it. For me, I just like the quick sugar rush and that juice actually has some nutrients in it too so it's a win win for me.

Normally have one in the morning, one after workout and one at night. I've been lowering the calories per drink over time so each is about 220 calories now, about the same as a can of soda.

TheHeathBar

I've given up soda in the last year and replaced it with unsweetened tea green or black tea along with a lot of water. On some days I would go through almost the whole 12 pack. It was a hard transition and my body still craves sugar a lot. On those days I try to satisfy my cravings by eating more fruit. I've given up smoking, meat, and most bread and damnit if soda isn't the thing I miss the most.

MindyM80

im trying to kick it too. just stick with it. personally i went like 3 weeks + and then had a soda, now ive had one 3 days in a row. you start to crave them again.

Tea, Green Tea, Water, Almond Milk. (this is what i am going to try to stick with)

radiosilents

It's all about ditching an old habit and replacing it with a new one. Both my partner and I were Diet Pepsi addicts, but got sick of spending the money and dealing with empties. I also wanted to stop drinking something that had no nutritional value and could be hurtful – I hate the idea of artificial sweetener now and avoid it like the plague.

Anyway, we just said – no more soda in the house (well, OK, more or less). Once in a while I'll get a craving for something like Squirt and it'll find its way into the cart, but it's become rarer and rarer. We drink water from the tap and it's become habit. One of the perks of my desk job is water cooler water! Ice is nice, and so is some lemon or lime, but generally I'm all about plain ice water. I've really grown to love it.

Good luck! You're doing something really good for yourself.

sheedy17

Try drinking Diet Dr.Pepper, its better than quitting cold turkey, I gave up pepsi but drink Diet Pepsi and enjoy it more, same with Coke Zero.

AtmaKing

Logging food has helped me quit things like soda.

I walked away cold turkey over 3 weeks ago. I used black coffee for the headaches but they went away after a few days. Now I enjoy my cup of black coffee every morning.

Ammodawg

Thanks all for your replies. Going to start carrying some fruit around along with my water. Hopefully by this time next month I'll be soda free

Fairdria

If you're looking for something carbonated, I LOVE LeCroix water. It comes in different flavors and has no sodium, sugar, etc. you could probably add some fruit to make it a little sweeter. Good luck!

hearthwood

Diet Dr Pepper, I hope is what you're drinking?

LisaBear1986

Same here! I prefer Diet Dr Pepper 100%. I drink water all day at work, but once I get home, that's another story! Definitely something I need and want to work on...

takumaku

Hopefully you are not located in TN, where the Middle Tennessee Dr Pepper Bottling distribution center is located. Man, everytime I visit my brother during the 4th of July, the Dr. Pepper plant gives out unlimited drinks. Talk about adding gasoline to a fire.

onefootfoward

Cold turkey is the best way. Im three years soda sober. lol Pepsi was my drug.

SomeNights246

I eased my way out .Went from soda to juice, juice to smoothies, smoothies to flavored water.

For me, I think it was mostly a sugar addiction rather than a caffeine one .Although I am addicted to caffeine now, so i drink diet soda now. I find I don't crave diet soda, though, the way I craved non-diet. (coffee and tea please me the same way diet soda does)

Different things will work for different people. My mother found she has had the same success as what I did. Only she went to tea as for her, it was the caffeine. From tea, she's working on going to juice. Then, to water.

Sabine_Stroehm

I went cold turkey. I wish MFP had been there so I could have seen all the wasted calories. What did it for me was spending time looking at my blood sugar swings.

rgritt

Try to pick a new drink that will be your "Dr Pepper" I went from drinking several diet cokes a day to drinking as much unsweatened tea as I could get my hands on.

BrokeCollegeGirl32

I used to drink nothing but soda as a kid. Now it gets me sick. I don't mind a Big Red or Dr. P every now and then depending on what I'm eating (you need a Dr. P for pizza during a football game lol).

Now I drink nothing but water.

I think what I did was move down to sweet tea and slowly add less and less sugar to where I was drinking nothing but water.

Maybe try that? That way you are so unused to drinking sugar that when you actually do it's weird and gross.

harktosh

I haven't had a soda since the last time I logged one in my food diary. It's hard. Very hard. The temptation is still there, but it's getting easier. I noticed the more water I drink, the more my body craves it. It is starting not to want the soda nearly as much as water. The first week, I would get terrible headaches. Now though, I feel great. My energy has increased, I sleep better, overall my body feels better.

The key is to just stick with it and if you slip up, get back on the horse and try again.

silencioesoro

Is it the carbonation you're craving? For me, that's usually the issue. When I first started losing weight, I was HOOKED on Mt. Dew. So what I did was if I drank a can of Mt. Dew, I had to drink a tall glass of water afterwards. Eventually I got used to the water, I switched it up with plain water or crystal lite in my water; which I still do.

But when I crave carbonation, I tend to try flavored water first before I buy soda. However, sometimes a soda will do.

SquishyLaughter

reduce gradually is my advice. I was drinking several sodas a day, but reduced it to just one a day, and now I get one soda a week. It isn't easy, but I've been soda free for over a week now.

I've also noticed that with less soda drinking, I am having TROUBLE reaching my calories for the day.

DollfaceLisa

I've quit soda few times in my life for a few weeks at a time. I's been over a month this time and I believe this time it' for good. The more I learned about it and what it does to your body, the easier it was to commit. Good luck.

davidbernstein148

I kicked soda about... 4 months ago now.

My path was as follows, I dropped all soda with HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup), Pepsi makes a throwback variant of several types, they used to do Dr. Pepper but stopped. I noticed that the real sugar was more satiating to me, and thus I went from a 4-6 can a day habit to 1-2 a day. That one change knocked my calorie intake down by at least 2-300 points a day.

I then drank all the soda in the house and switched to straight water. You really just need to figure out how you like your water. I prefer mine chilled without ice from a brita filter (the brita is somewhat irrelevent IMO, I could probably just fill a pitcher of tap water and be happy). Once you figure out how you like your water, keep yourself in close access to it and drink it as much as possible.

Nice side benefit, you also save significant amounts of money.

WW_Jude_V2

I buy tons of Club Soda and add flavorings. It's all about the carbonation for me. I didn't consciously give up my Coke Zero, I suddenly realized I haven't had one in ages - not even sure how it happened. :huh:

scflg76

Giving up soda is something I'm about to have to deal with also. My 'drug of choice' is Mr. Pibb. I got down to drinking one 8 oz Coke every day or two when I was losing weight a year ago. When I got sick and started gaining weight, the Coke count creeped back up: at this point, I drink so much that I look around & say "where is that box of Coke that I bought two days ago?"

What worked for me before & I hope will again, is scheduling cutbacks. 'I will drink X oz a day for the next Y days." Then I dropped 5 oz a day for the next period of time. It was difficult, but it worked.

beautifulwarrior18

I drank a ton of soda as a kid, but as an adult I don't really drink much of it at all. I just don't buy it and for me it's that simple. Wish I could be more help, but if you don't have it in your house it's easier to kick the habit.

Ammodawg

Thanks all for the replies and advice. I've tried to quit before and somehow always ended back at where I started. My biggest problem is at work when I'm stuck in the office and not out in the field. So today I am starting to challenge myself by only allowing for one a day. I brought a couple of oranges with me so if I start to get the urge to grab a Dr. Pepper I have a slice of orange instead. I've also got a huge glass of water here to drink.

kimny72

The only thing that worked for me was mint green tea. Made a big pot at night, and put in a pitcher in the fridge. Then in the morning as I was running out the door to work I filled a water bottle with it. The tea gave me a little caffeine, and the mint made it taste sweet, but no sugar, no cals.

I still sometimes have a Coke or a Dr. Pepper as a treat, but breaking that habit saved me 200-300 calories a day! Good luck, I know it's tough