How to quit/wean yourself of pop/soda?

milliwhitmoreuzoma

Diet versions of soda will get you away from the calories, however, did you know that many sugar replacements act a appetite stimulants? At least that is what my MD and Pharmacist tell me.

I was a diet pepsi addict for about 40 years, YES YEARS. One day I took a drink and it tasted so foul that I couldn't swallow. I don't know what was in that soda that I tried to drink but I quit there and then. Sure I had the usual head ache and a bit of nausea for a few days but then it was clean sailing. I have coaxed a sip from a co worker once or twice but I really can't stand the taste. Find something you enjoy. I now drink decafe raspberry Iced tea , yes it has sugar in it but I calculate that in my calories. For the cooler mornings I enjoy a hot cup of Chai Tea or raspberry hibiscus.

What ever you choose to substitute for your soda, make it enjoyable and dont forget to count the calories and plan.

Milli

thesaraaah

Honestly I never stopped drinking it, I'll still have soda. I cut back drastically though, every time I was thirsty I'd grab a soda. Now I only drink a 12oz can a few times a week. I drink mostly water and unsweetened black tea now because I enjoy the taste and I need caffeine or else my head will explode. If its the caffeine you need try unsweetened tea or black coffee, the taste grows on you. If its the carbonation and sugar you like, you don't NEED to cut it out of your diet to be healthy and lose weight (everything in moderation obviously, sans any health conditions blah etc.)

jamesdeamara

I realized I can't quit entirely, but I have gone down considerably. I used to have four or more in a day, now it is usually one or maybe two if I am celebrating. It just means I get to eat a little less.

Hornsby

I put a stop to my pop/soft drink consumption after reading this in university:
http://www.wnho.net/soft_drinks_hard_facts.pdf

I weaned myself in 3 weeks. The withdrawal headaches were hard; I would never look back.

That's a great read! thanks for sharing

You're welcome! I always find science helpful to assist me in making healthy choices. Best of luck!

Then you are going to need a new article, cause that paper didn't use any kind of sources or anything that I saw.

Serah87

Diet soda and I have lost a few pounds.

formality

I had the same trouble with soda - it's just so nice and fizzy and craveable.

My dad suggested I try a Soda Stream. It lets me make my own carbonated water, which is a BIG part of what I crave with soda. They also make soda-flavoured syrups, and that allows you to control the amount of syrup you use. But I don't use those anymore. I actually make my own syrups using raw honey and fruit/fruit juice, zests, extracts, herbs, etc. It's a lot healthier (though, yes, maybe not quite as healthy as just drinking straight water would be...), and they're very customizable.

Wishing you luck with whatever you try!

Hornsby

I decided to check out the main site after reading that, wow is about all I can say. Just about every bad science piece ever thought up in one place.

Edit: in response to this http://www.wnho.net/soft_drinks_hard_facts.pdf

They are also on quackwatch as well....lol.

seltzermint555

I went from drinking 3-4 cans per day to 1 can per day to 3 cans per week. Then I totally quit drinking it, but I missed it. Now I am back to roughly 3 cans per week, and very happy with that moderate consumption. For me it's a matter of deciding when I REALLY want soda and that's typically with homemade pizza or pasta dishes (red sauce). The rest of the time I don't really even crave it. A lot of people think it's terrible to even drink it occasionally but I see no issue with the occasional can...that's a choice for everyone to make on their own!

elydotap

I never drank water or milk or anything but pop from the time I could make a choice. Nine months ago I gave up my favorite, Coke. I switched to Root Beer...no caffeine. Four months later I quit all carbonated beverages. For me it was a decision based on my weight and health.

Today I don't drink anything but water, tea and rarely coffee. Do I miss it? Yes, but not as much as I did nine months ago or even two months ago. It slowly gets better.

Its all in the mind. Make the decision. Make the commitment.

Good luck!

FindingAmy77

I switched to diet then I decided I can only make one 2liter last me the week, now I buy one diet orange and one sparkling water. mostly I reach for the sparkling water or regular water and try to make that yummy diet orange last for my dinners only. sometimes I add in a crystal light to the sparkling water or some lemons for flavor. depends on how I feel

Alluminati

I put a stop to my pop/soft drink consumption after reading this in university:
http://www.wnho.net/soft_drinks_hard_facts.pdf

I weaned myself in 3 weeks. The withdrawal headaches were hard; I would never look back.

That's a great read! thanks for sharing

You're welcome! I always find science helpful to assist me in making healthy choices. Best of luck!

RoolyBob99

I went without soda for a year as part of a school project. I did it with one of my friends, which was really helpful because we could talk to each other about it. My school cafeteria has fountain sodas, which made me want to drink Coke Zero (my current favorite soda) even more. However, once I got past the first month, the temptation totally went away.

I replaced my sodas with Crystal Lite teas, but in retrospect I wish I'd just gone for water, because it stained my teeth. However, I went cold turkey on the soda immediately-- from soda one day to none the next and for an entire year. I really want to do it again though, although I love having a mid-morning diet soda when I'm having cravings (that's usually when they start in the summer).

Anyhow, now that I'm running again I think I'm just going to go cold turkey again. I enjoy soda, but I also like the feeling when I'm not drinking it. It makes me feel accomplished.

Oh, and by the way-- I never had any withdrawal symptoms other than missing the taste, but I think that's because I've only ever had Diet Soda. The full sugar stuff makes me feel kind of sick, and I've never thought that the calories were worth it.

Finally, a recommendation: if you're willing to spend a little bit more for a reusable water bottle, I totally recommend the Camelbak water bottles. They have a nipple like a child's sippy cup, but they make me drink so much more water than I would just out of a glass. It's a fun way to drink water if you don't like the taste. I remember when I was drinking soda a lot before I went for that one year, I hated drinking water to take pills. The water almost made me want to gag if that gives you any idea what a wuss I was. xD

Good luck fellow non-soda drinkers! This actually inspires me to stop drinking soda again, so I think I shall.

ukaryote

Get older.

Your tastes change with age and sugar loses its appeal the older your get. DAMHIKT.

tee323232

I use to have a bad soda, energy drink habbit. I did a 100 % vegetable juice fast for two weeks and it reset everything. Built a new nutrition plan and haven't had a want or desire for any junk food since and no want for cheat days. A bit extreme

chadya07

just stop. it takes 30 days to make a new habit. replace it with water for 30 days.

Zombielicious

I just bought SweetLeaf Root Beer flavored Stevia drops. Put some in fizzy water - it's amazing!

TheBookSiren2316

For me it was 100% mental, just the sheer force of will.
I have ALWAYS been addicted to one kind of pop. I hate diet- I don't see the appeal and the after taste literally makes me gag. I love tea and I go through phases where I like or hate coffee (right now it's hate).
Anyways I'v'e tried replacing before to no avail. I tried carbonated water, crystal lite, iced tea, diet (which lasted 10 horrible seconds), having only one every saturday, weaning slowly... none of it worked. So one day I woke up and realized it is absolutely ridiculous to be ruled by a drink. To be addicted to anything. So I quit. I now only drink water. If I'm sick our out on a date I might have a cup of tea plain (no sugar), but only once in a very long time. I don't drink alcohol, coffee, or anything aside from water and the occasional green smoothie.

At first I had headaches, ibuprofen worked. Then it was just craving it, but every time I did I would just chug water. I craved it at family get togethers, and places or situations where I was used to having it, but I got over it. I didn't like water at first but now I love it. There's nothing better after a long workout. I drink water first thing in the morning and the last thing at night. I didn't know I was even over the hump until I was and now I don't even miss it. Generally I don't even think about it. Once I was committed and in the right mindset to give myself a hard reality check- that was it. The idea of actually being an addict, of having some *thing or craving control me instead of me control myself is repugnant to me enough it kicked me out of it.

I wish you the best and hope you find whatever method works for you. I know it's hard but you CAN do it if you want to!

pleasurelittletreasure

I never had an issue with sugary sodas but still was a complete Diet Coke addict which is almost as bad since it really increased my cravings for sugary things. I switched to sparkling water and that gave me the mouth-feel I was craving but curbed the sugar issues. Perhaps that would help you, too?

ruizv17

I replaced it with something else. Soda was my go to during the day and specially when eating out. So I would just force myself to get orange juice every time I wanted a coke. It worked- I stopped drinking soda altogether. And now, I can just drink water and be fine.

danielsgrl03

I was highly addicted to soda for YEARS. I started when I was a kid and drank a ridiculous amount. When I got pregnant with my first child I switched to things like root beer to get rid of the caffeine, but then I switched to diet (occasionally) because of the sugar. Since then I got to the point where I was drinking 6 or more a day. I was retaining water really bad and I felt miserable. So then when I started slowly changing my eating habits for various health reasons, I finally kicked a 20+ year habit.

My biggest piece of advice: Do NOT try to deny yourself from having it. It will just make you crave it more. Instead, trying crowding it out. Pick something else like water or tea with splenda, and start adding that into your daily drink rotation. Start upping your tea in take and start crowding out the soda. Pretty soon you won't have enough time to drink all of your tea/water AND the soda. It is much easier to start a new habit then it is to stop an old one. I do hot tea with splenda and a bit of milk. I drank quite a bit of that in the beginning but then I started drinking more water and crowded the tea out quite a bit. Every once in a while I was crave soda, so I let myself have one. It doesn't taste very good, and I usually take a few sips and then leave it.

This has been a bigger accomplishment for me then any of my weight loss. Diet soda is great for getting rid of the calories and if you need to do it to cut the calories, great! However, I will tell you that my appetite has decreased so much since I stopped the diet soda, AND I actually had gained more weight on diet soda then I had on regular soda. Plus the carbonation creates kidney stones which is another problem I was having.