Soda and Energy

Zantabar
Zantabar Posts: 11 Member
in Getting Started
So just curious from those of you that quit drinking all soda cold turkey how long does it take before the withdrawal headaches stop.

When does my body stop aching so much from working out and actually start feeling good. Have a tough time starting. On day number 2 but afraid I am going to trip.

Replies

  • shadowofender
    shadowofender Posts: 786 Member
    It takes me about three days (I say takes because I've given up soda a few times before realizing I don't care that aspertame is the devil or whatever and I drink my coke zero anyway now).

    What helps the headaches in my case was double water intake from usualy, excedrin migrane the first day to ease down the caffeine dose, and working out. It seems like working out would suck when you're in pain but it ALWAYS leaves me feeling better.
  • sinatrazz
    sinatrazz Posts: 3 Member
    I have been having a coke zero or pepsi max (still not good for you) but it helps with the headache just when I have a bad one once or twice a week and then slowly going to stop soda all together but it will get better in a couple of weeks.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    I'm thinking caffeine withdrawal is causing the headaches so maybe have coffee or tea instead if you'd rather not have any soda.

    What did you do for a workout? I usually like going for a nice walk or jumping on the stationary bike or elliptical when I'm sore. I still get a good burn in but it's not so rough on my body. Then follow up with a nice stretch and/or foam roller session.
  • Bellodesiderare
    Bellodesiderare Posts: 278 Member
    Y'all should try Zevia. It has no artificial sweeteners :):):)
  • farmers_daughter
    farmers_daughter Posts: 1,632 Member
    It's not the caffiene in soda that I miss. It's the sugar. omg sugar will keep me going and going and going.... happie!!!!!

    Um the headaches for me stopped after a week maybe less. If you KNOW it's from caffiene and not sugar try black tea, Bigelow brand is the one I like especially with lemon or pomegranate.

    I've decided that I will allow myself a Mt Dew once every two weeks, I can have a big 32 oz or whatever, but only once. I will either keep it in my diet, or I'll eventually not want it anymore.
    Dunno if that's the right thing to do or not, but telling myself never again to anything.... doesn't work. I can have it, but I have to earn it and earning it the hard way for me is patience. OMG. patience.
  • rand486
    rand486 Posts: 270 Member
    "There is currently no good evidence that diet soda is bad for you (i.e. causes weight gain or health complications). Even the topic of diet soda causing food overconsumption is mixed literature. The worst side-effect of diet soda is potentially poor dental health."

    http://examine.com/faq/is-diet-soda-bad-for-you.html

    That said, if you're drinking so much soda that you have withdrawal symptoms... just drink water. It's a hell of a lot cheaper, and then you don't have to worry about it at all.
  • JeriAnne84
    JeriAnne84 Posts: 543 Member
    It was 2 days before my headaches went away from caffiene withdraws. I loaded up on water and took a couple of Advil and powered through it. I've been off soda for almost 3 months now and I feel great!
  • OKfarmgal
    OKfarmgal Posts: 160 Member
    It takes 3-5 days depending on how much you drank prior to quitting. I drank nothing but Dr. Pepper and only water on rare occasions. I had massive headaches and my body ached all over. It seemed like breathing hurt. I had to take 2 days off work to detox myself, but I've never felt better!! That was about 5 weeks ago and now I will occasionally have a diet Dr. Pepper now if I get the craving. I don't like any diet soda, but if I'm having a craving I drink diet because I know I won't finish it. I finally figured out it's the carbonation for me and not the actual taste. I drink tons of Perrier and club soda now to get the fizziness I want. Sometimes I add juices to club soda and it's wonderful.

    You'll get through it. I admit it absolutely SUCKS!! But I guarantee it will make a huge difference. I even dropped a few pounds within days of dumping the soda. :bigsmile:
  • xmichaelyx
    xmichaelyx Posts: 883 Member
    ... When does my body stop aching so much from working out and actually start feeling good.

    The first week is the worst. Be consistent, and within 2 weeks the soreness should turn to a slight (and kinda nice) tight feeling. 3 weeks in, you'll start feeling pretty great and look forward to your workouts.

    If you aren't consistent, the aching you feel will never go away, and you'll teach yourself to hate working out.
  • Zantabar
    Zantabar Posts: 11 Member
    Thanks all for the replies

    As far as working out I started yesterday. I did a cardio video on my on demand video. Lots of lunges, squats, running in place and stretching.

    Day 2 - I tried an upper body strength video - with soup can (/shame) cause I had 10 ilb weights which was killing me. So lots of curls in different forms and push ups and diamond pushups.

    I am just feel achy and want to love it. My headache has slightly hampered since I first posted this morning but it is still hanging around.

    As far as drinks I think it is the caffeine. I have been flushing my body with lots of water. I never really drank to much water before day 1 was horrible today is not so bad with the water. It's the getting up to going to the bathroom that is annoying but feels so good.

    I am in the home stretch for day 2. I think
  • Jonalee1977
    Jonalee1977 Posts: 415 Member
    What kind of soda were you drinking?

    It took me about two weeks after quitting diet soda before I felt normal. People may sing the praises of aspartame and I know there is a sticky thread on MFP about why it isn't bad for you, but I am certain without a doubt that aspartame withdrawal was what made me feel like crap those two weeks. I know it wasn't caffeine withdrawal because at that point I was still drinking coffee (I quit that probably a month later, if that).
  • Zantabar
    Zantabar Posts: 11 Member
    I was drinking at least 3 liters of coca cola a day.
    But also had mt. dew , dr. pepper I love soda. I miss soda so much I had a dream about the condensation that beads off the glass and could hear the beautiful soul sound of the sizzle.
  • Kevalicious99
    Kevalicious99 Posts: 1,131 Member
    I had no withdrawal symptoms .. just stopped.

    That **** is bad for you, so stopping it is a good thing.
  • Brolympus
    Brolympus Posts: 360 Member
    Def caffeine withdrawals. Try drinking tea or black coffee during the times you used to grab a soda. Having a caffeine addiction is still not great, but coffee and tea are so much better for you than any soda. ESPECIALLY those diet/zero calorie ones. Those are actually the worst for you, aspertane is crazy bad for your brain.
  • highcarbveganzombie
    highcarbveganzombie Posts: 68 Member
    It took me about three days to stop having major headaches. For the next three I had very slight ones, but nothing horrible. :)
  • marquishagetaka
    marquishagetaka Posts: 322
    doubt if I will ever be able to give up caffeine, stopped drinking sodas a while back, now I use caffeine anhydrous, a some to my fruit juice and get amped up!

    I start having withdrawls within hours, not sure how long it last be completely not using caffeines.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    I went cold turkey off of caffeine and I either had headaches or I slept 14 hours a day for over a week (I was on a stay at home vacation). Then I went to the drug sore and bought "Stay Awake" caffeine pills. I took one a day for another week, then cut them to 1/2 a day for another week. It took me close to 4 weeks to feel normal without any kind of caffeine.
  • donjessop
    donjessop Posts: 186
    I went cold turkey on July 31, 2013. Within a few days I was fine. It is really going to depend on why you were "addicted" to the soda. In my case it wasn't the caffeine, it was the sugar, so when I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes I needed to reign in my sugar. No soda. No sugar. I substituted water, a lot of water, and things have been good ever since. It won't take long for your body to adjust, but it may be uncomfortable during that adjustment period.
  • Zantabar
    Zantabar Posts: 11 Member
    Well its day 3 and I feel sore and miserable. However, so far no headache. But I can feel one brewing. Here we go this is going to be a good day. I just have this feeling.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    I was drinking at least 3 liters of coca cola a day.
    But also had mt. dew , dr. pepper I love soda. I miss soda so much I had a dream about the condensation that beads off the glass and could hear the beautiful soul sound of the sizzle.

    Besides the caffeine (and possibly sugar) you obviously crave the fizzy part of soda too. Do what you need to do to ameliorate the symptoms of the caffeine withdrawal like drink a small amount of coffee (Excedrin migraine has a little caffeine in it. That might be a good pain reliever for the headaches). It also might be a good plan to go with seltzer water like LaCroix or Klarbrunn, or whatever your local brands are. It is zero calorie fizzy water and comes plain or with a little flavor essence. That will give you the sensory experience you love without the sugar and caffeine you are trying to avoid.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Gosh, I couldn't do it cold turkey without headaches. Had to taper down.

    I couldn't taper down buying 12 packs. I just didn't taper, lol. I bought the 20 Oz bottles at 7-11. Cost more, but was short-term. I'd buy 4 for the day. After a few days, 3, then two. I had one a day in the morning for a while.

    God, I felt so much better when I'd quit! I miss the caffeine, for sure. Some days I consider caffeine pills - I miss it that much.

    But my body feels so much better without all the bloat. I feel thinner and stronger. Even 4 a day was 400 of sodium, right there. That's 1/3 of the total for the day. And I drank even more, once upon a time.

    Cut the stuff however you need to and give it a couple weeks. See how you feel.

    Might be worth it! :)

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