Cutting out pop??

ralevin

Yes, I said "pop." You can call it soda, cola, sodypop, or whatever else you want. We midwesterners know what's up.

I see a lot of posts about "quitting" pop. I can't do it. I'm a diet-pop only guy, so my 6 cans/day that I used to drink isn't as bad as it could be (yes, I know there are other health factors that hte sugar substitute causes). I've cut down to one or two a day. I just NEED the carbonation and caffeine.

Anyone have any thoughts on this? would there REALLY be any benefit to me completely eliminating diet pop?

Thanks!

caitlinclock

First of all, I just wanted to say good job for being open minded about it instead of just sticking to saying that you are going to drink soda no matter what like so many people do. I totally understand there are certain things that many people refuse to cut completely out of their lives and I can respect that but the only thing I ask is that they are informed about it before they make a decision.

This article is a great place to start.
Good luck to you!
http://waterforlifeusa.com/blog/uncategorized/8-ways-soda-fizzles-your-health

ruby_140

Check out this article....

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/4-reasons-to-avoid-all-soda-even-diet-2454791/

Awineburg

Have you tried carbonated water? Safeway has all kinds of flavors and its cheaper than soda, much healthier as well :drinker:

JesaGrace

I, at first, had a hard time cutting it out coke completely....we call everything coke here in the south...lol...my weakness was Dr. Pepper....though now that I have cut it out completely for two months....only drinking water(with an occasional sweet tea)....when I drink a little and it doesn't taste nearly as good as it used to.....and the one time I broke down and drank some.....I only let myself have half the can....

bfrice1

I say you don't have to completely let it go - just try to bring yourself down to one or two a day. Pop contains salt, which is kind of that extra something you don't need; it also causes bloat, which really works against you when you're supposed to be eating real calories, but you're full from carbonation.

I used to drink an awful lot of pop too - for the record, it took several years for me to break it's hold. Nowadays, I might have two or three a week.

Iceskatefanrn

Here's an interesting home experiment involving cola and a baby tooth.....

http://thecocacolaexperiment.blogspot.com/

NoAdditives

There was just a story on the news about the health risks of diet sodas. They aren't good for you at all, so you'd be much better off without them. Not only do they have artificial sweeteners which are made from extremely toxic chemicals (according to the EPA's list of most toxic chemicals) but the cans leach BPA into the soda. BPA is known to be harmful, which is why it's been taken out of baby products (including bottles and pacifiers) and most hard plastic water bottles. It causes, among other things, reproductive problems. BPA lines almost all cans, so all canned food has some amount of it.

When I gave up soda I would have an Izze sparkling juice when I felt I absolutely needed a soda. I'd try to limit myself to one a day, then one every other day, etc. Now I only drink water.

Wayne224

I also used to drink (and crave) 6-8 Diet sodas a day. The bottom shelf of our fridge was devoted to nothing but fridge packs. I stopped for just one week, then tasted my wife's Diet Coke and it tasted funny to me (like an off-brand diet cola).

Two years later I've completely lost my taste for it. We save a ton of money now (she occasionally has a DC at work) and have room for healthier food in our fridge...not to mention not having to load and unload fridge packs from the grocery store. I drink a lot of water and sometimes the Crystal Light "Pure" drinks with Stevia. When I crave the carbonation, I'll have sparkling water.

Try it - you'll be amazed at how quickly you get over the addiction!

Marll

I only allow myself to drink it with dinner now, which has cut my consumption down a lot. 1-2 cans a day, otherwise I drink water.

I sort of view it as an end of day treat. I'll probably never let it go (Diet Mountain Dew is my weakness!) but cutting down can't hurt.

barberella

I'm a Midwesterner myself, so let's go with calling it "pop". I too, craved, craved, craved me some diet coke, diet mt. dew, whatever diet..It was like my coffee in the morning! I effin needed the stuff. But what I started to notice when i would eat meals with it, i would start to feel completely bloated and gross; like that full feeling but not from the food. I just finally realized; well, i guess I always knew, but it was from my poison. I mean, I have been sucking on that stuff since a teenager, and I think you really do develop a habit for the carbonation. I know I did.

But then I started to drink water. I absolutely do NOT like water. It's been months and I do not crave water. I dread water, but I force it down cuz I need it. I started realizing that I was losing my desire for the pop cuz I didn't like that bloated, gross feeling pop was giving me. So slowly, but surely, I try to gulp down the water, but I have turned to Diet Snapple as a "treat" and iced coffee in the morning..But ummm...I do still drink Diet Coke when I drink my Canadian Club..But when altered with whiskey, diet pop doesn't make me feel bloated and gross.

If I were you, first pat yourself on the back for cutting down on the pop. But if you truly wanna taper off completely, just do that..taper..Ween yourself off it. But substitute with something that may be better for you; like water or iced tea, and see if you desire the taste of pop less.

Mission4Life

At Dr.Oz.com, he has a 28 day pop elimination program. It helps break the addiction. If you are looking for help.

wriglucy

Hi! I'm a midwesterner, well...born and raise in WI, and we say "soda" I didn't look where you're from, but I'm guessing MIN because one of my professors is from there, and she says that. Anyways...she also told me that there were recent studies that soda (I don't know if it's diet or regular, but I assume diet because she pointed to her diet coke when she said it) was linked to early alzhiemers. I haven't done my research on it yet....and she is a Spanish linguistics profesor, not a dietitian....so, take it as you will. I drink a diet coke a day too, if not more. So if I get around to researching it, I'll let you know. Oh..and she believes that high fructose corn sugar is bad for you, when...in reality, all sugar goes in your body as glucose (my mom is a registered dietitian).

LeAnn_Mae

I have the same question. Does cutting out Diet sodas really make a difference? I've been without my Diet Dr. Pepper for 3 days so far but I'm wondering, is it worth it? I've read about the dangers of aspartame and such but not convinced. My real question is, does stopping pop make a difference in our weight loss?

FitFrenchGirl

what i found worked for me, are those water drinks that are bubbly yummy they replaced my sodas, and they taste very good! Maybe that would work for you too!

Myschelle

Good for you! I was a Dr. Pepper Addict too! I quit about 2 mos ago as well. I've been surprised that I don't really miss it.

wriglucy

At Dr.Oz.com, he has a 28 day pop elimination program. It helps break the addiction. If you are looking for help.

Ok...I don't want to get on your case, and please don't take it as such. but Dr. Oz...is a cardiac surgeon. He does not need to know ANYTHING about nutrition, but the basics.

He may have good advice on how to break the soda habit, but I wouldn't trust him at all for any nutrition info. My mom is a registered dietitian, and the doctors she works with always have to ask her nutrition information, because they are not specialized in that area. Imagine how little someone who is a surgeon would know?

Ok..well, just a thought, and I thought it would be helpful to some people who believe his nutritional info.

http://www.doctoroz.com/bios/mehmet-oz-md

daddyratty

This is also a struggle of mine and I started another similar thread earlier today.

I have also recently studied a bit on the physiological effects that could be harmful, although not harmful enough for me yet to have quit.

When your taste buds sense the sweet taste of diet soda, the body readies itself by releasing insulin to combat the sugar it perceives is entering the body. But since what you're (we're) drinking is not actually sweetener but fake sweetener, the extra insulin in your body causes your blood sugar to drop (instead of balance), triggering your body to consume more sugar in response to maintain the blood-sugar balance in your body.

It is also important to note that the release of insulin modifies your body's ability to release fat as an energy source. So on a simple level, consuming diet soda can keep the body from burning fat. Or at least working a bit harder to get there.

daddyratty

Ok...I don't want to get on your case, and please don't take it as such. but Dr. Oz...is a cardiac surgeon. He does not need to know ANYTHING about nutrition, but the basics.

Just because someone is a cardiac surgeon doesn't mean that they DON'T know about other areas. They might specialize in one professionally but it's not as if this is completely isolated from other medical/nutritional areas.

But you hit on another good point -- our willingness to blindly follow the advice of just about anyone whose name begins with "doctor." (Dr. Phil comes to mind, as well).

I would want to know, though ... does the 28-day program work? Maybe Dr. Oz has just endorsed it and didn't actually create it. And if it works, who cares what his credentials are?

Iceskatefanrn

As an RN, I've certainly come across my share of docs that are completely EXCELLENT in their chosen specialty, and they stay that way with tons of education on the ever-changing developments in their specific area of specialty.

It would be impossible to expect any medical professional to maintain expertise in ALL areas of medicine.

And I completely agree that a visit to a registered dietition is invaluable if you are trying to fix what's wrong with your nutritional status, which is what we all wanna do here!

That being said - Dr. Oz is NOT a private practice ONLY physician. In the process of developing his television show, he has had to surround himself with TOP specialists in a variety of fields.

Although I don't watch his program daily, I have watched it on occasion, and have found his nutrtional information to be completely SOLID. Since he is an expert PHYSICIAN, he IS able to TEACH about nutrition - based on the research done by his team of EXPERTS. Although his specialty is not nutrition, I believe his nutritional information is sound.

I've not seen the program he has for breaking a soda habit - I'm sure it's just like everything we are looking for here on MFP - something to consider or even to try if it looks like it'll help us meet our needs! I just love seeing all the different ideas from different people, so we can all find what's gonna work for US!

I'm so glad to see so many people giving up their sodas, but I'm also glad to see others who are making THEIR choices work for THEM! No one is going to make perfect choices every single minute of every single day, but if we all strive to make our BEST choices in MOST situations, I think we'll reach our health and fitness goals!

Ice

EvanR

Even before starting the calorie counting and exercising, I'd tried to stop drinking soda cold-turkey several times and I never made it more than a few days. I only drink diet soda, and frankly, it's mostly for the caffeine. The headaches I get without it are a special level of miserable.

I like Dr. Oz's suggestion of increasing vitamin B intake to help with the headaches. It's worth a shot.