Cutting out soda

fairygirl716

I seriously wonder how much of my "podge" is due to drinking carbonated beverages every day. I have tried to give diet soda up so many times in the past, but have never been successful. I crave it like a drug. Haha.
Hello, my name is Amanda, and I am a diet soda addict... LOL!

I too am a diet soda addict. I chose at this time to focus on my other faults and will eventually stop the habit all together. However, I'm not ready for the 12 step plan yet. I've over come my food addiction and I will address the other issues I have slowly. Until then, I know my body is healthier because I fill it with better food while at the same time, I know I'm not doing it any good with the diet pop.

Baby steps for me!

bens_mommy

I cut it out completely, cold turkey (along with other forms of caffeine). After three days of horrible sugar/caffeine withdrawal migraines, the urge to drink it completely subsided. This weekend I had fast food (ICK) with a massive Dr. Pepper (DOUBLE ICK) and I've been bloated and gross-feeling ever since. Once your body gets used to not having it, you don't want it anymore.

Luckily for me I'm a big tea-drinker as well (I love me some Tazo tea, oh dear that sugar content!) so if you're craving something sweet, try some organic iced tea. It's better for you by far AND you won't get a caffeine crash later.

shannon_stallone

I've cut out soda and switched to La Croix...I'm obsessed with the orange flavor...Its the carbonation I love so much with soda so the La Croix helps with that...I always crave an occasional fountain Coke and just have a small glass here and there

Pollywog39

When I want something bubbly - I do 12 oz of seltzer with 2 oz. of cranberry juice (100% juice). I had to start half and half with the juice selzter and work my way down. Now drinking straight juice is like a sugar punch to my face.

I know this is so weird, but I wish they would do lower sugar sodas. Like HALF the sugar... or even a quarter. (But with NO artificial sweetener to compensate) Sometimes I want a soda, but why does it have to have a 1/4 cup of sugar in 12 oz? That is just gross.

It is my understanding that the artificial sweetener in diet soda affects your blood sugar like it was real sugar - so your body releases insulin and then there is no sugar for it - so then your blood sugar drops low and you crave sugar. Therefore making diet soda just as unhealthy.

Sometimes when I want a little something for a treat - I go for the Honest Ade or the Honest Tea. They are still about 85 - 100 calories for a bottle - but compared to other things that are 240 - 360 a bottle, it seems like a good deal.

I agree with you 100%! I, too, do the 'bubbly' water and a bit of juice - just for a slight sweet taste. I think it's the bubbles in pop that I really crave, so I often will drink that just straight (no flavor whatsoever.)

I was never a HUGE pop drinker - and NEVER a diet pop person. Ugggh. But I have dramatically cut down my pop drinking - had a regular Coke on the weekend, it seemed TOO much!

Has anyone here tried the Canada Dry Green Tea Ginger Ale? It's really tasty - and I'll have one of those on occasion (it's a good drink mixer, too I figure it's not as horrible as some, and it has antioxidants in it lol.

Darkness2120

I'm not sure diet soda is toxic. Mind you, I'm not sure that it isn't, either! (This year's wonderful thing is next year's class action suit, after all!)

I do think that it keeps your palate acclimated to sugar. You don't get used to tasting things without sugary additives, natural or artificial, because your mouth is being bombarded by the perception of "sweet". So you have to have the sweeteners in other things for them to taste "normal".

If you can eliminate ALL added sweeteners to your diet for a period of time (a few weeks?), I think you would not like them anymore, because your "normal" will have shifted. If you must have carbonation, try club soda w/ a twist of lemon, perhaps.

I am getting ready to put this theory into action for myself. I like sweet. A LOT! But for me, i think it must be all or nothing.

The ph content in diet soda is closer to battery acid than water.. toxic?

Orange juice = 3.5ph, kiwi = 3.0, grapes = 2.8, vinegar 2.4. Toxic? Ph value won't determine a food product's toxicity, except to your teeth! ;-)

This right here. Plenty of healthy foods that have low pH hence why your body has the bicarbonate-carbonic acid buffer system in it. The toxicity of food is determined by multiple things, and yes your teeth are the only things that may have to worry about the pH. But I consume 1 can of regular soda everyday before working out, my teeth are fine and so is my overall health. Once again the key here is moderation or not going overboard.

saugustin07

If you really can't cut out soda make your own version but as a treat once in awhile. Take equal parts of sparkling water and your favorite juice.

strongnotskinny121

I am also struggling with soda. I have cut down from 2 sugar drinks a day to 1. In a few weeks, I will try none, but as I am also quitting smoking right now, if I stay at one a day, I'll be happy. I don't want to take too much on and fail it all. But what I have decided is I'm allowed one can of soda, or glass of tea or koolaid. I've been doing this all week now and I haven't had any headaches. If I start craving something sweet to drink, I think I might try juice and sparkling water. That's sounds really good!

HMonsterX

but as I am also quitting smoking right now,

If you're doing this, successfully so far, stick to that alone and focus on it. You have my utmost respect for doing it, and that should be your main goal atm.

strongnotskinny121

but as I am also quitting smoking right now,

If you're doing this, successfully so far, stick to that alone and focus on it. You have my utmost respect for doing it, and that should be your main goal atm.

Thank you I am, but I'm kind of looking at this as a lifestyle change. I'm tracking my foods and exercise, but I don't stress out if I go over. I just use it to help me make smarter choices and be more conscientious about what I put into my body. I'm at Day 31. I figure when I hit six months, I'll get super serious about losing weight.

strongnotskinny121

but as I am also quitting smoking right now,

If you're doing this, successfully so far, stick to that alone and focus on it. You have my utmost respect for doing it, and that should be your main goal atm.

Thank you I am, but I'm kind of looking at this as a lifestyle change. I'm tracking my foods and exercise, but I don't stress out if I go over. I just use it to help me make smarter choices and be more conscientious about what I put into my body. I'm at Day 31. I figure when I hit six months, I'll get super serious about losing weight.

CyclingDiva

Soda is poison. Period.

I used to drink coke like it was going out of style. Surprise surprise I was also heavily overweight and diabetic.

Cutting soda out of my life dropped me 10 lbs and 200 points off my sugar count.

Diet soda is equally toxic and counter productive to weight loss. You're better off mixing water with cigarette ashes and dropping in some monkey scat and drinking that.

I AGREE!!! LOL!!! Soda is CRAP!!!!

CyclingDiva

Read the EAT-CLEAN books. It will explain what types of foods to eat and what not to eat to make your body feel satisfied.
Soda is NASTY and SO BAD for you no matter if it's regular, zero or what other label they have on it.
I say make a switch to unsweetened coconut milk, unsweetened almond milk and WATER WATER WATER!!!! Making a switch to juices or other carb drinks, you are only going from one sugar product to another? Doesn't make sense!
Sure your body is going to go through a withdrawal period, a few headaches, but I would rather go through a few days of withdrawal instead of the disaster you are going to face down the road from drinking that crap! Good luck. I hope you are able to kick this bad habit!

whatwentwrong

i cut out soft drinks really gradually- i stopped drinking caffeine in 2007, then i stopped drinking carbonated drinks in about 2009, and finally i stopped drinking any kind of sugary drink recently. (except mello yello, but i hadn't seen it since i was 14 I HAD TO BUY IT and i've only had 1 cup so far :P) obviously that's probably just a little more gradual then you're looking for, but i think the key is to work slowly- like, if you have 2 cans a day, go down to 1, then one every few days, then once a week, etc. and if you need a sweet drink fix, try vitamin water zero or iced tea with stevia or something else you like to try and replace your sweet drink craving

btw, @ above poster- i just bought some unsweetened coconut milk, it is one of the worst things i've ever tasted ;_; awesome in oatmeal, but i can't even have it in cereal it's so bad >_<

mrsmartin5

The best thing to do it to just stop buying it and drink water instead, if you really cant bear plain water there are lots of lovely flavoured ones still and sparkling.
Fizzy pop containts citric acid which is actually proven to make you feel hungry.
I just went cold turkey, no fizzy pop....not even diet for a whole month and now I find it way too sweet. You will notice your skin improves and your hair and you will feel less hungry .....really !! Now I actually prefer water, I bought myself a filter jug and keep it full in the fridge and always make sure there is plenty of ice....iced water speeds up your metabolism!
No way could I give up my cups of tea though :P)
YOU CAN DO IT....SODA IS THE ENEMY !!

_Ben

Diet coke, never gonna give it up probably. I dont eat butter, cheese, dressing, sauce, noodles, mayonaise, most condiments except ketchup; diet pop is the one I will always allow myself.

Nevertheless, great goal, and good luck!

HMonsterX

Soda is poison. Period.

I used to drink coke like it was going out of style. Surprise surprise I was also heavily overweight and diabetic.

Cutting soda out of my life dropped me 10 lbs and 200 points off my sugar count.

Diet soda is equally toxic and counter productive to weight loss. You're better off mixing water with cigarette ashes and dropping in some monkey scat and drinking that.

I AGREE!!! LOL!!! Soda is CRAP!!!!

No, it isn't!!LOL!!!

See, we can all do that.

EXCESSIVE soda may well cause you some problems, but a small soda a day won't do any harm to most people.

I used to drink coke like it was going out of style. Surprise surprise I was also heavily overweight and diabetic.

And the rest of your diet was perfectly clean i suppose? :huh:

Scarlettdawn764

I used to drink a ton of diet soda a day. I went off it cold turkey, but didn't suffer any of the caffeine headaches because I now drink a cup of green tea three times a day with each meal. I feel so much less bloated now that I don't drink the soda, and don't even get cravings for it anymore.

donbet69

Soda is poison. Period.

I used to drink coke like it was going out of style. Surprise surprise I was also heavily overweight and diabetic.

Cutting soda out of my life dropped me 10 lbs and 200 points off my sugar count.

Diet soda is equally toxic and counter productive to weight loss. You're better off mixing water with cigarette ashes and dropping in some monkey scat and drinking that.

Do you happen to have the recipe for the water / cigarette ashes / monkey scat drink? Sounds tasty!!!

strongnotskinny121

Well, thanks to a really great friend who bought me the brita filtered waterbottle, I am cutting soda. I'd been down to one a day for several weeks now, so I figured it was time. Today went well, no headaches or cravings. I'm not going to say I'm never going to drink one again, b/c I LIKE soda so I'm not going to beat myself up if I have one ever couple of months.

tamaramalave

If you drink a few cups/glasses of iced or hot tea, you will no longer crave soda. It's so weird. I used to drink at least 2-3 cans of diet coke, and then after I started drinking loose leaf flavored iced teas, I no longer had an urge to drink soda.