How did you break your pop, soda, coke etc...habit?

farmers_daughter

Just curious on some ideas that actually worked.

I've come very close at times, but it always creeps back up on me.

Thanks in advance.

chezmama

My son works for a bottled water company, so he has been bringing home cases of water. I have been using Crystal Light with fiber or Propel with calcium, depending on what I need more, or Mio if I don't need anything but water. They taste good to me and I am taking in needed supplements. I see it as a win/win. Now I know that there are sweeteners in them too, but I still figure they are better for me than diet coke.

cdstadt

I've quit three of four times and they way it creeps back up on me is someone buys me a soda and I end up drinking it. It just takes one. And at my parents' house, they have two refrigerators. One is almost solely used for sodas. Talk about temptation.

Right now, I don't buy cans or bottles of soda in bulk. Every once in a while I'll get ONE from a restaurant, gas station, or the checkout line but it's always a single soda.

One day I'll be able to cut that out too, but I'm weak.

jo_marnes

Just stop having it. You soon stop wanting it

vegankaty

I did it!! I used to have 3-4 Diet Cokes every day. While the calorie count is lower with diet, it is still full of chemicals and questionable sweeteners. I was told by a fitness trainer in my church that if I cut that out it would help me tremendously lose the weight. I dealt with the caffeine headaches and cravings. It was hard. I started drinking the packets that you add to water bottles. That was my saving grace. Now I have almost completely cut those out and love drinking ice water with lemon.

You can do it! Write down all the reasons why and keep it on your fridge or inside your wallet (somewhere you will see it often). For me it was all about getting healthy,being free from anything that I was "addicted" to, and enjoying the natural

CMmrsfloyd

I was way too dependent on diet soda (I had at least 2 liters each day - it was ALL that I drank and I drank it all day long) - it was to the point where if I wasn't drinking it all throughout the day I would get headaches. Back in July when I got serious about losing weight, I decided I might as well deal with the soda issue too. I tried 'cutting back' but found it didn't work very well for me. So I went cold turkey. Didn't have a soda at all for over a week, only had about 2 total that entire month (the first week I had headaches for about 3 days, once I got past that I allowed myself 1 each on later days when I had a headache b/c the caffeine seems to help). So I went from 2 liters per day to only 2 in the entire month. I really dislike water so I tried out a few different water flavoring products until I found one that I like (my favorite is one from Target - it's Archer Farms brand and it's sweetened with Stevia). Now that I've made it past that month of realizing I don't 'have' to have it all the time, I do allow myself 1 per day, usually in the morning with my breakfast. Kind of like my version of coffee since I don't drink coffee. LOL The rest of the day I drink my flavored water, sometimes plain water when I'm working out but usually the flavored stuff.

cedarhurst2006

Cold turkey = I drink flavored seltzer water now

HMonsterX

Many people found that reading and believing a scaremonger story worked for them...

Jill_newimprovedversion

Years ago, I had to switch to caffeine free pop- caffeine was causing all sorts of physical problems for me,

so that was my first step.

Later on I realized I had to stop it all together-

After starting here on MFP, I discovered any pop triggers an insatiable sugar craving- and that I couldn't afford to indulge anymore.

Take it like any other part of this journey- in small steps if you have to.

Cut back, replace w/ WATER, and wean yourself off it

OR quit cold turkey

Whichever you think would work best for you.

Best Wishes!

AmyRhubarb

I just quit buying it. At home and when we're out, we usually drink water or fresh brewed iced tea instead (no sugar in the tea for us, but some people gotta have sweet tea, I know!). After awhile, I got the point where even if I allowed myself a soda, I couldn't finish it -too sweet and made me feel all bloaty.

Now if I have one, I make sure it's all natural, like a Hansen's Root Beer or something like that, with real sugar and natural ingredients, but even those are rare.

cdstadt

Just stop having it. You soon stop wanting it

I wanted it every day of the 6 months I stopped drinking it..

BPayton27

I've tried to do it cold turkey but the headaches were intense and my willpower was lacking. This time around I have begun weaning myself off. Instead of diet Coke I have switched to Sierra Mist (caffeine free) and only allow myself 1 glass a day. Within a week I hope to be switched to water or flavored water entirely. My doctor recommended green tea if you are wanting a little caffeine. I am not a coffee drinker, so pop is how I would wake up.

bprague

jeez, the last time I chose juice or soda over water was when I was in my early teens ( I hated water). I would say the easiest way to do it is just not to buy the soda. There is nothing good about it- the salt makes you thirstier and the sugar hides that fact. Seriously, the more you drink water, the easier it will be. Carry around a nalgene so you don't have an excuse to buy soda.

AmyW125

I carry water with me every where. Never want a pop if I have my water.

Halothane

I said no more.....threw what was left out....and now I am 100% water with occasional coffee and milk.

ninerbuff

Just curious on some ideas that actually worked.

I've come very close at times, but it always creeps back up on me.

Thanks in advance.

Didn't. I enjoy my 2 diet Pepsi's a day!

eormsby

Did stopping the Diet Coke actually help you lose weight? I've heard that it will and I, literally, just yesterday started my tapering off process. I used to drink 3 cans or more a day and I'm trying to get it down to 1 or less. So far, it's day 2 and I've done good with water and iced tea - especially the berry flavored.

kristelpoole

When I was in high school, I drank so much Diet Coke. Looking back, it's hard to believe that was something I had ever been obsessed with. Yuck!

I stopped cold turkey because it gave me awful headaches.

I occasionally have a Coca-Cola or Ginger Ale but I rarely crave it at all anymore (it HAS been 10+ yrs to be fair).

I'll sometimes have a soda made with Stevia or usually I prefer sparkling water. Sodas stick to your teach and make you more thirsty and it makes me feel fat... for the amount of calories, having a beer is much more pleasing. Haha.

mercedesJD

Diet Dr. Pepper!!! about a year ago, i used to consume sugar-loaded Coca-Cola like it was air. once i started MFP, and really appreciating the impact of the empty calories, i switched to DDP, which is the only diet soda i can muster. it really does taste like regular Dr. Pepper. i know it's still soda, sweetners aren't healthy either, etc. etc. - but i really surprised myself by making the switch and sticking with it.

now i drink much less soda, and hopefully i'll switch to water soon! GOOD LUCK!

cabaray

Did stopping the Diet Coke actually help you lose weight? I've heard that it will and I, literally, just yesterday started my tapering off process. I used to drink 3 cans or more a day and I'm trying to get it down to 1 or less. So far, it's day 2 and I've done good with water and iced tea - especially the berry flavored.

I drank 4-5 cans of caffeine free Diet Coke per day. I stopped all together for over a month. There were no changes in cravings or the amount of weight I lost. I'm back to drinking a can or two a day and am still losing as before.

flabwillbefab

haha me too, man, i have a hard time giving that up, but i know its a chice,,,,,,, health? or that cold bubbelly drink,,,,
both give me pleasure, as Tony Robbins would say, but he made me realise a thing,,, we are all driven by 2 forces, pain, and pleaseure, and pop, give me instant pleasure, and to quit it for my body and health, is pleasure to, but not instant!!!!! i have to realise how real the long run would give me pleasure, for soooo ong, insted on an immidiate 5 minutes pleasure, followed by guilt inevitably,,,,,,, so, thats what have been helping me recently, and trust me, this is from a person, who need at least 1 can of pop a day,,,,, they say an apple a day, not a can of pop,,,,lol
so think of the long run,,not the immediate pleasure,,,,and it will be easier to go for that drink of water,,is for me, slowly getting easier, and if i have 1 can of pop a week, well though luck, im happy with it, as a treat, not a daily intake,,,, best luck, i know its hard when youre loving it!!! you just need to learn and see whats more pleasurable? 5 minutes of taste with a night of regrets, or water, for a long long well diserve happiness!!! life is full of choices,,, never easy,, easy its for when we will be dead, focus on the pleasures, long and short, and compare the joy at the end,,,, :O)