Kick the soda addiction?

Emery313

I feel your pain! Soda has been my biggest weakness basically my entire life. Thankfully though one day at the gym on the tv dr.oz came on. He says that if you just stop drinking soda cold turkey insures your chances of relapsing!! Our bodies get so used to that much soda a day as well that by just stopping our bodies are in pain!!. If you go to his website and search for the 28 day national soda challenge there is a video and information on how to stop drinking soda in 28 days. Your are going to have to drink diet and later caffiene free, but if your serious about quitting this may be a great way to go. Week by week you slowly cut your soda addiction until one day your body is able to go without. It really helped me and I hope it helps you too!! Good Luck!

http://members.doctoroz.com/challenge/28-day-national-soda-challenge

CMmrsfloyd

I am too trying to Kick this habit - so thank you for this post I needed it on this Monday Morning - I went to the store and bought Pepsi Max and Diet Cherry Pepsi - I am going to try to switch to those - but after reading these posts - I just need to not have any soda at all!!! SIGH:sad:

Some people do better giving it up cold turkey and others do better weaning off a little at a time. Try one way and if that doesn't work, try something else. :-)

rly123

I quit COLD TURKEY. lol my friend and I have this "add something/ take away something" from our lives every month. One month I was like "i'll quit soda" she looked at me and laughed because I am such a junk food kid! I always had a soda in my hand (preferrably diet) and I started to drink a gallon of water everyday. This did the trick! I told myself "you gotta drink this WHOLE gallon of water before you even think about drinking anything else" and it worked. after the gallon of water was gone, I didn't even want to drink anything.. A friend accidently gave me a soda (I honestly thought it was tea) and I drank it, omg it burned my throat so bad I wanted to cry!!! I am now totally scared to drink soda because the burn I once loved hurt the crap outta my throat.. lol It'll be 8 months without soda on the 23rd of this month. =D

Iceskatefanrn

Years of working the Night Shift turned me into a Diet Coke addict of the worst kind... and I'm happy to say I no longer drink the stuff. I also never order a beverage other than water at a restaurant, and the same goes for my whole family - some places charge up to $2.99/drink, so for a family of 4 that's $12, before tax and tip! Great savings!

When I decided to get off the Diet Coke, I also felt the need to increase my WATER intake. I know there are differing opinions on exactly how much water you should drink. All I can say is that, for ME, when I do get in 8-10 glasses a day, I lose weight consistently. If I don't drink much water (even though I'm eating well), I just don't lose the weight. So for me, I go for 8-10 glasses of water a day, plus I drink a lot of green tea, hot and iced.

As a replacement for soda, AND to help get some water servings in, here's what I do:

Fill a PRETTY cup or glass with ice. I usually use a tall, 16 oz glass, but sometimes I drink this beverage out of a water goblet or wine glass - makes me feel so special, lol!

Sprinkle 1 packet Stevia-In-The-Raw over the ice.

Squirt the juice of half a lime over the ice.

CAREFULLY pour plain Selzer water over the ice. (The Stevia makes it fizzle and foam a bit so be careful!)

It tastes nearly like a soda, like Sprite, but it's just water and so yummy! Sometimes I do a quarter EACH of a lemon AND a lime. Really refreshing when the weather is hot too, I can gulp down 2 tall glasses easily, and the glasses are 16 oz so count for 2 glasses of water each.

I get the Selzer water at Walmart - for a one liter bottle, their cheapest brand costs 64 cents where I live.

Good luck getting off the Diet Coke, and try to get that water in! Here's your 8 glasses for today...

:drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

Ice

secostley

I "weaned off" sodas by going from regular, to diet, to flavored selltzers, to crystal light. It took a couple of weeks and I do still have an occasional one. But the cravings are nowhere near what they used to be (I drank soda like people drink water).

acstansell

I did it cold turkey when I first started my diet. I went for 13 days w/out a taste of soda. 21 days and you form new habits.

I had a headache the first day, but I supplemented with MiO water additive (and drinking a lot of water), and sparkling water. I had a sip of Coke after 13 days and it was disgusting. Now, if I want soda, I drink Dr. Pepper 10, and only 1/2 a glass (about once a week or so). But, now I'm to the point where I don't even want that.

I even buy soda still for my husband and it's just not my instinct to drink it anymore. Though I do need more sparkling water.

Felbsies

Quit it cold turkey....

That's what worked for me. I was drinking 2-3/day and like you I had no interest in diet sodas. I would quit and then get terrible caffeine withdrawals and have the worst migraine imaginable so I would go right back to drinking soda. If you get the caffeine withdrawals too, but can make it pass the headaches you will be fine. Just don't get tempted.

I haven't had a soda in a week and a half.... I know that may not sound like a long time, but for me it is! No cravings past the initial first day either.


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods

I did the same and haven't had any since September!! Just stick with it and don't get tempted. I find it the most difficult on days that I am eating out. But then I remember, I may not be fully controlling the calorie intake on food, but I can certainly skip a few hundred by just drinking water

ninerbuff

MiO is something new. You just squeeze it into water and use as much as you like to flavor it.


http://www.kraftbrands.com/mio/





A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

inammorata

I used to be a Coke Classic junkie, but since going on the diet I've discovered Diet Dr. Pepper, I love that stuff.
Also MiO (zero calories) sweet tea is my fav!

gazz777

Hi. Former Coca Cola addict and successful loser here. Coke was my staple 'stress relief' or what I turned to when there was a 'need'. I was on 1-2 cans per day (all the budget allowed) PLUS adding sugar to my breakfast cereal PLUS a couple of cups of tea a day with more sugar (1-3 teaspoons). One day I went ENOUGH ! Went cold turkey on the Cola and the added sugar. I had lemon AND lime (1/8-1/4 of each to a bottle of water - about 2 cups worth of water), and started walking 20-30kms per week. That first week was not too wonderful. A lot of warm/hot (not scalding hot - causes fainting) baths. Shakes a little 3-4th day but I have not turned back. Lost 10kg (22lb) from March to June before joining MFP.

As for no sugar on cereal or in my tea - my taste buds got the hang of it

Disclaimer: seek Dr's advice as I am not a medical professional. But I am a winner who has lost ! Currently, I am at 1lb from my goal weight !

runs4zen

Quit it cold turkey....

That's what worked for me. I was drinking 2-3/day and like you I had no interest in diet sodas. I would quit and then get terrible caffeine withdrawals and have the worst migraine imaginable so I would go right back to drinking soda. If you get the caffeine withdrawals too, but can make it pass the headaches you will be fine. Just don't get tempted.

I haven't had a soda in a week and a half.... I know that may not sound like a long time, but for me it is! No cravings past the initial first day either.


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods

This. Cold Turkey! I kicked it twice--both times while pregnant--and then for good about two years ago! I drink caffeine though and lots of it so if you're kicking that too, go for decaf whenever you can!

iplayoutside19

I went from regular to diet....and I'm still trying to figure out that next step.

I may just have to go cold turkey.

jhagemann

Thanks everyone with all of your helpful hints and creative options -- I have definitely heard Crystal Light being a popular substitute as well as the Diet Dr. Pepper, I had forgotten about that! Basically I drink 4 items - wine, water, unsweetened green tea (hot and cold) and Coke. The most I will drink in a day is 2 12 oz cans. I just know if I kicked the Coke habit, the weight would come right off! I have heard of people just consistently watering down the soda week after week and losing their taste for it.

Jeff92se

I went from regular to diet....and I'm still trying to figure out that next step.

I may just have to go cold turkey.

Same here. I doing MiO and so far it's okay. Only 3 days into it. I don't eliminate diet cokes but I'll sub 1 of the estimated 2-3 I usually drink for water. Hope to get it down to 1 / day, then 1 per 2 days etc...

randym1586

I feel your pain on this one. I had a REALLY bad soda addiction that I'm still dealing with. I was to the point where I was drinking literally a 2 liter a day. The absolute best thing I can tell you is to NOT quit cold turkey, it will drive you insane and you'll end up caving in to the addiction. I usually drink about 2 cups of coffee every morning and that suffices my cravings for caffeine. Another thing to do is when you are really craving soda hardcore, go get yourself one, but do NOT buy a 2 liter. Make sure its a 20 oz. because having a 2 liter around will only tempt you into drinking the whole thing. I hope this helps!!!

gazz777

I feel your pain on this one. I had a REALLY bad soda addiction that I'm still dealing with. I was to the point where I was drinking literally a 2 liter a day. The absolute best thing I can tell you is to NOT quit cold turkey, it will drive you insane and you'll end up caving in to the addiction. I usually drink about 2 cups of coffee every morning and that suffices my cravings for caffeine. Another thing to do is when you are really craving soda hardcore, go get yourself one, but do NOT buy a 2 liter. Make sure its a 20 oz. because having a 2 liter around will only tempt you into drinking the whole thing. I hope this helps!!!

As far as CAFFEINE goes, yes ... be VERY careful. I still have tea which has caffeine. It was the SUGAR hit I was going cold turkey.

Here is the method to support my reasoning for me Re: SUGAR: http://sweetpoison.com.au/ - plenty of other links googling sugar poison. It is not sugars specifically - my research took me to cut back on what everyone told me to cut back on anyway - just took me years to get to that point.

asaba1013

might sound silly, but i think i found a solution for my coca cola addiction! i bought dixie cups... and when i have a craving, i just take a 'shot' of coke lol... ive pretty much dropped coke now... ill have a dixie full of coke here n there... by far better than a whole damn 2 liter!!!:glasses:

sugarbone

Tea or black coffee :-)

Kymmu

I like fresh mint in the water jug. Also try a couple of cut strawberries, and even a few rounds of cucumber make water different!