quitting soda

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  • desutton3
    desutton3 Posts: 19
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    I feel your pain - I am a Coke fiend!

    I haven't had any in about a week, but I still want it. For me, the best way was to step down and substitute iced tea.

    **In the spirit that I'm not a doctor and all my medical information may be totally bogus**

    I remember reading that a craving for sweet drinks or candy is related to 1) dehydration and 2) vitamin C shortage. The suggested solution was to drink a glass of water then have a piece of fruit. We keep a bowl of apples and tangerines on the dining room table all of the time, and I dip into that first. If I still have a craving, well, I just grab a Coke and don't beat myself up over it. I keep the 100 calorie cans (8oz) at home instead of the 20oz bottles, and one of those works just as well.
  • countingitall
    countingitall Posts: 59 Member
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    I tried a few years ago and failed. Migraines where so sever I about lost it. Husband says I was so crabby. I was like some one in drug withdrawls and guess what I was. Caffeene is a drug.
    I went up on how much I was drinking and it was real stuff.
    I have never gone back to drinking as much as I was at. I have also a few years back switched to Diet
    I have just done a cut down again. 1 a day. and I am having migraines. but getting threw it this time.
    Good luck, you can do it.
    Of so my advice slowly cut back will help with the withdrawls
  • ejanderson
    ejanderson Posts: 29
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    Baby steps. I was ADDICTED to Cherry Coke. I would crack the first one 5:30am and wouldn't stop til I went to bed 18 hours later. I just cut back slowly. Buy cans, not bottles. And/or don't buy at the grocery store but stop at the gas station each day and only buy what you will allow yourself to drink that day. Cutting back one can/bottle every couple of days. I replaced what I cut back with something else sweet (Snapple, Sobe, Arizona...) at first, then once I was off the Cherry Coke (it took a month probably) then I weaned off the other which was much easier.

    My husband was addicted (more than I was even) to Dr Pepper. He still drinks it, but in much better moderation. He did it by just committing to only having it when we were out to eat and one can at home per day. He would fill a gym-style refillable bottle full of ice, limes, and water with him at work to keep him from stopping at the vending machine.

    Sometimes I think half the battle is that we are not only addicted to what is inside the bottle, but the to action of reaching for it and taking a swig to fill gaps in conversation/thought process/elevator rides. :)
  • xsmilexforxmex
    xsmilexforxmex Posts: 1,216 Member
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    I started drinking diet ginger ale... IDK why but it taste awesome (I dont like any other diet drink) and that cut out every other soda except if I get fast food... I typically drink water at sit down resturants. Now to just work off that...
  • kimeister
    kimeister Posts: 212
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    I agree with the cold turkey quitting. I quit Diet Coke a couple of years ago and it was tough, but it's totally doable. The easiest way for me to quit was to switch to another sweet drink, in my case, Crystal Light. Now I drink water, or water with a bit of coconut water (nummmmmmmm). You can do it! It's mind over matter.
  • djmummy
    djmummy Posts: 2
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    hello all, this is my 1st post in the forums

    I am a coke addict i have been drinking it since i was 12/13 and i could easily go through 4 ltrs a day at its peak.

    the last year though i swapped to diet cola, with the occasional full fat version at weekends.
    i would only drink coke, nothing else... very very very bad.
    but since going for counting cals again, and being determined to lose the weight once and for all. i have swapped to squash. and in the last 4 days i have had only 2 glasses of diet coke. and im not craving, feel very pleased with myself..

    despite drinking so much coke, and eating crap, im only 14 stone (196lbs) but if i keep going i will be massive by the time im 40. and that is so not going to happen...

    Lucy
  • Doulos24x7
    Doulos24x7 Posts: 37 Member
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    Cold turkey. Your body is probably craving the sugar spike. Replace the sodas with fruit...try an apple for each time you'd drink a soda.
  • weightofyourskin
    weightofyourskin Posts: 173
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    I used to LOVE this raspberry-flavoured fizzy water, I think it was made by Aquafina... but I haven't seen it in stores in months. I think they don't make it anymore, which sucks because it was about 10 calories for a 500 mL bottle, it tasted amazing and it kept me away from Coke.

    I'm pretty good at not going overboard with the soda. I mostly just have it when I eat out. It used to be worse because there's a convenience store a block from my house but now that it's January I don't think it's worth it braving the cold to get a can :laugh:
  • Gwenski
    Gwenski Posts: 348 Member
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    I have found that if I don't drink anything until at least a half hour after a meal, I feel fuller. I tell myself that the liquid I used to drink with a meal just 'pushed' the food out of my stomach and left me feeling hungry even after a meal. I think it's working but haven't weighed yet.. but I do notice I don't need to snack as much. I had it in my head that every meal (in fact every bite) had to be washed down with a swig of diet coke.. apparantly, that's not true. Since I don't go for the dc with my meal, I never think to have it any other time.. it just kinda went out of my radar.
  • shybelle
    shybelle Posts: 254 Member
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    Yep..day 3 of no soda here. I have made it so far by drinking green tea, coffee, and 1 carbonated water a day. I am craving a coke zero like none other today though...just gonna keep chugging this water next to me.
  • louise_608
    louise_608 Posts: 27 Member
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    Glad to see I'm not the only one who's addicted to coca cola!
    I really need to give up/cut back. As I have a cola sat by me at the moment I will start tomorrow.
    Good luck everyone to giving up
  • lostsanity137
    lostsanity137 Posts: 298 Member
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    I quit soda (particularly Pepsi) about 3 months ago. In order to quit I tried going to straight water, but that didn't work, so I switched to Gatorade and Sweet Tea (with Dinner only!). I also tried cutting back on those as well replacing little by little with water. And I allowed myself 1 Sprite (caffiene free) a week.
    But I replaced soda instantly with Gatorade and Tea because I still needed the flavor, then I weened myself off of those.
    Now I just drink water, but I have to be careful because I still love milk and OJ and will drink those in excess too if I let myself!

    So my suggestions:
    Replace soda right away with another flavored but caffiene free non-carbonated drink.
    Then gradually start replacing the replacement drink with water.

    The cravings will last for a while, especially around others who drink the stuff, just use your willpower and eventually you want even want it anymore. Last time I "treated" myself to a Pepsi, I didn't even like it anymore and haven't had any since.
  • lostsanity137
    lostsanity137 Posts: 298 Member
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    I tried a few years ago and failed. Migraines where so sever I about lost it. Husband says I was so crabby. I was like some one in drug withdrawls and guess what I was. Caffeene is a drug.
    I went up on how much I was drinking and it was real stuff.
    I have never gone back to drinking as much as I was at. I have also a few years back switched to Diet
    I have just done a cut down again. 1 a day. and I am having migraines. but getting threw it this time.
    Good luck, you can do it.
    Of so my advice slowly cut back will help with the withdrawls

    Ouch, I had this problem when I quit. The migraines were so bad every night that I puked. D:

    But after a few days, I stopped getting migraines and it was just those horrible cravings. And I was super tired (and cranky) after that.
    I find that eating a healthier diet with more protein and fruits and veggies, helps me a lot with energy.

    It definitely is not easy but a little determination will help.

    My next goal is to quit my fast food addiction. I quit McDonalds, and I am doing pretty well so far with everyone else. ;)
    Never give up!
  • navywifeandmomof4
    navywifeandmomof4 Posts: 958 Member
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    I drink 3 diet mt dew a day i try to quit cold turkey but would get headaches every time i try to quit.i want to find a way to give it up all together without the headaches..
  • only4me_lori
    only4me_lori Posts: 25 Member
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    Used to be addicted too...go cold turkey...this is how i did it...every time i thought of drinking a soda, I remembered 1 fact...if you cut out soda for a year, that equals at LEAST 11 lbs lost...I was off of soda and one day had a taste of it, and I was horrified by how sugary sweet it was..here's another idea...schedule a teeth cleaning and whitening...after you see how beautiful your pearly whites are, would you really want to drench them in the acidity of soda? And when I say I was addicted..I used to search under the couch cushions, in the seats of my car, where ever i thought I could find change to go to a soda machine...

    here's another idea.... you can take the money you would spend each day, put it in a small tupperware container and every two weeks or so, go treat yourself to a beauty splurge of some sort..
  • Marll
    Marll Posts: 904 Member
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    I was a 15 can a day Mountain Dew drinker years ago. I went off the sugared crap cold turkey, drinking only water for 2 weeks. Eventually I replaced with diet and found that I didn't mind the taste at all after purging my system of the sugar.

    I eventually started drinking too much diet soda too, so now I've dialed that back to MAYBE 2 cans a month, otherwise I drink almost exclusively water.
  • michellef216
    michellef216 Posts: 28
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    I also have a problem with soda. I thought i was doing great when i switched to diet because it has 0 cal.,0 fat., 0 carbs., But from what i have heard , diet can be just as bad for you as regular. I think i have a caffeine addiction. When i go a day or so wothout it, i get cranky and get a headache. I just need to cut it out and deal with the side effects for a few days then i should be fine.... Congrats to everyone who was able to completely stop soda!!!!! Way to go!!!!!
  • jrojeck
    jrojeck Posts: 51 Member
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    I was able to quit cold turkey straight out of the gate. I was really committed to staying within my daily calorie count and soda is just such a costly drink in terms of calories. I'd rather "spend" those calorie points in tasty food instead.

    Also, soda rarely compliments a meal if you think about it. The flavor of Pepsi or Coke often clashes with the flavors of your food. You can hardly go wrong with water if you really want to appreciate the taste of your meal.

    I still need to have my sweet drink though with my meals so I've been drinking Honest Ade organic juice. It's lightly sweetened and light on calories (as long as I only drink half the bottle per meal). Or if it's that bubbly fizziness you crave, try some sparkling water. It's surprisingly close to the satisfaction you get when drinking a soda.
  • jill___
    jill___ Posts: 188 Member
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    When I stopped drinking soda, I started by drinking carbonated water, mixed with 100% fruit juice. After a while, I started mixing the juice with regular water, then just water alone. Now, I can't stomach the taste of regular soda -- and diet soda isn't that much better.
  • chidawack
    chidawack Posts: 2 Member
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    I made the decision to quit soda in December 2009 and I haven't drank 1 since. But honestly It didn't really help me to lose weight i just feel good about it. To me it was more of a mind thing i just made myself realize that i wasn't benefiting from the soda besides the good taste i got from it that only lasted til i drank it all and if anything its hurting me more than helping me. so i just quit cold turkey and to this day still don't get the urge to drink a soda. i guess i made myself disgusted by them

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