quitting soda

vlwallace87

I used to be severely addicted to Mt. Dew. I would have a 20 oz. with every meal and then some. Around July of 2010 I decided quit cold turkey. The cravings were hard to deal with and the withdrawal headaches were horrid. But over times things got better and I am proud to say that I have been soda free ever since.

jadedone

I had 2 friends who were addicted. They each had 3-5 per day. Both of them limit soda consumption to 1 per weekend, and have switched to tea or juice only. Its worked for them, one is at 5 years mostly soda free and the other one is approaching 3 years. If you think of them as a special occasion treat it is probably best. Maybe you can start a savings fund for the money you save not buying soda?

I mostly quit soda when I was about 12. I have it maybe 1x a month, and typically some sort of natural soda because the flavor sounds good. In the fall, I went on a soda binge. I had a Dry soda daily for 2 weeks -- that brand is one of my favorites, and they were on sale for half price. I decided to go back to keeping them out of the house under all circumstances to avoid another soda binge.

mammafrog

The only way I was ever able to do it was cold turkey. i tried 6 months ago and got a HORRIBLE headache because my body was addicted to the caffeine. I brought it up with my doctor this time and he gave me a script for a few migraine pills (they have caffeine in them) and I got past the 3 day headache. No coke since Christmas! Good luck!

avesoriano

Theres this very cold can of regular coke iny fridge right now... Its calling me! I hate it. Who place this thing here

lauralou852

I was drinking at LEAST 32 oz of Dr. Pepper a day and I decided to quit cold turkey after Thanksgiving. I haven't had one since, and I feel so much better! I drink a lot more water and drink the Great Value calorie free drink mixes (like Crystal Light) when I want something sweet. I didn't want to get started on diet pop either, and I'm hoping I can eventually add it back it as a treat instead of something I 'need' every day. Good luck!

reddebsings

I used to be 'addicted' to Coca-Cola! Seriously! I drank a can as soon as I got out of bed every morning! I tried to justify it to myself by thinking "other folks drink coffee, but I drink Coke!" ...but that was just the first one of MANY Cokes throughout a day! I promise I probably had as many as 8-10 cans of Coke (or more) every day! Long story short, I think cold turkey is probably the BEST way to do it, but it's not how I did it! I started drinking either ONE can of diet Canada Dry Ginger Ale per day or one can of Canada Dry Green Tea Ginger Ale per day! I did that for a few months - only allowing myself ONE can per day! I also started drinking a LOT of water! Eventually, I started drinking one (or two) H.E.B. diet green tea drinks (with citrus) instead of the ginger ales, and continued to drink approximately 80-100 ounces of water as well! I do sometimes have one cup of coffee in the morning now if I need a 'boost' to help me get going, but only occasionally! GOOD LUCK! I hope you're able to make the transition. One other thing, not only are soda pops 'empty calories', but they usually have quite a bit of sodium, so quitting them can help with that too!

osuzorba

I was always addicted to soda, drinking at least a gallon everyday a lot of days I would drink two gallons. I first gave it up when I was 16, I went to Alaska and the pop their tasted awful, so I decided to quit, but after a few months the old habits slowly came back, I tried to set rules, but didn't follow them. The only rule that stuck was not buying pop for my house.

During the summer between graduating undergrad and grad school (2005), I was staying with my mom who did keep soda in her house. One morning I got on the scale, while drinking a can of Dr. Pepper. It said 230, first time I had ever weighed myself over 215. I dumped out the rest of the can and have never touched pop again. I started feeling better within a couple of days, I slept better, had more energy and just felt great.

As soon as I stopped drinking pop I started carrying a water bottle with me everywhere, which helped a lot. At first I also drank a lot of sugar-free kool-aid. I never have drank anything else with caffeine in it (no coffee, tea, etc) and I never noticed any type of caffeine withdraws, except for getting much better sleep.

The hardiest part for me was going to fast food places and not getting the value-meals, since they were only a few cents more and I was a poor college kid.

skinnykatie27

wow- thanks so much for all the feedback everyone!!! And congrats to those who have quit or cut-back their soda intake. It sounds like my best option is to go cold-turkey. I think this would be best for me as well, as I feel I am an "all or nothing" person. The hard part is going to be that I will not be able to keep it out of the house.. I live with my sister. She, too, is a soda addict and has no desire to quit SO- it will take a lot of will-power. Guess I just need to think about how much better my body will be treated without that crap.... I admire you all that decided one day to never drink it again and were successful. I hope that is me....today is the day I am saying no more. I appreciate all the advice greatly.

philOHIO

Here is something to think about...

Think you don’t eat a lot of sugar? Consider this, every day the average American consumes the equivalent of 22 teaspoons of “extra” sugar — sugar that’s been added to food and beverages. That’s about a half of a cup a day! If you’re pretty sure you don’t have a sweet tooth, Consumer Reports says you may be in for a surprise.
Sodas, candy and cookies are the usual sugary suspects. But Consumer Reports says even if you don’t buy a lot of these, you still could be taking in too much sugar. A high intake of sugar comes with some serious health risks. The American Heart Association says it increases the risk of high blood pressure and high triglyceride levels.
So how much sugar is too much? You want to try to keep the added sugar to no more than six teaspoons a day for women and nine teaspoons for men, but that can be easier said than done.
Consider how much sugar is in some supermarket staples. A half-cup serving of Prego’s Traditional Italian Sauce contains the equivalent of 2 1/2 teaspoons of sugar. And a six-ounce container of Dannon’s All-Natural Vanilla Lowfat Yogurt contains 6 teaspoons of sugar! So does a half-cup serving of Mott’s Original Apple Sauce.
Even a serving of Vlasic Sweet Midgets pickles has almost 2 teaspoons and that’s just 3 little pickles! So it’s important to check the nutrition label for the amount of sugar. A teaspoon of sugar is equivalent to about 4 grams, so that can help give you a good estimate.
Also look under the ingredients. You probably recognize sucrose, glucose and high fructose corn syrup as added sugar. But it’s listed under many names, like fruit juice concentrate, malt syrup and evaporated cane juice to name a few.
So be on the lookout for sugar. And when a sweet craving hits go for nutritious, healthier options like fruit or low-fat chocolate milk.
Consumer Reports says eliminating sugary beverages, like soda, bottled teas, and juice drinks, will cut your sugar intake significantly. Some sodas can have as much as 16 teaspoons in a 20-ounce bottle! Instead, try seltzer with a splash of fruit juice, unsweetened teas, or a smoothie made with fresh fruit and plain nonfat yogurt.

BNDelarosa

I went COLD TURKEY!! I was always a 4-6 can a day Coke girl, then went to Diet Dr. Pepper and never any water. When I began my weight loss journey in December 2010, I dropped soda and picked up on water... BUT since I don't like just plain straight water, I drink the Crystal Light packets (or generic is just the same) and I am now able to drink 6-8 bottles of water a day!! I never had a craving for soda once I quit nor did I get the headaches like I had in the past when I went a day or two without one. Good luck! (By the way, I lost 60 lbs within 8 months once I got serious)