Soda. To drink or not to drink, that is the question

liroez29

Me and my husband used to be BIG Dr.Pepper drinkers! In fact we never drank anything but Dr.Pepper for years! I know, it is SO SO bad for you!! We finally decided to change our habits and soda and smoking were the first two things to go, we quit smoking on 4/19/10, and then we quit drinking soda on 4/19/10! These were big accomplishments for us. So this coming April will be 2 years for no smoking and 1 year for no soda!

lr8812

Switched to diet in November! Been 2 long months without any regular soda. But it had to go. I'd consume 1,000 calories alone in soda per day.

XXXMinnieXXX

I've stopped drinking it. Started with a challenge on here for a month, it was hard first few weeks, but by the end of the month I didn't miss it. Now I drink it every 3-4 months on a girls night with alcohol and that's it. It sped my weight loss up too x

TriedEverything

I drink a can of pepsi or coke (diet version) most days - occasionally I'll have 2 cans, but never more than that. To be honest, I can't see the big problem! I'm quite surprised that some people become so addicted that they end up drinking gallons of it - maybe I'm lucky that it's never affected me that way. It's the same with coffee - one or two cups a day, max - never crave any more than that. I wish I could say the same about chocolate, crisps & other snacks!! Well, I'm managing to cut back on them, but finding it tough at times.

I feel that if having the odd calorie-free drink stops me from eating as much calorie-laden junk (by taking the edge off my appetite) then it's helpful. There are much worse things in the world, such as smoking, alcohol, serious drug abuse etc. Just my opinion!! :ohwell:

hsmithway

Same here. I heard all of the stories about how it could cause weight gain so at one point I did give it up for several months. I saw no change in my weight or how I felt so I eventually started drinking it again.

This was my experience as well. These days I drink and thoroughly enjoy my diet coke, though I still make an effort to drink a lot more water and this time of year nothing beats a hot cup of unsweetend tea.

Since a fair number of people do seem to see a substantial benefit from giving it up, I think it's worth going without for a few months to see if it's helpful for you. But if you don't see any difference, I wouldn't fret about having an occasional soda.

lewandt

Tomorrow is suppose to be my quit day. I drink Diet Mt Dew. I have cut down a lot but want to get rid of it entirely. It is going to be really, really hard for me and i dread it. I quit smoking a few yrs ago but i think quitting soda will be harder.

Any tips?

BigDaddy822

I have never been a big fan of soda. I really like to drink the 0 calorie powerades they have available. I have drank them for years

JediMaster_intraining

I used to love Coke, Pepsi, and Dr. Pepper. Now that I've given it up almost completely I feel like I don't want it. And when I do drink it I feel dumb for wasting my calories. I do not see anything wrong with an occasional soda. I sometimes have a Dr. Pepper once every three months or so. It takes away the craving to want something with more calories. :ohwell: But overall, I think giving soda up completely would be great except for the occasional can or bottle. :flowerforyou: drink water!

MrsGriffin67

I go back and forth on this one. Though lately I've found that if I drink 1 or 2 cans of Diet Dr Pepper in the morning it helps with my regularity. The rest of the day is usually just water & tea...occasionally I'll add a drink packet. :happy:

Twinsmomma27

I gave up drinking Pepsi and Sprite when I realized how many calories I was drinking.
We bought a Soda Stream and LOVE IT! I treat myself to 8oz of root beer with MUCH less sugar and only 35 calories. It's a more natural Soda. You can also make diet sodas and Flavored seltzer waters with it.

tmarie2715

Its terrible for your teeth. I have a diet or Coke zero very rarely, but otherwise I'm drinking tea, coffee, or water. Or vodka.

MariaAlbinaxoxo

I haven't given it up entirely but I never drank it a lot unless I go out to dinner but now I just bring my 10 calorie lemonade packets and ask for water to put it in and that saves me the calories (as well as $$!) Now that they have the Ten calorie sodas I've been having some of the Sunkist. It's pretty good !

GlenWalterGal

I used to drink Diet Pepsi all the time. If I did not have a bottle right beside me at all time, I could not stop thinking about it. I guess that's a form of addiction so, I decided: enough is enough and in March 2011, I started replacing my cravings for soda with water. I don't drink as much water as I drank soda but that's OK, I still get enough.
I have to admit that now, I don't even want soda any more. If I'm at a restaurant or at someone's house, I PREFER water now, isn't that strange...(and wonderful).

DiannaMoorer

I used drink diet sodas ALL the time a long while back. Found out the aspartame in it was the cause of my eczema. Now no more any kind of sodas and my eczema has cleared completely up.

aippolito1

Um, I wouldn't say entirely. I mostly don't drink it 'cause it's a waste of 100+ calories. It's empty calories, and really the only time I drink it is if I have pizza (which is rare, but not as rare as you probably think). I just cannot eat pizza without it. I don't really like having caffeine in my body, so I try to drink a soda that's not caffeinated, but usually that's hard to come by, and it's DP - my favorite. After not drinking it for awhile, it burns my throat ... so it's not so easy for me to get back on the bandwagon.

Bysshe

SInce getting serious about losing weight I have not had one PLAIN soda. I have had some diet sodas, but not everyday.
I mainly drink water, and occasionally a diet dr. pepper or some tea with truvia.
It seems to be working for me!

m_wilh

I used to drink a lot of soft drinks, then I switched from dark colas to only drinking Sprite. Last year I gave up the Sprite and haven't had a soft drink in almost a year. They don't even tempt me as I have absolutely NO DESIRE to drink them anymore. In fact, just the thoughts of a dark cola such as Pepsi or Dr. Pepper is sickening to me. All I drink now is water, water, and more water along with about two glasses of almond milk a day.

kimad

I tried to give up completely this month, but I failed miserably... I used to have one diet pop a day, now I have a couple a week... Although I don't have alot, I am not quite there to give it up just yet!

sunshine421969

I drink maybe one diet drink ,once or twice a week.Other than that, its water or maybe a cup of coffee twice a week...

HBinOC

I too gave up my 6 diet coke a day habit a few years ago- the transition to water helped with green tea and flavored water, carbonated waters, but then eventually quit those too- Coffee- Water - Tea & Wine ( Trying to stay away from the wine these days- so far so good) I drink about 4 20oz bottles of deer park a day I keep three in my desk drawer at all times.

Leiki

I moved to a place where the water was disgusting, and found myself drinking soda on a regular basis. I gained 20 lbs that year! I regret it!

I've almost completely cut soda out of my life, and for the most part, I've cut out sugary or carbonated drinks in general. I've lost half of what I've gained, and I'm still working on getting my figure back!

charlieduc

Once upon a time I drank loads of Coke in a day! When I started regularly logging in MFP I realized how many cals I was wasting on drinks. Long story short, I switched to diet and only drink one a day I don't think it will be to hard from this point for me to give them up completely. The caffeine is actually the only reason I still drink them.

FitnSassy

I used to be the Diet Coke queen, but I gave it up a couple of months ago. Now, I have no desire for it. Water is my friend...

Amandambrennan

Cutting out soda (diet and regular) wasn't too hard. My family stopped drinking it and it was more or less a hassle for my parents to buy my sister and I soda so we told them to stop buying any type at all, two years ago this happened. I have more energy I get caffiene in other ways, soda is unnecessary.

kittyraccoon7

April 2011, I gave it up. I've had cravings now and then, but I think of my mom and all that she's been through because of poor eating and DIET SODA!!!! My mom was diagnosed with Ovarian cancer in April 2011 and her doctor said that first off, cancer cells of ALL kinds, they thrive on fat. My mom was obese at that point, so was I and my sister. He also asked her what she was eating/drinking on a daily basis. She gave him an idea. He asked if she drank diet soda specificially, she said yes, at least once a day. He told her that was what had made this worse. Since then, we've all stopped, COMPLETELY drinking ANY soda... IT'S NOT WORTH IT.

Instead, I drink Iced tea (no sweetener), coffee (black with 2 sugars) and WATER... PLENTY of water... (and on occasion, lactaid)

godricshollow

I don't really drink it anymore because I'm a little fanatical about my teeth, I'll have it every now and then as a treat so I'm not depriving myself. I much prefer water though.

CindyKidd

I have and I will never go back! I have chosen to never drink my calories or put anything in my body that isn't natural. Although diet sodas seem appealing since they contain zero calories, you actually putting chemicals in your body that aren't good for you.

MissSpuggz

Don't believe diet sodas are better for you because they're not. Research into diet drinks show that they can actually be worse for you than regular sodas. Cutting out soda all together or treating yourself to a small amount will help you lose weight.

There's so many calories and sugar in a small amount of soda.

I was addicted to Dr Pepper for a long time, at the start of this year I have got through one single 2 litre bottle in 22 days which I'd normally get through in a maximum of two days. I eventually want to stop drinking it all together but since I'm not a coffee fan I get my caffeine cravings for sodas. Hopefully I'll get over that soon.

umachanxo

I did not drink much soda to begin with. Nowadays, I may have a glass of diet Pepsi, but not very often.
I don't really crave soda at all.

Eriam8

I used to drink 4 cans a day. That was pretty much the only thing i drank (Diet Pepsi)

I have completly stopped drinking soda in September this year. I maybe had a total of 3 cans since (drinking half a can here, 2 sips there..ect) and even when I do, I don't find the pleasure I had before when drinking it.
The taste is not as good....well not at all.

The reason why I stopped is because I learned that there is a chemical in it that changes into Formaldehyde in your body...and well i'm an embalmer, so i work with that stuff everyday and it just grossed me out knowing i was drinking it.
no thank you!

I don't miss it.
Now the only thing i drink is Water, Water with Lemon and Green Tea.