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

sherrybaby81

I used to drink a ton of diet coke with lime. I would go through a case every 2-3 days. Which was also expensive. At Christmas, my in-laws got my husband and I a Soda Stream pop maker. Since then I have not bought a single case of pop. I drink half a litre everyday with dinner and I always drink the diet cola (which has no aspartame). So I am still drinking some pop, just not nearly as much as I was. I am drinking about 2-3 litres of water a day which is actually helping kill the urge to drink diet coke.

Twinsmama75

I have tried to cut it waaaay back since the beginning of this month. I was so addicted to fountain Dr. Pepper from McDonalds...and then I'd think, well let's have some fries with that. ugh...

So last night I had a Dr. Pepper for the first time and it wasn't very good anymore. It tasted really syrupy and sweet and artifical to me. I really wanted water, but the stupid place was out of water in their little water dispenser and never refilled it. I still crave it from time to time, but me and my husband both have quit soda. We aren't saying we can't EVER have another one, b/c that thinking usually backfires on us. So we are saying we can have one occasionally. but after last night, I don't really feel like wasting calories on something that is not so good anymore.

CyberEd312

Drink 2 or 3 Diet Pepsi's everyday and have for years................. Don't see stopping anytime soon.... Still get in my daily water and my travel mug coffee first thing in the morning......

kvreeken

Never. I used to be diet coke addict. I will never put any of that poison in my system ever again. I drink lots of tea, club soda with lime. Even crystal light is bad. Just processed chemicals.

amberpryor

I gave up soda for several reasons. 1) I get addicted to caffeine very easily. If I have a soda one day, and then don't have one the next day, I get a withdrawal headache. I used to keep drinking them to avoid the withdrawal. 2) I wanted to whiten my teeth, but felt like it was pointless if I was going to continue staining them with dark sodas. 3) They just made me feel bad. The sugar in soda gave me a stomach ache every evening, I felt much more bloated after a meal if it was accompanied by a soda, and I was on a constant sugar high or crash throughout the day. 4) I felt like I was addicted to sugar as well. 5) I cannot stand the taste of diet soda, but I didn't really want to replace sugar with chemicals anyway.

I had been drinking 1-2 Dr. Peppers a day and gave them up cold turkey in October 2010. After a few months, I had gotten in the habit again of having a Sprite (no caffeine and no dark color) almost every day. That lasted a month or so, and I decided to give it all up again for weight-loss purposes. Once I started counting calories I realized I couldn't afford to drink soda! A drink seems like a bad place to waste calories.

However, I do still have cravings every now and then. Usually, I choose not to have one because of the calories. But sometimes I'll take a couple of sips of my husband's, and that's enough to realize that I don't like them anymore. I could probably still enjoy a root beer float, though! That would have to be a calorie splurge, though!

Lovablelamb326

I can not give up soda. I will occasionally have one maybe once a week to once every two weeks or when we go out to eat which is not often. If I am sick to my stomach I need a little bit of coke or dr pepper to calm it. Otherwise it is water all the way occasionally almond milk because I am allergic to cows milk.

HMonsterX

Never. I used to be diet coke addict. I will never put any of that poison in my system ever again.

Lol, if you think that's poison, REAL poison would be such a shock to you! Talk about hyperbole! LOL!

ProudMomoftwo

Giving up soda and alcohol hasn't been all that hard for me.
I am allergic to all types of alcohol ( whether its cooked in it, marinated in it, in salad dressing, in cough syrup, or light / hard alcohol ) - its off limits. I have to be really careful. You would be really surprised to know just how many things are made with alcohol in them.

Soda never became much of an issue b/c we didn't drink it but rarely growing up ( and then only the non-caffeinated kinds ).
We don't keep it around so my kids don't have a taste for it either.
Once in awhile when one of us wants a soda, we will get a little can of it and divide it up between us.
It is enough to feel like a treat and get rid of the craving, if you will, but none of us needs a whole can of soda.
No diet /artificially sweetened drinks either.

We don't drink coffee or the caffeinated tea ( decaffeinated tea or herbal tea only) .

Admittedly, it was difficult to start drinking just water. We got in the habit if drinking a lot of lemonade & fruit juice & milk.
I am happy to report though that every one of us has made the switch to water now and we can really see the improvements.
Of course we are still big milk drinkers too but I have cut my intake back.

♥Amy♥

I used to drink A LOT of soda (Diet Coke) and nothing else. However, I slowly cut it out and I ONLY drink water now. I don't like milk or juices, so it's just plain water all of the time for me. I actually don't miss it at all!

170to117

Let's go with not to. Milk and water are better.

missbethea

I used to drink tons of soda and sweet tea.

I haven't totally cut it out. But I usually only have one can of soda a week, and maybe a couple of glasses of tea. As with all other things, I drink it in moderation instead of exclusively.

I prefer water most of the time, though. I find it quenches the thirst better.

healthyliving_girl

I gave it up for Lent a couple years back as well - maybe the same year you did. I was drinking a ton of diet coke - and then even Monster and Red Bull drinks, too. Gave it up and hardly ever drink it - maybe once every couple months at a restaurant, but I never even finish it. Lately, however, I have just been ordering water. The more "clean" I have been eating, the less I order the crap stuff.

That's a good thing, right?

luvmybaby333

I have for the most part. I still occasionally will have a sip or two, since my husband is a caffeine addict and has to have it in the house 24/7. I gave it up about 2 years ago for health reasons (high blood pressure and migraines), and while I will occasionally crave the taste-- I almost instantly regret it if I give in. I can feel the effects right away. It's crazy how used to it you become when you're drinking it on a regular basis.

Of course, now that I am counting my calories and actively trying to lose weight (Rather than just wishing it away. LOL.) I am twice as sure that I never want to go back to soda drinking. It's not worth the calories! It *does* help that I'm super sensitive to sugar-substitutes. Even if I wanted diet soda, I couldn't have it. So it has to be all or nothing for me. But I'm incredibly glad to have kicked the habit. Now if I feel like drinking my calories, I can splurge on some Dark Chocolate Almond Silk. Delicious!

Kayla165

No I have not nor do I intend to stop drinking soda. I allow myself to have one can of Dr. Pepper a day.

MissMouse85

I think of soda like a treat now-- okay to have once in awhile but not something to drink every day.

Elzecat

Yep. I was drinking both regular and diet soda and when I started looking at MFP and counting calories, I decided I needed all my calories from food and was willing to give up soda since I didn't feel like I was getting anything nutritionally from it. The only time I've had it in the past 10 months was a little 7up when I had a stomach bug. I don't miss it at all.

mammafrog

I was a 2 liter a day kind of girl. I had my last coke on Christmas 2011. It has been almost a month and I am proud

HauteP1nk

Not a huge fan of pop anyways. There is way too much sugar in it.

On the occasion I will have a nice tall glass of coke with lots of ice. That is only a treat though... The rest of the time I drink water.

slocean

Don't drink it!
I haven't had a regular soda in years, and once every few months will have a diet soda (I do still like root beer and cream soda so i sometimes like to splurge). I do however, usually regret the full, yucky feeling i get afterwards...
Regular soda is full of sugar and diet soda is full of fake sugar. Not good for the healthy body!

gatecityradio

I gave it up years ago and switched to just water, diet green tea, and coffee. Now that I'm at a new job that I work swing shifts I drink a diet pepsi from time to time for the caffeine. I want to get back to water, diet green tea and coffee again.

ericcumbee

I gave up coca cola about 6 months ago, switched to drinking coke zeros and then found out how bad the aspartame is for you, and gave those up. the last time i had a soft drink was back in the fall when i went to my alma maters football game and ordered a coke zero for the stadium cup and it really didnt taste that good to me.

ive been drinking alot more bottled water, and am hooked on the Great Value Strawberry Kiwi low calorie drink mixes. its sweetened with Stevia, and the instructions say to put in a 16.9 oz bottle of water, but I've been using the larger 23.7 oz bottles so i feel like i have found a little cheat to help myself out. but 30 calories is hard to beat for me.

kat2475

I've tried so many times to give up Diet Coke and fail every time. I'm getting ready to try again. At this point, I feel like it's the last component of my unhealthy ways that is still lingering. I've had the power to change the food I eat and the amount of activity I do. I feel more prepared to tackle the Diet Coke addiction now.

karenwill2

I was a Diet Coke head. I now have one twice a month and usually just for some caffeine to make it through a 12 hour day. I prefer Earl Grey without any sweetener. But when all else fails, a single Diet Coke.

tialynn1

I did drink regular pepsi all of my life. There were times on weekends when I would drink 6-packs of pepsi a day on weekends.
Since I started this journey of lifestyle changes at the beginning of this year, I have almost eliminated soda out of my diet. I haven't been able to completely eliminate it. I now just drink a can of soda about 3-4 times a week.
I don't like the taste of diet soda.

pepper396

I gave up soda entirely.... just last night I had my first craving and taste of Diet Dr Pepper had a few sips and threw the rest out. It has been almost 2 months since I have wanted a full bottle of soda. I think giving it up is great and you will not miss it, but if you need a sip as a treat once in a while do it.