How Do You Quit Soda???

spynoodle

Wow! That's 1200 calories a day from Pepsi! At the very least, a switch to diet would be better or sparkling water w/lemon or something.

spynoodle

Cold turkey here from a 10-12 a day diet Coke habit in February. I switched to iced tea (couldn't give up the caffeine) and sparkling water for the carbonation.

Good job. Did all the caffeine cause you insomnia?

magoch

I work at a place where we get free soda (the break rooms have a fridge that looks like a convenience store - 30+ varieties), so I used to drink 6 a day (diet coke mostly).

I am now down to drinking 2-3 a week. Here's what worked for me YMMV (your mileage may vary):
1. weaned myself off, 6 a day to 5 a day to 4 a day... over about 2 months
2. drinking coffee/tea to get my caffeine kick (this took a while to get used to)
3. not keeping it in the easily accessible (e.g. not in the fridge, in a box, in the garage so I have to make an effort to get it, add ice, or wait for it to chill...) Optimally I wouldn't have it in the house, but too many friends come over that like them (this solution makes it inconvenient enough to work for me.)
4. substituting really amazing teas/infusions so I don't feel deprived. I let myself go a bit crazy at Teavana, and got a hot water pot (keeps hot water available all the time-- not just instant boil like a kettle). My favorites are Zocolatte (chocolate & spices -- no tea, tastes like hot chocolate w/no calories), morrocan mint (green tea blend), a bunch of other green teas, and iced strawberry lemonade (no tea in this one either - also amazing if you add a little selzer for fizz).

nicholjenny

Dr. Oz did a segment on his show about cutting it out. Don't go cold turkey! Too many side effects. Instead, substitute with orange juice, slowly cutting down your soda intake weekly. Once you have weaned yourself off, start replacing the OJ with more water. If you need bubbles, add the carbonated water.

I was seriously addicted to Coca-cola. I had it easy (:laugh: ) in a tiny way because I had open heart surgery and used that as an opportunity to stop cold turkey since I was unconscious for 3-4 days. I look at the soda the same way as any drug addiction... no slips or else! I did add back in Diet Squirt occasionally, for the bubbles!

Good Luck. Maybe you can find the Dr. Oz segment online someplace.

Celeigh12

Cold turkey here from a 10-12 a day diet Coke habit in February. I switched to iced tea (couldn't give up the caffeine) and sparkling water for the carbonation.

Good job. Did all the caffeine cause you insomnia?

I am pretty unaffected by caffeine -probably the years of hard core conditioning :bigsmile: . I can drink it all day and night and still fall asleep easily. What does get me though are the headaches if I don't get it. So in that regard, I still have demons to battle.

CharliSue

I absolutely love Mt Dew but can't do diet sodas. YUCK!! I just went cold turkey. I pretty much only drink water (well over 100 ozs per day) and maybe a 1/2 cup coffee in the mornings. I dont miss the soda. If I have a glass of soda on accassion now it makes me feel kind of ill.

breezymom81

Walmart has great falvoed sparkling water!! I love that stuff and was an avid soda drinker.... not any more had one can in the last 3+ weeks!

hj7williams

I feel your pain I was a case a day Pepsi drinker for years! I tried diet (yuck, and the aspartame literally almost killed me), I began alternating regular with caffine free all day to ween the caffine addiction I had going. Then I noticed a difference in my bp, so I went a step further and switched to Dr Pepper because it's lower in caffine than Pepsi. I still drink 2 Dr Pepper a day, I just don't have the will power to go cold turkey. Now when I drink Pepsi (if I can get past the stomach ache) I find myself craving it so I just avoid it altogether. Good Luck

beckers80

I'm hooked on diet pepsi and drink about 6 cans a day. I drink no water! I went today and got two more cases of diet, hoping it will be my last. I am researching the side effects of diet pepsi.. Bad stuff but weird, but i still have one in my hand.

Droope2

I drink 8-12 cans of Pepsi a day!!! I bought stock in Pepsi so I didnt feel so bad on how much i spend every month, every time I buy a pepsi it brings my stocks up lol, thats seriously how bad of an addict I am. I swear its like crack, I keep trying to kill this addiction I have to Pepsi...but then after a few hours if I dont have one I get *****y and lazy and I just have to have one...I tried diet its so gross. I am thankful that they just came out with Pepsi next which is still bad but has less calories. I recently added more water into my diet, I went from 0 a day to 2 Liters, but I just cant give up the Pepsi in between. Everyone says wheen off and I try. Is there something I can substitute. I think its the carbiation that attracts me honestly, water is just so plane... HELP!!!

OMG I was in the same boat, I would actually lie to the doctors about how much I drank, I was constantly buying the 6 packs of 24oz bottles usually went though a pack a day, then when I was accepted for gastric bypass I learned I couldn't drink pop anymore, even though surgery isn't until fall I decided I should start weening myself now, now I am down to 1 12oz bottle a day and normally I don't finish it. I just slowly started to cut back because I would get headaches so bad, finally I discovered Powerade Zero and it is delicious and no calories, I was so surprised because it is full of flavor I just started slow, one pepsi, one powerade and finally got to a point where I am down to 1 pepsi a day and I honestly don't even notice it much, I can not drink water, even if my life depended on it, so I understand your situation, try the powerade or try pepsi max even, it's better than the diet! Good Luck!

babbycakess

you just have to fight the urge. i picked up a soda after 3 weeks and i got so sick because it felt like i stuck a straw in a thing of sugar an sucked:0 so after a while you just wont want it Pepsi was my weakness to you an do it

skcastro

I had a soda problem too. But it's been 2 months n I haven't had soda.
What I did was, limit to one cup a day. Soda with dinner or lunch.
And carry around with one of those big smart water bottles all day.
Then after a few weeks I just stopped having soda craves.
If u mess up its okay, ur training your body and mind. Just try again the next day.
It took me a while to train my body to like water.

Graciecny

Total soda addict here - recovering addict, I guess I should say! I was a 2-20 oz. Mtn Dew a day (at a minimum!)kind of gal. When I found MFP and started carefully logging my calories, those didn't fit in with actually having any FOOD, so I made a choice that I wanted something more substantial with those calories. Since then (a little over two months ago) I've had a soda here and there - and faithfully logged them - but I honestly don't find myself craving them anywhere near like I thought.

One thing to share - when I tried intentionally giving up soda (pre-MFP), I made it five days and went right back to it. That was me making a decision to NOT have soda. What I do now is think "I can have soda, I just have to log it". Then I think of all the food those calories could gain me...an apple, some cheese, some walnuts, a bag of popcorn, etc. And suddenly the soda doesn't look all that appealing. In fact, there have been nights where I've set aside calories for pizza and a can of soda, only to drink half the can and go "meh", dump the rest and change the amount consumed to 1/2 can. Weird now mindset really changes your cravings!

Oh, and FWIW, caffeine withdrawl bites. :grumble:

GangstaMa

I use to drink 2-3 cans a day of Diet Coke.... I started reading about whats in soda...its super bad for your body

I quit cold turkey and I opt for green tea, water with lemon or an occasional Diet Snapple ( Diet Snapple has artificial sweeteners like Diet soda). But since i haven given up soda i dont feel bloated or have sugary cravings anymore

kyt1206

Commercial soda has high sugar, start off with making your own. There's a lot of cheap kits out there now that you can mix your own. I personally liked orange juice so I started carbonating that, then I started watering down a bit. I drink carbonated water now because I like the fizz, but that's about it. Oh and sometimes a diet coke if I need the caffeine, I don't like coffee.

missjojo31

I used to drink about 5 tins of diet pepsi throughout the day, i just swapped it to bottles of squash and water, I have 1 tin a day now

leogirlinbaltimore

I had the same issue with pepsi. I drank about 2 to 3 cans a day. I finally became motivated to quit drinking the stuff to help me lose weight. I went cold turkey a few times and it didn't work. Then, something clicked. Why would I allow my mood and actions to be effected by a soda? I told myself I would no longer drink pepsi and I haven't. It's been 40 days ( I actually started at the beginning of Lent. I thought Jesus could be my safety net lol) not only have I had no pepsi, but I've been up all soda. All I drink is water with the occasional juice or tea thrown in the mix. My pepsi habit may not seem as extensive as in compassion, but in realizing an addiction is an addiction I overcame a huge obstacle to my leftstyle change. I hope you can do the same!!!

Ps. be prepared for the withdraw symptoms... Pepsi is a fierce beast and made me horrible for a week. But I feel great now!

USMCConditioning

Honestly, soda was/has been the easiest thing for me to drop out of my life. I'v gone 6 months without drinking soda, I'd say the hardest part was the first 7-14 days. Then after that, i watch my wife get soda whenever she gets food that isnt home made and i'm totally fine with it.

My weekness is sweets, candy.... If anyone has a cure for that, i would be forever in debt

Contrarian

I cannot relate to being addicted to soda, but I have dealt with other addictions, and I just stopped. I suggest you do the same.

Laura_Suzie

Sparkling flavored water is the best. My favorite is the berry flavored kind from Trader Joes. And if you want it to be sweeter like regular soda, you can put in at the MOST 5 drops of liquid stevia. I was totally addicted to Diet Coke and now I prefer sparkling water. Though I do occasionally have a Diet Coke on weekends. I really shouldn't though, It makes me feel bloated and awful. :P

lynnmarie60

diet, flavor water, get 4-7oz cans of your favorite soda and only drink one every other day then every two days until you hardly notice them anymore. Make sure you work off the calories before you drink it and it will limit your intake as well.

TinkrBelz

I love real Coke. I just stopped buying it cold turkey. If it is not in the house, I can not drink it. I would not wean off of it....just stop! haha!

JBsCrazyGirl

cold turkey....
It is harsh but really, a good way to go. Maybe slowly move to drinking fizzy water. Once you have cut it out completely you will feel so much better all the way around.

AfonsoSilva

I gave up soda entirely by substituting it with green tea. Not only it is fun to make the tea, I find myself drinking it more often. I've lost weight consistently these past 2 months, and although I exercise a lot, I am certain the tea has something to do with it.

Give it a try. You can drink the tea hot or cold, sweetened or not (I never put sugar or sweeteners in my tea) and you will feel great about yourself.

chevy88grl

At first, I refused to give up my Mt Dew. I figured if I changed everything else, keeping the Dew wasn't a big deal. Then I started to really think about it - I would have to be on the treadmill for 25 mins before I would burn the calories that were equivalent to that Dew. One day, I simply decided I wanted to spend my calories on something besides pop. First, I tried switching to Diet Dew - that stuff is disgusting. So, I went cold turkey. I simply gave it all up. The first week was AWFUL (I won't lie) - I craved it so bad my mouth would actually water for it. I had massive caffeine headaches. It was bad. But, once I made it through the first week? It was way better. I started drinking coffee in the morning and the occasional sugar free energy drink instead. I tried a sip of regular Dew awhile ago and actually gagged at the taste of it.

kindra3434

Go to youtube and learn about how bad high fructose corn syrup is for you.....it might be a wake up call and enough to make you say "no thanks, my health is more important".

SPNLuver83

They make carbonated water.. Dasani has some flavors that are really good..... I used to hate diet pop, but coke zero changed my mind about it. it's really good. so is diet orange sunkist, diet mountain dew, and a&w diet cream soda.

jutymo

My name is Julie and I am a Red Mt. Dew-aholic.... I am now clean for 84 days.
Loved that stuff, had 2-3 large bottles a day at my peak. And I'd say none today and couldn't keep from stopping to pick one up on my way to work. And after having one, well I'd need to have 2-3 more of course.

Cold turkey for me as of January 14th. I just decided I had to stop. It's also the day I started on MFP and I think food tracking helped me stop. I didn't want to waste calories on soda and I knew how bad it was for me. So I just quit. It was hard, I had a headache for 2 days, but after 3 days it was easier. I've had one soda since January 14, it wasn't a red Mt. Dew so I didn't appreciate it, like it, or want anymore.

mg413

What about seltzer? It's obviously an acquired taste but I've become addicted and it's so good! Carbonated water!! Drink away! :drinker:

childofArtemis24

i have ulcers so i can not drink a lot of pop anyway. But you could try drinking juices. I know they have a lot of sugar but they are great. Or crystal light powders, or V8 fusions, they taste awesome. I was on a smoothie kick for a while. Maybe you should try it. Just a thought.