need help kicking the soda..

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Replies

  • frixtine
    frixtine Posts: 965 Member
    I hate to advocate any medications, but the way I kicked my habit was because I had chronic migraines, and my doctor prescribed me a medication called Topamax to try to stop them. With Topamax, anything carbonated tastes disgusting!!! So, it was easy to quit them. You don't have the same love for them when they don't taste good anymore.

    If you are a migraine sufferer, ask your doctor about it. It might help with the headaches and the drinks.
  • DawnB86
    DawnB86 Posts: 99 Member
    Im going to try really hard.. Pepsi is my weakness and truffles.... gees.... I will take all of your helpful tips amd statt doing it
    I just hate the caffiene headaches


    The headaches were horrible for me too the first time a tried to quit. Here's how I did it: I first switched to diet soda and then, after a couple of weeks, I switched to caffeine free diet soda. I was still drinking soda and it had a kind of placebo affect so I didn't get the headaches. After a couple of weeks of that, I worked more water in: if I had already had a soda with a previous meal, I had to have water with the next. I'm still not completely off soda but I don't seem to crave it as much as I used to. Now I buy the 7.5oz cans and it's just enough to satisfy the craving when I get it.
  • Walmart has some sparkling flavored waters, as do other stores. Those really helped me when I was trying to stop drinking soda. They have a lot of flavor and are carbonated, but have 0 caloies, 0 sugar, 0 caffeine. They're great!! And most of the time you get big bottles for around 70 cents!!
  • TammyWick
    TammyWick Posts: 22 Member
    Im going to try really hard.. Pepsi is my weakness and truffles.... gees.... I will take all of your helpful tips amd statt doing it
    I just hate the caffiene headaches

    Start off by replacing ur soda with water little by little just like u would with any other drug. I had the same problem a long time ago. It does get easier. As far as the candy goes when u crave it eat it but just one serving and log it. Diets don't work and if u stop eating the things u love then this will feel like a diet and it won't work for u. So, eat a serving and log it so that u still stay with in ur cal, carb, fat, protien limits.
  • FitLink
    FitLink Posts: 1,317 Member
    Try tea. If not try Metromint water. Chocolate and orange are my favorites! I got addicted to the plain unsweetened teas from Mickey D's. Also, greek yogurt w/ strawberries sweetened with Splenda is good. If I am super bad I will add a little dark chocolate shavings with whipped cream. not bad but helps with the chocolate cravings and is nutritious (whipped cream take it or leave it).

    Love Metromint peppermint, but it's not easy to find. I carry a small bottle of peppermint extract in my purse and put a drop in a bottle of water. Tastes as good. I buy Metromint when I can find it, but...
  • FitLink
    FitLink Posts: 1,317 Member
    Walmart has some sparkling flavored waters, as do other stores. Those really helped me when I was trying to stop drinking soda. They have a lot of flavor and are carbonated, but have 0 caloies, 0 sugar, 0 caffeine. They're great!! And most of the time you get big bottles for around 70 cents!!

    And if you like them, great, but they're no better for you than diet soda. Diet soda, heck regular soda for that matter, is just "flavored water."
  • SirBen81
    SirBen81 Posts: 396 Member
    diet soda isnt really better than normal soda except for the 0 calories but health wise its not good for you. But it is a good way to replace regular soda! If your trying to stay away from diet soda too than you can try flavored waters or iced teas. I gave up soda and have been off it for about 2 months!! it gets easier but you do need something to help you!! I now drink a lot of unsweetend iced teas and if i want them sweet i will sweeten them with honey or splenda Good luck OP!

    0 calorie diet soda is 99% water. It's fine for you. Even if that 1% was battery acid it would still be fine for you.
  • FitLink
    FitLink Posts: 1,317 Member
    Im going to try really hard.. Pepsi is my weakness and truffles.... gees.... I will take all of your helpful tips amd statt doing it
    I just hate the caffiene headaches


    The headaches were horrible for me too the first time a tried to quit. Here's how I did it: I first switched to diet soda and then, after a couple of weeks, I switched to caffeine free diet soda. I was still drinking soda and it had a kind of placebo affect so I didn't get the headaches. After a couple of weeks of that, I worked more water in: if I had already had a soda with a previous meal, I had to have water with the next. I'm still not completely off soda but I don't seem to crave it as much as I used to. Now I buy the 7.5oz cans and it's just enough to satisfy the craving when I get it.

    Placebo effect is right! Caffeine withdrawal headaches are vascular headaches, like migraines. Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor. Once your body "gets used" to it, when you quit, your body reacts by dialating the blood vessels in your head which then press on nerves. Caffeine-free can't keep those blood vessels from dilating. Period. Interestingly enough, if you don't consume caffeine daily, it's a great medicine to get rid of a vascular headache like a migraine!
  • FitLink
    FitLink Posts: 1,317 Member
    diet soda isnt really better than normal soda except for the 0 calories but health wise its not good for you. But it is a good way to replace regular soda! If your trying to stay away from diet soda too than you can try flavored waters or iced teas. I gave up soda and have been off it for about 2 months!! it gets easier but you do need something to help you!! I now drink a lot of unsweetend iced teas and if i want them sweet i will sweeten them with honey or splenda Good luck OP!

    0 calorie diet soda is 99% water. It's fine for you. Even if that 1% was battery acid it would still be fine for you.

    More like 99.99%, but the point still applies. (Sugar-sweetened soda isn't much less than 99% water, for that matter--but the calories and sugar can be a problem) Some researchers have concerns that sweetness without calories might make your body less able to regulate your appetite, but it's a small concern next to sugar.
  • bellygoaway
    bellygoaway Posts: 441 Member
    What helped me was to actually log my calories. Seeing how many soda took up, I had to change something. I love eating too much to be denied by flavored water :)
  • ruerue623
    ruerue623 Posts: 16 Member
    So heres a little update on my soda and sweet tooth.... Stopped cold turkey on the sweets and soda. I drink about 1 gallon of water and I have fruits for my sweets... Thanks you guys for all your support and advice!!
  • FitMama2013
    FitMama2013 Posts: 913 Member
    I cut out my diet coke habit and coffee habit about 6 weeks ago - I went cold turkey. Had terrible headaches for a few days and then I was good to go. I've tried to give them up before, but didn't ever succeed until I had real motivation. I have alot of dental issues and know the acidity (in the diet coke) and sugar (in the coffee) weren't helping - plus, I want to start a family soon and caffeine won't be a part of that. When I wanted to go back to it, I just thought of a future root canal or crown and that helped :)
  • ebaymommy
    ebaymommy Posts: 1,067 Member
    Why?
    Use a 90/10 rule!
    90% whole foods and 10% junk.
    Case solved!

    I like you! That's exactly my philosophy. I have a treat (or 2, depending on the day and the size of the treat) every day. If it fits in my calories and I've eaten well otherwise, why the heck not? I'm within 2 pounds of my goal weight and I still drink diet soda (daily) eat chocolate (daily) and potato chips (almost daily) as well as other treats that I'm not about to give up.
  • diddyh
    diddyh Posts: 131 Member
    I had a doctor tell me once to cut out the soda as it was leaching the calcium out of my bones. Diet Coke was like crack to me. I had to have it, that and Mt. Dew. Now when I really want a soda, I have a Sprite. I have to be rally careful though or I will start to drink it like crazy too. I am much better not drinking it at all.
  • ColleenAtherton
    ColleenAtherton Posts: 230 Member
    I am a former Pepsi addict myself. I quit cold turkey 3 weeks ago. I allow myself one a week, but it's starting to taste funny now that I'm not drinking it anymore. For me, it was totally the sugar and NOT the caffeine. I switched to caffeine-free Pepsi while breastfeeding my daughter and I had none of the normal caffeine withdrawal symptoms (ie. headaches, etc.). That's when it clicked for me that the sugar was my crutch.

    I've now switched to drinking pretty much nothing but water, but I flavor it with the Mio energy stuff. The black cherry flavor tastes just like the black cherry kool-aid to me. Of course I just heard the other day that Mio is bad for you too, but heck...nowadays what isn't?
  • enaves1986
    enaves1986 Posts: 46 Member
    Ween your self off slowly, cut down the quantity of your soda and candy first. Drink plenty of water. Then cut down the frequency of it, I did this and I quit my soda and candy habbit in a month. If you quit cold turkey you will get bad headached because your body is so friendly with the caffine that is in the soda.
  • DietingMommy08
    DietingMommy08 Posts: 1,345 Member
    When I was trying to give up soda, I went to diet, and then I started drinking carbonated drinks that were not soda. My favorite was flavored water I got from Walmart. I didn't have soda for a long time, and then I started drinking it again about 5 days ago. I'd say try something carbonated that isn't soda and see if that works for you. For me, it was all about the bubbles.

    Same here.

    Its called american clear.

    I dont crave the caffiene (I drink caffiene free soda anyways) I was craving the carbon.
  • tamamommy
    tamamommy Posts: 71 Member
    don't do diet soda!!! Yikers. If it is the carbonated drink you miss there are a lot of sparkling waters you can use as a replacement. Just read the labels.
  • I could never go a day without soda. But once I was determined to lose weight, I forced myself to chug water. And I switched to low cal energy drinks instead. After a week or two, Id cave and have a soda. And to my suprize...hated it. It seemed thick, hard to swallow down. Didnt taste as I expected from previous times and it upset my stomach like crazy. Just like ciggs...kick it out of yer system:):)