Anyone else trying to kick the soda habit??

spencemelindak
spencemelindak Posts: 6
in Introduce Yourself
Been trying to stop drinking coca cola for years and unable
To do so...any advice??

Replies

  • bazaar1982
    bazaar1982 Posts: 159 Member
    I used to drink way too much, then just stopped. No idea what clicked but I just decided not to drink it any more. My head pounded for days but I kept drinking water and it cleared. That was oct/nov last year, now I can have a glass at a restaurant or pub and leave it at one!

    I think it's a case of having none available to you and having a substitute - not another Fizzy drink thou!
  • bazaar1982
    bazaar1982 Posts: 159 Member
    Just realised it sounds like I was an alcoholic! I was taking about diet coke lol.
  • maricash
    maricash Posts: 280 Member
    The only thing that worked for me was going cold turkey for a month, drinking seltzer instead of Coke (I got a seltzer machine so I could just carbonate water at home). After that I let myself have up to two sodas a week, but not Coke, and only out of the house. After a few months I found I wasn't even drinking the two a week most of the time. I think the key is finding something to replace it with that you genuinely like to drink. I found it was really the bubbles that I liked in Coke, so carbonated water with lemon worked for me. I also drink more coffee now, which gives me the caffeine without all the sugar.
  • toshie333
    toshie333 Posts: 295 Member
    Nope, admittedly I drink diet soda so no cals practically but still comes with negatives-bad for my teeth, bloated etc.
    My prob is I drink it in place of something sweet so when I'm craving choc or something sweet I go for diet fizzy to keep the calories down.
  • CRMrunner
    CRMrunner Posts: 83 Member
    I have given it up during Lent a couple times and not missed it that much after a couple weeks. I'm not sure why I've gone back. Perhaps it's the billions of dollars they spend each year telling me how good it is.
  • Hotabs
    Hotabs Posts: 41 Member
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    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
    How about pouring half diet coke with the other half water. It will be flat but will still get the taste. I have tried this with my children they now drink juice or squash as they don't like flat coke.
  • Debbe2
    Debbe2 Posts: 2,071 Member
    <<<< kicked a serious diet Pepsi, diet coke habit! I sleep so much better because I'm caffeine free without the soda. Plenty of water now! :drinker:
  • Umeboshi
    Umeboshi Posts: 1,637 Member
    I just stopped buying it. :D I have a soda less than once a month now, pretty much only as a very occasional treat. I started drinking a lot of water, and Crystal Light or TrueLemon Lemonade if plain water gets boring. I've been done with soda for almost a year now!
  • gajudegal
    gajudegal Posts: 6
    I make sweet tea with splenda and started making lemonade with splenda and I am drinking those to stop with the soda. Getting off the caffeine and sugar was rough at first , but worth it.
  • catwoman8888
    catwoman8888 Posts: 1 Member
    I just drink more coffee now lol. And I try not to "eat out" anymore cause there's no soda in my house so I can't be tempted...think about how much money you save by ordering water instead of that $3.00 soda at a restaurant!
  • Devlyn_P
    Devlyn_P Posts: 294 Member
    I went from drinking all kinds of soda then to coke zero and finally just water. A good approach is weening yourself off plus good old fashioned discipline. I can't even drink sodas anymore because it burns so bad on my throat.
  • classic_1
    classic_1 Posts: 147
    I started drinking sparkling water whenever i had a taste for soda. that was my substitute. CVS has great tasting sparkling water. but after a while i cut myself off of that...sometimes...it a process.
  • AndMee
    AndMee Posts: 23
    I love me some Coke or Dr Pepper, but what I have done to help curb the need is to give myself a cheat day. If I burn "x" number of calories I'll give myself a day to eat/drink whatever I want.

    When I first started this I told myself that if I burned 700 calories then I would cheat. 700 calories came quicker than I realized then decided to up that number to 2,000 (yes a huge jump I know, but I wanted a challenge), just the other day I wanted to up my challenge and upped my number to 4,000.

    Doing this not only help to curb my craving for soda, but it challenged me to do something about it. I took it slowly and it has helped me.

    Good luck!
  • xTwK
    xTwK Posts: 121
    I traded soda for water with added flavor from crystal light packets, best decision ever! I drink a gallon of water a day and flavor packets make it a lot easier that's for sure.
  • Koorogi
    Koorogi Posts: 21 Member
    Hello there...

    I've been off soda for a couple of years now, a couple of months ago, I started drinking it again for a month, but now am back off with no problems.

    Pretty much I've substituted Iced Tea whenever available (I prefer mine unsweetened). I also try, when eating out, to go to restaurants that I like the flavor of their tea.

    At home, when I'm in the mood for a soda, I try to drink a bottle of water first. This has helped me in two ways, one, I'm usually too full afterwards to have the soda and two, I'm upping my daily water intake! I also drink different types of tea at home. Don't be afraid to try out new flavors (plenty of stores have variety/sample packs). Try it hot/cold, strong/weak, sweetened/unsweetened. I also sometimes mix my tea with homemade lemonade.

    If you're not worried about carbonation (this is what I'm trying to avoid), then there are also sparkling mineral waters...Perrier and S. Pellegrino are my personal favorites, especially the latter.

    I wish you the best of luck!!!
  • brokenwoman
    brokenwoman Posts: 25 Member
    Well I have been drinking soda for I guess my whole life, since I was just a toddler I guess. I don't remember when I first started that is how long ago it was.

    I am trying to kick the habit myself and I think it is working. I usually drink a 2 liter in about a day/day and a half. Then my fiance and I decided that I need to kick the caffeine habit, I forgot why though...lol. So instead of knocking out soda all together, he bought me 2 liter sprites so that I would not be so cranky about not having my bubbly water lol.

    So now I am off the caffeine, I did however have a few headaches for the first few days, but having something without caffeine, but soda helped me to ween myself off of it.

    I would not recommend getting 2 liter sodas, it is just that I have been drinking them for quite some time because they are cheaper, but cheaper does not mean better. So what ever size or how much you are drinking right now, I would probably switch it to sprite (I think it is the best because there is not much dye in it). And getting the caffeine out of your system won't be as hard. I tried going cold turkey before and I can say no one wanted to be around me, I was demanding caffeine drinks.

    I am going to gradually reduce my consumption of sprite little by little so that I can ween myself off of that too. I love my soda so taking it away will be a pain for me. So I have decided that the next time I get sprite I am going to get a 1 liter, then after that a 20oz then a 16oz then an 8oz and then be free of soda.

    But I can say I have been successful of not drinking in caffeinated products now because the sprite helps my soda cravings and is better than the caffeine and I have not wanted any other sodas either, I am happy with my sprite :)
  • angela_lk
    angela_lk Posts: 7
    Luckily, no! A few years ago I gave up soda for Lent (I never drank it too excessively anyways) and now I probably drink it less than once a month! It's kind of nice, because whenever I read see how much sugar is in one can I cringe. Good luck!
  • amnsetie
    amnsetie Posts: 666 Member
    I tried 3 times before I succeeded.
    Finally I did it during my holidays. Took panadol and had an extra cup of tea or two for the symptoms for 4 weeks
    Then I was ok

    I won't drink Coke again, or anything owned by The Coca-cola group of companies.

    Didn't have any problem stopping the other sodas.
    In summer I can have other soda if I want and if it's within my calories
  • denisebme
    denisebme Posts: 103 Member
    Ahh, this is my weakness. I used to drink a lot of soda, and now its 1 Dr Pepper a day, and plenty of water and unsweetened tea. I drink Dr. Pepper the same way some people have that one cup of coffee in the morning. I need to get rid of it...
  • Fieldsy
    Fieldsy Posts: 1,105 Member
    I love diet soda. I never once had a headache from it or felt weird in anyway.

    Id be curious to quit, but cant see me drinking diet as that bad. I drink a ton of water too.
  • Fieldsy
    Fieldsy Posts: 1,105 Member
    I love diet soda. I never once had a headache from it or felt weird in anyway.

    Id be curious to quit, but cant see me drinking diet as that bad. I drink a ton of water too.
  • melliamsburg
    melliamsburg Posts: 7 Member
    I bought in to the 'colon-cleanse' craze and the only thing good I got out of it was kicking the soda habit. For one month on a daily basis I had one glass of orange juice with the fiber mix and the rest of the day only water with my meals. Your body will begin to tell you to go for water instead of soda. I drink mountain dew baja blast now and then for good times sake as well as beer or hard liquor. No matter what I follow those up with water so I don't get dehydrated or let my body think it's ok to drink habitually.
    example: in the movie 'idiocracy' with Luke Wilson, he changes the crop's irrigation from gatorade to water. The people didn't see a change at first and cursed him. After time vegetation blooms amongst the crops. World saved.
  • brklnlrsn
    brklnlrsn Posts: 28
    Yes, but I need my Diet Coke.
  • LooseWheel
    LooseWheel Posts: 211 Member
    Just do it. dont have to give up coffee at the same time, some caffeine is fine at its limits, but give up the empty cals. The quick sugar energy bursts die so soon you end up with a huge energy crash at the end. Your body would be 'used' to caffeine already so that would not be working effectively as thought. An apple can actually give you more energy than a coke or coffee these days. Look it up! Swap the cola's for an apple and enjoy the difference. It wont take more than a few days to get out of this habit cold turkey. To avoid cravings, tense up your body for several seconds all over. Squeeze your hands together in fists and hold for a few seconds. Tensing muscles can be enough to get through a craving for a smoke, chocolate or caffeine! It works matey! Best of luck.

    And again I say, JUST DO IT!!

    :)
  • GirlThatTalks
    GirlThatTalks Posts: 3 Member
    For me, it wasn't too hard because I gave myself small goals. I'm still not 100% off it, but that's because it's my treat!

    First, i didn't allow myself to have it at home - EVER. I started that in Lent, but continued after. If I went out, I could have it anytime - but I was never allowed to open a can at home. That was HUGE because even if I was only out to eat once every week or so (that's a lot for me), I was still cutting out one a day practically! Just DON'T BUY IT and you won't drink it! Save one or two for an emergency though!!! LOL!

    After that, when I'd go out, I'm limit when I could have one. So if I was having something that didn't really go with soda, I'd just do water with lemon. Basically, I'd let myself have it if I wanted it while out, but if I was so/so on it, I'd skip it.

    I didn't have it for a long time and I truly stopped craving it. Then I went on vacation and had it daily while out to eat - now I'm craving it DAILY. It's true that once you get away from it, it gets easier to say no.

    My at-home trick...not Crystal Light because it gives me headaches! Crystal Geyser flavored water! Berry is mine! If you don't like it straight, mix it with some cran-raspberry juice!! Do mostly the water, less juice for minimal calories - and it takes incredible! Add some lemon...or even a splash of Pomegranate juice!

    Hope that helps! I'm glad to read everyone else talk about this tricky issue too!! :)

    P.S. When you're out - try your drinks half/half - half regular, half diet. Makes it low-cal, but less fake sugar than if you did a whole diet. Diet also slows down weight loss, but the real sugar is full of calories. It's the best and worst of both worlds if you do a half/half!
  • WingMan380
    WingMan380 Posts: 2,139 Member
    Quit soda's a couple months ago. I drink water and mio now.
  • Elizaj85
    Elizaj85 Posts: 158 Member
    this has been so interesting to read as I have such a bad regular/diet soda habit. i'm not even sure what it is about it I'm addicted to maybe it's all of it. I managed to wean myself off the dark soda until one bad weekend. its crazy because my body really doesn't like it and gives me a upset stomach.
    But can i stop nope! Rubbish.dom lol

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