How do you fight that urge...

PamelaGatorMom

UGH...ok it's been 10 days since I have had any kind of soda! And really I haven't missed it...until this afternoom :frown:
I use to drink a 20oz Coke every morning for "breakfast" and then go get a Rt 44 Dr. Pepper everyday from Sonic during half price drinks after work. Well that Sonic drink is all I have thought about today. :grumble:
I don't know rather to "treat" myself to a small Dr. Pepper in hopes to satisfy my craving OR would that just start me down a dangerous path to drinking sodas again everyday????

What does everyone else do when you want something that you don't need and should do without?

(Oh & diet soda is not an option for me because I am allergic to the artificial sweetener)

jzammetti

I say allow room in your calories for a small one - or look at the Dr. Pepper 10 or the other alternate diet products...I think I heard they have different substitutes for the sugar?

melsinct

I go the "everything in moderation" route and would get a small sized soda if I were you. However, everyone is different and for some people "a little" will lead down a path of excess or binge. Get to know yourself and what you can handle!

krisiepoo

I find that if I buy one, and not the case, it satisfies my cravings and I don't binge on it.

MightyDomo

One little cave-in is ok as long as you choose not to make it a habit Let yourself have a small one and then back on track tomorrow!

RobinvdM

Buy it, take a sip, dump it immediately.

OR

Convince a friend to buy it, sip it, hand it back.

OR

Just say no. I crave the carbonation every now and then. It will pass.

Anthonydaman

I go the "everything in moderation" route and would get a small sized soda if I were you. However, everyone is different and for some people "a little" will lead down a path of excess or binge. Get to know yourself and what you can handle!

Agreed, everything in moderation

feast4thebeast

Build it in as a reward

Erin_goBrahScience

I don't know rather to "treat" myself to a small Dr. Pepper in hopes to satisfy my craving OR would that just start me down a dangerous path to drinking sodas again everyday????

What does everyone else do when you want something that you don't need and should do without?

I found that a soda is a trigger for me. If I have it, than I want something else that is bad...I don't know what exactly makes the two go hand-in-hand but for me it does.

I personally like unsweet tea, it's not really "doing without" because I like it. But I find that if I drink tea, black coffee and water...after about two or three days I no longer want a soda. That is until I have one. Right now I'm about 30+ days no soda.

EmilyOfTheSun

I remind myself of all the snobby b*tches I wanna be hotter than.

Cal28

I go the "everything in moderation" route and would get a small sized soda if I were you. However, everyone is different and for some people "a little" will lead down a path of excess or binge. Get to know yourself and what you can handle!

^ This. In the UK they do mini cans (About 150ish ml) Can you get those? I still eat whatever I like I just try and make healthier choices 80% of the time...

BTW I have a real sweet tooth (used to have a diet energy drink every morning) I've started making a fruit crush instead (1 cup frozen berries, 1 cup ice, 1 cup 100% apple juice - blend & serve) give me the sweet taste I need and gets me towards my 5 a day.

jmacavoy

I've substituted cola for soda water and I add a touch of natural fruit juice to add flavour. it makes a nice refreshing fizzy drink without the tons of sugar

ckehoe89

If its just the carbonation that you crave, you might try sparkling or seltzer waters. They have some flavored ones that taste great!

essaryswife73

I allow myself 1-2 Dr Peppers a day. This is down from 6-8/day. I've adopted the moderation in everything way of thinking. If I want it, I have it. My son bought Krispy Kreme Donuts from a friend for a fund raiser and he brought me one home. I had asked for 1. I ate half of it. You just have to learn what you can and cannot do for your self. I can't have regular candy or snack cakes. I WILL eat all of them. I started buying dark chocolate. And I don't even eat a full serving of it. I haven't had a regular candy bar in over a month. It takes time to figure things out, and there will be backsliding. No one is perfect. I can't even imagine how much weight I would have already lost if I quit eating out. But I'm not willing to do that. I get to spend time with my grandmother on our shopping days, and we eat lunch out. I spend at least one night a week out with my husband. We eat out. We have modified WHAT we get, just not the experience. Good luck to you!

sd_dilligaf

Your issue is really really hard to solve. The answer is simple (Stop eating/drinking the stuff you are addicted to) but the execution is not easy.

I recommend you find some of the books on sugar addiction (e.g., Sugar Blues). I believe they say it takes 20-30 days to shake the cravings. I woiuld drink club soda to fool my mouth into thinking I was drinking soda - even got the satisfying burp!

Keep coming here and let people know you are craving and they will be supportive. Don't give up!

Natihilator

When it comes to soda, I personally believe in the cold turkey approach. The only way I broke my Diet Coke addiction was to completely abstain, and now I don't ever crave it anymore. I HAAATED drinking water, and would only do so if it was super ice cold and there were no flavoured alternatives and I was absolutely dying of thirst. But I forced myself to get used to it.

I still have to have my tea with sugar, though. Stevia and splenda just ruin the taste. I try to limit how many mugs I drink though.

miracole

I don't cut anything out entirely (except for burgers this year). So long as you fit it in your calories or use its consumption as a reason to go do some exercise to offset it you'll stop being so distracted by it!

forgtmenot

My boyfriend is a mountain dew ADDICT, I swear. I will occasionally have a sip of his and hand it back. He will usually ask me if I want a whole one and I just say no thanks, I just wanted one sip. That one sip takes away any cravings.

Also they sell these all natural flavored sparkling water things at thee grocerey store. They're like little one liter bottles of flavored sparkling water, zero calories and zero sugar and that satisfies my soda cravings (sorry just noticed the no artificial sweetenere part and IDK if these have any artificial sweetener or not) Honestly though after awhile of not drinking soda the cravings rarely happen though.

skinnybitchbarbie27

I used to drink 64oz a day. I tried to quit several times and thought I could have just a taste to get the craving to go away but that just made it worse. When I finally quit in april 2011 I said no I am not doing this to my body anymore and quit cold turkey. Now I do not miss it and when I have tried to have a sip in the past it tastes gross.

I wouldn't do it. You wouldn't allow a smoker just one drag right?

Rhonnie

Those urges are the worst! I try different things depending on the situation. First I always try to avoid the instant gratification - often if you wait the craving will pass. Sometimes I bribe myself - 'you can have that if you go on a 15 min walk first' or 'you can have that if you drink 2 extra glasses of water', etc. I know I do have to be careful with being able to stop at one, so if you know that that is an issue of your's you might have to try other tricks to try to avoid drinking it all together.

alpine1994

Whenever I want something "bad" I think about whether it would fit into my calories for the day. If not, I have to decide whether it's worth a small set-back in my weight loss to have it. Sometimes it's worth it, sometimes it's not. I never deprive myself, I just make sure to remind myself of the consequences before I make any decisions.

sarahharmintx

I start my day with a diet coke. Then rarely another one in the afternoon (if I get sleepy at work like today).

But to answer your question, if I want something but its "bad for me" I make space in my prelogged day to have a small serving.

I am a firm believer that if you completely cut out something you love, you will eventually binge.

mallen404

UGH...ok it's been 10 days since I have had any kind of soda! And really I haven't missed it...until this afternoom :frown:
I use to drink a 20oz Coke every morning for "breakfast" and then go get a Rt 44 Dr. Pepper everyday from Sonic during half price drinks after work. Well that Sonic drink is all I have thought about today. :grumble:
I don't know rather to "treat" myself to a small Dr. Pepper in hopes to satisfy my craving OR would that just start me down a dangerous path to drinking sodas again everyday????

What does everyone else do when you want something that you don't need and should do without?

(Oh & diet soda is not an option for me because I am allergic to the artificial sweetener)

You should ease out of the habit, have one once a week, then once every two to help carve the cravings for it. You will eventually not even want it.

tlacox1

Just get the drink and tell yourself that it is okay as long as it does not become a habit again. If you completely deprive yourself then that could possibly cause you to fail on your journey. I used to drink 3-5 20oz Dr. Peppers a day and knew that had to stop. I quit cold turkey but only lasted three weeks. After falling right back into the bad habit, I started weening myself by drinking less and less a day. Now I am down to one. As a matter of fact, I didn't even stop to get one this morning and didn't even miss it so maybe I will go to every other day now. This may not work for some and cold turkey may be best for others but you have to remember to enjoy sometimes.

smantha32

water with Mio flavors in it.

culuriel

I know many on this board are advising moderation, but considering how much soda we're talking about, I'm going to say stick with going cold turkey. The urge to give in may be intense today, but it will pass and you will realize you CAN resist. Only treat yourself if you've planned for it. Decide what day you "may" have your craving, decide on the exact amount you will allow yourself, BUY ONLY THAT MUCH, and consume only that much. It's a tough, but very useful willpower exercise. Don't give into a craving unplanned. That just sets you up to do so again.

mapnerd2005

Try to work a small one into your calorie budget. In doing so, you might find that it's just not worth it. Or, you may decide that a friday after-work treat is in the budget. Either way, count it. If you do get it, ask them to fill the cup full of ice before putting the Dr. Pepper in.

Southernsass6885

Slowly lower your intake. The less you drink it, the less you want it. I haven't had a soda in 3 weeks. I still don't want tone.

samlankford

see right now I am having a coke... I have not had in (yeah cannot even remember the last time!) I am also scarfing down m&m's... crazy hungry today! I eat clean 99.999% of the time but sometimes it is ok to eat like crap in my book!! :bigsmile:

pkw58

I just keep telling myself... there will always be that "thing" that I want when I am done getting my fitness/health to the level I want.

For some crazy reason, today I was craving pot stickers. They don't fit anywhere in my plan... the urge passed, and darn if some co workers didn't come by my office to tell me our favorite place to eat them two years back had new owners and the new cook was no where as good as the last!

I have a rule now. If I didn't plan it, I don't get it. No unplanned recreational eating for me!

lacroyx

I quit soda pop cold turkey Dec. 2009. Never missed it at all. About 7 months in I had some by accident. Dark movie theater, mixed up the drinks. I got a severe brain freeze feeling. Even more reason to never drink it again. Now I do have other kryptonites. Pizza for one. I could easily down 1 large by myself in 1 sitting. I slowly cut back over time. Once a week, then 2x month. Now I have it once a month. 2-3 slices or a small mini pizza. If you want to quit an unhealthy habit/food I believe in doing it slowly over time.