Kicking the Coca Cola habit - HELP

24

Replies

  • SipsMom
    SipsMom Posts: 4 Member
    I love Coca~Cola! However, the only time I allow myself to drink it now is at restaurants. Sometimes even at restaurants I don't crave it any more, I will order iced tea or lemonade.

    This is what I did:
    I started out slow by going from two cans or 20oz. bottles a day to one a day. I then went from 1 a day to 1 every other day. Then I went to 1 on weekends only. I had to do it slow because I went cold turkey before and ended up miserable, grouchy and with a NASTY caffeine withdrawal headache! Plus I obviously started drinking it again shortly there after.

    At home I replaced it with either vitamin water (carefully 100+ calories) or water with MIO flavored water enhancer (Calorie Free and no HFCS!)!

    Good Luck!

    PS: Stay away from the diet soda please as they are really bad for you!
    If you need the bubbles switch to tonic water and add in fruit juices.
  • BrentLayne
    BrentLayne Posts: 1
    seriously? just don't drink it, coke is so disgusting anyway.
  • daj150
    daj150 Posts: 815 Member
    Coke Zero and Pepsi Max are my current solutions to the same problem. Eventually I hope to get rid of them as well; but for now, can't live without them...not sure how addicted you are, but I usually don't have more than 1 can per day on average, never more than 3 cans in a day. It's a lot, I know, but I am slowly getting better and better at reducing and am down to some days where I have none at all.
  • jamacattack
    jamacattack Posts: 94 Member
    What cured my addiction to it was logging the calories and sugar content. I quit cold turkey. Every now and again, I'll drink half a 12oz bottle, but not two 20ozs a day like I used to.
  • dga226
    dga226 Posts: 224 Member
    try cutting back little by little that is what i have done since the headaches are bad sometimes or switch to diet and go down from there

    try mio its good or crystal light or flavored water or carbonated water
  • dga226
    dga226 Posts: 224 Member
    soda drinkers we must all united and get our self off of this bad product

    if any fellow drinkers want to add me feel free
  • fightininggirl
    fightininggirl Posts: 792 Member
    I drank coke for a long time. here is what I did.

    i would buy a smaller size can drink so instead of drinking a 24 ounce I would drop down to a smaller size can like a 12 ounce. It was easier for me to go gradual with it. after a few weeks keep dropping to the smaller can unitl there is no more than start drinking water. diet sodas are bad for you. Nutra sweet for me causes migraines and they actually say its worse for you than sugar because it doesn't digest. it stays there and triggers migraine headaches.
  • draeyven
    draeyven Posts: 1 Member
    Coke is my greatest addiction. Candy, cookies, etc I could care less about but I LOVE Coca cola. I just had to stop buying it. My husband drinks diet, I think diet tastes so nasty. Whenever I think I want a coke I have some diet and it's like making a negative connection so I have been wanting it less. I drink crystal light (the fruit punch one tastes very sweet) and plain water. I went from drinking multiple cans a day (like 4-6!) to letting myself have one a day, and now for the last three days I have had none. You can do it!
  • aakokopelli7
    aakokopelli7 Posts: 196 Member
    I HAD the same problem. I say HAD because I have not drank one single soda since the 1st. I stopped buying them, I stopped my Finacee from buying them and I stopped ordering it at restaurants. Gather up some willpower and tell yourself NO. I know a lot of people on here love to say it's ok to have a little. It's not. When you have an addiction, a little will turn into the whole thing quick.
    Cold turkey my dear is the only way to kick that coke problem. Once you go awhile without you will stop wanting it. Take it from a 15 year coke a cola addict.
  • IAmKellOnWheels
    IAmKellOnWheels Posts: 47 Member
    I FEEL YOUR PAIN!

    I did cold turkey on ALL caffeine and artificial sweeteners, dyes, sugar, white bread on the day I started Insanity 54 days ago. I looooooooved my coffee, Starbucks, espresso, diet and regular pop and would have multiple per day. That first week was ROUGH, TOUGH and I was a mean lady. Headaches the size of mountains and I couldn't keep my eyes open after 8:30pm for 2 weeks.

    I didn't want to drag out my "addiction" to that stuff...so cold turkey worked for me.

    Now I have crazy energy and strangely, I'm sharper and much more awake in the morning with a better "wake up" mood :)

    Good luck in whatever you choose and know you're not alone!!! It's hard but you can do it!
  • iampanda
    iampanda Posts: 176 Member
    Don't buy it, and don't let anyone else in your house buy it. Sounds stupid, but if you don't buy it, you can't drink it. Worked for me- I haven't had a full soda (only a sip of my hubby's every once in a while) in probably 2 years.
  • pawnstarNate
    pawnstarNate Posts: 1,728 Member
    It's probably different for everyone but, I still have a dr pepper now and then. Maybe one every week or two. Last year when I started down this healthy road. I stopped drinking them and I was drinking 2-3 per day. I started buying the crystal light packets you add to water and also would drink sobe lifewater (the strawberry kiwi is my favorite)
  • amosmoses88
    amosmoses88 Posts: 163 Member
    Believe it or not, I drank tea EVERY DAY, multiple times. I'm talking 32 ounces 3 times a day. The first 2 days it was so hard, but when i ran out, I just didn't make anymore. I keep water around. There is sprite sitting in my kitchen, but I know if I have one, I'll have another. So I keep looking at my profile picture and looking at my body and I tell myself "This is how you got to this, you want to get other places and healthier--sacrifice is going to happen." It's more of a mental thing than verbal lol. But once you get passed the the first week it practically gone. I guess I just don't have cravings like other ppl. I'm more of a habit eater. Also what helps is if you don't like water like I do, you can put liquid water enhancer in it. The Mio has 0 sugar, and maybe 0 calories too, I can't remember. But I put that in my water whenever I get a craving.
  • jritchie11
    jritchie11 Posts: 3 Member
    I agree. I also kicked the Diet soda habit. I LOVEd it but found it spurred my sugar cravings which is not good for weight loss!
    I wanted to share a tea recipe that I recently came across. It is amazing. It is a diuretic but for you when trying ot kick a habit, it may be a good substitute while you are getting rid of the cravings. It requires you drinking 60 oz. a day for a 5-7 days (Not sure of the time frame but it states it in the link) and you won't have much time to drink anything else but the tea. It gave me more energy and boosted my weight loss which is what I was looking for. I hope it helps!
    http://domesticdana.blogspot.com/2012/07/losing-5-pounds-of-bloat-jillian.html?m=1
  • jj1973
    jj1973 Posts: 131 Member
    Why not have one can a day and work it into your calorie allowance? Its about making a lifestyle change and being healthier, right? I don't think it has to be an all or nothing proposition.

    I have tried this - and it works until I go eat out or face the 'all you can drink' table at a church fellowship. I drink a LOT when I eat, so it is nothing for me to have a liter of coke at a meal.

    I sip very thin iced tea at my desk all day, so I probably would do ok with the caffeine withdrawals. But my Coke is my 'sweet'. I don't eat many desserts - as long as I have my sugar fix in that doggone Coke! :devil:
  • pawnstarNate
    pawnstarNate Posts: 1,728 Member
    I don't guess my shirt in my profile pic is helping any, is it? lol
  • kerriotto
    kerriotto Posts: 93
    If you're logging your calories and being accountable to that then you won't want to drink a liter at your church fellowship because you won't have any calories left to eat a proper meal.

    Ultimately you know yourself the best so there's no reason to struggle to have only one if you do better with declaring certain things "off limits". I enjoy soda and I feel deprived if I don't "allow" myself to have one if I want it (and count it). Having one in moderation has helped me successfully change my lifestyle and lose 25 lbs.
  • Sheymarie417
    Sheymarie417 Posts: 40 Member
    What i learned and what works for me is switching to diet coke,weening off the diet coke and replace soda with water
  • zimmera
    zimmera Posts: 100 Member
    I LOVE Coke as well! I was addicted to Diet Coke for a while because I thought it was "better" for me, yeah right! I honestly think that just drinking regular coke is better than diet coke, because I think diet coke makes you crave more sugar. Anyway, I try to limit myself to one can during the week and maybe one on the weekend. And if I'm really craving something other than water, I will drink a diet ginger ale. I guess you just have to figure out if cold turkey will work for you, or just limiting the amount you intake. Good luck!
  • T1mH
    T1mH Posts: 568 Member
    8 years ago I went from 2 liters a day to none. It was the only way I could kick the habit. I have never been able to drink diet so that wasn't an option. My wife struggles constantly with trying to wean herself off but has no success. 5 months ago when I started my healthy lifestyle I cut back on liquid calories except smoothies. So very rarely do I have fruit juices, lemonade, orange juice, or other similar things. It's water with maybe 8oz a day of milk. I like to add milk to my smoothies to get the consistency right. My little blender can't handle it if it's to thick. I really like my smoothies and I load them with lots of good stuff.
  • julesxo
    julesxo Posts: 422 Member
    I am proud to say that I have given it up. I feel much better without it!
    I used to be really addicted to diet Coke, I would drink it several times a day. I slowly went down to once a day then stopped all together. Now I don't even care for one. I add MiO to my water.
  • imthejenjen
    imthejenjen Posts: 265 Member
    if you go a week without soda, and then drink just HALF of one, it will makes your stomach feel bloated, huge, and disgusting!! i hated that feeling. thats y i will not allow myself to have any soda because after not drinking it, once i had one, i realized how bad it physically made me feel and that its obviously a really bad choice to drink.
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,251 Member
    I've never understood this.. if you want to stop eating or drinking something, then why would you continue to buy it? Stop buying it, and you won't have it available to drink. If you go out, don't order it. It's called willpower.
  • pds06
    pds06 Posts: 299 Member
    every week cut your soda by a third with seltser water.
  • yannethfr
    yannethfr Posts: 18 Member
    I had to off it cold turkey. Wasn't easy but I haven't had a Coke since I started last May. Cant say I don't miss it but I no longer crave it.

    I totally agree with this one. I just let it go entirely and overtime your body stops craving it. I quit back in March 2011 and haven't had Coca Cola since. I've always hated the taste of diet any-soda so that wasn't an issue. My biggest thing was my urge to have a coke with pizza. I still love and eat pizza but learned to drink iced tea or just water with it instead. You know what they say about not drinking your calories. I also learned to drink a small coffee with just 1 tsp/packet of sugar and 2 tbsps of half and half--which is waaaaaayyy better than my old go to morning drinks of large white chocolate mochas!

    If you have to have it start by cutting out 1/2 of it with lots of ice and decrease the amount slowly overtime until you're just drinking water.

    Good luck.
  • jj1973
    jj1973 Posts: 131 Member
    Why not have one can a day and work it into your calorie allowance? Its about making a lifestyle change and being healthier, right? I don't think it has to be an all or nothing proposition.

    I have tried this - and it works until I go eat out or face the 'all you can drink' table at a church fellowship. I drink a LOT when I eat, so it is nothing for me to have a liter of coke at a meal.

    I sip very thin iced tea at my desk all day, so I probably would do ok with the caffeine withdrawals. But my Coke is my 'sweet'. I don't eat many desserts - as long as I have my sugar fix in that doggone Coke! :devil:
  • jj1973
    jj1973 Posts: 131 Member
    I've never understood this.. if you want to stop eating or drinking something, then why would you continue to buy it? Stop buying it, and you won't have it available to drink. If you go out, don't order it. It's called willpower.

    Sounds great in theory, but if I was loaded with will power, I wouldn't have a weight problem! lol!
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
    I just started drinking water. Then i found sparkling water - San Peligrino. After a few months I didn't miss the Coke, and now I actually think it is too sweet!
  • cbendorf13
    cbendorf13 Posts: 87 Member
    I have in the past drunk 2L/day of soda. This summer I had to completely quit, but that is hard because there are other people in my household that like soda. Kinda got to get everyone on board initially. I found the Green Coffee pills as a substitute for caffeine and that seemed to work fine. I could then curb my sugar habit (got both sugar and caffeine issues with soda). Then I stopped the coffee pills eventually (about 2 weeks). I had no cravings, but wanted to test the waters and after about 2 months without soda I started incorporating soda back into my diet, slowly at first, guess what went right back to the same thing. OK, now I just limit myself to once a week. No cravings. I did do the coffee pills again for the caffeine.
  • AJMB704
    AJMB704 Posts: 590 Member
    For me, I love the carbonation aspect of soda. So I bought a SodaStream two years ago and use it to make sparkling water. I get my carbonation fix and it tricks my brain into being satisfied. Very rarely I'll have half of a can of Diet Dr. Pepper, but it is NEVER as good as I think it's going to be. I might have a tiny bit of soda every 3-4 months. I am so used to not having it that it just doesn't taste good anymore.

    My workplace has a fridge stocked full of free soda and I am so glad I no longer have a soda habit! Some of the people I work with drink it for breakfast. GROSS!

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