Finding it so hard to give up the sugary drinks!

ECR1989
ECR1989 Posts: 158
in Food and Nutrition
My real indulgence when it comes to food stuffs that are bad for me are things like lemonade and cocktails. I've recently resolved to not drink mid week which has made a big difference, but I just find myself craving sweet drinks all the time, especially in the afternoon/early evening.

I found this elderflower cordial at the supermarket which I mix with water, but there's no nutritional information on the bottle so I don't know whether this is just as bad for me as Sprite? I used to easily drink 1-2 litres a day, but I know it's terrible for me and there's a strong history of diabetes in my family so I'm trying to stay on top of things but I do find it hard.

I don't actually crave sugar in any other way - chocolate doesn't really do it for me, and I don't eat sweets or desserts but it's stuff like Sprite and 7 Up that I find hard to resist, especially after the gym, or when I'm tired!

Does anybody have any substitutes they use? Or anybody else find it hard to give up this stuff? I don't want to give it up entirely but maybe I should?

Replies

  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    When I'm trying to cut calories, I will mix things half and half. Like half lemonade with half unsweetened iced tea. Then when I get an urge for sprite or coke, I tell myself "just wait a couple minutes until you get home. Then you can make some lemonade and iced tea." Or watered down OJ. Things like that. Or -- even better -- fire up the juicer and make some fresh juice (I often dilute my homemade juice with water) since pure juice tastes too sweet now.
  • ironmonkeystyle
    ironmonkeystyle Posts: 834 Member
    A cautionary tale for motivational purposes:

    http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2013/02/12/coke-newzealand.html
  • footiechick82
    footiechick82 Posts: 1,203 Member
    If you really like sugary crap (yes I call it crap, sorry), go for crystal light or that mio stuff... at least it's less calories and you're mixing it with water.

    IF it's the 'fizz' in pop (soda, I'm Canadian), put the crystal light or mio stuff in a Perrier or Soda water... still cuts calories :)

    My only concern with crystal light is that it's a sweetner and sweetners make you crave more sugar. Stick to ONE 8oz glass for the DAY MAX.

    I am one of those lucky people that doesn't like sweet drinks and if I do, it's once a week (maybe) and I grab a coke zero - which is awful/terrible/disgusting - I know, but once a week won't kill me. If it was everyday, then I'd pack it in and just suffer and not have any. When I did like juice (many eyons ago), I would have orange juice and make sure I had 1/2 OJ and half water to dilute it.

    hope this helps!
  • bluskies01
    bluskies01 Posts: 72 Member
    Maybe try to figure out what exactly it is you're craving. Is it the fizziness or the sweet? If it's just the sweet, do you like things like Mio drops? I really like the Dasani Drops coconut/pineapple. If it's the fizz, do you like plain soda water? Or maybe you can try putting some fruits in a glass of soda water. V8 makes some sparkling juices, they're a veggie fruit mix but still taste sweet. I really liked them but I can't have carbonation of any kind. There's also things like Sobe Life Water, and there are tons of just generic flavored "sparkling" waters out there if you're not opposed to artificial sweeteners. Good luck! I gave up Coca Cola cold turkey over a month ago and I really don't miss it too much. I sometimes crave sweet drinks with my meals but that's when I use the Dasani drops, otherwise it's plain water. Anything too sweet overloads my senses now.
  • Dauntlessness
    Dauntlessness Posts: 1,489 Member
    A lot of people are against aspartame but I drink mixes with it. I hate crystal light but funny enough I love the great value version of it. The only ones I like are cherry limeade, cherry and fruit punch. I haven't tried the lemonade. The strawberry burns my throat for some reason so nope, I dont like that one. They are SUPER sweet and they don't have as bad of an aftertaste as crystal light.

    Also, I found this on pinterest
    http://www.theyummylife.com/Flavored_Water
  • KyleB65
    KyleB65 Posts: 1,196 Member
    Giving up cola was the hardest transition for me! I actually had periods of the shakes for a couple of weeks!

    I gave it up cold turkey and it took me about 3 + weeks to adjust.

    Now, I have a diet cola only when I go to a movie but this is only a few time a year.

    I drink a BIG cup of coffee every morning and green or chai tea with honey in the afternoon and evening. Aside from this it's lots of water!
  • ECR1989
    ECR1989 Posts: 158
    Thanks for all the advice! I had to say I'm not familiar with crystal lights or mio really - i'll have to look for it over here (Germany), is it a US thing?

    To be honest I think it's a mixture of the fizz and the sugar. it just gives me an energy boost and satisfies my sugar cravings. I just don't want my consumption of it to get so bad that I can never have it you know?

    So perhaps I will try diluted fresh fruit juice, and buy squashes or cordials and dilute those with sparkling water or still water as I feel. I'm guessing doing these things is way better for me than drinking 1/2 litre of sprite a day!!
  • ekaustin7
    ekaustin7 Posts: 185 Member
    Do you like tea? There are a lot of really good teas out there that you can brew cold, like a citrus green tea or passionfruit tea. There's usually instructions on the box that tell you how to brew it hot or cold... usually to make iced tea you just use two bags instead of one. That would be a great calorie-free way to get your "sweet" fix without drinking your calories, plus tea offers a lot of antioxidants so that's just an added bonus :) Hope you can find something that works for you!
  • MrsRogers2010
    MrsRogers2010 Posts: 34
    Hi, my name is Stephanie and I'm addicted to Dr. Pepper! LOL, anyway. I have found it hard to give up sugary drinks too, especially at meal time. I have been able to switch to Coke Zero for lunch, (it's not that great but as long as I drink it with food it tastes sort of like the real thing). Other than that I switched from the 12 oz cans to the 8 oz cans. They are 100 calories each. I only drink one in the morning with breakfast, and one at night with dinner. Other than that I drink a lot of water now. Used to, the only thing you would see me with was a Dr. Pepper-all day, every day. I'm hoping that by cutting down, I will eventually be able to cut them out completely. It's not a perfect plan, but no one is perfect. And it's working for me for now. And to keep myself in check, I only buy enough to last me for the week. If I do go over my daily Dr. Pepper limit (which I haven't so far) then I'm SOL until the next time I go grocery shopping. Hope that helps some. Good luck!
  • ECR1989
    ECR1989 Posts: 158
    Do you like tea? There are a lot of really good teas out there that you can brew cold, like a citrus green tea or passionfruit tea. There's usually instructions on the box that tell you how to brew it hot or cold... usually to make iced tea you just use two bags instead of one. That would be a great calorie-free way to get your "sweet" fix without drinking your calories, plus tea offers a lot of antioxidants so that's just an added bonus :) Hope you can find something that works for you!

    That's such a good idea! And I can't have my normal english cuppa anymore cos it's just not the same here in germany - so this gives me an excuse to try lots of new flavours. I discovered fennel tea last night, YUM!
  • ECR1989
    ECR1989 Posts: 158
    Hi, my name is Stephanie and I'm addicted to Dr. Pepper! LOL, anyway. I have found it hard to give up sugary drinks too, especially at meal time. I have been able to switch to Coke Zero for lunch, (it's not that great but as long as I drink it with food it tastes sort of like the real thing). Other than that I switched from the 12 oz cans to the 8 oz cans. They are 100 calories each. I only drink one in the morning with breakfast, and one at night with dinner. Other than that I drink a lot of water now. Used to, the only thing you would see me with was a Dr. Pepper-all day, every day. I'm hoping that by cutting down, I will eventually be able to cut them out completely. It's not a perfect plan, but no one is perfect. And it's working for me for now. And to keep myself in check, I only buy enough to last me for the week. If I do go over my daily Dr. Pepper limit (which I haven't so far) then I'm SOL until the next time I go grocery shopping. Hope that helps some. Good luck!

    It sounds like you're being very sensible about it! I'm the same as you, I don't think I could just go cold turkey. I'd be able to do it for a while and then just cave if I was having a bad day. I'm going to do the substitute thing with squash and fruit teas and then occasionally treat myself - but like you,only to a small can. But I know it can be a slippery slope so I'll keep an eye on it!
  • Bakkasan
    Bakkasan Posts: 1,027 Member
    Ironically sugar sodas make me gag. You can order the crystal lite online for sure just no idea on how bad shipping will be.
  • girlfromOklahoma
    girlfromOklahoma Posts: 129 Member
    Girl! I am right there with you. The few times I've decided to go ahead and have a sweet tea or a Dr. Pepper, I find it actually lifts my mood and makes me happy. I think I'm so depressed about denying myself my one true love (foodwise), that when I have one it actually makes me feel happy. I honestly think I'm as addicted to Dr. Pepper a heroine addict is to heroine. LOL OK, maybe not that bad. But close, very close.
  • strickland8052
    strickland8052 Posts: 105 Member
    What about making a rule that you have to drink X amount of water before you can drink the sprite? Set that goal of water consumption really high so by the time you are finished drinking all that water, you no longer want the sprite?

    OR what about eating a juicy fruit? A fresh orange or grapefruit with agave nectar is so refreshing after a good workout.

    I've never liked sugary drinks, but my problem was an entire bag of extra butter popcorn at like 10:30 pm! Instead of just saying "NO POPCORN!!", I made a set of rules for myself that allow popcorn under certain circumstances. Those circumstances are no extra butter popcorn... only plain popcorn with spices/seasoning on it; I have to eat 2 servings of fruit that day in order to eat popcorn so if I haven't eaten all my fruit then I have to cram an apple down before eating the popcorn (and by then I usually don't want it anymore) and finally I don't let myself eat popcorn after 9 pm. It has really helped calm my obsession with popcorn without making me feel deprived or depressed. Maybe a set of rules like that will help you? It is all about habit and once you get accustomed to a new, healthier habit then it won't be so hard. :)
  • HotAshMess
    HotAshMess Posts: 382 Member
    The fact that you're in Germany makes in a little trickier for me. Have you looked to see if they carry Sprite Zero there? I know a lot a people are against the artificial sweeteners...I probably should be, but I'm not. In the U.S....we can buy sugar free drink mixes like Crystal light, generic crystal light, Mio....but I'm sure if you go to your local food store, they'll carry some kind of sugar free drink mix. It will be in the aisle with juices, koolaid, and drink mixes. Are you a koolaid drinker? Try reducing the sugar gradually until you're using half a cup of sugar instead of a whole. I second the tea suggestion.....I really like sweet tea, so I've been playing with sweeteners like Splenda and Stevia to get the perfect sweet iced tea, but all the different flavors really help. I really like teas with a berry flavor or a vanilla flavor. Flavored sparkling water is a beautiful thing. Make spritzers with diet soda....half of a lite, sugar free juice (grape) and diet soda (sprite or 7up). You can still drink a little....check the message boards, someone will have a post about low-calorie alcohol and drinks and what to avoid. These berry vodka spritzers look good and @ 105 calories per serving wont break the back if you have one or two (though it could be better). Try switching to sugar free hot chocolate....I know it's strange, but it tastes just as good but creamier than regular hot chocolate mix. Get over sugar, switch to caffeine....a good cup of coffee with a sugar free cocoa stirred in and some milk is delicious. Or flavored coffee with sweetener and a splash of milk. Yum!
  • ECR1989
    ECR1989 Posts: 158
    Thanks for all the suggestions! It's nice to know I'm not the only one who struggles with this! I think setting conditions for myself so I can have a small amount of sprite is a good thing. i'm terrible about drinking water (unless i'm at the gym) so I'll make myself drink 2 glasses before i even go near any sprite and then see how that goes!

    And mixing it with fizzy water, or fizzy water with fruit sounds like a really good idea! I knew there were alternatives out there and I wasn't doomed to just drinking water forever :)

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