Kicking The Soda Habit

quinl1lr
quinl1lr Posts: 11 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi Everybody,

I've been doing this whole weight loss thing for a while, but I've finally decided to become serious. So one of the thing I've really tried to give up is pop (soda, coke, whatever you want to call it). I've gotten down to just drinking Low Carb Monsters and an occasional Mt Dew (yes I love my caffeine and that's on the list of things I need to cut down on, but one step at a time).

So, all in all, I'm looking to see what people suggest is the best way or how they kicked the bubbly, sugary goodness.

Thanks,
Lauren
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Replies

  • Superbritt2drescu
    Superbritt2drescu Posts: 273 Member
    I had been drinking coke for over 15 years. At minimum a can a day, sometimes several two liters a day. I decided last winter to just throw it out. I never bought another. I went the cold turkey route. I haven't had one since and after a couple weeks never craved/wanted one again.
  • nicheven
    nicheven Posts: 77 Member
    I switched to Ice tea that I brew at home, and gradually added less and less sugar until I can now go out and have the unsweetened tea without issue. It was hard but now I'm drinking mainly water and I will have ice tea when I go out. Lots of wasted calories and chemicals in soda, and once I looked at what I was drinking every day it was shocking. I will still have a soda now and again when I go out, but its more my treat and only maybe once every 2-3 weeks. I do promise it gets easier once you have been off it awhile. You will go through some deprivation for a little bit but then you won't crave it. Sometimes now I find myself having a sweet tea or soda and thinking to myself that it is way too sweet and the carbonation bothers my stomach, so why do i bother!?!?
  • Matt120182
    Matt120182 Posts: 6
    I love fizzy drinks, I've switched to Coke Zero/Pepsi Max etc I know its still not great for my teeth or Caffeine intake, but it doesn't add to my calorie intake for the day.
  • Krissy366
    Krissy366 Posts: 458 Member
    I quit cold turkey in March, and didn't let myself have any until July 4th (when I had a Mountain Dew on my birthday). It was HARD, but after a couple weeks it got a lot easier. Since having the Dew on the 4th (which wasn't as good as I used to think), I've had a few sodas - once after a bad night of sleep and needing a little caffeine spark, and once because it was a interesting flavored soda. I've found I actually can have an occasional now, if I want one for some reason, without it making me feel like I need to have more. I primarily just drink water, with an occasional lemonade.
  • MTBrob
    MTBrob Posts: 513 Member
    All you gals and guys sound like smokers trying to quit....


    What helped me was crystal light and flavored water drink mixes.. not as good as plain jane water but they can be better than soda. I had a coke zero forthe first time in 6 months this past weekend and I couldn't drink it.. YUCK .. tossed it out.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    Switch to diet soda.
  • emjaful
    emjaful Posts: 19
    I drank a lot of fizzy drinks. I worked out that some days I was having more than my daily amount of calories in fizzy drinks alone! I've switched to diet versions now and am slowly cutting down and just having water and occasional fruit juice.

    I am actually finding it harder to stop the drinks than I did to quit smoking.

    Probably says a lot right?

    Good luck everyone
  • Cliffslosinit
    Cliffslosinit Posts: 5,044 Member
    Switch to diet soda.

    I add NutraSweet or Equal to mine. make it better and sweeter.

    Edit...I add real sugar if I have room in my calories.
  • maryleemcd
    maryleemcd Posts: 4
    Diet sodas are BAD for you. You should stay of away from chemicals in general. I would suggest cold turkey. Your body is going to go through the sugar and/or caffeine withdrawals regardless of how you do it. But the quicker you can get it out of your system the easier you'll be able to get over the craving. Good luck. It's probably as hard as cigarettes to break.
  • drmerc
    drmerc Posts: 2,603 Member
    Diet sodas are BAD for you. You should stay of away from chemicals in general. I would suggest cold turkey. Your body is going to go through the sugar and/or caffeine withdrawals regardless of how you do it. But the quicker you can get it out of your system the easier you'll be able to get over the craving. Good luck. It's probably as hard as cigarettes to break.

    If you stay away from chemicals won't you die of dehydration?
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    Diet sodas are BAD for you.

    Now tell me why.
    Additionally, tell me what dosage of diet soda is bad for you, so that we're not just making up stories.
  • DontStopB_Leakin
    DontStopB_Leakin Posts: 3,863 Member
    I like to add sugar to my diet soda. Or high fructose corn syrup. YUM!
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
    Love my Cherry Coke Zero! :drinker:
  • KateCon912
    KateCon912 Posts: 200 Member
    I quit cold turkey about a year and a half ago.. and I haven't looked back! I can't drink anything with fizz now, it makes me feel disgusting. The thought of soda turns me off. I found it easy to quit.. and I used to drink about 2-3 cans a day.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    Cherry coke zero, Vanilla Coke Zero, Diet vanilla cherry Dr. Pepper, Red Bull Zero.... wait... what was i supposed to suggest? *drool*
  • Cliffslosinit
    Cliffslosinit Posts: 5,044 Member
    I like to add sugar to my diet soda. Or high fructose corn syrup. YUM!

    She is a copy-cat. I'm older and been doing it longer. Oh and I put peanuts in my Coca-Cola...BAM!!!
  • adnol_2
    adnol_2 Posts: 35 Member
    I used to drink at least a 2 liter bottle of diet coke a day, if not more. I am now down to a 12 oz bottle. I now drink carbonated water. I think it was the carbonation that I craved not the soda.
  • MTBrob
    MTBrob Posts: 513 Member
    I like to add sugar to my diet soda. Or high fructose corn syrup. YUM!

    She is a copy-cat. I'm older and been doing it longer. Oh and I put peanuts in my Coca-Cola...BAM!!!

    I DRINK MY DR. PEPPER HOT AND ONLY FOR MEDICINAL PURPOSES .......BAM!!!
  • DontStopB_Leakin
    DontStopB_Leakin Posts: 3,863 Member
    I like to add sugar to my diet soda. Or high fructose corn syrup. YUM!

    She is a copy-cat. I'm older and been doing it longer. Oh and I put peanuts in my Coca-Cola...BAM!!!

    I DRINK MY DR. PEPPER HOT AND ONLY FOR MEDICINAL PURPOSES .......BAM!!!
    Losers. I drink corn syrup straight from the bottle. Dr. Oz said it was better than all that sugar free junk.
    As long as I get my raspberry ketones, I won't gain a pound.
  • Cliffslosinit
    Cliffslosinit Posts: 5,044 Member
    I like to add sugar to my diet soda. Or high fructose corn syrup. YUM!

    She is a copy-cat. I'm older and been doing it longer. Oh and I put peanuts in my Coca-Cola...BAM!!!

    I DRINK MY DR. PEPPER HOT AND ONLY FOR MEDICINAL PURPOSES .......BAM!!!
    Losers. I drink corn syrup straight from the bottle. Dr. Oz said it was better than all that sugar free junk.
    As long as I get my raspberry ketones, I won't gain a pound.

    Light or dark corn syrup? Oh and Dr. Oz like my peanuts...just sayin'
    I send out Raspberry Ketones as Christmas gifts.
  • marc8686
    marc8686 Posts: 199 Member
    Step 1: Get pissed off about being controlled by an "addiction" to your problem food
    Step 2: Get disgusted with yourself for not being able to say "no" to said food
    Step 3: Say "no" every time you want it

    Do 1 and 2 in whichever order you want, and do 3 consistently long enough....and it gets easier. january 1st 2012 i swore off soda, candy, ice cream, chocolate, cookies, fried food, etc for the whole year. sucked at first but its now really not that difficult. more info about that on my profile :)
  • sweetyedie
    sweetyedie Posts: 104 Member
    Why are diet soda's bad for you? Drank diet soda for YEARS. Had leg cramps and other symptoms. After reading an article on the effects of nutrisweet and having many of the symptoms I stopped drinking diet pop. Never did see a physician but all those symptoms and pains eventually went away. I have a sister that could not lose till she cut out soda's altogether.
  • draco706
    draco706 Posts: 174 Member
    I did it with IZZE. Its pure fruit juice and sparkling water. The juice gives you the sugary kick of soda and the sparkling water the fizzy goodness. I like the blackberry, its 90cal/8.4oz. can other flavors differ a bit.. They have apple, clementine and other flavors. Costco has a 24 pack that was $12 on sale last time I was there. :drinker:
  • marc8686
    marc8686 Posts: 199 Member
    when i first started kicking the soda, i was drinking flavored sparkling water, it tastes like fruit flavored soda, gets the carbonation craving out of your system, and 0 calories, carbs, sugar, etc.
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
    I just stopped buying it.

    No, really, that's all I did. Then I drank more water and took some Excedrin during the first few days to get over the caffeine headaches. (Excedrin has a small bit of caffeine in it so I found it the most effective)

    I also stopped drinking pretty much anything that wasn't water around the same time. I'll have the occasional iced tea or green tea and I have a soda three to four times a year (almost always a Cherry RC Cola, since it's my favorite, but I've also been known to have an Abita Root Beer instead).
  • tsh0ck
    tsh0ck Posts: 1,970 Member
    Switch to diet soda.

    this is the correct answer. diet mtn dew tasted horrid while I was still drinking the real stuff. now? I don't mind it much at all, though prefer the diet version of dr pepper.
  • danaweston
    danaweston Posts: 82
    Diet soda and real soda are bad for you because the Phosphoric Acid in the soda will destroy your teeth. I work in a dental office and I have seen first hand the terrible damage it can do.. It's the same stuff they clean swimming pools with.
    no joke
  • quinl1lr
    quinl1lr Posts: 11 Member
    Wow, thanks for all suggestions. So far I have stopped buying pop and switched to sparkling mineral water (which I add Pom or lemon juice to). I still have a hard time in the morning saying no to the Monster Absolute Zero my dad religiously buys me. I have been better this week and 2/3 times asked for just a water instead.

    For all those who did this cold turkey, you're amazing and I wish I had your will power. I'll probably end up just sticking to fizzy waters with crystal light or Izzy.

    To all those who drink diet soda, I will confess that I do drink low-carb and zero Monsters, but I have had 4 people in my life drink diet coke like it was an addiction and 3/4 were all obese. 2/3 did kick the habit and lost 50LB+. Correlation does not mean causation, but still those are packed with a whole heck of a lot of junk that our bodies are not actually made to process. **I'll step down from my soap box now**

    Good luck to everybody on their weight loss journeys
  • coasterwiggs
    coasterwiggs Posts: 4 Member
    I am in the process of kicking the diet soda habit. I used to drink 4 per day. For the last 2 weeks I have cut back to 2 per day. Next I will cut back to 1 per day for 2 weeks. Then I will stop. I decided that cutting back over 4 weeks would be easier on my body than quitting cold turkey. So far its working.
  • dg8388
    dg8388 Posts: 4 Member
    I too have a pop addiction and I deal with it by drinking fountain Coke or Pepsi and packing the 32oz cup with ice. Then I add whatever amount of pop fits. It waters it down quite bit, and I end up with sugar water near the end. I also have never been able to finish one off completely.

    Quitting pop all together is one of my goals and since I am currently working on exercise, it will have to wait until I master that. I cannot stand sugar substitutes so switching to diet is not an option for me.

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