Help! Need some good tips for kicking the soda habit

SkullMama73
SkullMama73 Posts: 33
in Health and Weight Loss
I can eat healthy foods every day but I need to have soda. Since starting MFP, I've cut down considerably but there are days where I just want to drink a whole bottle of cola. I know it's bad for me, i know it's excess sugar calories, but this is the one bad habit I can't seem to remove from my diet. I drink plenty of water throughout the day and try to limit myself to just one glass of soda, but some days are harder than others. I can't stand diet soda and I'd rather have real sugar than artificial sweetener. Anyone have any tips on how to wean myself off of soda? Any help is appreciated:smile:
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Replies

  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
    Switch to Diet, no Calories.. Other than that, if you don't buy it you can't drink it.. If you restrict yourself from something that you want long enough, you will binge on it.. If you can't have diet, and you want to stop drinking soda.. then stop.. If your serious about losing weight, then will yourself into stopping.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Just quit. It's called willpower, either you want to or you don't, there's no trick.
  • Rodap9631
    Rodap9631 Posts: 38 Member
    try the cut dowm strategy
    ie full bottle 6 fays 3/4 botttle 6 days 1/2 bottle six days etc
  • khowlett1
    khowlett1 Posts: 41 Member
    I used to be the same way girl... for me i found that using the water mixers... like crystal lite or something similar helped me more than anything. It did take some time to kick the habbit completely but I did finally do it!!!
  • danwood2
    danwood2 Posts: 291 Member
    I was a diet coke fiend. I could drink an ungodly amount of soda a day - 3 24oz bottles at work daily... and a 12 pack of cans at home wouldn't last more than 2 days. To help kick our habit at home, I stopped buying any form of soda. Instead, we bought a 1 gallon pitcher and started brewing sweet tea... then gradually backed off the sweetner until it was unsweetened tea. After a while, we started preferring water more so than the iced tea. Now, I can hammer down water like no-one's business - it has helped on our weekly budget and if I need a pick-me-up - I take my water bottle, add some ice, and put in a couple shots of MIO energy water enhancer.
  • Ladiebug710
    Ladiebug710 Posts: 133 Member
    You might want to try a diet version of soda that you dont drink the regular. So if you like coke, dont drink diet coke try diet dr pepper or diet pepsi etc. I think the same thing works for salad dressing. I love ranch, but diet ranch makes me angry!
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    Don't buy it. Doesn't get simpler.
  • SkullMama73
    SkullMama73 Posts: 33
    Just quit. It's called willpower, either you want to or you don't, there's no trick.

    No nonsense approach, I agree.
  • SkullMama73
    SkullMama73 Posts: 33
    Thanks everyone. I just have to stop buying it, I know that. Out of sight, out of mind, I hope. A bad habit can be hard to break, but I am determined. I've come too far to continue to hold onto old habits. Luckily, since drinking more water, I now crave it to the point where I'm drinking anywhere from 8 to 12 cups of water a day.
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
    Seltzer? It's nice and refreshing, has no sugar, and the taste doesn't disappoint like diet does.
  • maypospanky
    maypospanky Posts: 6 Member
    Same problem here. The way I did it was to force myself to drink a glass of water before having any soda. I found out that I was pretty much just thirsty and could slam a can of Mountain Dew in about 10 seconds. Now I quench my thirst with water and if I want to continue on to a soda, I actually take time to enjoy the actual taste.

    Like you, I hate the taste of most diet soda. What I found out is that the rush of sugar flavor is what I was really looking for. So, I found DaVinci sugar free syrups. They are made with Splenda and are pretty darn good. Generally made for coffee flavoring, they do have fruit flavors (cherry is my favorite). Depending on the sugar rush taste I need I add 1 or 2 ounces to a glass of ice water and it blows away the sugar craving for no calories. You can really concentrate the flavor with these syrups - even stronger than sugar or diet soda if you want to move to a higher syrup concentration.

    I know it is winter, but I found another slow down for myself. The DaVinci syrups are really good over shaved ice. I found a little Hawaiin Ice shaver that basically shaves snow cone type ice into a cup. Pour a some of the syrup over the ice and with a spoon you can really keep yourself busy for some time eating something that tastes pretty sweet.

    Hope this helps and keep up the fight.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    Don't drink it.

    In the end, it is you making the decision to buy it, making the decision to open it, making the decision to drink it. No one or thing in this world takes over your body and forces this upon you.

    It is tough to resist temptation sure, but it is not impossible.
  • DTorres2282
    DTorres2282 Posts: 242
    I had this same problem and I started to drink Crystal light, it comes in many different flavors and tastes great.
  • faireplay
    faireplay Posts: 126
    Carbonated water with a splash of real juice...from a health stand point you are no better off drinking diet than regular. It's all a chemical sh*tstorm.
  • KathyRed07
    KathyRed07 Posts: 75
    My addiction was not soda - but Arizona green tea...and @17 grams of sugar per serving (and the bottle says 5 servings (!) I was taking in wayyyyy more sugar then I should! (I could drink a couple of bottles a day!) I got myself in the habit of keeping a water bottle in front of me - with alittle crystal light in it and THAT is what I would grab.....now thats all I drink (besides my coffee)

    You will feel SO much better once you beat the habit!! and be much healthier for it! GOOD LUCK!
  • splitdog79
    splitdog79 Posts: 106 Member
    I drink a fair amount of diet soda. The science seems pretty inconclusive as to any negative effects to my layman's understanding. That being said, I've found that unless I'm very vigilant that it re-conditions me to desire sweet tastes, so take that anecdote as you will.

    As was recommended, perhaps try seltzer? I'm becoming quite fond of a nice cup of green tea. I'm in love with this blueberry and acai green tea that I found.
  • ewells2420
    ewells2420 Posts: 75
    Just quit. It's called willpower, either you want to or you don't, there's no trick.

    Beat me to it lol. I did it as of 2 weeks ago. Either you want to lose weight badly enough to completely change or you dont. Ive tried a few times but wasnt dedicated enough until just now to seriously start losing weight.
  • kristen6022
    kristen6022 Posts: 1,923 Member
    Cold Turkey. Willpower. Really the ONLY way. Haven't had a soda in 3 years diet or regular...
  • dcat4563
    dcat4563 Posts: 33 Member
    I preferred coke, then wanted to cut back once I joined MFP because of the calories. I had to go cold turkey, or i'd just want more! After a couple weeks of not having any I got a small coke at a restaurant and it was like crack. I craved it again for days. Told myself no more. That has been a few months now and I think I've kicked the habit. Went to a party for a family member the other night. I grabbed something to eat and without thinking about it grabbed a coke. it was delicious, don't get me wrong, but I didn't even drink it all, and I wasn't dying to have one the next day.
    point is, it seems much easier to just quit and get it over with than to try to cut back...
    I now drink mostly unsweet tea, water, with occassional Diet DP, milk, OJ
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Just quit. You will feel like crap for a few days, but after that you won't miss it. I used to drink it every day, but I went cold turkey. I quit that and the french fries I used to eat 5 days a week and I lost 15 pounds in 2 months, just by quitting that. I replaced the cola with unsweetened iced tea.

    Editing to add: I wasn't exercising then either, just those two changes in my diet cause the 15 pound loss.
  • tonya_2010
    tonya_2010 Posts: 97 Member
    I am working on kicking the habit as well. Some days are harder than others. I have found that allowing myself to use crystal light in my water once daily does help. Also, research EVERY ingredient in the soda you drink. I think once you see the nasty stuff in it, you may want it less.
  • FORKDOWN
    FORKDOWN Posts: 1,754
    I struggle big time with soda and I am currently battling limiting and eliminating soda. I have been using the crystal light packets and also a Lemonade/tea mix that you add to a bottled water. There are days where water is just enough, there are days where flavoring the water is enough, then there are the days where I crave soda so bad. Thanks for posting this question.

    "Willpower" sounds like such an easy answer but breaking the soda habit is breaking an addiction.
  • marykjenks
    marykjenks Posts: 1 Member
    Dilute it: 1st day, add 2 oz of water-drink it that way for a few days, then dilute with 4 oz of water, etc. Eventually the actual amount of pop to water ratio makes it easier to quit. Part of it is the sugar rush, part is the taste, part is the caffeine. All are very real effects on your body. By diluting, decreasing the amount of "real pop" you can wean off without the nasty fatigue and massive headaches that go with less sugar and caffeine. It works. Also try buying smaller container: they have the really cute 8 oz. Buy just that, dilute it and you will quit! I did it...you can too.
  • Mathguy1
    Mathguy1 Posts: 207 Member
    For me, back when I weighed 235, I switched from regular to diet soda (to get rid of the extra calories). I selected diet cherry coke (I think it's now called cherry coke zero), and diet sierra mist (tasted most like the regular stuff). Once I got "used" to the aftertaste, and began walking, I was able to lose weight (easy to drop 300-400 calories a day from meals when switching from regular to diet).

    Unfortunately, drinking diet soda made me feel bloated and didn't curb my sweet tooth (which was part of the reason why I remained at 205).

    Once I joined MFP, I quit drinking diet soda (except if I have pizza) and eating a healthier nutrition plan, I have lost most of my stomach (I was skinny fat the last time I dropped down to 172 and it was due to poor nutrition choices which included drinking diet soda).

    My advice, switch to diet soda (buy a variety of single cans to help determine which you prefer to drink), that'll help remove the extra calories. Then, after a while, switch to water. Giving up caffeine (i'm guessing it's all the other crap in diet soda that makes it so unhealthy), like any drug, can be difficult as one's body may become addicted.

    Before all of the diet soda drinkers chime in, I understand that many drink it and have no ill effects from drinking it. To them, I say you are adults and can choose to consume whatever food you want. For ME, drinking diet soda contributed to being and feeling bloated as well as my additional cravings for sweets. That's why I dont drink it anymore.
  • katekross
    katekross Posts: 463 Member
    http://www.projectswole.com/diet/20-reasons-to-never-drink-soda-or-diet-soda-again/
    this should help :) Worked for me!!
  • SkullMama73
    SkullMama73 Posts: 33
    Don't drink it.

    In the end, it is you making the decision to buy it, making the decision to open it, making the decision to drink it. No one or thing in this world takes over your body and forces this upon you.

    It is tough to resist temptation sure, but it is not impossible.

    Abso-freaking-lutely. I've always said I'm the only one who can take control of my eating habits.
  • SkullMama73
    SkullMama73 Posts: 33
    http://www.projectswole.com/diet/20-reasons-to-never-drink-soda-or-diet-soda-again/
    this should help :) Worked for me!!

    Great! I just printed that bad boy out and stuck it on my fridge.
  • hughtwalker
    hughtwalker Posts: 2,213 Member
    just save your money and save your teeth - drink water (out of the tap - and do try not to think about who drank it before you)
  • Belinda658
    Belinda658 Posts: 181 Member
    Don't drink it.

    In the end, it is you making the decision to buy it, making the decision to open it, making the decision to drink it. No one or thing in this world takes over your body and forces this upon you.

    It is tough to resist temptation sure, but it is not impossible.

    Abso-freaking-lutely. I've always said I'm the only one who can take control of my eating habits.

    This. You DO have control over your habits
  • freckles_cmj
    freckles_cmj Posts: 205 Member
    I was addicted to coke zero in a serious way! I started buying flavored seltzer water, calorie, sodium, sweetener free and it fills the craving for a bubbly drink without the chemicals.

    I still have a case of coke zero in the garage..its been sitting there un-touched for 3 months!

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