Help! Need some good tips for kicking the soda habit

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Replies

  • altasacra
    altasacra Posts: 2 Member
    I haven't had any soda (except one diet Pepsi, we'll get to that later) since I started my most recent weight-loss journey two months ago. I used to drink regular Coca-Cola almost every day before. Now, I always make sure that I have several bottles of S. Pellegrino sparkling mineral water on hand, and lots of citrus (lemon and limes) and I just don't buy soda under any circumstances. It isn't worth it. When I think of how much exercise I need to do just to burn off a coke, I never choose to drink it. My go-to drink when I get home from work is S. Pellegrino and some freshly sliced/squeezed lemon or lime. The sparkling component covers at least the sensory experience of drinking a carbonated beverage, which is half the battle. I was craving Cola last week and my assistant was running out to grab lunch so I told her to pick me up something diet. After two months of caramel-colored deprivation, the diet Pepsi from Taco Bell that she brought me just tasted gross. Now, I have a negative image of soda in my mind, and it's working for me =)
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
    Have you tried Dasani sensations? Not sure if they sell it everywhere but it's fizzy water with fruit flavors and I swear it tastes just like soda, and it has only like 5 cals!

    Overall though, just stop buying it. I used to drink 1-2 cans of soda a day just because my parents kept it in the house. Now I live on my own and I have soda maybe once a month at a restaurant or something. I just don't keep it around.
  • Alicia7519
    Alicia7519 Posts: 160
    I drank 3-4 cans of Coke or Pepsi a day. When I ate at fast food restaurants, I would always order a huge Coke or Pepsi and had no problems finishing it. I always had a Coke for breakfast. I thought I would be unable to stop drinking sodas but when I started logging my food intake, I noticed how many calories worth of soft drinks I was swilling. It took me about three weeks to stop drinking Cokes. I started cutting back little by little. Now I will drink a Coke a week if I eat at a restaurant. I have a hard time drinking fountain Cokes because they are too sweet. I don't like the taste of diet drinks at all. What I drink now is LaCroix carbonated drinks. These taste okay.
  • maqsmj
    maqsmj Posts: 697
    nothing wrong with zero calories soda just to let you know, enjoy it :)
  • jjefferies7
    jjefferies7 Posts: 120
    because soda directly causes obesity :noway: .... just fit it into your diet if you want it.....
  • Sylkwyrm
    Sylkwyrm Posts: 75 Member
    Try non-sweetened flavored sparkling water. Yum! http://www.lacroixwater.com/
  • velmaisvelma
    velmaisvelma Posts: 90 Member
    I WAS a diet coke addict. it literally took me cold-turkeying out, and buying no more soda's.
    Instead, I bought water, by the cases. When I ate, I HAD to drink SOMETHING, water was all I had.
    Occasionally, when I go out, I get a diet coke, but that is few and far between.

    Good luck!

    PS: My weight loss SPED up after quitting sodas. Even though there's no calories, the sugaring system, does delay things...
  • cyclingben
    cyclingben Posts: 346 Member
    Ice Cold Tea with Honey has helped me alot. I use to be a Dr. Pepper junkie now i keep tea on hand at work and at home when i dont want just water.
  • eatyourselffitter
    eatyourselffitter Posts: 42 Member
    Years back I switched from regular to diet. For the last couple of years I only buy seltzer water (No artificial fake sweeteners, etc in it) You can find it lots of flavors, Safeway carries a few kinds and there's Talking Rain, etc. We're so used to it we don't miss soda at all. It may take some getting used to taste-wise but you'll love the ZERO calories. You can squeeze fresh lime for added flavor as well!
  • lvtruu1
    lvtruu1 Posts: 211 Member
    I WAS a diet coke addict. it literally took me cold-turkeying out, and buying no more soda's.
    Instead, I bought water, by the cases. When I ate, I HAD to drink SOMETHING, water was all I had.
    Occasionally, when I go out, I get a diet coke, but that is few and far between.

    Good luck!

    PS: My weight loss SPED up after quitting sodas. Even though there's no calories, the sugaring system, does delay things...

    That is pure crap. 0 calories is 0 calories. You system doesn't speed up or slow down from 0 calories. diet coke is 99+% water as are all 0 calorie beverages.
  • Tsunami79
    Tsunami79 Posts: 122 Member
    I used to drink mt. dew and sprite constantly, then I switched to coke zero, and for some reason only drank one a day. I got tired of it so, I went through other diet sodas to find one that did not have that artificial flavor to it.

    Now I drink diet cherry 7up it is all natural, and it does not have that artificial taste, and I still only drink it once a day.

    You need to just make up your mind, either find a diet soda you like, or just quite.
  • jessicamcguire_
    jessicamcguire_ Posts: 2
    Greenrun, I know you think you're doing good by suggesting diet, but "diet" anything often replaces sugar with harmful chemicals, such as asparthame which come with a plethora of undesirable, long-term side effects (alzheimer's being one of them). An interesting thing to note is that sweeteners companies have a tough time getting insured for the very fact that they have so many lawsuits against them for this very reason.

    Now going back to the question. I would not, by any means suggest any soda sweetened by anything unnatural. There is a a sweetener called stevia, which is as natural as you can get and doesn't have the same insulin effect as the other sugars.

    The best suggestion I would have, however, is to switch your existing habit with another, healthier one. Instead of reaching for a coke, why not have a juice and add sparkling water to it to give you the "fizzy sensation"? And from there, you can reduce the amount of juice until you are down to the sparkling water with some lemon or lime, adding some stevia for sweetness' sake.

    Another suggestion I have is to supplement your habit with either coconut water, or coconut milk. They are to die for! MMMMMMM

    :)

    Jess
  • lvtruu1
    lvtruu1 Posts: 211 Member
    Greenrun, I know you think you're doing good by suggesting diet, but "diet" anything often replaces sugar with harmful chemicals, such as asparthame which come with a plethora of undesirable, long-term side effects (alzheimer's being one of them). An interesting thing to note is that sweeteners companies have a tough time getting insured for the very fact that they have so many lawsuits against them for this very reason.

    Now going back to the question. I would not, by any means suggest any soda sweetened by anything unnatural. There is a a sweetener called stevia, which is as natural as you can get and doesn't have the same insulin effect as the other sugars.

    The best suggestion I would have, however, is to switch your existing habit with another, healthier one. Instead of reaching for a coke, why not have a juice and add sparkling water to it to give you the "fizzy sensation"? And from there, you can reduce the amount of juice until you are down to the sparkling water with some lemon or lime, adding some stevia for sweetness' sake.

    Another suggestion I have is to supplement your habit with either coconut water, or coconut milk. They are to die for! MMMMMMM

    :)

    Jess

    Where do you get this stuff? There is NO proven science behind what you suggest. NONE.
  • love22step
    love22step Posts: 1,103 Member
    I agree with not buying soda (same thing with junk food). I carry a mug of iced tea or water everywhere I go. I like to add stevia to tea, but most of my family members drink unsweetened tea. Even if you add real sugar, you can use a lot less sugar than sodas contain. Filtered water or tea brewed at home is cheaper than sodas, too.
  • Wishing_4_Wings
    Wishing_4_Wings Posts: 20 Member
    I find that if I dont have it right next to me, I can make it last, try taking a few sips of a can rather than bottle and putting it in the fridge, if its not right beside you, you wont be drinking it quickly, and 'suddenly realize your out' and try to drink it early of the morning, I've heard it helps to have it earlier than later, I know what you mean by the diet deal, I can't stand them either. But yea, save yourself some cash and 'forget' to buy you a bottle or pack if the fridge thing dont work. :smile:
  • Glassblaster
    Glassblaster Posts: 23
    I quit by using Walmart's Clear American Water. I prefer the raspberry flavor. :flowerforyou: It has the carbonation which is something I craved.
  • Xenophonica
    Xenophonica Posts: 79 Member
    I'm kicking my habit as well. Complete diet coke/diet dr. pepper addict here :(

    But...I am also a tea addict. The caffeine in soda is not really what I was craving more so just the bubbly aspect.

    I drink a lot of tea, flavored waters, and the occasional sparkling water (when I say occasional I mean maybe once a month or so)

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