Kicking the soda habit?

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Being over weight is exhausting, especially chasing toddlers all day...how do you NOT drink soda for energy? I need to cut it out because I will never reach my healthy goals with it around. Any suggestions? Anybody know how long until cravings will be gone?

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  • queenrahming
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    I agree! I use to buy and drink alot of soda but I stopped a while now.And omitting that extra sugar really helped.So getting soda is a treat for me and my kids.it like pastry for me but to avoid it I don't buy it at all.When I feel that sugar rush I get a candy which boost good too and less calories,its just choosing the candy you like that have less calories than the soda.
  • mmmnhmr
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    I actually find I miss the fizz more than the sugar and club soda just doesn't cut it!
  • LJP1982
    LJP1982 Posts: 45 Member
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    I just miss the fizzy goodness when I quit drinking it, so I just have Sprite Zero every once in a while and it helps. I've found that cutting caffeine all together and being consistent in workouts has really helped me keep my eyes open all day, even though it is so hard at first. :smile:
  • kestie77
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    I was there! I was drinking several Mountain Dews a day, but with my second pregnancy I had Gestational Diabetes. I HAD to kick the habit. I found that having an alternate supply of caffeine is important. I found that unsweetened iced tea was the best for me. I bought a iced tea maker, and made a pitcher every morning. I added a little lemon, but that's it. If I had something easy I could grab instead, it was much easier to avoid the soda (or pop, as we say in Minnesota). I also miss the carbonation, and have found that I like some mineral waters, while others are gross. I personally like La Croix orange flavored a lot.
  • Sassywolf
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    I am trying to kick the habit for me and my family as well. I like to drink homemade lemonade or cran-water to take care of the extra rush that I want. I know it is not the same but it does seem to help me some.
  • Haley_Diane
    Haley_Diane Posts: 42 Member
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    I'm with several of you other Mamas in that I miss the carbonation when I don't drink pop. I've given up pop several times, and really didn't have much of an issue with cravings for the sweetness beyond the first few days...but I missed the bubbly goodness. When I went back and had one after not drinking pop for a while it tasted too sickeningly sweet. I don't like artificial sweeteners, so it's the "hard stuff" or nothing for me. ;-)

    I found that it's hard to find alternatives, if you don't like artificial sweeteners. There are few things to add to your water for flavor. I've tried homemade "pop" with soda and juice concentrate, but it isn't the same.

    One thing I've "tricked" myself with is keeping track of my water consumption on MFP and using a very pretty cup. Seriously, it sounds so "girly" when I say it but I have my favorite 24oz Tervis Tumbler and I tricked it out with a pink lid and handle. I also tend to drink more water when I have a straw as opposed to without.

    That being said, I definitely get my caffeine kick in the pants with my coffee in the morning. ;-)
  • NikkiC35
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    Water with lemon will give you an energy boost
  • wrenbird
    wrenbird Posts: 28 Member
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    Sodas are one of the worst nutrition habits we can have. You can break away! I did. I used to drink Cokes all the time. Way too much sugar and calories that are doing you no good - doing you harm actually. Now I drink Vitamin Water Zero, sweetened naturally with Stevia. If you need some caffeine, try the Starbucks Refreshers (also sweetened with Stevia) and are only 60 calories. They do have some sugar because they are made with fruit. They are made with green coffee beans, which are very high in antioxidants. These come in cans at some grocery stores. The Refreshers at the Starbucks stores are not sweetened with Stevia (heck knows why?), so be aware that they have more calories and sugar.
  • lorriannly
    lorriannly Posts: 37 Member
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    I used to drink regular soda, but when I started trying to lose weight I switched to diet. Then sort of weaned myself off by only having it with dinner. Now I will have coffee with my breakfast and water throughout the day. Just sort of gotten used to it.
  • wrenbird
    wrenbird Posts: 28 Member
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    Got this from fitnessmagazine.com

    Dump Your Diet Soda Addiction

    Think you aren't addicted? Think again. When French researchers hooked rats on cocaine and then gave the critters a choice between a cocaine fix or a nibble of saccharine (a popular diet drink sweetener), most went for the saccharine. And the drug of choice comes with its own set of side effects: In a 2011 study from the School of Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, participants who averaged two diet sodas a day over about nine years experienced an increase in waist circumference five times greater than those who didn't drink diet sodas. Why? To your body, consuming artificial sweeteners is like hitting the accelerator with no gas. Your brain gets let down when the sweet stuff has zero energy to offer, and makes you crave -- and eat -- more food (especially sweets) throughout the day, says Grotto.
  • Shanni827
    Shanni827 Posts: 76 Member
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    I have been a Coke addict (coca-cola) forever until recently. It took me about 2 months to kick my habit and I use to drink about 5 a day. To kick it I stopped buying it at home and stopped bringing cash/change to work. If I bought soda then I bought something I hated to drink like Sprite. I weaned myself cutting down to 1 soda a day and then by trying to drink Coke Zero, but didn't really like the taste. For caffeine boost I used tea with Stevia to sweeten. My cravings went away after about a month and a half. Now I can take or leave a coke. If I get a coke it's a fountain drink and not a 2 liter coming home with me. It's so easy to fall back into the soda ring! Good luck to you!
  • Jessm130
    Jessm130 Posts: 9 Member
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    Oh i am so bad with this!!! when i dont have it i feel great.. but as soon as i have some its like i want it all the time! and i feel icky when i drink soda!!! I love tea but really only sweet tea, not a big fan of coffee unless im SUPER tired and its SUPER sweet! guess the best thing is just not to buy it!
  • Shanni827
    Shanni827 Posts: 76 Member
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    That's probably the best thing at least until you get your addiction under control! lol :)
  • Morgie87
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    I have the same problem with root beer soda. I cant have caffine right now since I'm breastfeeding and caffine bothers my son, but root beer doesn't have caffine so I've been drinking it. I'm slowly cutting down how much I drink and hope to have the habit kicked by next month. I don't like teas so I'm trying to find something to replace my soda. I use to drink a 2 liter every 2-3 days, now I drink one in about 2 weeks, it goes flat before I finish it.
  • erinmaryz
    erinmaryz Posts: 4 Member
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    So how long does it take. before the cravings go away? I have a 16 month old who refuses to sleep and then I wake up and it's off to instruct a classroom full of crazy 4th graders all day. I NEED caffeine! I drink about 2-3 cups of coffee in the morning but I've ALWAYS loved soda (just ask my dentist) and I miss it so much when I don't have it! I hear the cravings go away, but I don't think I've ever made it that long...
  • kestie77
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    I don't think I can say that I truly kicked my habit, but I have gotten it much more under control. I drank 2-3 cans of Mounain Dew a day, and now I allow myself one a month. Allowing myself that one lets me have it when I really feel I need it. I can be having a bad day , or have a sore throat or whatever. But, once I had January's, I'm done. I only cheated once last year (two in October). That helps me.