I WANT A SODA

melissaka7
melissaka7 Posts: 277 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I gave up soda in May & have just been drinking water & sparkling water. Pretty much nothing with caffeine (sp?). I had a diet A&W root beer the other day because, well, I was at A&W. But that was the ONLY soda I've had since May.

I know having one soda isn't going to set back everything I've been done, but I have an addictive personality & diet coke/diet dr pepper used to be my one vice.

I am trying to decide if it's okay to have ONE CAN of soda today to get it out of my system or just deal with the craving. And YES, I want honest answers from people in similar situations.
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Replies

  • diamondfit1
    diamondfit1 Posts: 47 Member
    dont do it. Its a slippery slope! Trust me, I know!
  • Jewelsfla
    Jewelsfla Posts: 41 Member
    Distract yourself for 15 min. If you still really want one, ,my suggestion is to have one can of full-sugar soda (not diet) and work it into your daily calories. You will be much more satisfied with just one coke then you will be with a diet...

    I always tend to drink only half a can because it's so sweet, but it does the trick if you are craving it. If you ignore a craving that doesn't go away after 15 min. being distracted, you could end up feeling resentful and eating crap later.
  • rainunrefined
    rainunrefined Posts: 850 Member
    In my opinion, just have a soda. Log it and move on. I've found if I deprive myself, I just binge later on other crap that is even worse for me. Chances are that soda won't even taste as good as it used to because it's been so long.
  • dalildevil
    dalildevil Posts: 55 Member
    Speaking for myself, I find that if I'm craving something it's better for me to give in to that craving because if I substitute with something else I always tend to end up having what I was craving in the first place anyway.

    I think if you have your one can of soda it will get that craving out of your system and you'll be able to move on.

    Don't beat yourself up when you crave the things you like. As long as you stay within your macros you're still going to keep losing.

    Hope this helps

    V. :-)
  • TdaniT
    TdaniT Posts: 331 Member
    If you can fit it into your allotted calories, don't deny yourself. For me, I was addicted to soda. So I can't even have that one. Every now and again I will take a swallow of my son's at dinner. But that is on rare occasions and it is just one swallow....
  • BarbellBlondieRuns
    BarbellBlondieRuns Posts: 511 Member
    Artificial sweeteners confuse your body and make it store fat. Have a can of regular pop if you want one. I have a can of coke every day! It makes me happy :)
  • Gel_W
    Gel_W Posts: 20
    I'd say just drink your pop. Or you're gonna over compensate in something similar but still won't be what you actually want.

    But, I find that when I get a craving, it just doesn't go till I've had whatever it may be.
  • lindastearns562
    lindastearns562 Posts: 2 Member
    I gave up soda in January, and I do quite well with just having a diet root beer or diet orange pop every once in a while to kill my craving for pop. The few times I have allowed myself to have Diet Coke or Diet Mtn Dew, I have regreted it and have kept craving them.
    Honestly, I would say stick to the sparkling water and stay away from the soda. I feel better, have lost more weight and have not had any cavities since I decided to stay away.
    Good Luck!!!
  • Lyerin
    Lyerin Posts: 818 Member
    If you want a soda, have a soda. Work it into your calories and move on. You are giving your desire for a soda way too much power - just drink the soda and go about your day.
  • mattswint2
    mattswint2 Posts: 1 Member
    I love Dr Pepper and would usually drink a 12oz can every other day and just about every time I went out for lunch or something. But after having quit with the soft drinks about a week ago, I've been craving-free. I do drink two cups of black coffee every morning though, so maybe that's enough to keep my caffeine cravings at bay.

    But to answer your question, I don't think it would do too much hurt to have a can of soda every now and again. As with most everything, it's a lot to do with portion control. Have your soda; just don't have too much of it.
  • softwind
    softwind Posts: 580 Member
    You might be able to. It's a tough choice though.
    I quit soda a couple years ago, cold turkey. For 2 full months I craved one constantly. I did not give up caffeine though, and drank coffee and tea. So I switched to tea and water/sparkling water.
    I now have added some back in, never diet, and only fountain drinks. I no longer seem to like it out of a bottle or can.
    Lately though, I have felt like I was having too much, so it's time to cut it out again.
    If you really want it, have a couple sips and put it away. Then if you still want it, you will know.
  • laceynwilliams
    laceynwilliams Posts: 27 Member
    If you have the calories available, I don't think it's so bad to have one can of soda.

    However, I've recently discovered that the cans of flavored sparkling water really kill the soda cravings I get. No caffeine, no calories, no artificial sweeteners, just carbonated water and citric acid. You may be able to find something like this in your grocery store: http://www.lacroixwater.com/ Give them a shot!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Normally I would say yes, have the soda. But if you believe it might trigger an addiction, then I'd say no. Some people can have the occasional soda and keep it occasional, and some can't. You know best which group you fit into.
  • themelmac
    themelmac Posts: 59 Member
    My rule is that if I crave it for 1 week, then I usually give into the temptation, but I make sure it's good. Like, I wouldn't drink a generic root beer, I'd have the A&W to make the calories worth it.

    Although, my cravings tend to be high-calorie things like cheeseburgers. :love:
  • cgphelps24
    cgphelps24 Posts: 122 Member
    In my opinion, just have a soda. Log it and move on. I've found if I deprive myself, I just binge later on other crap that is even worse for me. Chances are that soda won't even taste as good as it used to because it's been so long.

    I noticed the same thing. Anytime I am craving something I have it, just small amounts.
  • MsCLR84
    MsCLR84 Posts: 10
    You either make the choice to let yourself have it guilt free or you make the choice not to have it. Simple. Your actions are your own.

    Personally, if I was really craving it and you've not had one since May, I'd have it. I'm not about rewarding my good actions with a treat, but I am about being able to have the nice things in life occasionally, and if that's your nice thing, then have enough control to have one, and then maybe have another in a few weeks.

    Alternatively, if it really is your achilles heel, try having cordial instead of plain water. Might curb the sweetness you need.
  • Willowana
    Willowana Posts: 493 Member
    I've already had one Dew this morning, and probably about to have another in a few minutes. I pick and choose my battles. Killing my coworkers is not worth the trouble... but it would probably burn more calories. I'll stick with having my caffeine.
  • serafin366
    serafin366 Posts: 60 Member
    I am on week 8 of no soda, and the one time I tried it since I quit was around the week 3 mark, and it was too sweet for me then. Obviously we are all different. Here are my thoughts:


    "I know having one soda isn't going to set back everything I've been done, but I have an addictive personality & diet coke/diet dr pepper used to be my one vice. "

    Would you let a recovering alcoholic have ONE drink? or an ex smoker have ONE cigarette? Someone recovering from an eating disorder to binge eat just ONCE? It's a slippery slope. I think you should resist the temptation. You already went 3 great months without it, don't spoil all that hard work!

    If you MUST have soda on occasion, reserve it for extremely rare and special occassions, and even then limit yourself.

    I promise you, you can hang in there! I have faith in you!
  • Qnher718
    Qnher718 Posts: 5
    I agree with the other posters have soda and calculate it in you calorie plan.
  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
    If you want a pop drink a pop. It's not going to harm you. Diet pop will not harm your progress. As long as you aren't sensitive to caffeine and as long as you don't have medical issues with sweeteners you are fine. If you don't want the caffeine get the caffeine free pops.
  • jess4fun
    jess4fun Posts: 20
    I've been trying to eat in a way where I don't deny myself foods that I like. Trying to have a healthy relationship with foods I guess. I can choose not to eat a food, but I try to not say that I can't have something.

    Why did you give up soda? One of the issues, IMO, of denying foods is that they can become an obsession. It seems that so many people give things up because they are perceived as being unhealthy and we have to eat all the right foods. We need foods to live, but we can also enjoy what we eat.

    Will you beat yourself up if you have the soda? Will you drink the whole case? What about it are you craving? Is it just because you've said you can't have it that you want it? Why do you think you have an addictive personality? There is a huge psychological component to dieting/eating that often doesn't get addressed.

    If you decide to have the soda, or add it back to you life, then enjoy it and don't feel guilty about it. Own that decision but no one else can make it for you.
  • Jarice12
    Jarice12 Posts: 135 Member
    Girl, I totally feel you on this. I will kick soda for a while and then I have one and boom, I want one everyday. Beware, if you have one, it worsens the cravings at least in my case. I say have one, but really exercise your willpower if you don't want to start drinking them everyday. Right now I've stopped again for the next 4 weeks after drinking a some soda every day for the past week. Caffeine is really addictive!
  • melissaka7
    melissaka7 Posts: 277 Member
    Thanks everyone. I think my problem is that if I allow myself to have a soda I will feel like a failure for giving in. I'm sure that sounds stupid, but its how I feel. I used to drink 2 44oz sodas a day from the gas station (not every day), but I would always come to work with a huge fountain soda. I started getting smaller ones every day & then I just quit one day. I'm not sure how I did it, but I did.

    I think I may just go get one of my sparkling waters or fit a starbucks into my calories today because I'm so tired.

    I just don't know if I have one I won't want more. :(
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    Artificial sweeteners confuse your body and make it store fat. Have a can of regular pop if you want one. I have a can of coke every day! It makes me happy :)

    No. Artificial sweeteners do not confuse your body and make it store fat. (a calorie surplus makes a person store fat)
  • Mslmesq
    Mslmesq Posts: 1,000 Member
    Can you get your hands on a healthier version? Like a soda stream machine and make your own root beer? If I really loved soda, I wouldn't deprive myself, I would just get creative. And try to figure out a healthier alternative for special treats. Also, if you do that, you can get a homemade ice cream maker and have homemade authentic root beer floats. Ah crap, now look what you've done....off to the health foods store to figure out how to make healthy root beer in my soda stream. :ohwell:
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    I have been trying for several years to give up my diet soda and I've settled on limiting it, instead.

    Typical for me in the past: Coffee with breakfast. Diet soda with lunch and dinner. No water.

    Typical for me now: Coffee and water with breakfast. Water with lunch 4 days a week, diet soda and water with lunch 3 days a week. Water with dinner.
  • Mslmesq
    Mslmesq Posts: 1,000 Member
    Artificial sweeteners confuse your body and make it store fat. Have a can of regular pop if you want one. I have a can of coke every day! It makes me happy :)

    No. Artificial sweeteners do not confuse your body and make it store fat. (a calorie surplus makes a person store fat)

    And even though there are many articles by qualified people that state contrary opinions, you know this as a fact because....?
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    Artificial sweeteners confuse your body and make it store fat. Have a can of regular pop if you want one. I have a can of coke every day! It makes me happy :)

    No. Artificial sweeteners do not confuse your body and make it store fat. (a calorie surplus makes a person store fat)

    And even though there are many articles by qualified people that state contrary opinions, you know this as a fact because....?

    Because....science.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    If you have the calories available, I don't think it's so bad to have one can of soda.

    However, I've recently discovered that the cans of flavored sparkling water really kill the soda cravings I get. No caffeine, no calories, no artificial sweeteners, just carbonated water and citric acid. You may be able to find something like this in your grocery store: http://www.lacroixwater.com/ Give them a shot!

    La Croix is amazing. They sell it in my Target, 8 packs *and* 69 cent single cans up front near the Target cafe.
  • Melissa22G
    Melissa22G Posts: 847 Member
    :sodaforyou:


    If you're typing in CAPs -I WANT A SODA. Then uh, you need a soda.

    :drinker:

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