Soda addiction

Switch to diet....it may take a week or so, but you will cut a lot of calories!

The biggest problem I had was with caffeine withdraw. After a day of nasty headaches and a week of being a grump I was able to begin making a change and get rid of pop and coffee! Once the daily habit was broken I could go back to enjoying a pop every once in a while but all the time intaking more water than anything else.

I just quit...and who knows how long it will last...but it's been a few weeks. I drank coke 2-3 a day for at least 20 years. I had headaches for about a week because I decided not to replace the caffeine, but my main problem was that I craved sugar. I don't even like sweets, but all I wanted to eat was sweet stuff. I started making smoothies using Shakeology to curb the sugar craving. One for breakfast and one for late afternoon. It has made a world of difference! You could try just regular, healthy smoothies and see if it helps. Good luck!

Keep a pitcher of Iced Tea in the fridge at all times helped me, Still find myself craving it once in awhile. I do drink it just one or two cans a day, at times none.

I can feel your pain, for years and years now that's all I drunk - 2 1/2 litres a day of real coke and no water (ashamed of this) but I am trying to fix it and I have tried cold turkey but for me that didn't work. I have now slowly and gradually reduced the amount I drink and have switch over to diet coke. I allow myself 1 300ml diet coke a day (2 if I am really needing it) but will stick to this for a while then switch to every second day etc etc. it's really hard but you just gotta be strong and I think I having people in the same situation for support is necessary as you can be there in hard times etc. if you ever need to talk about it or advice I am here.


5 Tips For Quitting Your Diet Soda Addiction

1. Don’t feel like you have to go cold turkey.

It’s what worked for some people but it may not work for you. Maybe set a rule for yourself that you only drink diet soda when you’re out at a restaurant. Since your SummerTomato-esque healthstyle involves more meals at home, that’ll cut down on the diet soda you drink. Later, you can start substituting other drinks when you eat out until you’re eventually soda-free.

2. Remove the addictive substance from your environment.

Smokers will attest that it’s harder to quit when someone else’s cigarettes are in the house. It’s the same for a diet soda addiction. Try to enlist your family, partner, or housemates to quit with you. If they can’t or won’t, see if you can put the soda in another location. Get a mini fridge for it and put it in another room. Out of sight, out of mind.

3. Be prepared for the withdrawal symptoms.

Your body is addicted to this substance. Your brain is addicted to the high you get from it. When that feeling disappears, your body will fight tooth and nail to get it back, to get that next fix. You’ll probably feel downright terrible – headaches, irritability, lack of focus.

Time your quitting so you can be out of focus and irritable without it affecting your life too much. Don’t quit soda the week of the giant research paper or the big work project or your wedding. That’s just a recipe for disaster on both fronts.
Get some ibuprofin, or your anti-headache medicine of choice. Remember, these headaches are temporary and they will go away. No sense to suffer through them when you can dull the pain.

4. Substitute a tasty beverage that you enjoy.

Here are some substitutes for diet soda:

Water. It’s not as boring as it sounds. Flavor it up with a squirt of lemon, lime, or orange.

Sassy Water. I tried this recipe from The Flat Belly Diet and it’s pretty darn good. If you hate straight-up water, give it a shot. It tastes very fresh and zippy. 2 liters water (about 8 ½ cups) 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger 1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced 1 medium lemon, thinly sliced 12 small spearmint leaves. Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher and let flavors blend overnight.

Unsweetened Tea. .Hot tea is also amazing, especially if you get loose leaf tea rather than grocery store teabags.

Italian Soda. If you can afford a few extra calories, consider stepping down from diet soda to Italian Soda. You make Italian soda by mixing carbonated water with flavored simple syrup. Torani syrups come in a myriad of flavors and are made with cane sugar (not HFCS). It’s 100 calories for two tablespoons, but trust me, you do not need two tablespoons, or even two teaspoons, to transform your water into something a bit more flavorful. Be careful to watch your consumption of Italian soda. It won’t have all the calories (or chemicals) of a HFCS soda, but the empty calories do add up. (Torani does make sugar-free syrup, but it may be better to go the more natural route, even if it does mean a few more calories.)

5. Get a sponsor.

No, you’re not an alcoholic. Soda isn’t going to ruin your life and relationships the way alcoholism can. But you will need help sometimes, and it’s good to have a friend or three you can call or text or visit when you’re feeling the need to swing into a 7-11 for a Big Gulp. Have your lifelines on speed dial and don’t be afraid to use them.

Sparkling water maybe? With sliced fruit in it?

I quit pop and smoking two months ago and without a doubt I had more trouble with pop. I was drinking thee cans/bottles a day. The first week is the worst. After that I didn't really think about it. I do let myself have one can a week in fear that I will binge on it if I eliminate it completely. I just replaced it with water and has worked so far.

I was addicted it Diet Pepsi! Could not function without them. I reprogrammed myself and quit cold turkey. That was 4 years ago and have never gone back

The fact that you love black coffee should really help since you can still have your morning ritual / fix of caffeine. My sweet drink of the day is my meal supplement, so I have a shake and feel like I had my treat. I've tried them all: Boost, Body by Vi, MetRx, Whey protein, etc. The only one that I've found that tastes more like a shake without the weird aftertaste is Shakeology. It's more expensive than the others, but it's a lot cheaper than the meal it replaces and actually kills a lot of cravings for me (snacks and soda included).