If you were a soda drinker,

My evil soda addiction was Mountain Dew. I was tired of depending on it all the time. I got no benefit or pleasure from it. I mean, I LOVED it so much, but everytime I'd open it, I'd be like man, I gotta give it up! I started on here, and went off of it for 2 days and just drank water those two days. Almost like a detox. I tried it two days later, and GAGGED!!! It was disgusting for me. I drink soda on occasion now, like once or twice a month, and it's not the kind that I prefer, so that's good.

I used to keep Pepsi in business back in the day. I actually gave up drinking regular soda during finals of my senior year of college. That year from May - November I didn't have any of it. On Thanksgiving I remember pouring myself some and thought it was very sugary and couldn't believe I once loved it. A few years later I switched and started drinking diet, but I gave that up within the last year. Now I don't miss it. Also the initial 15 pound weight loss from giving it up in college was a real motivator not to drink it.

I used to live at a Church camp and we had access to the Pepsi machine. I would fill a huge mug several times a day. Blech! After we moved down from the mountains, back to the city I started drinking iced tea. I still crave a regular Pepsi now and then. But, if I do have soda, it's usually diet. I can't say I really "gave it up" just stopped drinking it so frequently and found a better alternative that I do like more.

I agree with the idea of the carbonated flavored water, they taste great and are cheap. For me, about two years ago I was going through an entire 12-pack of diet coke a DAY! Now, I drink maybe a can or two a week. I started drinking by carrying around crystal light packets, to get my fix of something that tasted sweet while breaking my addiction to the bubbles (mmmm I loved those bubbles!) From there, I started dropping it down and focusing only on water. It's a lot cheaper, and has no calories... kind of hard to go wrong. Now, if I drink pop, I have to pour it in a glass and let some of the bubbles out first otherwise I can't drink it, and if I drink too much of it I start craving water from all of the sodium in it! Best of luck!!

I gave up diet coke. It's not the sugar that's the problem though. I tried flavoured water (carbonated) too and I like it, but....

The only thing I found worked to get me off the pop was to drink scads of regular fresh water every day. I'm blessed to be in an area where the water tastes better than the bottled stuff, which is kind of flat imo.

I wound up with savage headaches for about 5 days and then I was free. I don't know if that's the carbonation or something else in the Coke (hmmmmm) but there's definitely something there that's addictive, because I got the withdrawal symptoms even with drinking a 4 oz. espresso latte in a beer mug (skim of course) every day.

The good thing is that it seems to help weight loss to be off it. That's really incentive enough.

I've been off the stuff since September and I don't miss it.

I do well with tapering off. I used to have a Coke with breakfast, lunch, dinner and anytime I had a snack. I was easily drinking 5/6 a day! I cut back to only with meals, which was 3/day, and then only meals at work, which is 2/day. I'm still stuck there, although if I'm running short on calories I'll drink water with lunch instead. I do find that if I cave and drink one with dinner or something that I almost immediately fall back into my old habits and I have to start over again. Some people are addicted to smoking or alcohol or chocolate, but I've definitely got a soda addiction!

I drink diet pepsi, or pepsi max. It's the one indulgance I refuse to give up. It has zero calories and I don't care about the aspartame. I'm sure i'll get cancer from my dish detergent, laundry soap, hairbrush, toothpaste and choice of underwear as well so, i'm not worried about it.

i've not been able to give up soda. I just limit the amount that i drink and drink water the rest of the day.

I was never a soda drinker but my husband is. He can easily drink a few two liters in a weekend by himself. He has however started drinking more of the sobe lifewater and water with flavor packets.

At the time I was just so dedicated and committed to losing the weight that I didn't even have second thoughts. I just stopped drinking anything except water. This was in June and I still do the same except I added in protein shakes. Now any super carbonated drinks really ruin my stomach. I get horrible gas pains.

I try to get all my water in first. Then I allow myself soda or coffee or whatever if there's still time in the day. I was off soda once for about 6 months. When I started back the carbonation gave me heart burn so awfully that I didn't enjoy it. I can't tell you why I pushed through that particular barrier...:laugh: but if you're off for a while, it's unpleasant to go back. In the mean time, there are probably certain foods that you equate in your mind with drinking soda. Avoid those. Good luck!

I was a diet coke drinker and never realised how much I drank until I stopped. I have no magic words of wisdom just that the first couple of days are hard but it is worth it when you manage to get off the wicked stuff - I'm diet coke free for 3 months I think - stopped counting so that's a good sign

I was a die-hard Coca-Cola drinker, too, since I was a kid. But I didn't stop until I:
- read about the harmful effects of soda like the earlier post;
- watched Food, Inc. which shows how harmful soda's main ingredient (high-fructose corn syrup) is to a person's health;
- learned that drinking soda add 15 lbs of fat per year;
- committed to drinking 8 cups of water per day. I didn't have time to drink anything else!

I recommend starting with the premise that "soda is detrimental to my health" then read everything you can to support this thought. And start drinking 8 cups of water a day. You'll be glad you did.

I used to drink a ridiculous amount of Coke, too. But, I found that I was actually addicted to the carbonation - when I gave it up I would drink carbonated flavored water if I just HAD to have something, calorie & sugar free so no guilt.

I don't crave it anymore - I will sometimes have spirte or 7-up if I'm at a party or someones house but I never have dark sodas anymore.

I like Izzes. They are basically fruit juice and sparkling water, all natural, no added sugars. They give me the fizz I need.

Sometimes, though, like you I crave Coke. There's just something about it. When those hit, I allow myself a coke, but I try to get the small cans or the ones with natural sugar in them. Also, I have found that I like coke zero as well. At first, I was having about 1-2 a week, now I'm down to even less than that. It's a treat, and I treat it that way.

Good luck, it's a hard one to give up!