Soda addiction
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I was a diet Pepsi junkie. I just quit one day 18 months ago cause my doc told me that any carbonated drink will stretch your stomach, goal was to eat less and shrink belly so with that...I drink lots of water, coffee, and tea...I was 309lbs and today 191 lbs...you can do this, just think how it stretches your stomach out and makes you want to eat more.....good luck , I wish you the best on your journey!!!0
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You have to figure out what will work best for you and as dumb as it sounds you have to figure out what you like BEST about pop. I know you like it because it tastes good but really think about why you like it. Do you like it for the fizz, the caffeine or the sugar. I never like to drink pop unless I am eating so I guess I like the sweet/salty taste of pop with my pizza, my mexican food or my chips and popcorn,...... What has worked pretty good for me is that I have completely sworn off of Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi. If I need a pop I , I drink a pop (I just drink Sprite Zero, Diet 7-up, or Diet Sprite!) This works for me for a couple of reasons: 1. I feel like I'm not giving up pop (no deprivation.) 2. Since "clear" pops aren't really my "go-to" pop of choice I don't drink as much. I don't crave it like I did the "non-clear" pops. I usually end up throwing out at least part of the can. 3. Since I drink diet and am not willing to drink the extra calories of regular I usually end up just drinking water when I go out to eat because most restaurants don't have the diet "clear" pops. I used to drink 2+ cans of pop a day and now I just drink 1 or 2 a week, it is getting easier and easier to just switch to water.
Unfortunately, I don't like tea or flavored waters (carbonated or not) but maybe those could also be good substitutes for you. Good luck finding what works for you.0 -
I have at least one can of soda on most days. Sweets have been my hardest vice to break. I know it's not good for me, but it also keeps me happy. Diet soda just doesn't cut it for me either. The artificial sweeteners ruin the taste. I quit it cold turkey in the past, only having it when I'd get a drink at restaurants, but I came crawling back after a few years. Then I had a soda binge and needed to retrain myself to drink water.0
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Fruit flavored sparkling water has worked wonders for me. I mostly drink it plain, but sometimes add a bit of 100% fruit juice to it, or mix it with wine.0
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I drink a lot of water and black coffee but when I need fizzy I either drink San Pellegrino or put flavoured Sweetleaf Stevia in sparkling water ) I have a soda stream but you can buy it instead. I like the rootbeer flavor and the vanilla crème tastes great too. I know they have cola flavor but I haven't bought it yet. Stevia is way better for you than artificial sweeteners that are in traditional diet soda. It also doesn't confuse the body into thinking its getting sugar and throwing it off.0
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Get a soda stream. The syrups don't contain aspertame like regular diet sodas. I don't even use the syrups anymore I just drink the carbonated water now. Or u can buy flavored carbonated water.0
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I LOVE diet coke..I mean I LOVE it..but just one day not drinking it and looking at my belly was enough for me..I only drink one or two a day but it makes a huge impact on my stomach...0
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Switch to diet....it may take a week or so, but you will cut a lot of calories!
I have switched to diet a while back so that's good! I think I might try smaller sized cans/bottles for a while and then switch to tea/coffee. I love black coffee so that might be a good alternative. I definitely need my caffeine!
Why are you trying to quit then if you are drinking a no calorie drink?0 -
I've lost 80lbs and I love my coke and have not and will not cut it off my diet. I just adjust my calories to something else. Good luck0
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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.
Is this real life?0 -
I stopped drinking soda, and it has made a big difference in losing weight and how I feel. I was drinking one large a day - I first stopped having them on weekdays. I teach and felt so much better. Now, very rarely do I have one on the weekend. I drink mainly water. Make yourself a reasonalbe goal and keep at it. You will feel so much better. It took me about 2 months to totally quit. I still have my coffee in the morning, but that's it. AND I would rather have the calories for something else.0
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I've found almost every other vice easy to cut out except this! I get a bit sad even thinking about it. Anybody else struggle with this? How do you make it work? I know i should just have it in moderation, but it's something I really look forward to everyday.
Yeah, switch to diet if you haven't already. You'll lose weight nicely. I have the same addiction. I alternate between tea, coffee, and water to give it a break, but I don't worry about it. Diet sodas can act as meal replacements.0 -
i love you people saying your addicted and drink 3 cans a day. pfft...i used to drink 64oz per sitting 2 or 3 times a day
:drops mic:0 -
Wow! Well done...I also loooove coke and sprite etc. I used to have about a liter a day when I was pregnant - cus it was hot and pregnant women get thirsty. At least I drank a lot of water too. When hubby and I realized we are consuming too much cold drinks, we just stopped buying it everyday, and only had some every other day. Now its much better, we will have sprite only once a week.
This may sound controversial but I told myself that im not going to stop having the things I like, but I will have much less of it. I have tried cold turkey just like you and it didn't work - only led to binging..now that im mentally inspired by the actual results of healthier eating, I can say 'no' much easier. Willpower is not always my strongest point but eventually it kicks in..good luck on your weight loss journey, I wish you all the best.0 -
I used to love regular coke/pepsi and never thought I would switch to diet - thought it was nasty. I then switched to diet and eventually loved it and became a diet coke addict. I knew diet soda has its drawbacks too and I knew I had to drink more water so I slowly weaned off diet soda. Terrible headaches at first but I actually began to enjoy water more. Going pee pee all day at work has a good mental affect as I visualize the toxins leaving my body. Also burn some more calories getting up and walking to the potty. I feel so much better drinking water with meals as I don't feel as bloated.0
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I logged food for one week not paying attention to the soda calories (just to see how much I really consumed) IT WAS SHOCKING! I tried a diet soda- didnt work out for me YUCK.
I realized I would be able to have a soda but fit it into my calorie intake. I started to cut in half the amount I consumed. That was my initial goal. Once that was a success I realized calories of a soda werent worth it and I eventually phased out soda all together. It wasnt because I said NO MORE SODA. It was because I realized my goals and soda didnt work...for me I found that made all the diffrence.0 -
I have the same problem as it is one of my main contributors to the weight I have attained and I don't want diabetes/ concerned about my teeth. I feel that it is an addiction for me, people say just give it up, it'll be easy. So, I do and they see me go through withdrawal symptoms, become a horrible person and have to go out to the shop at stupid times to buy a can of coke. I know it's utterly ridiculous but so are other addictions.
My first attempt was 1 can a day, then oj for the sugar and water for the rest of time. However, I missed the gulpness of cola. I'm down to 1 a day now and feel terrible but someone just recommended trying to switch it out with elderflower and soda water as for some reason it has the same taste and bubbles. I'll let you know if it works.0 -
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!
I did the same thing...As of February 1st of this year I stopped cold turkey..I now only drink water. I actually had a soda this past Sunday and it didn't even taste the same....0 -
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.
This is me!!0 -
We all like those addictive fizzy drinks, and I think diet drinks still make you fat.
For me, I just stopped drinking them all together and drink WATER! Water is the way to go, just be done with them all.
Water, Water, Water, Water, got it?0 -
When I cut soda, I started with just cutting down the amount I drank each day. I was an all-day soda drinker (Mt. Dew) and barely drank anything else. I kept cutting back until I was only drinking 1 can of soda in the morning each day, then I started skipping days. Now I occasionally have a soda, but have a hard time drinking a lot because they taste so syrupy to me.0
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I love my soda stream - i make fizzy water which I then use to stretch out fruit juice or white wine
I sometime put angostura bitters in the fizzy water
and often drink it on its own
I have a 0.5l bottle by my desk at work and during hte day it's full of water, when it runs out - I get up and re-fill it - when i go to the loo - i refil it
i also drink coffee, try to limit it and mix in decaff, i drink all my coffe black at work and white on sunday mornings (i was really supprised how much milk went into my coffee when i measured it)
it can help ti have a galss that you always use - whose volume you have measured so that you can track your intake easier0 -
Try Soda Water - its got the kick without the calories.0
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I have cut soda out completely after it started to cause problems with my stomach so I no longer drink soda. only water, juice, milk0
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I switched to coffee and drinking water with small sips of 5 hour energy throughout the day. Try to nail down what causes the addiction, the need for caffine or fizz. If fizz, substitute with club soda and a splash of diet cranberry/grape and lil bit of 5 hour energy. Then just reduce the amount of 5 hour energy. One bottle of 5 hour energy lasts me 2-3 days.0
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Get a soda stream. The syrups don't contain aspertame like regular diet sodas. I don't even use the syrups anymore I just drink the carbonated water now. Or u can buy flavored carbonated water.
I was extremely addicted to diet coke until about a year ago. I absolutely NEEDED it every single day. A year ago, I went a week without soda (couldn't find coke that was kosher for passover). To substitute for the coke, I bought a soda stream. I never bought any of the syrups (beyond the samples it came with). I pretty much drink the sparkling water with a bit of orange or grape juice and occasionally with a bit of iced tea. The day after passover I had my first cup and it tasted very sweet. I remember thinking to myself that after a few cups I'll get used to it. Then it hit me that now is the time to cut it out. Since then, I very rarely drink any diet coke. When I do (pretty much when I get it in my lunch special), I never even finish a can.
Bottom line, I think after you cut it out for a week or so, you'll have a much easier time living without it.0 -
I was drinking Diet Pepsi all day and all evening. I started drinking water all day instead and just having pop/soda/whatever you call it with dinner and in the evening. I'm hoping to stop it all together.0
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I'm trying to quit soda too. I purchased caffeine in pill form to avoid the intense withdrawal headaches, and am now down from 3 cans a day to one can a day. My next goal is to start skipping days. I've found that sipping a little gatorade helps, as it has the sugar and sodium I'm craving, but I'm consuming it in smaller portions so I'm not ruining my calories for the day.0
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I have the same problem! I get up at 6 a.m. and by the time 10 a.m. is here, I'm hearing the fabulous click-swish of my little Dr. Pepper can popping open. I have tried numerous times on quitting or switching over to diet (is it truly any better for you?), but it's the one thing I can't kick. I have heard over and over it's mind over matter. It's all about how bad you want to be healthy! I guess I just haven't wanted it that bad so far!0
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Diet Mt. Dew is my addiction. About 5 years ago I use to drink at least 2 - 2liters a day. I went cold turkey was miserable for able 2 weeks. For about 2 years I didn't drink anything but water, then I started dating a lady who was a pop addict and so I started back drinking Diet Mt Dew. I am not as bad as I was, but I still have to stop by the Circle K on the way to work every day and get my 44oz diet mt. dew. I then drink water the rest of the day at work, but when I get home, I will drink probably another 20 to 40oz of pop. I keep telling myself I need to cut back, if not give it up completely, but I don't want the headaches or the grouchiness that I know will happen. (and I sure none of those around me want to deal with it either). Actually reading through this thread has me thinking about weaning myself off of the pop rather than cold turkey.0
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