Severe Soda Addiction

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gillian_gail
gillian_gail Posts: 66
in Food and Nutrition
I've been a soda drinker for the last 10 years or so of my life. I know for a fact that I've become addicted to it. I only drink "diet" sodas, but I know that those are still just as bad for you as regular. Any recommendations on what I can do to perhaps ween myself of the soda and onto something that's better for me (other than water because I do still drink at least 10 glasses of that a day).

*side question* Is Hansen's Natural Soda any better for you? The diet version seems a little too good to be true since it says it has no sodium or anything negative in it. I've been told it's better because it's supposedly made with "all natural" ingredients (and it tastes lovely). I just can't shake the fact that it's "soda" and I'm worried it's no better than any other brand I already drink far too much of.

Thanks in advance for any responses.

-Gillian

Replies

  • gcedillo
    gcedillo Posts: 18
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    Hi, I drink diet soda too, how many do you drink in one day?
  • jaymeec75
    jaymeec75 Posts: 17
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    Remove it from your life! Get it out of your house and avoid places that promote it. I'm also a soda addict and I've found that when i keep it out of reach I do a lot better. Over the weekend (got to love the holidays) I bought a case of Sierra Mist for our guests to have something to drink, and i've fallen completely off the wagon! Since its in my house at the moment I just cant help but sneak a drink here and there.
  • CherokeeBabe
    CherokeeBabe Posts: 1,704 Member
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    I gotta say I'm kinda with ya on this one, I've been drinking Diet Coke since I was still drinking from a sippy cup, my mom drank it while she was pregnant with me and was giving it to me off her finger when I was teething, so I've almost had an IV of it hooked into me since birth!

    I haven't had more than one can of DC a week in over a month, but I'm still drinking caffeine free sodas sometimes...trying to wean off slowly, since I get the withdrawal symptoms from the caffeine my body is so used to every day. It's taken a few weeks to get to caffeine free totally, and trying now to cut back more and more of what sodas I'm drinking now. Hoping to be switched to just juice, lemonade, water and tea in another couple weeks.
  • BleacherAddict
    BleacherAddict Posts: 35
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    I used to drink 5-6 Mtn Dews and Dr Peppers a day. I thought I could cut them down to 1 a day, but it just didn't work. I had to go cold turkey. I drank water all day, and unsweet tea or propel with dinner, just for some variety. It really worked for me. I have since added in diet soda about 2 or 3 times a week, and it hasn't made me want to go back to my old ways.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
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    I read an article about why we hold onto to fat and one part of it was about environmental and other non-food related causes. One cause is from exposure to the chemical BPA. Most canned foods leach BPA from cans, especially acidic foods and drinks. Sodas from cans, tomatoes, and canned fish all have high levels of BPA. If you don't know about BPA it's extremely harmful. It's been banned from all baby products and most reusable water bottle makers have stopped using it. It causes, among other things, reproductive problems. So all canned drinks are not good for you. Plus, Hansen's uses genetically modified ingredients.

    Try drinking sparkling juice drinks like Izze. They are 70% juice with just a little sparkling water and no added sugar. They come in a variety of flavors and come in glass bottles. Clementine (like mandarin orange) and blackberry are my favorites. Pomegranate is very tart, grapefruit is ok and I think they might have an apple flavor too.
  • nessy2011
    nessy2011 Posts: 2
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    Soda is my biggest weakness when it comes to trying to lose weight. I can drink diet soda, but sooner or later i revert back to the sugar version. I agree with getting it out of your house. Out of Sight - Out of Mind!! Believe me I need to take that advice myself. I have read that neither one of them are good for us and that water is your best bet. I have recently started drinking green tea at work and unsweet tea if I go out for lunch instead of soda. I still slide back into my old ways, but 2011 is going to be different. I am going to keep soda out of my house and drink other none sugar beverages instead. My kidney's and liver deserve a break and a good flushing.
  • ZebraGlee78
    ZebraGlee78 Posts: 83 Member
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    Soda can be a big weakness for me. The longest I've gone was from 01 January - end of May 2010. I have now been without soda since October 26th! Every once in awhile I'll have a sip of whatever my husband is drinking...I'm doing that different from last time, that way I still get my "fix" every once in awhile. Like a previous poster said, I was weaned on soda. I remember it being a daily tradition in my broke family to walk down to the 7-11 and buy a soda. Cherry coke was my first, then it was just Coke, then Sprite, back to Coke, then Sunkist Orange, then A&W Cream Soda. I was always very specific about which I was addicted to, and had to have a specific food to go with it. I would hunt around for the exact match and if I couldn't find it, I would sink into depression. Example, when I was in my A&W Cream Soda Phase, I had to have cashews with it....if I couldn't find a convenience store with cashews I would be frantic.

    My suggestions would be maybe try the 0 calorie Pepsi. Still lots of bad stuff, but better than the calorie-laden junk. Try to either wean yourself off of it, or quit cold turkey. Now I drink Vitamin water...some of them are decent and help me to get my water intake in, without it feeling like I'm drinking water. Sobe has some good stuff and they're doing the buy one get one free deals in a lot of locations.
  • whalenmich7295
    whalenmich7295 Posts: 21 Member
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    Live in moderation. set a high water mark of (lets say) two sodas a day. Make sure they are DIET. sure they are bad for you on the chemical level, but calorie free is calorie free. Remember that it takes 5 cups of water to purge your body of 1 cup of diet soda and its impact.

    If you cant live with moderation and need to cut it completely from your life, have a goto thats more organic. Try some ice tea, or some coffee (brew/dripped coffee, not the creamy stuff). There is more caffine found in a single 8 ounce serving of coffe, then 24 oz of coke.

    Hope this helps.
  • rwilley35
    rwilley35 Posts: 25 Member
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    I worked for a national soda brand for over seven years and admit to being addicted to the stuff. I have to have a mountain dew everyday but am slowly backing away from that. I'm down to one 20 oz bottle of regular dew from the several 44oz cups that I could free pour in the break room.
  • briwalt
    briwalt Posts: 4 Member
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    Hi! Have you ever tried Izzy Soda? It's delish. And all it has is carbonated water and fruit juice. It might be a good step towards weaning away from soda.
  • servingthealiens
    servingthealiens Posts: 144 Member
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    What's so bad about diet soda? I know the aspartame is bad for you, but sucralose (Splenda) is an altered sugar molecule, and there's a soda made with stevia (I think it's called Zevia, but I could be a little off on the name - I just know what the can looks like and buy by that), and that's a natural plant extract.

    For me it's the way to get my soda fix with no calories, and I don't find it makes me crave more sweet things, like some people say happens with artificial sweeteners. YMMV of course, because everyone is different, but I don't think a can or two a day can cause that much harm, as long as you stay with the more natural sweeteners.

    I mean, it's no worse than Crystal Light, which isn't soda.
  • jeannewafa
    jeannewafa Posts: 11
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    Try soda water with a splash of grenadine or lemon/lime juice. Or even a spash of pure fruit juice! It's a great and healthy alternative!
  • CarolHudson11
    CarolHudson11 Posts: 372
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    I'm SO glad you asked this question! I am completely and utterly addicted to Diet Coke. I probably drink three or four of the 44 oz. cups of it a day. It's ridiculous, really. I have my morning cup of coffee, but then go straight to Diet Coke and I don't stop until I've gone to bed. I've tried to quit cold turkey, but end up with migraines from the withdrawal. I've decided I'm going to try to wean down a cup a week until I'm off of it. I really don't know what else to do.
  • gillian_gail
    gillian_gail Posts: 66
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    Thank you all for posting responses. Currently, I'm actually drinking more soda that I had been the last few months. I'm working a temp job where they get Costco deliveries every week and the #1 thing they order is soda. So I find myself running (not literally unfortunately) to the fridge about 4 times (1 every 2 hours) a shift. It's terrible. I come from a soda addicted family so it's always in my house and I can't just tell everyone they aren't allowed to buy it. Next time I get to the grocery store I'll try and find the recommended Izzy (sp?) soda. If not, I may switch to soda water with a little juice (great idea btw).

    So again, thank you all very much. :flowerforyou:

    -Gillian
  • cclala
    cclala Posts: 190 Member
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    I hope everyone on this board reads this, I created an account just so I could share this information. Below I've posted a documentary on the evils of aspartame. It's a long documentary, so if you don't have time now, maybe bookmark it for later. I was a diet soda addict for years, who thought the only evil that could come of it was weight gain or aspartame symptoms like head aches. Not true, sadly. Aspartame is toxic. Sheer poison. I will not touch the stuff now. Haven't had one sip since watching this. If I crave it I drink a few gulps of regular soda instead.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-usbGZez40
  • thefatqueen
    thefatqueen Posts: 16
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    I LOVE La Croix sparking water. For me it satisfies me instead of soda. Even my teen son likes it. You might need to go through caffeine withdrawl first :(

    AnnaLiese
  • gcedillo
    gcedillo Posts: 18
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    2-3 diet sodas (8 oz cans) in one day should not be a big deal... there are worst things than that, we all need a little escape...

    No, I don't think diet soda is better than water.

    My two cents.

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