Trying to kick the soda habit...
purplebohemian
Posts: 32
I'm finding it hard to kick my soda habit. I usually drink regular soda--never diet. I've tried diet soda before, more out of curiosity than for lack of calories, and never liked it. I wouldn't even consider using it as an alternative to help me stop drinking the regular stuff. Does anyone out there have any tips to help kick the habit? Thanks!
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Replies
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I can't kick mine, so I used a mix of diet/regular stuff and shifted over to a pure diet soda. The alternatives would be sparkling waters (flavored if you need that), teas, or coffee if it's the caffeine you're looking for.0
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Yes. Don't buy it. You can't drink it if you don't have it.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
I used to be the same about diet soda (the aftertaste ruined it for me) until recently. I cut down to 1 can a day, occasionally two, until I went ahead and made the switch. Now I drink a can or bottle of diet 3-4 times a week. Drinking water whenever possible really does help, and you can add flavorings to jazz it up if it bores you.0
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I too am having difficulties kicking this habit. for me it is diet, I cant have all the sugar in regular pop but I dont want the artificial sugars either. anyway I have stopped keeping pop in the house and that has helped me cut back. Now if I really want it I have to go to the store to get it and it gives me time to really think about how bad I want it. Sometimes I drink a glass of water and try to find something to do to see if the craving passes. good luck!0
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I had this problem. I tried to "separate" my problem by drinking both coffee and sparkling fruity water. I am doing well and don't really have an addiction to the carbonation, though I still like it. I still can't let go of the coffee, though. Caffeine, for me, is far more addictive than sugar or anything like that. I think part of it is because I relied on it so much to lose weight and stay alert on a deficit. I still drink between 250-450 mg per day.0
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Don't drink diet- cancer chemical soup. And of course- don't drink all that sugar!
Iced tea's (unsweetened). My favorite is making the Tazo Zen Green Tea and then putting it over ice (you can get this at Starbucks- make sure you say unsweetened!), Pellagrino/Perrier- you can add lemon or lime, black coffee- over ice if your wanting something cold..., and good old water.
Once you give it up for a few weeks and your taste buds change, real food will taste better and eventually I doubt you'll like the taste of super sweet drinks.
Stay committed to quitting. Do this by reminding yourself of your goals... nourishing your body, treating your body with respect, being healthy, increased energy... etc etc.
Make sure your eating healthy fats (coconut oil, avocado, grass fed butter, etc.) and protein- it will help with cravings for bad food.0 -
I stopped buying it. Also, when I'm out of the house, I tell myself I'll have one glass of water before I have a soda. Usually I forget to grab or order the soda, and end up just sticking with water.0
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I think for me, it is the sugar that is the addicting part. Sure I like the caffeine, but I don't think that is what initially draws me to soda.0
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Don't drink diet- cancer chemical soup.
One reason I stay away from the diet stuff!0 -
Glad to hear it!
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Well first be able to back up with peer reviewed clinical study (not an article or a blog) that diet soda causes cancer.Don't drink diet- cancer chemical soup.
2nd, ALL food and drinks are comprised of chemicals.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
I know exactly how you feel, I was SOOO addicted to Coke and Mountain Dew. I'd have it at every meal and never ANY water. None. How I cut it out is just not drinking it at all. I bought some of the Crystal light packages that contained caffeine so I could ease myself off without having major headaches and now I am a whole month without a sip of any kind of pop. It was hard but every day it gets easier. Sometimes I have a craving for it, like oh this meal would taste great with a coke but I don't have it. I drink one of those crystal light packets. I try not to drink more than one of those a day though because they do contain aspartme which is supposedly bad for you too so but in my opinion its better than drinking 8 cans of coke a day or more.
I know some people say oh treat yourself once in awhile but for me that doesn't work, if i have one ill spiral downward like every other time i've tried to eliminate pop from my life.
Good luck and keep trying!0 -
Read some of the facts about all that extra sugar, caramel coloring, and phosporus and what harm it does. Once you quit the carbonated beverages you will feel better!!!0
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Yes. Don't buy it. You can't drink it if you don't have it.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Agreed. I use to drink at least 20 oz or Mt Dew Or Dr Pepper daily. I just stopped buying it. It took will power and yes, for like a month I still wanted to buy it every time I was in a store. But it's been almost 3 months now and I can walk by the Soda aisle and not want to buy it in the least. I never thought I'd get to this place, but it's great. 0 -
There are a lot of the drink flavorings now that have splenda instead of aspartame (for example, MIO)-supposedly not as bad for you!! I gave up diet Cokes (actually all carbonated drinks, but that was the main one) over a year ago. It is so much cheaper to eat out when you order water as your beverage!!!!0
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After I was diagnoised with high blood pressure I pretty much cut back that day, I got a fun water bottle and I keep it filled with ice water. I only drink soda with meals or if I can feel a headache coming on. Best thing to do is find out what works for YOU.0
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i straight up quit buying it and switched to teas, green and ice teas also found some water flavor packet that make juice and i kicked my bad habit yeah i still wish i could drink a bunch but if my need to have one is so bad i drink a diet mnt dew and the craving is gone0
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I know some people say oh treat yourself once in awhile but for me that doesn't work, if i have one ill spiral downward like every other time i've tried to eliminate pop from my life.
It's the same with me. I stopped buying it, and never drank soda with meals whenever I went out (I still don't!). But then the cravings would start up again, and I would ask my husband to pick up a 2 liter on the way home from work, and then all my days of not drinking soda goes down the drain... Once I have one, I'll want another... I know I can't treat myself just once, because then I will want more soda the next day.0 -
I agree with going cold turkey and not buying it. Takes a lot of willpower, yes.
Have you tried mixing club soda or seltzer water with fruit juice? Start with 50:50 and then slowly work your way down to less and less juice VS more water until you like it plain.0 -
Have you tried mixing club soda or seltzer water with fruit juice? Start with 50:50 and then slowly work your way down to less and less juice VS more water until you like it plain.
I have not tried that idea yet. 0 -
I've kicked the soda habit multiple times. For me, it's a Mt Dew addict, and I do mean addict. I'm sure every person is different, but for me it has always worked to quit cold turkey. The first 7 days are rough, literal caffeine withdrawal. My trick is to drink lots of water and a little ibuprofen if needed. After I'm off the stuff I can't even have a sip, in the past I've been off for months and then thought I would have "just one" for a special occasion and before I know it I'm back to 4 cans a day! Which is especially interesting given that that "just one" soda didn't even taste that great. I really do believe they are addicting.0
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I'm finding it hard to kick my soda habit. I usually drink regular soda--never diet. I've tried diet soda before, more out of curiosity than for lack of calories, and never liked it. I wouldn't even consider using it as an alternative to help me stop drinking the regular stuff. Does anyone out there have any tips to help kick the habit? Thanks!
When I first started out, I initially cut out soda, and just kept with plain cold water and coffee. On the coffee front, I switched out regular sugar for sweet and low. Then, a full month later, I tried a soda. A mountain dew. It was so thick sugary sweet that it made me kind of ill. I started trying the diet sodas and found some that I like. Turns out, my favorite is Coke Zero, with Diet Coke being a distance 2nd. Other diets just don't do it for me. And I despise flavors in my water as it feels dirty. I need my water clean, clear, either nothing in it, or with sodium bicarbonate. For me, it's easier to go cold turkey on something and then revisit a changed variation later rather then taper.0 -
Just stop .. that is what I did. One day .. I just said no more. That was last August. I think I have had about about 2 bottles in the last 8 months. That **** is very bad for you, so you are well off to not do it.
The main issue was all the bottles were annoying me .. as they were taking over.
Good luck .. it really is a very simple thing to do.0 -
I've kicked the soda habit multiple times. For me, it's a Mt Dew addict, and I do mean addict. I'm sure every person is different, but for me it has always worked to quit cold turkey. The first 7 days are rough, literal caffeine withdrawal. My trick is to drink lots of water and a little ibuprofen if needed. After I'm off the stuff I can't even have a sip, in the past I've been off for months and then thought I would have "just one" for a special occasion and before I know it I'm back to 4 cans a day! Which is especially interesting given that that "just one" soda didn't even taste that great. I really do believe they are addicting.
This sounds EXACTLY like me. I can tell when I am going through withdrawal too.0 -
The answer to this is Willpower and nothing more.. just don't do it.. if you consider it a problem... I normally just don't drink it... but if i do i don't punish myself... I just log it in and keep on moving..
remember exercise, eat healthy and have the occasional snack or soda..0 -
There is no easy way to do it. I just decided that I wasn't going to drink it anymore. It's hard because my fiance drinks coke regularly but I don't drink anything but water and ocassionally some milk (well, and alcohol sometimes).
Once you stop drinking it, you start to realize how addicted you were to it . . . I was walking around a fair yesterday and saw everyone selling coke and it looked SO good but then I realized . . . water is what I really needed. My body was thirsty for water. Soda isn't something I should be craving just because I'm thirsty.
I dunno, it's hard to explain. But even like three weeks out, you start to feel a lot better.
ETA: Oh, also, just keep a HUGE water bottle with you at all times. I drink about 5 liters a day.0 -
I think for me, it is the sugar that is the addicting part. Sure I like the caffeine, but I don't think that is what initially draws me to soda.
Try adding fruit to your water.
I was a serious Mountain Dew addict. I'm not one for the carbonation but I was in it for the sweetness and caffeine. Once a year I would quit for a week and have serious withdrawal. When I started eating better and exercising I stopped buying the stuff and slowly cut back. My husband likes the carbonation. We bought a Soda Stream so he can have the carbonation and add the flavoring at a very weak level.0 -
I have been Diet Coke free for 72 days. I had been drinking 12 - 18 cans a day for years (I know I know). I had to quit cold turkey, I had tried to cut back and by the end of the week I would be back to having too many.
It does get easier as time goes by. I had a head ache for about 3 days but after that it's not so bad. My son had a Diet Pepsi the other day and I took a sip ......OMG it was so sweet I had a hard time swallowing it. I now drink water or flavored water all day.
Good luck with kicking the habit 0 -
Ice cold water. For some reason it being really, really cold is what makes it taste so good.
I've always preferred Mexican Coke to current American Coke (I can taste the difference between sugar and HFCS). I've told myself that if I'm going to have a soda, I'm going to have the real thing. I don't buy soda at the store at all and since all the restaurants and soda machines stock the American stuff...
Basically it takes a special occasion plus being somewhere that sells real sugar soda already cold for me to get any. I honestly can't remember if it's been four or five months since my last taste.
Now asking me to give up coffee will get you speared and left out in front of the castle gates as a warning to others.0
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