Quiting Soda

mari5466
mari5466 Posts: 137 Member
edited November 13 in Motivation and Support
I have been addicted to diet soda since I was in high school. Im 23 now and I am trying to lose 15 pounds, I have already lost the first 10. I put on the weight in the last year when I moved in with my boyfriend and picked up some of his bad eating habits but now I am back on tract with a healthy lifestyle and I've completely cut the regular soda out of my diet. For the most part I don't drink diet soda, I went from daily a few years ago to a few times a week but now I think its time to cut it out for good because I have cut out all other forms of artificial sugar but I need help! What worked for you?

Replies

  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
    Do you mean quiting?
  • mari5466
    mari5466 Posts: 137 Member
    kbmnurse wrote: »
    Do you mean quiting?

    Hahaha yes damn that spell check
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    I cut real soda but not diet soda. I go through phases where I drink it and phases when I don't.

    I drink a lot of flavored water (Crystal light, Propel), iced tea (with artificial sweetener), coffee (with artificial sweetener).. so you see I am still doing artificial sweetness either way..

    I think you are going to have to find that beverage that you like that is not sweetened with anything..
  • BarbaraJatmfp
    BarbaraJatmfp Posts: 463 Member
    Have you tried lemon in water? Lime in water is different, too. What about teas? They have a lot of flavored teas.
  • onsickmom
    onsickmom Posts: 212 Member
    I wish you the best in quitting...I finally gave it up after 50 years...Im 7 months off of it now..First few weeks were hard..I stopped drinking from a can or fountain soda cup..That helped with the soda triggers..I bought a tumbler for my water and other stuff..GOOD LUCK
  • KatyFlatlander
    KatyFlatlander Posts: 21 Member
    Diet Coke is my crack. I have been off for 5 days. Hoping to kick the addiction!
  • mactaffy428
    mactaffy428 Posts: 61 Member
    Sometimes you just gotta suck it up and do it. I LOVED coke (I'm sure I still do), but getting told that you have some fatty liver (while having a BMI of 22.6, so not overweight) really makes you want to do something. According to my doctor, the soda was probably a big part of that, as it was pretty much all I drank. I know, really bad habit. So do I have coke anymore? Nope. Do I miss it? Hell, yes, and probably always will. But being around for my kids is more important to me than a soda. Gotta figure out your priorities.
  • lseed87
    lseed87 Posts: 1,105 Member
    Water, flavored water, and tea helped me.
  • McMakinTX
    McMakinTX Posts: 7 Member
    I'm fighting this addiction as well. I LOVE Diet Coke! I'm trying to quit it but still backsliding. I hate the taste of tea but crave something other than water. Ideas?
  • KatrinaGrey
    KatrinaGrey Posts: 101 Member
    I don't drink diet soda because of the artificial sweeteners and the numerous health issues associated with them, but I love coca cola, especially the Mexican version with real sugar.

    If I go cold turkey I'm fine, but one slip and it takes me months to recover. I don't drink it everyday but even twice a week is bad.

    In general, I'm going to try and cut extra sugar from my diet and see if it helps.
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
    TBH I stopped drinking soda when I was like 13, lost 20lbs, and never looked back. I don't even like soda anymore. I remember at the time drinking low calories Minute Maid lemonade when I just needed a taste. Now I drink flavored sparkling water and tea!
  • ShelleyElise
    ShelleyElise Posts: 33 Member
    Letting go of soda (diet or otherwise) is difficult, but not impossible!

    I gave it up last summer when I realized HFCS and fake sugars were making me feel ill, and that the acidic drinks were destroying my teeth.

    I recommend going cold-turkey on any sweet drink for 6 weeks. You'll be amazed how your taste changes (especially if you are forgoing sugar in other places as well), and how much money you'll save just having mostly water with occasional unsweetened tea / black coffee / milk.

    I'm now to the point where simple fruit juice (freshly squeezed oj, for example) is so incredibly sweet I cut it with water. I had a swig of my husband's diet coke by accident over the holiday, and couldn't even swallow it as it tasted so much like chemicals.

    I also echo the above recommendation to know what your triggers are, and think on how you'll handle them. Mine with the strong strong association of a coke with pizza. What could I possibly drink with a pizza if not a coke?! Turns out, water works just as well and lets me really enjoy the taste of the food instead of being drowned out in syrup sweetness.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited January 2017
    BarbaraJatmfp wrote: »
    Have you tried lemon in water? Lime in water is different, too. What about teas? They have a lot of flavored teas.

    For unsweetened flavored tea you will need to make it yourself. Most bottled varieties are basically the same thing as soda, or diet soda.

    I still drink diet soda.....but get the bulk of my caffeine from "flavored" unsweetened iced tea. Twinings Mixed Berry is yummy.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    mari5466 wrote: »
    I have been addicted to diet soda since I was in high school. Im 23 now and I am trying to lose 15 pounds, I have already lost the first 10. I put on the weight in the last year when I moved in with my boyfriend and picked up some of his bad eating habits but now I am back on tract with a healthy lifestyle and I've completely cut the regular soda out of my diet. For the most part I don't drink diet soda, I went from daily a few years ago to a few times a week but now I think its time to cut it out for good because I have cut out all other forms of artificial sugar but I need help! What worked for you?

    I'm confused by your post. You said you've been drinking Diet soda since high school (5+ years) but then later said you cut regular soda out of your diet and then you said you're looking to cut diet soda out because of concerns with artificial sweeteners. So are you drinking regular, diet, or both?

    You also said you recently lost 15 lbs (congrats!), was that partly from switching from regular to diet soda or an unrelated event?

  • laburto
    laburto Posts: 43 Member
    edited January 2017
    I went cold turkey for 6 months without coke. It was hard. Now, I only take sips of it. I am going cold turkey starting today. Gonna start drinking water with lemon, it actually taste good. You should try it..it actually helps the craving of sodas. It also helps with losing weight! I remember I lost a lot just by cutting sodas. Now I need help with cutting off junk food.

  • Terra_Incognita
    Terra_Incognita Posts: 1,465 Member
    Zevia has been my friend.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    Terra_Incognita wrote: »
    Zevia has been my friend.

    Zevia is still diet soda ;)
  • Terra_Incognita
    Terra_Incognita Posts: 1,465 Member
    Well shucks(: I haven't had a Dew since November and I don't think I could have done it without a very random Zevia sparkle kick. Tis yum. Getting there.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    Terra_Incognita wrote: »
    Well shucks(: I haven't had a Dew since November and I don't think I could have done it without a very random Zevia sparkle kick. Tis yum. Getting there.

    I didn't mean that there is anything wrong with drinking it but the OP said no diet soda ;)
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    McMakinTX wrote: »
    I'm fighting this addiction as well. I LOVE Diet Coke! I'm trying to quit it but still backsliding. I hate the taste of tea but crave something other than water. Ideas?

    Why can't you keep drinking diet soda unless it is for financial reasons that you're quitting?
  • teicu1
    teicu1 Posts: 71 Member
    Use the same method as tobacco cessation programs (the ones without pills/patches/gum/vaping/etc)... Cut down on the amount you regularly consume until you’re near zero, hold that mimimum level for a few weeks and them quit entirely. That way, the “cold turkey” kickback isn’t anywhere near as bad. Plus, you could transition into Crystal Light as part of this technique. It’ll be good for you, as carbonated beverages (whether sugared or not) are just bad news.

    I used this “cut back/minimize/then quit” technique with ciggies a while ago and it worked fine. My 15th anniversary of being off tobacco is next April.
  • juniper_shores
    juniper_shores Posts: 3 Member
    I had the same issue! It takes a while for your palate to adjust from/ween off of the extreme sweetness of sodas without just substituting another artificially sweetened drink.

    Another suggestion you could try is buy a water diffuser waterbottle (I found a pretty inexpensive one on Amazon) and try your hand at making your own flavored waters! My favorite is adding raspberries and mint leaves. Cucumber s are also very refreshing. You can find all sorts of fruit and veggie diffused water recipes on Pinterest and all over the web. Plus, I find I am more motivated to drink the water since I've taken the time to "make it" myself.
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    teicu1 wrote: »
    Use the same method as tobacco cessation programs (the ones without pills/patches/gum/vaping/etc)... Cut down on the amount you regularly consume until you’re near zero, hold that mimimum level for a few weeks and them quit entirely. That way, the “cold turkey” kickback isn’t anywhere near as bad. Plus, you could transition into Crystal Light as part of this technique. It’ll be good for you, as carbonated beverages (whether sugared or not) are just bad news.

    I used this “cut back/minimize/then quit” technique with ciggies a while ago and it worked fine. My 15th anniversary of being off tobacco is next April.

    Wrong. What exactly is bad news about bubbles? :huh:
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    Chef_Barbell wrote: »
    teicu1 wrote: »
    Use the same method as tobacco cessation programs (the ones without pills/patches/gum/vaping/etc)... Cut down on the amount you regularly consume until you’re near zero, hold that mimimum level for a few weeks and them quit entirely. That way, the “cold turkey” kickback isn’t anywhere near as bad. Plus, you could transition into Crystal Light as part of this technique. It’ll be good for you, as carbonated beverages (whether sugared or not) are just bad news.

    I used this “cut back/minimize/then quit” technique with ciggies a while ago and it worked fine. My 15th anniversary of being off tobacco is next April.

    Wrong. What exactly is bad news about bubbles? :huh:

    Nothing, especially if they are in Prosecco...
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Chef_Barbell wrote: »
    teicu1 wrote: »
    Use the same method as tobacco cessation programs (the ones without pills/patches/gum/vaping/etc)... Cut down on the amount you regularly consume until you’re near zero, hold that mimimum level for a few weeks and them quit entirely. That way, the “cold turkey” kickback isn’t anywhere near as bad. Plus, you could transition into Crystal Light as part of this technique. It’ll be good for you, as carbonated beverages (whether sugared or not) are just bad news.

    I used this “cut back/minimize/then quit” technique with ciggies a while ago and it worked fine. My 15th anniversary of being off tobacco is next April.

    Wrong. What exactly is bad news about bubbles? :huh:

    Nothing, especially if they are in Prosecco...

    In for this :drinker:
  • gregoryjspen
    gregoryjspen Posts: 28 Member
    I have quit soda for about 3 years now. Used to by a 24 pack every week. While I do have one occasionally (maybe one a month). I do not miss it. What really helped me was drinking Perrier or club soda. It had the fizz, plus I could add a splash of lime or lemon. Used to add fruit juices, but cut those out too. Now just drink straight Perrier or Peligrino. :) good luck.
  • SpleenThief
    SpleenThief Posts: 293 Member
    Cold turkey worked for me. It's been a month and it's been harder than quitting smoking. There's a carbonated cranberry juice my grocery store carries that's tasty and doesn't have added sugar. It's a nice sub as long as I'm careful not to overindulge.
  • CaliMom126
    CaliMom126 Posts: 6 Member
    I went cold turkey and dropped Diet Coke several years ago. Haven't had one since!! I started drinking water. And it was difficult. I forced myself. I would gag on water!! I got a tall insulated tumbler, with a straw. Ice water. I would force myself to take 3 big sips at a time. then 4. then 5. I drink at least 5, and i try for 8, daily. I will have the occasional root beer, but only in certain circumstances. eating at a barbeque place. is one. haha. water doesn't cut it. and i DON'T like tea. at all. i don't like flavored water. or carbonated water. When I eat out at a restaurant, it's water. or a margarita. 8-) You can do it. I did. Keep Trying!!
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