Struggling to stop drinking coca cola

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Replies

  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
    edited April 2015
    I was able to go cold turkey on sodas, but I've never had the caffeine issue, though it was rough for awhile with just wanting the taste and eventually I got to the point where someone opening a can of soda doesn't make me crave for one (It was like Pavlov's bell). Diet is not an option, aspartame gives me headaches, and I just dislike the taste, though Dr Pepper 10 wasn't bad as long as it's cold.
    I'm going to echo what people have already said, start slowly lowering your consumption so that your body gets used to less caffeine, and you get used to drinking less of it. Maybe you'll still drink it a little bit, maybe you'll cut it all the way out, that's completely up to you, and your calorie deficit. :grin:
  • jewhat98
    jewhat98 Posts: 1 Member
    blend a can of tuna to your cola and itll make a great post workout shake. eventually you'll get sick of that and stop drinking cola all together!
  • babykittenslikemice
    babykittenslikemice Posts: 1 Member
    I allow my self 1 large Dr. Pepper for ever 5lbs I lose, as motivation
  • jiigglybutt
    jiigglybutt Posts: 345 Member
    I'm addicted to Monster energy drinks. I'm trying to quit, I do "good" sometimes, but always end up almost killing someone. I've tried replacing it with better options such as tea, or pill supplements, but I've noticed I also have a physical addiction to it. I crave the taste and the carbonation. I've "trained" myself to like the zero calorie and sugar options which is better than nothing. Ive gone to drinking one a day, except today I have had 3. aaaahhh Im not helping, alright
  • SamBeckmann
    SamBeckmann Posts: 11 Member
    Try tea instead. My husband used to drink a cube of Mountain Dew in half a week. That's 24 cans!!! Anyway, his big thing was the fact he needed something to both drink and occupy his hands. So, he switched to sweet tea. Doesn't help the sugar content, but it doesn't give you the withdrawal headaches quitting cold turkey will. Try it for a couple of weeks, then switch to water. Boom! You'll be dropping pounds in no time! Good luck!
  • ribye
    ribye Posts: 59 Member
    edited July 2017
    you can go cold turkey but pay a price I moved to diet coke and then eventually to caffeine free diet coke but took down the caffeine levels slowly, I don't miss the caffeine at all, I found with out the caffeine I didn't fall asleep in the afternoons like I use to and I didn't wake up at 3 am wide awake. I've since gone from 6 cans a day down to 1 can and feel much better. Amazing how addicting that stuff is, your body really doesn't want to let go of it.
  • maripanda
    maripanda Posts: 21 Member
    hmm it's tricky. Diet is full of aspartame which is not particularly good news. Maybe it's easier in some ways to just quit fizzy drinks all together, and replace with water and coffee? That would help the headaches and hydration/water retention. You might also be having a bit of a sugar withdrawal...but you've come this far it's probably as well to stick with it :)
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    Try some diet Dr Pepper. That brand is defining the leading edge of flavor.
  • maripanda
    maripanda Posts: 21 Member
    Oh also....what helped me to finally stop drinking fizzy drinks.......I did a sponsored 'just water' challenge for Water Aid last January. The idea is you only drink water (obviously you eat...but no juice, coffee, milk, whatever else) for a month.
    After that I've never actually been tempted...but yes I felt awful for the first week :O
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    anniemasterton2812 wrote: »
    Hi my name is Annie I'm 25, I have been on and off of mfp for some time now.

    I started around 3 years ago after my second daughter was born, I lost 4 and a half stone and have now put 2 stone back on, mainly through drinking coca cola, I am finding it really hard to stop drinking it, today is my second day without it, great... Not really I have suffered with the worse headache I've ever had!!

    I'm back in here looking for friends to motivate and support me through my weight lose journey, and I'll do the same

    Feel free to add me

    Thanks
    Annie x

    I get caffeine headaches too when I don't get my iced tea in. You might experiment using flavored tea bags.

    Coke Zero gets good reviews. Personally I like Diet A&W because I like low acid drinks (reflux).
  • OliveGirl128
    OliveGirl128 Posts: 801 Member
    edited July 2017
    Nothing wrong with switching to diet soda if you want to keep soda in your life but want to cut out the extra calories. Here's a great thread about aspartame and gives lots of legitimate, scientific info why it's not the scary monster that some people make it out to be- http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1308408/why-aspartame-isnt-scary/p1

    Also, there's a diet Coke made with Splenda as well, which I actually prefer the flavor of (it has a silver and yellow box).

    The headache is from the caffeine withdrawal, but 1 liter of Coke has less than 100 grams of caffeine, which is about one cup of coffee. Just add a cup of coffee or black tea if you don't want to switch to diet soda, or take a caffeine pill (they're in the medicine section, by the motion sickness pills at my local grocery store).
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    edited July 2017
    Necro thread
  • maripanda
    maripanda Posts: 21 Member
    haha oh yeah, I bet that headache has passed...
  • Richl85
    Richl85 Posts: 5 Member
    anniemasterton2812 wrote: »
    I've heard diet is just as bad as full fat coke??

    I switched to coke zero a while back. Though drinking a litre isn't great for you for other reasons, it will help the weight gain piece. Be like the rest of us and get your caffeine poison from coffee ;)
  • ShaeSweetness
    ShaeSweetness Posts: 61 Member
    Omg girlllll.... you have no idea! Im a mountain dew addict!! Its the biggest reason for my weight gain. Currently im a week without it and going strong. Honestly when you quit cold turkey like that its hard to do because whether people believe it or not, you have withdrawals from it. If youre getting the headaches its best to wein off it more than anything. Try just one regular sized can a day, then one mini can, then a fruit juice in its place, then maybe just stick to water. Its what i did and am doing. Eventually you just dont even want it anymore. Ive been 7 days without it now and dont even crave it. Also im not sure where youre from (but you said you lost "stone" so its not where im from) haha but if they have the medicine Anacin where you are, try that for headaches. Its contains caffeine and might help with the withdrawal youre experiencing.
  • ShaeSweetness
    ShaeSweetness Posts: 61 Member
    Also stay away from diet soda. It tastes like garbage and is terrible for your health! If youre gonna drink something bad or have a cheat, might as well do the real think. Diet soda has aspartame which has alot of bad health effects
  • wendsg
    wendsg Posts: 774 Member
    Aspartame is not linked to bad health effects. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1308408/why-aspartame-isnt-scary/p1

    It's actually one of the best researched additives in existence, having been tested for well over 30 years now. Most studies that have been shown to link negative health effects to aspartame have been debunked as the brand of research animal used was bred specifically to display that negative health effect for alternate research (aspartame linked to cancer was due to using rats bred to develop cancer early in life for cure research, for example).

    The only thing bad about diet soda is that it contains sodium, so you need to remember to drink water to help flush it from your system and maintain weight loss rather than encourage water retention. :)
  • theWODdoll
    theWODdoll Posts: 90 Member
    I find it easier to slowly discontinue something. Going from drinking a few sodas a day to none, your brain isn't used to not having that extra caffeine it sounds like. So if you're drinking (for example) 4 sodas a day, cut down to 3/day for a week, then 2/day for a week, 1/day for a week, then one every other day and so on until you're off of it. I drink FitAid drinks to get that carbonated taste with a meal once a day. Sometimes I'll drink a Celsius as well which is a cheaper option. They have a soda flavored drink but I haven't tried that one, my favorite is the sparkling orange one. They're carbonated water and supplement drinks - not energy drinks. Hope that helps! Oh and the FitAid has green tea so there's a little caffeine in it too. Good luck!
  • erica_today
    erica_today Posts: 185 Member
    Soda is the devil. Just fight through the headaches for a day or so they'll go away. You body misses all that caffeine. Maybe have a cup of coffee or take a Tylenol.

    I quit drinking soda when I did that gallon of water a day for 30 days challenge now its too sweet and the bubbles hurt my tummy if I have more than a sip.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    edited July 2017
    ErikThaRed wrote: »
    anniemasterton2812 wrote: »
    I've heard diet is just as bad as full fat coke??

    Well It depends on who you ask. Diet Coke contains aspartame that is used as the sweetener. There have been a lot of discussions around how bad that is for you and there are a lot of studies that show some bad things that are linked to it. I don't have those studies handy, but I have a read a few. I too am a Coca Cola junkie and struggle getting of it completely, but i have learned to cut it down to one or two cans a day (from 6+) and that has helped a lot. I have chosen not to switch to diet because of the risks associated with aspartame. Once you cut it down from a litre to say half a litre a day, it will be easier to then cut that in half as well, then get rid of it. Don't go cold turkey, it won't be fun and you'll just end up binging, at least I did.

    For anyone who would like to find out the scientific truth about aspartame (instead of fear mongering bs) there's a terrific thread here on MFP that discusses it at length:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1308408/why-aspartame-isnt-scary/p1

    :)

    Edited to add: Damn. Just noticed this is a necro thread. :(

    Well, since it's risen from the dead, the link I posted is a good thread to read anyway. ;)
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