Giving up COKE....

kandyjo
kandyjo Posts: 4,493 Member
edited September 19 in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, I admit it...I'm addicted to Coke... GRRRRRR

I usually drink four to five a day ( I know cringe!!!!!) I never even thought about it until I actually thought about it..LOL
I was like.."Oh, My God!!! I can't believe I have been letting myself drink that much"!!!!
Anyway, I am going to brag just a tad....
I have cut back to one coke a day ( and have not had one yet today)....the only reason I have had the one is to get rid of the major headache that I had....

Is there any advice on the caffine headache? I am going to do my best to NOT drink a coke today....I have the tylenol bottle handy (: I want to give them up completely.... I feel so weak to let something as tiny as drinking coke conquer me....
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Replies

  • chrissyh
    chrissyh Posts: 8,235 Member
    You could drink something like Green Tea or coffee to subside the caffeine headaches....I have not had a diet coke since April 30th and it's no problem now! You can do it!
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    Yeah, anything without the GOBS AND GOBS of sugar that is in Coke, like diet Coke or Coke Zero, at least as an intermediate until you can completely ween yourself off of it.

    Green tea would be better though.
  • MissVitaVonCherry
    MissVitaVonCherry Posts: 709 Member
    I was gonna say green tea.. have you tryed the arizona packs to go? they are awesome...0 everything..splenda induced:bigsmile:
  • daywater
    daywater Posts: 20
    Hi there~ I too gave up full flavored pop a few years ago, then switched to diet and just recently gave up the diet and in short, there is no short cut. You just endure the headaches but they will start to get fewer and fewer until eventually your body will release you of the craving. Just tough it out. I know it's rough..I gave up smoking after 10 years of that and have been 7years smoke free now so I know all about "toughing it out"...the rewards are so great when you do it though. You will be so proud of yourself. YOU CAN DO THIS! :heart:
  • naugustyniak
    naugustyniak Posts: 836 Member
    Love green tea. ....make mine in a jar in the sun.....yummy.
  • kandyjo
    kandyjo Posts: 4,493 Member
    I have tried green tea...and dont' really like it....
    But you know...if it will help take the edge off of giving up Coke completely, I will learn to like it (:
    Thanks for all of the advice, guys....
    I think I have allowed drinking soft drinks to really jeapordize my weight loss.... I am hoping to see a real change in the way I feel and of course the scale when I get totally off of them (:
  • kandyjo
    kandyjo Posts: 4,493 Member
    Hi there~ I too gave up full flavored pop a few years ago, then switched to diet and just recently gave up the diet and in short, there is no short cut. You just endure the headaches but they will start to get fewer and fewer until eventually your body will release you of the craving. Just tough it out. I know it's rough..I gave up smoking after 10 years of that and have been 7years smoke free now so I know all about "toughing it out"...the rewards are so great when you do it though. You will be so proud of yourself. YOU CAN DO THIS! :heart:


    CONGRATS!!!!!! And thanks for the encouragement!
  • monteig
    monteig Posts: 65 Member
    Giving up soda is SO hard!!! I have found it to be one of the hardest things to do in my efforts to lose weight.

    If you are down to one a day for the caffeine, then try another substitute like herbal tea. Just don't start on those crazy Starbucks coffees and frappuchinos, which are just as bad for you as the soda is!!

    Or if it is the carbonation you are used, try some flavored seltzers instead.

    I drink Snapple Diet Iced Tea for my caffeine fix in the morning. I have even snuck a Snapple into the movies so that I can have it instead of soda.
  • kandyjo
    kandyjo Posts: 4,493 Member
    Giving up soda is SO hard!!! I have found it to be one of the hardest things to do in my efforts to lose weight.

    If you are down to one a day for the caffeine, then try another substitute like herbal tea. Just don't start on those crazy Starbucks coffees and frappuchinos, which are just as bad for you as the soda is!!

    Or if it is the carbonation you are used, try some flavored seltzers instead.

    I drink Snapple Diet Iced Tea for my caffeine fix in the morning. I have even snuck a Snapple into the movies so that I can have it instead of soda.

    That actually sounds really good! (: And is the sugar content reasonable in these Snapple drinks? I don't want to trade one bad habbit for another LOL (:
  • kandyjo
    kandyjo Posts: 4,493 Member
    You could drink something like Green Tea or coffee to subside the caffeine headaches....I have not had a diet coke since April 30th and it's no problem now! You can do it!

    Awesome!!!! Thank you so much for the encouragement!! (:
  • MichelleWagner50
    MichelleWagner50 Posts: 240 Member
    I gave up coke a couple months back when I realized how much sugar was in one can!! WOW! I did switch to coffee with sugar free french vanilla or hazelnut creamer and just recently switched to black coffee. I still need one 8 oz mug a day to keep the headache away. I would try ibuprofen instead of tylenol. It works better for me.
    Good luck!!! You can do it!!
  • angelajiniel
    angelajiniel Posts: 115
    drinking a bunch of water will lessen the headaches a bit, and if you're going to medicate, excedrin will work better because it has caffeine in it as one of the main ingredients. I have tried and tried to quit, I'm down to one or two cans of diet pop a day. I've gone through the headache process more than a few times, but each time I end up going back and becoming addicted to it again. Ugh. Hopefully, someday it will stick. Good luck!
  • naugustyniak
    naugustyniak Posts: 836 Member
    I also buy the Torani Sugar Free syrups. I put Peach in my green tea. I also use them for my coffee.
    All sugar free:

    Chocolate and Carmel.
    Chocolate and English Toffee
    English Toffee and Almond
    Carmel and French Vanilla
    Chocolate, Coconut, and Cherry
    Chocolate and Almond

    I used to buy them at World Market for about $6.00 a bottle (25.4 oz, you only need a little bit so they go a long way) but they went out of business here so I get them from my local coffe place (Higher Grounds). They charge me a little more ($8.00 a bottle) but it is WAY less expensive than Starbucks and WAY less calories. Sometimes I put a little skim milk in to make them creamier. My kids also use them with powered hot cocoa mix. Cheaper than flavored hot cocoa.
  • mizzoucheer
    mizzoucheer Posts: 23
    When I gave up Coke and coffee at the same time, I did switch to green tea (b/c even in the heat of summer I need something warm in the morning), but when I felt a headache coming on I took an Excedrin Migraine. It has a little caffeine in it so it nabs the headache both ways. however, this only works if you just take it for a couple days (like 2 for 2 days, then 1 for 2 days) and then cut it out completely.
  • naugustyniak
    naugustyniak Posts: 836 Member
    drinking a bunch of water will lessen the headaches a bit, and if you're going to medicate, excedrin will work better because it has caffeine in it as one of the main ingredients. I have tried and tried to quit, I'm down to one or two cans of diet pop a day. I've gone through the headache process more than a few times, but each time I end up going back and becoming addicted to it again. Ugh. Hopefully, someday it will stick. Good luck!

    Taking Excedrin, Tylenol or Ibuprofen too much will cause rebound headaches (sometimes called medication overuse headaches). When I was trying to go off caffeine I went half and half on the caffeine for a couple of weeks then decaf. I didn't seem to have as many headaches as before. It took longer but I feel much better.
  • Learning2LoveMe
    Learning2LoveMe Posts: 1,430 Member
    I used to drink about 8-12 cans of Mountain Dew a day!! How crazy is that?
    I kicked the soda habit a few months back, started drinking again when I quit smoking, and then just quit soda again about a week ago.

    The key I found to dealing with the headaches is iced tea. I got some lipton cold brew iced tea and would make myself a glass when the headaches were killing me and put a little sugar in it. It really does help!
  • weaverc
    weaverc Posts: 158
    You really have to back off caffiene slowly in order to avoid the headaches. Try weening yourself instead of quiting cold turkey.
  • karlira
    karlira Posts: 100
    Hi, I wass also a Coke addict myself, and some years ago I quit it.. I did the transition drinking diet coke, which is also not good, Diet stuff like diet coke also gave me headaches, which I only figured out once I stopped. So now I dont drink diet stuff anymore.. Well maybe ocassionally, at partys or in restaurants...

    On weekends ocassionally I drink one regular Coke...

    Before, I didnt drink coffee, but now I need one in the morning, i take it with light creamer.. That's my caffeine fix. The rest of the day I drink green tea, I dont like the regular one so I buy Bigelows Green tea with lemon, it tastes soo good!

    At lunch, I drink "orangeade" (half a cup of orange juice, ice and club soda)

    :drinker:
    Good luck!!
  • kandyjo
    kandyjo Posts: 4,493 Member
    Wow....thanks for all the advice....Its also nice to know that I'm not the only one with this addiction (: LOL

    I am still hoping not to indulge in a coke today....I have done really well so far...no headache...LOTS of Water (:
    Thanks again, guys!!
  • jephreeta
    jephreeta Posts: 1
    I gave up soda cold turkey about 6 months ago and substituted water instead. I had to endure the headaches for about 6 days, but after that I felt SO good! It was totally worth it!! I have so much more energy now and even my skin is looking super healthy from all the water. :)
  • hurleycutie142
    hurleycutie142 Posts: 479 Member
    omg i had the sameproblem...
    okay so what i did was get the little bottles or the half cans...
    and i would drink one of those a day...
    or i could pour half a cup...
    and now i really dont have the headaches anymore...
  • roxie17
    roxie17 Posts: 71
    It just takes time - I never drink soda anymore, regular, diet or otherwise, give me iced tea, green tea white tea (no sugar). I never even think of soda anymore, but it does take time. But you can do it!!!:smile::flowerforyou:
  • sallyjenn
    sallyjenn Posts: 11 Member
    I feel your pain about loving soda, I LOVE CHERRY DR PEPPER!!! It is so bad and I stopped but once and a while I let my self have a glass!
  • kandyjo
    kandyjo Posts: 4,493 Member
    I gave up soda cold turkey about 6 months ago and substituted water instead. I had to endure the headaches for about 6 days, but after that I felt SO good! It was totally worth it!! I have so much more energy now and even my skin is looking super healthy from all the water. :)

    Yes, there are so many motivations for quitting....I just wished it didn't taste so good LOL
    Thanks for your story and encouragement! (:
  • Learning2LoveMe
    Learning2LoveMe Posts: 1,430 Member
    You know whats funny about quitting soda? When I quit soda a while back I had gone a month without and I started craving like crazy. So I figured 1 can wouldn't kill me, so I bought myself a soda and took a sip and almost spit it out. It tasted like dirt to me! I tried Mountain Dew, Coke, Pepsi and Dr. Pepper and all of them tasted like dirt from the ground thrown in some water and then made fizzy.
  • kandyjo
    kandyjo Posts: 4,493 Member
    It just takes time - I never drink soda anymore, regular, diet or otherwise, give me iced tea, green tea white tea (no sugar). I never even think of soda anymore, but it does take time. But you can do it!!!:smile::flowerforyou:
    Thank you!! (:
  • kandyjo
    kandyjo Posts: 4,493 Member
    You know whats funny about quitting soda? When I quit soda a while back I had gone a month without and I started craving like crazy. So I figured 1 can wouldn't kill me, so I bought myself a soda and took a sip and almost spit it out. It tasted like dirt to me! I tried Mountain Dew, Coke, Pepsi and Dr. Pepper and all of them tasted like dirt from the ground thrown in some water and then made fizzy.

    That is encouraging..... I LOVE the taste of Coke....So, hopefully, one day...I will be able to say what you just did....(I can do it. I can do it...) (:

    It is now 1:40 PM where I am and I still have not had a coke....So, I made it through the morning...and I am into the afternoon and still haven't had a coke!! (: (fingers crossed....I can do this. I can do this. ) (:
  • Learning2LoveMe
    Learning2LoveMe Posts: 1,430 Member
    You can do it, you can do it!! :flowerforyou:
  • emmie110
    emmie110 Posts: 176
    I gave up the Diet Coke in January. I took excedrin for the headache and also green tea (iced tea). Try a different green tea. I had some on demo at costco one day and it was nasty. I buy the Lipton Green tea bags that are flavored. The Orange-Passionfruit one is my favorite. They have cranberry, lemon, mixed berry (kind of sweet). They are unsweetened - but really good. Also, I find if I leave the tea bag in the water for more than 3 or 4 minutes - it is too strong and a little bitter. I usually add more water to mine to make it weaker.
    Good luck - the headaches really don't last too long. I think mine went for 2 weeks - but they weren't constant during that time. It really was easier than I thought it would be.
  • kandyjo
    kandyjo Posts: 4,493 Member
    I gave up the Diet Coke in January. I took excedrin for the headache and also green tea (iced tea). Try a different green tea. I had some on demo at costco one day and it was nasty. I buy the Lipton Green tea bags that are flavored. The Orange-Passionfruit one is my favorite. They have cranberry, lemon, mixed berry (kind of sweet). They are unsweetened - but really good. Also, I find if I leave the tea bag in the water for more than 3 or 4 minutes - it is too strong and a little bitter. I usually add more water to mine to make it weaker.
    Good luck - the headaches really don't last too long. I think mine went for 2 weeks - but they weren't constant during that time. It really was easier than I thought it would be.


    Very encouraging!! I have never tried the different flavored Green Teas....I will definitely give them a try!
    AND I just saw a commercial for Lipton Green Tea with fizzies....I guess for those of us who like the carbonation (: I think I may give that a try (:
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