How Do You Quit Soda???

Wow! That's 1200 calories a day from Pepsi! At the very least, a switch to diet would be better or sparkling water w/lemon or something.

I work at a place where we get free soda (the break rooms have a fridge that looks like a convenience store - 30+ varieties), so I used to drink 6 a day (diet coke mostly).

I am now down to drinking 2-3 a week. Here's what worked for me YMMV (your mileage may vary):
1. weaned myself off, 6 a day to 5 a day to 4 a day... over about 2 months
2. drinking coffee/tea to get my caffeine kick (this took a while to get used to)
3. not keeping it in the easily accessible (e.g. not in the fridge, in a box, in the garage so I have to make an effort to get it, add ice, or wait for it to chill...) Optimally I wouldn't have it in the house, but too many friends come over that like them (this solution makes it inconvenient enough to work for me.)
4. substituting really amazing teas/infusions so I don't feel deprived. I let myself go a bit crazy at Teavana, and got a hot water pot (keeps hot water available all the time-- not just instant boil like a kettle). My favorites are Zocolatte (chocolate & spices -- no tea, tastes like hot chocolate w/no calories), morrocan mint (green tea blend), a bunch of other green teas, and iced strawberry lemonade (no tea in this one either - also amazing if you add a little selzer for fizz).

Cold turkey here from a 10-12 a day diet Coke habit in February. I switched to iced tea (couldn't give up the caffeine) and sparkling water for the carbonation.

Good job. Did all the caffeine cause you insomnia?

I am pretty unaffected by caffeine -probably the years of hard core conditioning :bigsmile: . I can drink it all day and night and still fall asleep easily. What does get me though are the headaches if I don't get it. So in that regard, I still have demons to battle.

Walmart has great falvoed sparkling water!! I love that stuff and was an avid soda drinker.... not any more had one can in the last 3+ weeks!

I'm hooked on diet pepsi and drink about 6 cans a day. I drink no water! I went today and got two more cases of diet, hoping it will be my last. I am researching the side effects of diet pepsi.. Bad stuff but weird, but i still have one in my hand.

you just have to fight the urge. i picked up a soda after 3 weeks and i got so sick because it felt like i stuck a straw in a thing of sugar an sucked:0 so after a while you just wont want it Pepsi was my weakness to you an do it

Total soda addict here - recovering addict, I guess I should say! I was a 2-20 oz. Mtn Dew a day (at a minimum!)kind of gal. When I found MFP and started carefully logging my calories, those didn't fit in with actually having any FOOD, so I made a choice that I wanted something more substantial with those calories. Since then (a little over two months ago) I've had a soda here and there - and faithfully logged them - but I honestly don't find myself craving them anywhere near like I thought.

One thing to share - when I tried intentionally giving up soda (pre-MFP), I made it five days and went right back to it. That was me making a decision to NOT have soda. What I do now is think "I can have soda, I just have to log it". Then I think of all the food those calories could gain me...an apple, some cheese, some walnuts, a bag of popcorn, etc. And suddenly the soda doesn't look all that appealing. In fact, there have been nights where I've set aside calories for pizza and a can of soda, only to drink half the can and go "meh", dump the rest and change the amount consumed to 1/2 can. Weird now mindset really changes your cravings!

Oh, and FWIW, caffeine withdrawl bites. :grumble:

Commercial soda has high sugar, start off with making your own. There's a lot of cheap kits out there now that you can mix your own. I personally liked orange juice so I started carbonating that, then I started watering down a bit. I drink carbonated water now because I like the fizz, but that's about it. Oh and sometimes a diet coke if I need the caffeine, I don't like coffee.

I had the same issue with pepsi. I drank about 2 to 3 cans a day. I finally became motivated to quit drinking the stuff to help me lose weight. I went cold turkey a few times and it didn't work. Then, something clicked. Why would I allow my mood and actions to be effected by a soda? I told myself I would no longer drink pepsi and I haven't. It's been 40 days ( I actually started at the beginning of Lent. I thought Jesus could be my safety net lol) not only have I had no pepsi, but I've been up all soda. All I drink is water with the occasional juice or tea thrown in the mix. My pepsi habit may not seem as extensive as in compassion, but in realizing an addiction is an addiction I overcame a huge obstacle to my leftstyle change. I hope you can do the same!!!

Ps. be prepared for the withdraw symptoms... Pepsi is a fierce beast and made me horrible for a week. But I feel great now!

I cannot relate to being addicted to soda, but I have dealt with other addictions, and I just stopped. I suggest you do the same.

diet, flavor water, get 4-7oz cans of your favorite soda and only drink one every other day then every two days until you hardly notice them anymore. Make sure you work off the calories before you drink it and it will limit your intake as well.

cold turkey....
It is harsh but really, a good way to go. Maybe slowly move to drinking fizzy water. Once you have cut it out completely you will feel so much better all the way around.

At first, I refused to give up my Mt Dew. I figured if I changed everything else, keeping the Dew wasn't a big deal. Then I started to really think about it - I would have to be on the treadmill for 25 mins before I would burn the calories that were equivalent to that Dew. One day, I simply decided I wanted to spend my calories on something besides pop. First, I tried switching to Diet Dew - that stuff is disgusting. So, I went cold turkey. I simply gave it all up. The first week was AWFUL (I won't lie) - I craved it so bad my mouth would actually water for it. I had massive caffeine headaches. It was bad. But, once I made it through the first week? It was way better. I started drinking coffee in the morning and the occasional sugar free energy drink instead. I tried a sip of regular Dew awhile ago and actually gagged at the taste of it.

They make carbonated water.. Dasani has some flavors that are really good..... I used to hate diet pop, but coke zero changed my mind about it. it's really good. so is diet orange sunkist, diet mountain dew, and a&w diet cream soda.

What about seltzer? It's obviously an acquired taste but I've become addicted and it's so good! Carbonated water!! Drink away! :drinker: