As simple as the title is, it is also the most straight-forward. I wanted to get some personal advice and suggestions in regards to my situation. For nearly the past 4-5 years, I've been drinking a ton of soda. Some like beer, some like strong alcoholic drinks, others enjoy marijuana; I am about soda.
It's gotten so bad, that sometimes I feel a bit light-headed and empty without at least a glass. In the past it was candy, salty snacks and microwaveable meals and I've made huge progress since. But with soda, I need to have at least a glass and I'm really looking to change that.
Unfortunately, I can't seem to find any real substitute. The biggest issue I have with the more accepting drinks is 1. it isn't as strong in flavour as soda (and so it really turns me off) and 2. it isn't nearly as cheap. I suppose that's why Soda is so delightful and marketably well-off.
I won't gasp you with just how bad it is. Just looking for some real alternatives. I've tried drinking only juice and then weening off that until just water. But eventually I revert back and to be honest; Juice isn't all that better either (though I do love those V8 juice mixes!).
My favourite flavors are Vanilla Coke, Pepsi Blue, Stewart's Black Cherry Soda, JONES Blue Lemonade, Cherry and Green Apple.
edit: I'm not gaining any weight, I just feel the amount of sugar I take in is a lot
edit: Most people suggest going cold-turkey or gradually reducing my intake throughout weeks. I guess I'll have to give that another shot if that's the only way
I have the same problem. I drink Pepsi nonstop and it's really affecting my health (noticeable weight gain).
I started buying more milk and juices to have an alternative, but I always let them go bad and opt for a Pepsi before anything else. I tried just stopping cold turkey and drinking more water, but that just made me eager to drink more Pepsi later in the day.
Looking forward to the responses in this thread as well!
On April 02 2013 04:18 ieatkids5 wrote: ever thought about or tried going cold turkey on the soda and just drinking water?
Yep. Doesn't work because then I feel really light-headed and dizzy even. As if I hadn't eaten or drank anything in awhile. My meals also tend to taste a bit more bland on some occasions.
On April 02 2013 04:19 Butterednuts wrote: I have the same problem. I drink Pepsi nonstop and it's really affecting my health (noticeable weight gain).
I started buying more milk and juices to have an alternative, but I always let them go bad and opt for a Pepsi before anything else. I tried just stopping cold turkey and drinking more water, but that just made me eager to drink more Pepsi later in the day.
Looking forward to the responses in this thread as well!
Ah, I don't gain any weight sadly. But with the amount of sugar I intake, most are surprised I don't have diabetes yet (I used to drink a lot of Jones Bottle soda everyday (which is 46g of sugar a bottle).
I drink a lot of milk with my sugary cereal (which is also a problem).
On April 02 2013 04:22 Meadowlark wrote: As gimmicky as it sounds, I know some people who've been helped a ton by switching to seltzer. Something about the bubbles satisfies their soda itch.
I hear that, but about ginger ale which is a lot more tolerable. I can't stand Seltzer.
On April 02 2013 04:20 rauk wrote: drink fizzy water
So I hear, do you think ginger ale works?
On April 02 2013 04:21 Thrill wrote: Fix your teeth.
Yeah, have you tried club soda? (straight carbonated water basically).
It tastes awful the first few times but its only like 2 days until its delicious. I personally hate water so for a while I drank almost exclusively club soda. It isn't cheaper than pop really but if part of pop's attraction to you is it's price then this qualifies. I'm not sure how good it is for your teeth (still drinking acid ) but at least no sugar etc.
Only problem is that I'm sure by now your body wants a sugar hit, which this definitely won't provide.
EDIT: okay my post was started before like the last 5. Currently I drink almost exclusively milk, but thats just because I like the taste and its healthier than Pop/Fruit Juice etc.
On April 02 2013 04:23 Sn0_Man wrote: Yeah, have you tried club soda? (straight carbonated water basically).
It tastes awful the first few times but its only like 2 days until its delicious. I personally hate water so for a while I drank almost exclusively club soda. It isn't cheaper than pop really but if part of pop's attraction to you is it's price then this qualifies. I'm not sure how good it is for your teeth (still drinking acid ) but at least no sugar etc.
Only problem is that I'm sure by now your body wants a sugar hit, which this definitely won't provide.
EDIT: okay my post was started before like the last 5. Currently I drink almost exclusively milk, but thats just because I like the taste and its healthier than Pop/Fruit Juice etc.
I tried going pure ginger ale, I might try again if it's just as good as a solution as seltzer water.
yeah, I'm drinking Sprite right now. If I try hard, I can usually make a 2 Litre bottle last 4-5 days before I have to get some more.
I drink soda out of a straw because my teeth are pretty bad.
hmm since cold turkey doesnt work, can you try a more gradual approach? these are usually harder to stick to, since it's easy to let it slide once and drink a bit more, and then you're back to drinking soda all day. compare that to cold turkey, where the line is clear how much you can drink. but if you have good self-discipline, reducing your intake by, let's say a quarter of a can a day might lead to some good results. you could probably make a program for yourself to follow. like: day 1, replace 1/4 can of soda with 1/4 can of seltzer water (or ginger ale). day 2, replace 1/2 can of soda with 1/2 can of seltzer. day 3, replace 1/2 can of soda with 1/4 can of seltzer. drink water if you need anything else. and so on until all your soda intake (however many cans might that be) is gone... this is just an example, but i would really support you switching over to drinking water. hell, juice has a lot of sugar in it too, but at least it's got less, the sugar comes from natural sources, and it's got some vitamins and shit.
I was the same way a year or so ago where I had to have soda every day. I craved it and couldn't go without at least a little bit every day. I went to Gatorade or you could go and buy and make some sort of juice. Just going straight to water probably won't work as you said.
I would just try to get some sort of juice and just force yourself not to drink soda and drink juice/Gatorade as a replacement.
On April 02 2013 04:30 ieatkids5 wrote: hmm since cold turkey doesnt work, can you try a more gradual approach? these are usually harder to stick to, since it's easy to let it slide once and drink a bit more, and then you're back to drinking soda all day. compare that to cold turkey, where the line is clear how much you can drink. but if you have good self-discipline, reducing your intake by, let's say a quarter of a can a day might lead to some good results. you could probably make a program for yourself to follow. like: day 1, replace 1/4 can of soda with 1/4 can of seltzer water (or ginger ale). day 2, replace 1/2 can of soda with 1/2 can of seltzer. day 3, replace 1/2 can of soda with 1/4 can of seltzer. drink water if you need anything else. and so on until all your soda intake (however many cans might that be) is gone... this is just an example, but i would really support you switching over to drinking water. hell, juice has a lot of sugar in it too, but at least it's got less, the sugar comes from natural sources, and it's got some vitamins and shit.
I wouldn't advise gatorade. It has just as much sugar as soda does. Maybe not as much as those heartstopping soda drinks, but gatorade will do nothing to kick your sugar intake if that's what you're trying to fix. Can you give us an example of how much you drink. Like a can a day? Maybe if you drink more than that, limit your drinking to a one can or bottle and drink sparingly
On April 02 2013 04:50 freeshooter wrote: I wouldn't advise gatorade. It has just as much sugar as soda does. Maybe not as much as those heartstopping soda drinks, but gatorade will do nothing to kick your sugar intake if that's what you're trying to fix. Can you give us an example of how much you drink. Like a can a day? Maybe if you drink more than that, limit your drinking to a one can or bottle and drink sparingly
Currently, about 2 Litres a day if I really let myself go. Sprite or Coke or a generic flavor. It's 2 litres. If it's Jones Soda or something with a really strong, sweet, over-bearing taste: It's about 4 bottles without breaking a sweat.
I don't like gatorade, as it is not strong enough taste. It could be the carbonated drink of it, but then again; Juice is just as good.
Personally I drink 4-5 bottles of water a day, and when I get a sweet tooth I drink Sweetleaf mint and honey tea. It's got about 1/3rd as much sugar as soda and is of course not caffeinated, not a bad drink to have a short glass a day of. Whey protein also has good flavor and better health benefits.
On April 02 2013 05:01 Oakenshield wrote: Personally I drink 4-5 bottles of water a day, and when I get a sweet tooth I drink Sweetleaf mint and honey tea. It's got about 1/3rd as much sugar as soda and is of course not caffeinated, not a bad drink to have a short glass a day of. Whey protein also has good flavor and better health benefits.
I don't like tea or mint or honey.
I don't like warm drinks either.
I understand the alternatives, I just don't like them because they're weak in flavour or pretty flat in feeling of consumption. So I'm looking for anyone who's experienced similar and found a method to eventually break down the habit.
while weening yourself off maybe you could drink diet or 0 calorie versions for that carbonated flavour punch you crave. most diet ones taste like crap, but I prefer the taste of coke zero
Apple juice or juice from berries, otherwise watch some shocking documentaries.
Apple juice (real) has a nice strong flavour and is pretty tasty, so you may prefer that. You could experiment by making different juices from berries and mix them up, or just buy syrup and mix it with water according to your taste. Yoghurt is also an option
Just drink water and not be a pussy about it? You want to stop drinking that shit, so do it. Water will work even better and it'll remove your thirst. If you're not thirsty, you won't drink anything else.
On April 02 2013 05:05 ComaDose wrote: while weening yourself off maybe you could drink diet or 0 calorie versions for that carbonated flavour punch you crave. most diet ones taste like crap, but I prefer the taste of coke zero
I can drink Diet Coke, but you're so right at how crap they are :x
On April 02 2013 05:10 Kuni wrote: Just drink water and not be a pussy about it? You want to stop drinking that shit, so do it. Water will work even better and it'll remove your thirst. If you're not thirsty, you won't drink anything else.
I'm sure you tell all alcoholics the same thing huh
i used to drink 1.5L every day, i would buy it and put it next to my bed or PC and drink it all day. then i decided to stop. Instead of buying soda i bought a bottle of water and because i was the only one in my house that bought soda i just have water to drink, and because im lazy i didnt walk to the store to buy another delicious soda. so i create and environment free of sugared drinks. Now i drink 0,5L of soda every 2 days, some time less.
On April 02 2013 05:10 Kuni wrote: Just drink water and not be a pussy about it? You want to stop drinking that shit, so do it. Water will work even better and it'll remove your thirst. If you're not thirsty, you won't drink anything else.
I'm sure you tell all alcoholics the same thing huh
well, given that you've had an entire thread-ful of good suggestions, and most of your responses have just been "i dont like this" and "i dont like that," you do seem like a pussy. yes, you do have an addiction, and it warrants the same amount of serious attention as alcoholism, but when all you do is complain instead of maybe, i dunno, committing to something and trying to stick to it, then people will call you a pussy.
Saying you're going to switch to something like Ginger Ale is like saying you're going to switch to Bud Light to fix your alcoholism =/.
The best plan to quit is going to depend on your personality. Either you'll be good at cold turkey, in which case do that, or you'll need to wean. If you have to wean you probably want to do it by other means than substituting one soda for another. Either reduce the amount you drink by a bit each day or maybe force yourself to drink 2-4 glasses of water in the day without trying to directly reduce soda intake. The idea being the extra water intake will reduce your soda intake more naturally as you don't want to spend all day pissing.
Also most likely you get light headed because you're addicted to caffine now.
I know most of my family is really into mixing Sprite Zero + Crystal Light packets. It tastes pretty good and it doesn't have any sugar/caffeine in it - so provided those aren't your problem, they might help a lot.
My 2c.
Edit: my point is that this way you can drink soda and it doesn't contain the things that make soda bad for you... if you want to kick soda as a habit just cuz, then this probably wasn't helpful. Sorry.
I used to drink soda all the time as well (I especially loved Sprite and Indian Tonic Water, and Cream Soda!). For me, a switch to carbonated water with citrus taste is what did it, with the occasional cup of tea. I am however probably less picky than you, haha, but there are a lot of carbonated waters with taste, and you could find one you would like somewhere, perhaps. I drink a carbonated water with a really strong taste of citrus too, not the weak shit!
I used to have this problem, but solved it when I began long distance running. After several miles, you really start craving water and eventually enjoy drinking it when not exercising. Also, I'd suggest replacing some of the soda you drink with un-caffeinated sodas so that you can avoid withdrawal symptoms.
On April 02 2013 05:10 Kuni wrote: Just drink water and not be a pussy about it? You want to stop drinking that shit, so do it. Water will work even better and it'll remove your thirst. If you're not thirsty, you won't drink anything else.
I'm sure you tell all alcoholics the same thing huh
well, given that you've had an entire thread-ful of good suggestions, and most of your responses have just been "i dont like this" and "i dont like that," you do seem like a pussy. yes, you do have an addiction, and it warrants the same amount of serious attention as alcoholism, but when all you do is complain instead of maybe, i dunno, committing to something and trying to stick to it, then people will call you a pussy.
Nah, I'm not really saying it's the equivalent of alcoholism, it just seems a bit too blunt and going cold turkey does not work for me.
If I like soda and I don't like the other drink. How will alternating to that drink help me whatsoever? I'll just be further disinterested in it and more interested in soda.
In addition, I also get a bit light-headed and dizzy if I don't get a sugar intake from soda. Going to this doesn't really solve my problem.
Going cold turkey, doesn't solve my problem either.
I tried other alternatives before. Going only juice, going only ginger ale, trying warm drinks, trying coffee. Only water, vitamin water, malts, energy drinks (oh god, so awful), etc.
There's no alternative to soda. Believe me, I've been an addict my whole life. I can stop, but the taste of DP and Mt. Dew bring me back in. Maybe I can't stop then?
The best way is to literally cold turkey it. I've tried several methods and alternative drinks, but even after a long night at the bar, or work, or even after i smoke weed, I get this urge to drink soda. I grew up drinking it, so it's kind of a hard habit to break.
But honestly, I've been trying for years and the only thing that really works is to just wake up one day, and stop.
On April 02 2013 06:11 hoby2000 wrote: There's no alternative to soda. Believe me, I've been an addict my whole life. I can stop, but the taste of DP and Mt. Dew bring me back in. Maybe I can't stop then?
The best way is to literally cold turkey it. I've tried several methods and alternative drinks, but even after a long night at the bar, or work, or even after i smoke weed, I get this urge to drink soda. I grew up drinking it, so it's kind of a hard habit to break.
But honestly, I've been trying for years and the only thing that really works is to just wake up one day, and stop.
Really?
Yeah, I love Cherry Dr. Pepper and the new Red Mountain Dew is pretty good. How long have you been addicted?
If I try pretty hard, I can probably stay away from it for a good two weeks before I get the craving again. It just makes my meals so much more refreshing and appetizing and it keeps me alert. I don't ever feel like I'm in a sugar rush or I'm coming down from a sugar rush (tired, exasperated, etc.).
I was thinking of trying to eat pure fruits. It would hit two birds with one stone by quit eating snacks.
As far as I know the biggest problem with having too much sugar in your diet is gaining weight, and a smaller possible side effect of reducing BDNF production which is just some chemical that you need to produce memories and learn and is a possible cause of alzheimers but that is a problem for everyone since everything we eat/drink has added sugar now. I think as long as you aren't having any real problems resulting from drinking sodas then I see no reason why you should quit. You say you aren't fat, it isn't impacting you financially, you haven't made a comment on whether you are learning impaired now or anything, the only real problem you've brought up is that you feel like you have to drink it. Well you have to drink water too or you die of dehydration. I would honestly just say compensate for it with tons of exercise and brush your teeth more often than usual. There is a lot worse shit in your diet than soda and it's not worth caring about at this point, if this isn't producing any life ruining problems for you then you might as well just enjoy what you enjoy.
On April 02 2013 05:10 Kuni wrote: Just drink water and not be a pussy about it? You want to stop drinking that shit, so do it. Water will work even better and it'll remove your thirst. If you're not thirsty, you won't drink anything else.
I'm sure you tell all alcoholics the same thing huh
well, given that you've had an entire thread-ful of good suggestions, and most of your responses have just been "i dont like this" and "i dont like that," you do seem like a pussy. yes, you do have an addiction, and it warrants the same amount of serious attention as alcoholism, but when all you do is complain instead of maybe, i dunno, committing to something and trying to stick to it, then people will call you a pussy.
Nah, I'm not really saying it's the equivalent of alcoholism, it just seems a bit too blunt and going cold turkey does not work for me.
If I like soda and I don't like the other drink. How will alternating to that drink help me whatsoever? I'll just be further disinterested in it and more interested in soda.
In addition, I also get a bit light-headed and dizzy if I don't get a sugar intake from soda. Going to this doesn't really solve my problem.
Going cold turkey, doesn't solve my problem either.
I tried other alternatives before. Going only juice, going only ginger ale, trying warm drinks, trying coffee. Only water, vitamin water, malts, energy drinks (oh god, so awful), etc.
what about reducing your intake gradually like i and some others suggested? maybe not by days, but by weeks?
On April 02 2013 06:22 Roybs wrote: How about sparkled water? Dunno how it is called in proper english but here we have normal water with the sparkles
It's called Seltzer. I don't think its the carbonation that's attractive, but both also the strength of its taste. What do you think of Ginger Ale? Just as bad?
Slowly decrease the amount you drink. Drink 1 glass a day, then 1/2, then 1/4 and slowly you will regress. Do it in 1 week intervals. Think about how much you drink per day, do that for a week, then drink half of it for a week, then half of that for a week. In the process, you will decrease this, though I would not suggest not drinking any soda at any period of time unless you replace those sugars with other, more healthy, sugars.
Not sure if I was ever as addicted as you, but I essentially went 'cold turkey'. I drink soda very rarely, but I've come to prefer water. Do you ever feel dehydrated after drinking so much soda? I sort of agree that putting yourself in a (healthy) situation where you crave water like lots of exercise or something can make you come appreciate it more.
I agree that cold turkey may be the best way. Diet sodas can have substitute sugars that can be worse for you and give you even more headaches (aspartame can cause bad headaches for certain individuals).
Maybe try enduring some headache/dizziness and get yourself on a good regular sleep schedule and drink lots of water. If necessary, make sure you're drinking water that tastes good for you. If you need to bring your own cup or get ice to avoid the weird plastic water taste, so be it.
Also do you exercise from time to time? Is soda the first thing you think of when you want to quench thirst?
On April 02 2013 06:25 DanLee wrote: As far as I know the biggest problem with having too much sugar in your diet is gaining weight, and a smaller possible side effect of reducing BDNF production which is just some chemical that you need to produce memories and learn and is a possible cause of alzheimers but that is a problem for everyone since everything we eat/drink has added sugar now. I think as long as you aren't having any real problems resulting from drinking sodas then I see no reason why you should quit. You say you aren't fat, it isn't impacting you financially, you haven't made a comment on whether you are learning impaired now or anything, the only real problem you've brought up is that you feel like you have to drink it. Well you have to drink water too or you die of dehydration. I would honestly just say compensate for it with tons of exercise and brush your teeth more often than usual. There is a lot worse shit in your diet than soda and it's not worth caring about at this point, if this isn't producing any life ruining problems for you then you might as well just enjoy what you enjoy.
What about diabetes. Also my friend said her father got Ulcer's from drinking soda for years!
On April 02 2013 06:32 shindigs wrote: Not sure if I was ever as addicted as you, but I essentially went 'cold turkey'. I drink soda very rarely, but I've come to prefer water. Do you ever feel dehydrated after drinking so much soda? I sort of agree that putting yourself in a (healthy) situation where you crave water like lots of exercise or something can make you come appreciate it more.
I agree that cold turkey may be the best way. Diet sodas can have substitute sugars that can be worse for you and give you even more headaches (aspartame can cause bad headaches for certain individuals).
Maybe try enduring some headache/dizziness and get yourself on a good regular sleep schedule and drink lots of water. If necessary, make sure you're drinking water that tastes good for you. If you need to bring your own cup or get ice to avoid the weird plastic water taste, so be it.
Also do you exercise from time to time? Is soda the first thing you think of when you want to quench thirst?
I don't exercise much at all. Yes, soda is the first thing I think of when I am thirsty.
I guess cold-turkey or the gradual effect will have to do. I've tried them both years ago and another last year and I usually end up going right back up after a few months (gradually going up).
I know you've mentioned you don't like tea, but Iced Tea did it for me.
I stopped soda about 4-5 years ago in college due to my teeth. I restarted drinking home-brewed tea (no sugar), since I basically grew up on the stuff and I haven't looked back. You'll probably have to tweak how many tea bags you use vs how much water and whatever, if you try it, but the strength of the tea I make has perfectly offset the soda flavor I so often craved.
I have probably had a few soda's but after all this time, I've gotten over wanting one.
Now, keep in mind, what I did was pretty cold-turkey-esque, and that doesn't work for some but it worked for me. You'll have to try and find your own method. I can only share my experience and hope it helps you. Good Luck!
On April 02 2013 06:35 Zallik wrote: I know you've mentioned you don't like tea, but Iced Tea did it for me.
I stopped soda about 4-5 years ago in college due to my teeth. I restarted drinking home-brewed tea (no sugar), since I basically grew up on the stuff and I haven't looked back. You'll probably have to tweak how many tea bags you use vs how much water and whatever, if you try it, but the strength of the tea I make has perfectly offset the soda flavor I so often craved.
I have probably had a few soda's but after all this time, I've gotten over wanting one.
Now, keep in mind, what I did was pretty cold-turkey-esque, and that doesn't work for some but it worked for me. You'll have to try and find your own method. I can only share my experience and hope it helps you. Good Luck!
I don't like Iced Tea. I tried coffee recently and no matter how much sugar or milk I put in, it tasted awful. My girlfriend is a huge tea-drinker and I've tried all her British tea. I don't like chocolate and I didn't like how stale the taste is and how hot it was.
I think I'mma have to try cold-turkey again. I haven't been food-shopping in two weeks (I've bought two litre sodas since May 26th) and so I'll have to give it another whirl.
Thanks for the suggestion and personal experience. I'm having a big dinner this coming Saturday and I want to try and eat without a drink, so I'm hoping I can overcome that obstacle.
Get s Sodastream. Totally not going to save you any money, but it will let you mix and match flavors! My soda drinking quantity actually dropped after I found a flavor I liked (die pink grapefruit) for some odd reason. I think it's more due to the size it makes and the # of meals I can use it for. No clue!
On April 02 2013 06:40 Burrfoot wrote: Get s Sodastream. Totally not going to save you any money, but it will let you mix and match flavors! My soda drinking quantity actually dropped after I found a flavor I liked (die pink grapefruit) for some odd reason. I think it's more due to the size it makes and the # of meals I can use it for. No clue!
As Logo said, you're addicted to caffeine. My ex would get the same light headedness and headaches when she didn't drink coffee (sleeping problems and stomach/intestinal problems are also a sign). So I wouldn't recommend switching to tea or coffee. That's like trading beer for gin.
Soda probably isn't your actual problem, either. I'll bet you don't eat right or sleep enough and feel tired, and therefore the caffeine dependency. Or maybe it's a stress-induced dependency. If that's the case, you'll need to either solve your stress or start exercising to relieve it.
The good news is that caffeine withdrawal only lasts about a week. So, just live with the headaches. Stop drinking caffeine completely. Drink water. You'll probably be dehydrated. And don't say you don't like water. Of course you don't like water as much as you like soda. You're addicted to soda ffs. (lemonade / fruit juices are other good options. But really man. Water. It's what plants crave)
If you really can't go cold turkey, do what jpak said. Mind you, I think that will be more difficult because it takes so long to do, and you're still feeding you addiction throughout. however, if you do follow it, Week 1: replace the HCFS with natural fructose (apples, pears, pineapple); Week 2: make sure you hydrate, sleep well, and eat right so that the caffeine withdrawal won't be as bad, and so you won't feel tired. Week 3: try out tons of different drinks. Cranberry Juice and Lemonade are what I switched to, but you might like something different.
On April 02 2013 06:50 Fishgle wrote: As Logo said, you're addicted to caffeine. My ex would get the same light headedness and headaches when she didn't drink coffee (sleeping problems and stomach/intestinal problems are also a sign). So I wouldn't recommend switching to tea or coffee. That's like trading beer for gin.
Soda probably isn't your actual problem, either. I'll bet you don't eat right or sleep enough and feel tired, and therefore the caffeine dependency. Or maybe it's a stress-induced dependency. If that's the case, you'll need to either solve your stress or start exercising to relieve it.
The good news is that caffeine withdrawal only lasts about a week. So, just live with the headaches. Stop drinking caffeine completely. Drink water. You'll probably be dehydrated. And don't say you don't like water. Of course you don't like water as much as you like soda. You're addicted to soda ffs. (lemonade / fruit juices are other good options. But really man. Water. It's what plants crave)
If you really can't go cold turkey, do what jpak said. Mind you, I think that will be more difficult because it takes so long to do, and you're still feeding you addiction throughout. however, if you do follow it, Week 1: replace the HCFS with natural fructose (apples, pears, pineapple); Week 2: make sure you hydrate, sleep well, and eat right so that the caffeine withdrawal won't be as bad, and so you won't feel tired. Week 3: try out tons of different drinks. Cranberry Juice and Lemonade are what I switched to, but you might like something different.
You're pretty spot-on. Not sure if I'm addicted to caffeine more than the bubbly-sugar sensation of soda though. I don't eat right, you're 100% spot-on there too. Not stressed, a bit worried about something. But soda and a snack gets me through the day until dinner. So that's where I think you'll notice a huge error on my part.
I love Lemonade. I can tolerate cranberry and grape juice. Lemonade or Limonatas are my favourite (real lemonade, not that sugar packet crap).
I only drink pop when I'm out at night (think rum+coke). For home I always buy soda water (current favourite is Schweppes) which I occasionally mix with juice not produced from concentrate. I used to drink a big bottle of coke a day (sometimes more) and now I barely consume pop of any sort.
On April 02 2013 06:50 Fishgle wrote: As Logo said, you're addicted to caffeine. My ex would get the same light headedness and headaches when she didn't drink coffee (sleeping problems and stomach/intestinal problems are also a sign). So I wouldn't recommend switching to tea or coffee. That's like trading beer for gin.
Soda probably isn't your actual problem, either. I'll bet you don't eat right or sleep enough and feel tired, and therefore the caffeine dependency. Or maybe it's a stress-induced dependency. If that's the case, you'll need to either solve your stress or start exercising to relieve it.
The good news is that caffeine withdrawal only lasts about a week. So, just live with the headaches. Stop drinking caffeine completely. Drink water. You'll probably be dehydrated. And don't say you don't like water. Of course you don't like water as much as you like soda. You're addicted to soda ffs. (lemonade / fruit juices are other good options. But really man. Water. It's what plants crave)
If you really can't go cold turkey, do what jpak said. Mind you, I think that will be more difficult because it takes so long to do, and you're still feeding you addiction throughout. however, if you do follow it, Week 1: replace the HCFS with natural fructose (apples, pears, pineapple); Week 2: make sure you hydrate, sleep well, and eat right so that the caffeine withdrawal won't be as bad, and so you won't feel tired. Week 3: try out tons of different drinks. Cranberry Juice and Lemonade are what I switched to, but you might like something different.
You're pretty spot-on. Not sure if I'm addicted to caffeine more than the bubbly-sugar sensation of soda though. I don't eat right, you're 100% spot-on there too. Not stressed, a bit worried about something. But soda and a snack gets me through the day until dinner. So that's where I think you'll notice a huge error on my part.
I love Lemonade. I can tolerate cranberry and grape juice. Lemonade or Limonatas are my favourite (real lemonade, not that sugar packet crap).
I was also going to suggest Sodastream, we have one of those. It's not that it helps you reduce the amount of soda you drink. It stops the habit of buying it.
Now, the best thing is to learn to prepare your own sirup for the soda, then you'll get something healthier and actually having to work for it makes it ok to enjoy, share etc...
Unfortunately it's gonna be tough if you don't have any averse effects from drinking soda.
From personal experience, the best advice I can give is to limit your sugar intake for a whole week. Start drinking soda again for a couple of days or a bit longer. Limit your sugar intake again for a week. Keep repeating and subconsciously vary your patterns so that it feels natural, and you don't have to think too much about it.
This is going to be long-term, but the goal is to make you feel like shit after consuming a decent amount of sugar (e.g., bloated, drowsy, etc).
I went through this when I tried paleo, and my tolerance to carbs fell dramatically over the months. Negative reinforcement took the best of me.
In addition, I also get a bit light-headed and dizzy if I don't get a sugar intake from soda.
I'm not a doctor, but if you're getting light headed, I don't know if more soda is the best answer..
I used to have similar symptoms, not from soda, but from candy. I'd sit and eat a big bag of something that I didn't think was that bad for me, like licorice, and then a few hours later I'd be so wobbly that I'd have to ask for a ride home. It was bad.
I did some research and learned about the 'glycemic index' of foods. It's a measure of how quickly your body digests a food, and raises your blood sugar. The short story is, I was a fool, and had no idea that the licorice I was eating was almost pure glucose, and I was putting my blood sugar on a roller coaster every time I ate it.
I did two things to fix it. 1) Find foods that I liked with a lower glycemic index. It sounds weird, but you could try buying some trail mix. It has a little sugar to take the edge off, maybe some dried pineapple or something, but mostly nuts and things that your body burns slower.
2) When I'm at work, I get up and walk four flights of stairs, every hour, on the hour. I know this sounds weird too, but apparently sitting for long periods of time can affect your body's ability to control blood sugar. Here's the article I read, if you want to read it yourself. NY times article. I used to feel like a dork walking up and down the stairs, but I just decided that I'm serious about my health, and I thought, "If I can hit my larva injects on time, why can't I get up and walk the stairs on time?".
I don't know if this will help your problem, (like the caffeine), but a little low-impact exercise probably wouldn't be a bad thing anyway.
Do you exercise a lot? Exercising, be it working out at a gym, jogging or even doing martial arts creates an outlet that surprisingly can delete addictions that have no seeming correlation with the physical exercise. But it works. Do you play music? Same logic as exercising. Your soda addiction may not seem related in any way with producing music, but it's an outlet. Addictions (real ones at least) are usually signs of a deeper problem; outlets allow you to deal with those. I hope this helps!
For me, the problem is entirely that I'm trained to go to the 'fridge and grab a cold drink. So I went cold turkey and bought bottled water instead. I know some people will say "but Internet person, you have tap water! That's a waste of money!" It isn't. Tap water where I live does not taste very good and filters are annoying to change out.
This is sort of like an e-cig except it's just Ozarka. I still occasionally grab a soda when I go out with friends for dinner or whatever, but I've been drinking 90% water for the past two years now and it's great.
On April 02 2013 06:11 hoby2000 wrote: There's no alternative to soda. Believe me, I've been an addict my whole life. I can stop, but the taste of DP and Mt. Dew bring me back in. Maybe I can't stop then?
The best way is to literally cold turkey it. I've tried several methods and alternative drinks, but even after a long night at the bar, or work, or even after i smoke weed, I get this urge to drink soda. I grew up drinking it, so it's kind of a hard habit to break.
But honestly, I've been trying for years and the only thing that really works is to just wake up one day, and stop.
Really?
Yeah, I love Cherry Dr. Pepper and the new Red Mountain Dew is pretty good. How long have you been addicted?
If I try pretty hard, I can probably stay away from it for a good two weeks before I get the craving again. It just makes my meals so much more refreshing and appetizing and it keeps me alert. I don't ever feel like I'm in a sugar rush or I'm coming down from a sugar rush (tired, exasperated, etc.).
I was thinking of trying to eat pure fruits. It would hit two birds with one stone by quit eating snacks.
My whole life, at least from as far as I can remember. My mom his a pretty heavy Coke drinker. I know your feelings exactly. That craving for a soda with food is so hard to deny. I can go for awhile, but I always seem to cave. Usually under stressful situations.
Usually trying to get use to water again helps me. Usually having it handy and whenever I crave soda, I drink water instead. But I always end up drinking soda anyway. But when I'm serious about quitting, I usually do that and it works.
If you are ever feeling thirsty, try out some fruit. You can't go wrong its pretty much all hydrated and fills your belly with good shit. Its also very expensive...lol
You probably need more of a lifestyle change than to just kick the soda habit. Try getting more regular exercise (cardio, weights, whatever) and your body will start to require water instead of soda to quench your thirst. Also make sure you're eating better (check out TL's health and fitness forums) and sleeping well, too. It doesn't sound like you can just cut soda out of your life the way you're living now, since you've tried and failed in the past. Try changing other things to make yourself more healthy and other changes will come as a natural result of said changes ...
Also, you really do just need to man up a bit. You can't just say "I don't like this, this, this" etc. I used to never drink water either, only juice/pop/milk, but now all I drink is water really. Took a few weeks to completely switch but it's well worth it. Much cheaper, too.
Yep. Just went food shopping. Bought one of those new Mountain Dew drinks (blue! It's so good!) and that's it for the next two weeks. Bought some nectarines, apples and bananas, so let's see how I hold out for the few weeks.
On April 02 2013 06:11 hoby2000 wrote: There's no alternative to soda. Believe me, I've been an addict my whole life. I can stop, but the taste of DP and Mt. Dew bring me back in. Maybe I can't stop then?
The best way is to literally cold turkey it. I've tried several methods and alternative drinks, but even after a long night at the bar, or work, or even after i smoke weed, I get this urge to drink soda. I grew up drinking it, so it's kind of a hard habit to break.
But honestly, I've been trying for years and the only thing that really works is to just wake up one day, and stop.
Really?
Yeah, I love Cherry Dr. Pepper and the new Red Mountain Dew is pretty good. How long have you been addicted?
If I try pretty hard, I can probably stay away from it for a good two weeks before I get the craving again. It just makes my meals so much more refreshing and appetizing and it keeps me alert. I don't ever feel like I'm in a sugar rush or I'm coming down from a sugar rush (tired, exasperated, etc.).
I was thinking of trying to eat pure fruits. It would hit two birds with one stone by quit eating snacks.
My whole life, at least from as far as I can remember. My mom his a pretty heavy Coke drinker. I know your feelings exactly. That craving for a soda with food is so hard to deny. I can go for awhile, but I always seem to cave. Usually under stressful situations.
Usually trying to get use to water again helps me. Usually having it handy and whenever I crave soda, I drink water instead. But I always end up drinking soda anyway. But when I'm serious about quitting, I usually do that and it works.
Yes, that's exactly it man! Gonna try and kick it now, maybe make a few changes to my lifestyle after I get a good eating rhythm goin'.
I used to drink a lot of pop then when I didnt want to anymore I just stopped buying it, kinda craved it for a bit with meals but only drink water and random tea now. Water with lemon is pretty good too
I was diagnosed with diabetes several years ago. I used to drink several litres of soda at the time, and I had to stop cold-turkey. I did start drinking a lot of Crystal Light and Arizona Iced Tea sugar free mixtures, as well as diet variants of sugary drinks that I currently consumed. While not as good as regular drinks at first, I grew to like them more. Now I prefer the taste of them over sugary drinks, finding that the sugary drinks are just too sugary for my tastes now. Plus, Crystal Light and the Arizona Iced Tea mixes go great with vodka.
On April 02 2013 11:59 Impervious wrote: I was diagnosed with diabetes several years ago. I used to drink several litres of soda at the time, and I had to stop cold-turkey. I did start drinking a lot of Crystal Light and Arizona Iced Tea sugar free mixtures, as well as diet variants of sugary drinks that I currently consumed. While not as good as regular drinks at first, I grew to like them more. Now I prefer the taste of them over sugary drinks, finding that the sugary drinks are just too sugary for my tastes now. Plus, Crystal Light and the Arizona Iced Tea mixes go great with vodka.
Is Arizona Fruit Punch one acceptable? I like that a lot.
How do you know if you have Diabetes? Pretty obvious I guess, but I never learned anything about it. Sorry to hear you have Diabetes? How long were you drinking sugar stuff before you found out?
I drank the regular stuff for several years. It definitely fucked up my blood sugars, which is why I had to quit my old habits cold turkey.
My blood sugars were so fucked from drinking that stuff that I was initially diagnosed type 1, even though I'm actually type 1.
As for how you'd know, you probably wouldn't. I actually found out by accident - I went to the doctor because I had an inner ear infection that was bugging me, and the next day I was in the hospital on insulin injections to put my blood sugars back to normal levels.....
EDIT - as for the fruit punch - the stuff I'm talking about are the sugar-free packages that you just mix with water.
etc. They have a large number of flavours that you can find in those sugar-free packages that you just mix with water. They're also insanely convenient, and way cheaper than soda glass for glass.
Mountain dew and a few other citrus sodas (gatorade too) contain brominated vegetable oil. It is a fire retardant. It's banned in europe, japan, and india
What is BROMINATED VEGETABLE OIL?
Brominated Vegetable oil is a vegetable oil that has the element Bromine(35 on the periodic table, second column from the right 3 rows down) added to it to increase the density of the oil. The food manufacturerer most likely uses this over regular vegetable oil to prevent the oil from floating to the top of the product.
Where does BROMINATED VEGETABLE OIL come from?
Vegatable Oil comes from pressing vegetables, and the Bromine for commercial purposes is obtained by treating brines (from salt wells or seawater) with chlorine, which displaces the bromine.
How is BROMINATED VEGETABLE OIL made?
Mixing bromine and vegetable oil while monitoring the solutions density.
Is BROMINATED VEGETABLE OIL healty for me?
Bromine is a halogen and displaces iodine, which may depress thyroid function. Evidence for this has been extrapolated from pre-1975 cases where bromine-containing sedatives resulted in emergency room visits and incorrect diagnoses of psychosis and brain damage due to side effects such as depression, memory loss, hallucinations, violent tendencies, seizures, cerebral atrophy, acute irritability, tremors, ataxia, confusion, loss of peripheral vision, slurred speech, stupor, tendon reflex changes, photophobia due to enlarged pupils, and extensor plantar responses. In one case, a man who drank eight liters of Ruby Red Squirt daily had a reaction that caused his skin color to turn red and produced lesions diagnosed as bromoderma. The excessive quantities together with the fact that the man had a higher than normal sensitivity to bromine, made this an unusual case. A similar case reported that a man who consumed two to four liters of a cola containing BVO on a daily basis experienced memory loss, tremors, fatigue, loss of muscle coordination, headache, ptosis of the right eyelid as well as elevated serum chloride. In the two months it took to correctly diagnose the problem the patient also lost the ability to walk. Luckily bromism was finally diagnosed and hemodialysis was prescribed which resulted in a reversal of the disorder. A Pepsi product website notes that BVO has been used by the soft drink industry since 1931.
The FDA says this about adding things to vegetable oil:
(a) The additive complies with specifications prescribed in the "Food Chemicals Codex," 3d Ed. (1981), pp. 40-41, which is incorporated by reference, except that free fatty acids (as oleic) shall not exceed 2.5 percent and iodine value shall not exceed 16. Copies of the material incorporated by reference may be obtained from the National Academy Press, 2101 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20418, or may be examined at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html.
(b) The additive is used on an interim basis as a stabilizer for flavoring oils used in fruit-flavored beverages, for which any applicable standards of identity do not preclude such use, in an amount not to exceed 15 parts per million in the finished beverage, pending the outcome of additional toxicological studies on which periodic reports at 6-month intervals are to be furnished and final results submitted to the Food and Drug Administration promptly after completion of the studies.
[42 FR 14636, Mar. 15, 1977, as amended at 49 FR 5610, Feb. 14, 1984]
More information about BROMINATED VEGETABLE OIL.
Bromine is the only liquid nonmetallic element at room temperature, and one of only six elements on the periodic table that are liquid at or close to room temperature.
In test animals, BVO consumption has caused damage to the heart and kidneys in addition to increasing fat deposits in these organs. In extreme cases BVO has caused testicular damage, stunted growth and produced lethargy and fatigue
or buy one from the store, such as a sodastream. I don't recommend buying that product though, their factory is on contested west-bank land in Israel...avoid them.
Drink some iced tea(Unsweetened) when you want something flavored. When I was like 16 I worked in a restaurant and had 3-5 16oz Mtn Dews per day since they were free. Eventually the caffeine started giving me mild headaches, so I just stopped.
Easiest way to not eat any sort of junk food is to not have it in the house, just don't but it at the supermarket and then you kinda have to deal with it not having any. Limits the amount of times that you have to have self control.
Nowadays I drink sodas for mixed drinks or occasionally if I am at a restaurant or something, but I usually just order unsweetened tea or water when I am out. Been about 5 years since I really drank pop more than once every couple weeks.
Only solution I've found for this problem came from when I did a cut a year ago. Take a preferred fruit juice, and water it down. Obviously the ideal situation is to have as little juice as possible while it's still noticeably tastier than water. I usually strive for about 5:1 or 6:1. It was kind of tough at first but I'm at the point now where I actually prefer my juice watered down. I think it's similar to when I started drinking skim milk instead of 2%. Now 2% tastes like buttermilk to me lol. Also, this might be personal preference again, but I've found this tastes better when the drink is chilled.
On April 02 2013 04:23 Sn0_Man wrote: Yeah, have you tried club soda? (straight carbonated water basically).
It tastes awful the first few times but its only like 2 days until its delicious. I personally hate water so for a while I drank almost exclusively club soda. It isn't cheaper than pop really but if part of pop's attraction to you is it's price then this qualifies. I'm not sure how good it is for your teeth (still drinking acid ) but at least no sugar etc.
Only problem is that I'm sure by now your body wants a sugar hit, which this definitely won't provide.
EDIT: okay my post was started before like the last 5. Currently I drink almost exclusively milk, but thats just because I like the taste and its healthier than Pop/Fruit Juice etc.
I tried going pure ginger ale, I might try again if it's just as good as a solution as seltzer water.
yeah, I'm drinking Sprite right now. If I try hard, I can usually make a 2 Litre bottle last 4-5 days before I have to get some more.
I drink soda out of a straw because my teeth are pretty bad.
If you're addicted to soda... yet you can make a 2L bottle last 4-5 days. I can barely make a 2L last 2 -_____-
flat out cut. i dont know how you will, but leave a note on your hand or something in pen when you go shopping saying NO SODA. when you go out to eat, NO SODA. try water or tea. tea is great if you still want to feel slightly energetic and a great replacement for sugar. juices are nice too. same kind of flavor but much healthier. if u like sprite (i see you dont but owell), try out ginseng. its like the same thing but less sugar and a bit less flavor. selzers are good (sparkling waters) i particularly like kiwi-strawberry. give it a try!
You have a doctor, this is one of the biggest problems impacting your health, so use him, let him check your blood sugar and monitor your diet or whatever.
And check your dentist for your teeth, to see how long they have left...
And if you have addictions you shouldn't manage them or slowly reduce them, that will just make it impossible to quit. If the withdrawal won't kill you then just quit cold turkey and never use them again, but try to think of a good way to manage the cravings. You don't actually need to drink anything, with most diets you get enough liquids from the food. Fruit juice has a lot of sugar and isn't necessarily healthy. Caffeinated drinks are addictive and otherwise unhealthy.
Just change your diet a bit to have more fruit and vegetables, that will help with cravings You could also try taking more chromium, see here.
I would first of all note that you have a different, much more damaging addiction to deal with. That one, next to your name. With soda/soft drinks I would worry about my money first of all.
ever tried water dude? You drink to stop your thirst, you eat to stop your hunger. The mentality of i need a party on my tongue for every meal and every drink is pretty misguided.
I dont like this, i dont like that... whats wrong with you? Just drink water 90% of the time and have a small amount of soda when you really crave it. If you are so addicted to sugar then youre gonna get diabetes sooner or later. I dont get whats wrong with water.
I drink pop because I'm thirsty and everything else tastes like crap. If I couldn't drink soda, I'd just drink lots of ice water, the cold removes any taste. Not as much fun, but it would be doable for me. I recommend against carbonated water because it's a pain to lug around and it's expensive.
On April 02 2013 12:04 Impervious wrote: I drank the regular stuff for several years. It definitely fucked up my blood sugars, which is why I had to quit my old habits cold turkey.
My blood sugars were so fucked from drinking that stuff that I was initially diagnosed type 1, even though I'm actually type 1.
As for how you'd know, you probably wouldn't. I actually found out by accident - I went to the doctor because I had an inner ear infection that was bugging me, and the next day I was in the hospital on insulin injections to put my blood sugars back to normal levels.....
EDIT - as for the fruit punch - the stuff I'm talking about are the sugar-free packages that you just mix with water.
etc. They have a large number of flavours that you can find in those sugar-free packages that you just mix with water. They're also insanely convenient, and way cheaper than soda glass for glass.
Oh damn. Didn't know they had packets of the pomegranate flavour. That's my favourite!
Good luck Torte. Didn't know people had trouble going off soda.
I know you don't have a weight problem, but I recently made very minor adjustments to my diet, and lost 15 lbs in about 6 weeks and I've been maintaining that weight loss 100% effortlessly since mid January. I used to eat fast food ONCE a week, I'd have maybe 3-4 sodas a week, nothing major. I also drank a lot of OJ, maybe 1-2L a week, and that stuff is packed with sugar. Now I mostly drink water and I don't mind it, water's good.
I'm not too far from my healthy weight now and I'm surprised that it was so easy. Lowering your sugar intake is definitely worth the effort.
"You don't drink water!? Get the fuck outta here." That's really all I can say. We evolved drinking this shit, we're made up of water and you are addicted to soda. Only in America and Great Britain. It's because your countries have no food cultures, really. You've no idea how much I look down on it.
So that's my little rant. Just with any addiction it will be really hard on you to get off it psychologically and physically, but if you sit through it you'll never look back. You gotta get past that point where you don't crave it anymore. Learn to love water and replace your soda addiction with water addiction.
What you also could do is whenever you crave it really bad go and drink a liter of water, if you still wanna drink more (soda that is), drink another liter of water.
First video is about drinking water, second is about gaming addiction. Might wanna check it out.
Don't drink soda? Just gradually reduce your intake or go cold turkey. Once I had a period where I drank a lot too and even if I didn't want soda I would get soda. I just stopped and now I only drink water. You seem to be more dependent on the stuff to function normally but you should really fucking stop. The best thing you can do is start by drinking light sodas without sugar. The taste is pretty much the same but it won't make fat. Also, you aren't addicted to Soda, you are addicted to liquified sugar.
@decaf Pro tip. Next time you make annoying knee-jerk statements about other nations, try to avoid the usage of absolutes (only in America and Great Britain, No food cultures). Also check to make sure the countries you are dissing actually apply to the person you are addressing, who happens to reside in Canada, as per the text beside his name.
Aside from that, nice advice. Of all the people I watch on youtube, Hulse definitely seems to have some reasonable things to say when he talks about an issue.
I would suggest looking into a drink brand called "Zevia".
It's a fizzy soda that uses stevia extract instead of sugar for sweetness. It's definitely on the pricier end (you can get coupons though, so hooray), but most of the drinks almost taste exactly like their sugary counterparts (i.e., the cola zevia tastes very similar to coke; "dr.zevia" tastes similiar to dr pepper).
On April 02 2013 12:04 Impervious wrote: I drank the regular stuff for several years. It definitely fucked up my blood sugars, which is why I had to quit my old habits cold turkey.
My blood sugars were so fucked from drinking that stuff that I was initially diagnosed type 1, even though I'm actually type 1.
As for how you'd know, you probably wouldn't. I actually found out by accident - I went to the doctor because I had an inner ear infection that was bugging me, and the next day I was in the hospital on insulin injections to put my blood sugars back to normal levels.....
EDIT - as for the fruit punch - the stuff I'm talking about are the sugar-free packages that you just mix with water.
etc. They have a large number of flavours that you can find in those sugar-free packages that you just mix with water. They're also insanely convenient, and way cheaper than soda glass for glass.
Oh damn. Didn't know they had packets of the pomegranate flavour. That's my favourite!
Try it with vodka at about a 4-1 ratio (adjust to taste obviously). It's mindblowing.
On April 02 2013 05:01 Oakenshield wrote: Personally I drink 4-5 bottles of water a day, and when I get a sweet tooth I drink Sweetleaf mint and honey tea. It's got about 1/3rd as much sugar as soda and is of course not caffeinated, not a bad drink to have a short glass a day of. Whey protein also has good flavor and better health benefits.
I don't like tea or mint or honey.
I don't like warm drinks either.
I understand the alternatives, I just don't like them because they're weak in flavour or pretty flat in feeling of consumption. So I'm looking for anyone who's experienced similar and found a method to eventually break down the habit.
This is no different than refusing to eat food without it being covered in butter. You've got an unhealthy habit, you know dozens of ways to approach fixing it, and you haven't fixed it. Nobody else can be healthy for you. If you get type two diabetes, you'll realize how juvenile your aversion to things that don't have 46 grams of sugar in them was. If all of the drinks that are essentially halfway between water and soda just aren't good enough for you, then continue to drink three liters of soda.
I was in a similar situation where I was very addicted to soda, or caffeine of any kind. For close to 6 years I would drink soda everyday, sometimes even a 12 pack of whichever soda I preferred at the time. It was pretty bad. The only true way to get yourself set in the right direction is to just go cold turkey. I did it, and even though i got extremely dizzy, frequent headaches (from lack of caffeine), and just feeling overall shitty without it, I felt better with each day. I'd say after about 72 hours I felt completely normal afterwards. You just have to purge your body for several days :/ It'll be a shitty feeling, but in the end its worth it.
For the record, I'm a sugar and sweets FREAK. Like, sometimes chocolate, candy, etc will be the only things I ate during the day. So unhealthy, but so so good.
But yeah, if you want to break the habit, you have to stop being a little girl about it and just do it. You may hate the taste of just drinking water, and you'll feel like crap, but in the end its well worth it.
I used to drink a lot of soda, I was up to like a 2 liter every 2 or so days at the worst point. Honestly, I quit just by being disgusted with myself. Soda has made my father very unhealthy/overweight and I don't want to end up like him, so I stopped. The easiest way to quit is to simply not keep it in the house. Don't buy it and you won't drink it. Plus you'll have more money. You don't have to totally stop drinking soda though, what I have done is simply quit soda on a regular basis. If I am in a social situation (at a restaurant or friend's house) I'll drink it, but at home (for meals and regular drinking) just drink water. Do this buy not buying soda. If it's not available, you won't drink it.
Probably a shitty substitute but when i was kicking nicotine sugar became my replacement. So nicotine gums might actually work against sugar addiction. Also i do not know if it has been said, but sugar is about as addictive as cocaine so the fact that you are having difficulties kicking the habbit isn´t exactly surprising and you shouldn´t feel discouraged that it is hard, it's OK that it is hard.
But i used to drink a lot of soda and my replacement became coffee really, not the best but atleast not as bad as tons of sugar. GL
On April 23 2013 12:18 ampson wrote: I used to drink a lot of soda, I was up to like a 2 liter every 2 or so days at the worst point. Honestly, I quit just by being disgusted with myself. Soda has made my father very unhealthy/overweight and I don't want to end up like him, so I stopped. The easiest way to quit is to simply not keep it in the house. Don't buy it and you won't drink it. Plus you'll have more money. You don't have to totally stop drinking soda though, what I have done is simply quit soda on a regular basis. If I am in a social situation (at a restaurant or friend's house) I'll drink it, but at home (for meals and regular drinking) just drink water. Do this buy not buying soda. If it's not available, you won't drink it.
Probably the best solution. Just don't buy it. When you are at the supermarket, don't walk into the soda section.
When I was a teenager, I drank a lot of pop as well. Probably around 1-2 litres of day. But I was okay because I was young, had high metabolism and was playing sports for hours everyday.
After high school, I just stopped buying it all together realizing how if I continued, I would get diabetes or gain a lot of weight. I didn't have it at home so I just started downing cups of water when I was thirsty. Now, I drink about 2-3 liters of water a day and I actually enjoy the fresh and pure 'taste' of water.
Just start pounding water. Take the number of pounds you weigh. Cut in half. Drink that many ounces per day. It will suck because you won't be getting the strong taste like you say... But you will be very well hydrated throughout the day. You'll feel a lot better too. Eventually you will stop missing soda, just gotta stay strong
Try and start loving water. Fresh, ice cold water. Whenever you crave the soda, pound water.
EPT
) but at least no sugar etc. 
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