Cutting out Soda

dtbluv

Okay, I'm cutting out soda.  For the past 10 years, I've been drinking at least 3 Diet Cokes every day.  In the past year or so that number has definitely jumped up quite a bit.  In the past month I've cut it back down to a reasonable (for me, not the general public) amount, but now I think it's time to stop completely.

Is it really as great as people say?  Do you really feel better?  Does it make a positive impact on your budget?  Does your hair grow more?

Also, any tips?  I've stocked up on some tea so the caffeine loss won't kill me, but Diet Coke has always been my go-to drink.  

And, any great water recipes?  I don't really like plain water, but water with lemon or water with ginger and lime is delicious.  And does club soda or fizzy water count as a water drink, or a soda drink?

J&K10910

Honestly?  I didn't feel any of the benefits, aside from a little less bloating.  I sleep better when I have some caffeine in the morning (though you'll still have that if you're drinking caffeinated tea).  I'm sure it will make a postive impact on your budget though.

I like cucumber water.  Chop one up and let it sit in a pitcher full of water in the fridge overnight.

jennylee813

Okay, dtb, I'm with you (sort of). I want to kick my pepsi habit, and like you, it's been my go to drink forever. I don't drink coffee, but have been working on 'fancy' tea as a replacement. 

I have a flavoured carbonated water that I'm hoping will help get me over the worst of it, but I do have a headache this evening. I need to increase my water intake overall, but find that my bladder is so small that I spend more time running to the bathroom than doing anything else.

But I want to reach my goal weight, and since soda is my biggest vice, I'm hoping that cutting that back to one a week when we go out, that should make a difference.

Good luck!

choagie42

I had to give up my 1 diet soda a day about 5 years ago, along with all other forms of caffeine and carbonation (due to migraine triggers).  To be honest, I felt pretty crappy for the first week, which is probably because i went cold turkey.  It was just a chronic fatigue kind of feeling.  But once i was through that it was easy (though the threat of a ridiculous migraine was a pretty strong motivator)!

I think that now I feel better, though it's not a "life changing" type of change.  I like that I'm not putting a bunch of chemicals in my body and feel that my body just "functions" better with water.  My teeth are a little better too I think.  

my sister just gave up hers recently and she was one of those people who think it was life changing.  Her energy levels are more even (no afternoon crash).  She also thinks that it's way easier to interpret her body signals for hunger and thirst (she doesn't eat when she's actually hungry).  She describes it as feeling "cleaner."  And as I ask her about this she sayas "oh my god, tell her to do it and don't give up, it's so worth it!!"  

Good luck to you, I commend you for trying to make a healthy change!

Robsgal85

Stay strong!

I drank the last diet coke in my house yesterday. It's going to be a DC free 2013! So far so good. No headache or anything... But I do feel kind of lethargic. No caffiene at all yet today.

As for substitutes... I'm big on Iced Tea, but I've really missed the bubbles when I've tried to cut out soda before. I'm going to have to include carbonated flavored waters, for a while at least.

Good luck!

firsttimersluck

Is it really as great as people say?  Do you really feel better?  Does it make a positive impact on your budget?  Does your hair grow more?

Honestly, I couldn't tell you.. because even when you give up soda, chances are you are eating crap foods as well that will slow you down just as much. It's not until you cut alllll of that stuff out that you notice how much better you feel.. and that's after the initial shock to your system for cutting it all out (which feels like utter crap) 

but realize that soda is absolutely GARBAGE for you. GARBAGE. Your body HATES you for putting it in it, as it should. Sure, "they" say everything in moderation, but 3 DC a day isn't moderation and that artificial sweetener for you is not something your bod likes. In fact, not only does it hurt certain organs (because you're overloading themwith the sucralose or aspartame, whichever DC has in it)  It affects your glucose levels, making your body have more sugar based cravings. Do you crave things in the middle of the night or right before you go to bed? Your DC habit could easily be to blame. 

Cabonated water is just fine.. It's just water that has been carbonated So things like Perrier (plain) are just fine for you, but I would suggest getting the plain and adding your own fruit than getting any flavored ones. 

GL 

jennylee813

I was typically having one pepsi with my supper, sometimes I'd have a second (smaller) glass in the evening. But everything I read tells me to give it up. I wasn't drinking the diet stuff because the aspertame gives me headaches. Overall, my diet isn't bad at all, so giving up soda is my last idea for getting to my goal.

Last night I did have a headache.

I'm with PP - I like the bubbles. 

hordol

I've given up diet pop in the past a couple times for a month or two each time. I never noticed much difference except that my grocery bills were cheaper and I liked the idea that I wasn't drinking a bunch of chemicals, so I felt "cleaner" as somebody said above. I wasn't having any negative effects while drinking pop, I just gave it up because I read somewhere that it helps tame sugar cravings and therefore you might lose a little weight. I didn't lose weight and my sugar cravings stayed the same without pop. But if you feel like you're having negative side effects from the pop then giving it up might be "life changing" as some people claim it to be. It just kind of depends on the person. Either way, I think we can all agree that drinking all the chemicals in pop isn't that great for you, but I guess I just don't care enough to stay off the stuff, hah.

PrincessMandie101312

I find that if I don't drink some type of caffeine (and I prefer either a regular Mt Dew or Diet Pepsi) I will get a migraine.  I've tried to stop so many times and I just can't completely go cold turkey.  What I've found that works for me is limiting myself to 1 can of soda of my choice for lunch.  Before I had said soda I have to drink at least 16 oz of water.

I was doing this for a couple reasons one being soda is just not good and water is better for you.  Also I was exercising 4 days a week and would not get a great workout because I hadn't drank enough water.  Once the holidays hit I had to put a hold on my gym time and I stopped drinking as much water because I didn't have a reason.  I find I'm really dehydrated and CRAVING water eek.  My workout program starts back up next week and I'm so excited to get back in a healthy groove of eating better and exercising.

I don't feel there is really any difference in how I feel when I drink water as apposed to drinking soda other than the obvious I can tell my skin is drier and I'm not in the bathroom as much as when I'm drinking more water.  For me one can a day is enough and on the weekends I will splurge on a 20 oz when I'm exercising and more active.  I don't eat a lot of junk foods so soda is my weekness.

If I feel water is too plain for me (which sometimes it is) I will add cucumber or lime to my water to spruce it up.  Or I have a drawer full of Crystal Light packets to add to my water for flavoring.  I even have a flavor with added caffeine. 

cpink14

4 years I used to drink ALOT of soda...mostly Mt. Dew. One day I noticed my waistline expanding and I did not like it. So I gradually weaned myself off of my Mt. Dew habit and started drinking more water. After subsituting my sodas for water (or water flavored with real lemons or limes) I noticed the weight leaving my waistline again and I really felt alot better. Now I rarely ever drink sodas...I'll occasionally take a sip from my fiance's drink when we are out, but I cannot drink it because the carbination upsets my stomach. It's funny how your body changes when you take away things that isn't good for us.

entropicbeauty

I wish I could cut soda out of my diet...I drink at least one diet soda a day and it's because of the caffiene. I don't like coffee or tea, so the only way to get caffiene for me is soda.

With the winter and SAD running rampant I don't think I could cut it out right now, but in the spring I would like to attempt cutting drastically back on my soda consumption...not just for health reasons, but to save money as well!