Need Help kicking the soda habit!

texagj · August 2010

Hey everyone!

I'm new to the boards and need some help. I actually eat pretty well. I don't like sweets for the most part and I hate spending money on fast food but my real problem is soda! I'm horribly addicted i've tried to stop for years and everyone keeps saying if I get rid of them the pounds will shed right off. Any ideas?

iamjoesgurl · August 2010

How much soda do you drink?

I just decided one day not to drink soda anymore. I drank diet sodas which didn't have the calories of regular soda, but it is still not good for you. I would say that if you drink several sodas a day, try to start by drinking only one soda a day. Find another drink that is healthier for you. I drank seltzer when I was quitting soda and that helped me. Some people don't like seltzer so that might not be for you.

GL!

LesPaul · August 2010

Like joesgurl said, start by cutting back rather than going cold-turkey and feeling deprived. If you usually drink 3-4 a day, cut down to 2. Then cut down to 1, then cut down to 2 a week. I used to drink a lot more soda, and I found this method to be effective.

tldh · August 2010

I went cold turkey and saw the difference it made with my waistline. The bloat wasn't there anymore. I thought of that and what soda does to your teeth and liver (diet soda) to keep myself away from it. I actually had a soda a couple of days ago and wound up throwing most of it out. It just didn't taste good to me anymore.

staceytaylor0704 · August 2010

I know in my case, diet coke was what I drank all the time and it absolutely made me more hungry. I cut it cold turkey and did immediately notice a difference in my waist. I feel like I've even dropped a couple inches from my thighs, which is odd..but that stuff bloats ya!

For me, it grossed me out and scared me into stopping drinking it.. when you consider it stains and decays your teeth, weakens your bones and even causes obesity.. Yea, that was enough for me.

jessicasue777 · August 2010

wow! everyone gives such good advice! i have the same problem... except with food!! i have zero self control when it come to portions... so i end up eating one meal a day or eating 3 big meals one day and not eating at all the next day... I have extremely disordered eating... and I am getting married next summer and I would really like to have a healthy lifestyle that can coincide with my husbands and one day my children's... any advice on gaining self control??
thanks!!

slubkin · August 2010

Jessicasue-

Consider talking to your doctor and seeing if he might refer you to a dietician or nutritionist. I'm struggling with self control and portion size myself and just got my referrals rolling.

PeonyPrincesskdd · August 2010

Yes. You can get those shop-rite brand sparkling waters. they have flavors like strawberry, cherry, peach, etc etc grape... they are calorie free, sugar free etc.

It's basically like a carbonated water but taste like soda.. the strawberry is very sweet. I used to drink them a lot to get my fluid intake up. I think they are liters or maybe like 32 oz bottles?

Anyway, I slowly weaned myself off of them.. to start drinking plain old water.

I would also have crystal lites in a water bottle.. the little packets..

now I basically just drink water all day long.. sometimes 48-72 oz depending on how many times I refill my water bottle up.

At home I brew my own green tea.. I have green tea and then a raspberry green tea and put in 3 of each.. mix it up a little bit. I also add honey or agave necter to it, to sweeten it up. Sometime I'll add mango or passionfruit juice about half a cup to my jug of ice tea to sweeten it,

I have to say I never in my life liked soda, so I can't relate completely.. but trust me in that you can do it.. my Husband used to be like addicted to soda all this childhood and high school.. and that is why he was a heavy kid with pimples from all the sugary soda.. so when he started college he quite soda.. and has an occasional diet soda now.. no more of that sugar..

anyway water is your best friend.

PeonyPrincesskdd · August 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_need-kicking-soda-habit?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:238Discussion:893ee6d6-d508-4471-8630-544cae4cd567Post:e5aafc1e-8be8-431c-8009-3b7295706ca1">Re: Need Help kicking the soda habit!</a>:
[QUOTE]wow! everyone gives such good advice! i have the same problem... except with food!! i have zero self control when it come to portions... so i end up eating one meal a day or eating 3 big meals one day and not eating at all the next day... I have extremely disordered eating... and I am getting married next summer and I would really like to have a healthy lifestyle that can coincide with my husbands and one day my children's... any advice on gaining self control?? thanks!!
Posted by jessicasue777[/QUOTE]

Don't go grocery shopping! lol This is the perfect "excuse" to have FI or Husband go for you and he can make all the healthy choices and you don't have to go and be tempted to want to buy everything.

I know how that is. I used to go grocery shopping on an empty stomach and be so hungry I'd want to buy all the junk.

Anyway the key is to NOT have any junk in your house. We just have popcorn as a snack and if you eat a whole bag of the 94% fat free, it really won't be a big deal. Pop corn is pretty light.

On the other hand, if you go to town on a bag of chips that can be a different story.. so do not buy chips lol

Only make small portions. If your having pasta for dinner, only make enough for one serving for each person your cooking for.

That way, you won't have leftovers and be tempted to have seconds.

I never ever have leftovers. I make enough for the one night. And if I am still hungry, theres popcorn in my pantry or a sugar free klondike bar in my freezer

texagj · August 2010

Thanks so much for the advice everyone! I hope I can muster the self control to quit cold turkey but that sparkling water idea is great too! Maybe I can trick my brain into thinking im drinking soda

I'm just glad to know its not just me.

BrittKnight · August 2010

If you're like me and drink pop for the caffeine, I'd try to go to diet first. And then if you can, maybe try some sparkling diet iced tea.

vballgirl78 · September 2010

I have pretty much cut soda out all together- cold turkey like many have mentioned. I will occasionally allow myself to have one if I'm out to eat, but usually just water for me. The trick for me is to not have any around.... even my hubby is quitting so I'm not tempted to sneak one of his.

I found a kind of water that I LOVE- Nestle Pure Life water. It comes in 4 fruit flavors- raspberry, orange, kiwi-strawberry and tropical fruit. 0 calories, 0 carbs..... this has been a life saver for me. I think the hardest thing for me about switching from diet soda to water was feeling like I was giving up flavor. This water gives a little flavor, but is still getting water in me. I now am finding that I'm craving water, but it took me a while to get there.

The other thing I had to deal with was the headaches (at least at first). If that's an issue for you, I recommend taking some pain killers regularly for a few days when you first cut out the caffeine- hopefully it'll ward off any headaches you might get (at least it worked for me). Now, I don't get the headaches and I'm ok without the soda (although....I have to admit I still crave it from time to time).

texagj · September 2010

Vballgirl78

Thanks so much. Headaches are actually my bigggest concern. The caffeine addiction makes me go crazy sometimes. I'll try the pain killers idea! Thanks again

Fineporcelain · September 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_need-kicking-soda-habit?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:893ee6d6-d508-4471-8630-544cae4cd567Post:2165d2c0-fa5f-4189-b182-dad6d395f2cf">Re: Need Help kicking the soda habit!</a>:
[QUOTE]I have pretty much cut soda out all together- cold turkey like many have mentioned. I will occasionally allow myself to have one if I'm out to eat, but usually just water for me. The trick for me is to not have any around.... even my hubby is quitting so I'm not tempted to sneak one of his. I found a kind of water that I LOVE- Nestle Pure Life water. It comes in 4 fruit flavors- raspberry, orange, kiwi-strawberry and tropical fruit. 0 calories, 0 carbs..... this has been a life saver for me. I think the hardest thing for me about switching from diet soda to water was feeling like I was giving up flavor. This water gives a little flavor, but is still getting water in me. I now am finding that I'm craving water, but it took me a while to get there. The other thing I had to deal with was the headaches (at least at first). If that's an issue for you, I recommend taking some pain killers regularly for a few days when you first cut out the caffeine- hopefully it'll ward off any headaches you might get (at least it worked for me). Now, I don't get the headaches and I'm ok without the soda (although....I have to admit I still crave it from time to time).
Posted by vballgirl78[/QUOTE]

This is my biggest thing I am addicted too. The caffiene headaches. I do have these and they can be horrible!!! I have tried to go without caffiene and I have had a headache for 3 days. I took Ibprophen for it and it didn't even touch it. But I know thatif I want to look breathtaking in my dress, I need to either strictly limit the soda or slowly go without.

kathrynhabibti · September 2010

If you like seltzer water, try mixing it with fruit juice (I'd go no more than 50/50 ratio), or squeeze some fruits into it: citruses, raspberry, strawberry, cherry.... just drop those berries right into the glass after you squeeze them and they'll keep mixing with the water. I was never a big soda drinker to begin with - I'm usually too cheap to spend the money on it lol - and I find the flavored sparkling waters to be too sweet and artifical-tasting, so this works for me, very refreshing and just enough sweetness.

As much as you'd probably like to be able to just stop soda completely you may find you get caffeine headaches, so cutting down gradually might be better for you.

ETA: My parents keep a pitcher of water in the fridge and add to it cut lemons with either oranges, limes, or mint. You can refill the pitcher about four or five times before the items start losing their flavor.

jennipea382 · September 2010

A suggestion I have is finding something a bit healthier. What I really love is a brand called Izze. It's made with juice so it's MUCH better for you.

RachaelwithanA · September 2010

I used to do ice water with lemon juice--also a lot cheaper than soda! one of those lemon juice plastic things is only a dollar! I know what you mean though. I work with kids a lot, and sometimes it seems like the only way to not drop dead in my tracks is to have a caffeine pick-me-up. One idea might be to at first only get those tiny sodas- the ones that are half-sized. that might be a good way to be weaned off at first. If you are going to miss the caffeine, maybe try drinking more tea.

To the people talking about portion control- control and limit what is not so great for you, and then go NUTS on veggies! cucumbers, celery, broccoli- all low in calories, so you can eat a ton.

Need Help kicking the soda habit!

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