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Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: Forcus on February 04, 2014, 07:38:40 PM

Title: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Forcus on February 04, 2014, 07:38:40 PM
I need help quitting soda. Tapering off doesn't work as I have an all or nothing personality. I quit drinking 3.5 years ago and it was so much easier than trying to stop drinking soda. I really need to do it cold turkey, but having done that before, it is absolutely miserable. I was wondering if you guys knew of any ways of mitigating the headaches and withdrawal. Thought about taking caffeine pills and tapering that off but seems like its trading one drug for another (or in this case, a different form of the same drug). Thoughts?
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: pachnik on February 04, 2014, 07:49:02 PM
I used to drink 1 litre of diet Pepsi per day in my 20's and I realized I had to stop.  I changed from diet Pepsi to club soda and drank that for a while.  Then I changed to Perrier water because it is bubbly.  Stopped drinking Perrier and now just drink regular water. 

Regarding the headaches I guess you mean from caffeine withdrawal, I don't remember having a problem with that but you could just take Excedrin for a few days.  I am not sure but i think that would help. 

Good luck with it.  Not only is drinking pop expensive for what it is (sugar + water) but it is really bad for your teeth and your insides.  Best wishes and let us know how it goes.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: mxt0133 on February 04, 2014, 07:50:02 PM
I felt the same when I quit coffee a year ago.  I would say there really is no trick to it you just have to do it and not put yourself in a situation where you might be tempted.  When I quit coffee the first 7 days of caffeine withdrawal was bad.  But that kind of reinforced why I was quitting in the first place.  I never wanted to go through that again so I stuck to it.  We get free coffee at work so I just avoided the kitchen as much as possible.  Again make your probability of success as high as possible.  Eliminate your triggers, like eating food you normally have with soda, or fast food, ect.  You need to identify when you drink soda most and avoid those scenarios initially.  Once you eliminate or at least mitigate the cravings then you can put yourself in those scenarios again without being tempted.  Good Luck!

You can also educate yourself more about the side effects of soda and how bad they are for you if consumed on a regular basis, that's why I decided to stop drinking soda to begin with.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Tempe on February 04, 2014, 07:54:43 PM
I switched to carbonated water to stop drinking soda. My question is do you drink drink for the caffeine and taste, or the feel of the carbonation? Some of my alternates I used to not drink soda was mixing some of the powdered drink mixes into carbonated water for the taste, but I mainly just love drinking the carbonated water. The drink mixes aren't great for health and teeth either, but they do have less sugar. If the caffeine is hitting you possible try some of the powdered teas with caffeine in carbonated water.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Eric on February 04, 2014, 07:56:29 PM
I take caffeine pills instead of drinking soda.  I used to go through 3 diet cokes a day.  Quit about a year ago, but I still need the caffeine boost, so I take one 100mg pill in the mornings.  I find the 200mg pill that most offer is too strong for me and 100mg is about the equivalent of 3 cans.  However, a jar of 120 pills is about $7.  A 12 pack of coke is ~$3 on sale.  $.06/day vs $.75/day, not including dental fees.

That said, I don't really have much of a caffeine addiction.  I just use it to focus at work.  On the weekends, I rarely consume any and can't tell the difference.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: grantmeaname on February 04, 2014, 08:13:38 PM
Why can't you taper, exactly? Because you think you won't want to?

Could you buy some normal coke and some decaf coke (or whatever your soda of choice is) and drink one less caffeinated coke a day (or two days, or whatever)? Could you just take an excedrin or a caffeine pill, or drink a caffeinated drink only when the caffeine headache gets bad?
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: sheepstache on February 04, 2014, 08:22:40 PM
I think you should start by getting started.  Just try it, and if you fail, take note of why.  You don't know if it's the taste, or the sugar rush, or the caffeine, etc., or what triggers the cravings, etc.
Also, define your objection to it.  Is it the cost, the health effects, the addiction...?  That will also help forcus focus your goal.

Personally any time I've had a caffeine headache, I just popped a regular dose of ibuprofen and that fixed it.  Maybe you could try unsweetened iced tea as a substitute in the beginning?  That goes back to the above, though, about what the particulars are.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Greg on February 04, 2014, 08:24:01 PM
I drink espresso for caffeine and soda water for fizz, so I can't address your concern from experience directly.  But, I used to drink a lot of coke, snapple and other crap.  When I switched to soda water I lost 10 lbs. without trying.   

I would advise switching to plain soda water or lightly flavored soda water like Talking Rain.  At the same time, I'd be scientific about cutting back your cola intake, reducing your intake by 1 serving every 2 or 3 days and making up the difference in plain soda water.  When you get to just soda water you can do the same process changing to plain water if you want.

There are various benefits to quitting colas, including better sleep, easier mornings, better dental health, and blood chemistry benefits.  Not to mention lowering your risk of diabetes etc.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: netskyblue on February 04, 2014, 08:27:13 PM
You can get a soda stream to make fizzy water, and add just a bit of juice to your fizzy water for some flavor.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: MissPeach on February 04, 2014, 11:00:45 PM
You can get a soda stream to make fizzy water, and add just a bit of juice to your fizzy water for some flavor.

I bought a soda stream too because it's cheaper to use than to buy sparking water like Perrier. I initially had to spike it with some sprite until I got used to the taste. Now I like it by itself. I still get soda cravings but I have been able to cut down dramatically with soda water since I'm mostly craving something cold with bubbles.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Khan on February 05, 2014, 01:54:02 AM
I'm pretty unapologetic about my addiction to soda, but I do not enjoy the cost(30cents a can at the low end for cans, 22.5cents for Kirkland Cola, ~1.50$ for a 2 liter) and the health issues of it.

SodaStream is delicious, the cost can work out, and it is much better from a health standpoint. I recommend it.

Did I mention it's delicious? and on demand? Cream Soda especiallly... mmmm.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Kaminoge on February 05, 2014, 05:03:51 AM
Decide not to drink it and then don't. Yep, it's that simple.

I LOVE diet coke/coke zero (depending on which country I'm in, the tastes vary wildly) and it's the only form of caffeine I have but I stopped drinking it because it's really not good for me. That's it. I just stopped. I sometimes treat myself to fizzy water instead but the rest is mental attitude. I tell myself "I'm a person who doesn't drink coke".
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: JoshuaSpodek on February 05, 2014, 08:28:04 AM
Read this post -- https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/ask-a-mustachian/how-do-i-stop-wasting-money-at-bars/msg67492/#msg67492 -- and translate appropriately to this situation.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: LibrarIan on February 05, 2014, 08:36:54 AM
I quit cold turkey like six years ago. That's the best way to go in my opinion.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Left on February 05, 2014, 08:38:36 AM
hm a happy medium that I've found is carbonated apple juice :S it's a german drink but I make it using normal apple juice and soda stream to add carbonation.
My other drinks are tea and mostly water :S

edit: tea has a lot of caffeine too, Alka seltzer works well too  http://www.alka-seltzer.com/asmr/faq.htm#caffeine but you're pretty much just switching cost from one form to another, bit cheaper though :S but don't rely on it
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: grantmeaname on February 05, 2014, 09:18:30 AM
hm a happy medium that I've found is carbonated apple juice :S it's a german drink but I make it using normal apple juice and soda stream to add carbonation.
Carbonated water and ordinary apple juice is good too - a little less cloying.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: jonchappelle on February 05, 2014, 09:51:26 AM
Money and Simplicity are what convinced me to stop.

I started walking to the grocery store this past summer and it was a serious challenge to try to carry 2x2 liter bottles of soda, 2 quarts of almond milk, along with food. By refilling a water filter pitcher, I cut a lot of weight, and ~ 1/4 of my food budget (~ 9$ a week in drinks, 2x2liter@~1.39, 2xAlmondMilk@~3.09) Even now that I'm driving to the store in the winter, my goal is to keep my groceries in 2 bags. So far this year I've only given in to the cravings once. You'll slip up, but just keep going. I get my caffeine kick from free coffee at work. Also, I'll drink soda if I can find it for free. Actually, I'll eat anything if it's free :)
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: adesertsky on February 05, 2014, 11:40:16 AM
I am only half-way there.  A couple years ago, we stopped buying soda for the house cold turkey.  We just don't do it.  However, I made allowances for having a soda from the fountain at the gas station or if i was picking up dinner at Subway (I know, make my own sandwich).  I've pretty much stalled there.  I "like" the taste (can you really like it?) which is why it is hard to get away from.

My husband, on the other hand, was majorly addicted (~6 cans a day of diet coke).  He really only cares about the bubbles, though, so we got a soda stream and he drink bubbly water all the time.  Even when we go out he just gets water (some soda fountains have soda water, too).

I am still holding out hope for myself.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Forcus on February 05, 2014, 11:46:00 AM
Ah, didn't expect such a response! I'll try to hit all the questions.

My main reason for quitting is health reasons. I am borderline obese and about 1/2 of my calories daily come from soda. This would be 1-2 Mt. Dew's in the morning, maybe a Pepsi at lunch, and 1 Mt. Dew in the afternoon (all 12 oz. cans). At night it's 1-2 cans of Pepsi. I have terrible ebbs and flows in my energy levels, these are partially (not fully) connected with soda / sugar / caffeine. I am not diabetic but easily see becoming diabetic with current sugar intake.

Another reason is I am trying to ween (heh heh) myself off anything I am "dependent" on. This includes certain foods and some medications I am taking that are crutches.

Cost doesn't really play in to it, besides the fact that pre-packaged alternatives are more expensive. I tried Naked Juice Smoothies, and though "natural", they have a lot of sugar and are very expensive to use as a full replacement. I tried grape juice but somewhat expensive and still loads of sugar. I am going to look in to soda stream, I knew about it but never thought about using it for a "non-soda" drink.

I LOVE the taste of Pepsi.

Caffeine pills I think would only be reasonable if I was trying to break the habit of having a drink in my hand, and once that was done, tapering the caffeine pills. It bugs me to trade one form of the same drug for another but as with money problems, it's usually about everything but money so it may still be a solution.

Someone mentioned I should just stop and move on. I have tried that, but my job is mentally demanding and I can't sit there with a massive headache unable to string two thoughts together, so it has to be another method. I have quit maybe 3-4 times and have lasted anywhere from 2 days to a couple weeks, but that's it. I am trying to combine stopping soda with a new workout schedule so that the morning "wake-up" is handled by exercise and the afternoon lull is handled by some other method, sans soda.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: shakenNOTstirred on February 05, 2014, 12:04:46 PM
Ah, didn't expect such a response! I'll try to hit all the questions.

My main reason for quitting is health reasons. I am borderline obese and about 1/2 of my calories daily come from soda. This would be 1-2 Mt. Dew's in the morning, maybe a Pepsi at lunch, and 1 Mt. Dew in the afternoon (all 12 oz. cans). At night it's 1-2 cans of Pepsi. I have terrible ebbs and flows in my energy levels, these are partially (not fully) connected with soda / sugar / caffeine. I am not diabetic but easily see becoming diabetic with current sugar intake.

Wow! That's a lot of soda! At least you realize your problem, which is the first step.
I just drink tap water. It saves money, saves gaining weight, and saves your teeth too!
You also recognize with the amount you're drinking that you face getting diabetes.
All I can say is just go cold turkey. There is no (valid) excuse. Drink water.
Good luck!
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Albert on February 05, 2014, 12:16:00 PM
I used to drink a lot of coke (up to 2 l per day), but then about a year ago I realised that this needs to stop. I occasionally still drink a glass or two when I'm outside, but at home I simply don't buy it anymore. That's all, was actually easier than I expected it to be. I changed to apple juice not straight water though, maybe that made it easier?
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Cinder on February 05, 2014, 12:19:38 PM

Wow! That's a lot of soda! At least you realize your problem, which is the first step.
I just drink tap water. It saves money, saves gaining weight, and saves your teeth too!
You also recognize with the amount you're drinking that you face getting diabetes.
All I can say is just go cold turkey. There is no (valid) excuse. Drink water.
Good luck!

I do the same thing.  I either keep a brita pitcher on my desk, or I wear my camelbak while I sit there, and mindlessly sip it.  Then I don't even have to get up / reach for my cup when I need a sip. 

Also, what is the habit/trigger that makes you want /reach for the soda?  Sometimes you have to find the trigger, and replace one action with another one... have a stress-ball where you normally sat your can of soda, etc... Everytime you find yourself reaching for it, mentally make note of it and do your new habit. 
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Spork on February 05, 2014, 12:22:42 PM

For me (as some have previously said) it was sodastream and coffee.  I drink just plain soda (which fulfills my craving for that back of the mouth burn that you get from coke or straight whiskey) and black coffee (which fulfills the caffeine addiction).

Yeah, I've quit caffeine before.  Unpleasant.  I don't particularly worry about caffeine addiction, but mainlining a big tub of liquid sugar is probably worth avoiding.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Christiana on February 05, 2014, 12:56:37 PM
I'd drink some caffeinated tea for the caffeine withdrawal, and taper down over a week or so.

The sugar withdrawal is harder.  I don't know if this is true for you, but I have a certain region of blood glucose levels where I am honestly just a troll.  I need to either stay above that region or below it if I am going to play nicely with others.  If I'm in it, I try to focus on dealing with things and not with people.

One thing I've learned is that blood glucose is measured as a concentration, and it functions in the body on that basis.  So look at your fluid intake and sugar intake together.  In a Tony Robbins book, I found where he "cured" a candy addict by having him restrict fluid intake while eating as much candy as he could stand--he quickly felt rotten and didn't crave sweets anymore.  I'm not saying to pursue dehydration as a weight loss strategy, but to try to be more conscious of what you drink, wait until you're actually thirsty, and drink more slowly.

From Seth Roberts's Shangri-La diet I got the idea of taking a tablespoon of corn syrup in a glass of water a couple of times a day.  It sounds horrible from a nutritional and low-carb perspective, but it's about 60 calories, and it gives the brain enough to run on for a couple of hours without a big blood sugar crash afterward, while also giving the body enough water to run on.  (I'm a troll when I'm dehydrated, too.)  The relatively tasteless corn syrup acts to suppress appetite.  Anyway, after a few days of this and eating low-carb, I found I could do ok without the corn syrup and water.  I just try not to guzzle a lot of fluids at once now.  If I need some energy, I eat a tablespoon of butter (which Roberts claims improves brain function).

Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Christiana on February 05, 2014, 01:44:37 PM
Also:

Do some strength training, because muscle mass helps stabilize blood sugar metabolism.

Seth Roberts also recommends taking a couple of teaspoons of honey before bed, which gives the brain enough fuel for the nighttime work of REM sleep.  Poor sleep leads to poor eating; a nasty feedback loop.

I've been experimenting with eating a couple of tablespoons of yogurt a day for the probiotics; it seems to be helping me keep from getting colds.  Coming down with a cold feels just like a blood sugar crash to me.  If I self-medicate with sugar to feel better I'll weaken my immune system, get really sick, and then eat too many carbs while sick--another nasty feedback loop.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: ritchie70 on February 05, 2014, 01:54:33 PM
Ah, didn't expect such a response! I'll try to hit all the questions.

My main reason for quitting is health reasons. I am borderline obese and about 1/2 of my calories daily come from soda. This would be 1-2 Mt. Dew's in the morning, maybe a Pepsi at lunch, and 1 Mt. Dew in the afternoon (all 12 oz. cans). At night it's 1-2 cans of Pepsi. I have terrible ebbs and flows in my energy levels, these are partially (not fully) connected with soda / sugar / caffeine. I am not diabetic but easily see becoming diabetic with current sugar intake.

Learn to love black coffee. It's practically health food. People have been drinking it for centuries.

Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Thegoblinchief on February 05, 2014, 02:00:16 PM
Ah, didn't expect such a response! I'll try to hit all the questions.

My main reason for quitting is health reasons. I am borderline obese and about 1/2 of my calories daily come from soda. This would be 1-2 Mt. Dew's in the morning, maybe a Pepsi at lunch, and 1 Mt. Dew in the afternoon (all 12 oz. cans). At night it's 1-2 cans of Pepsi. I have terrible ebbs and flows in my energy levels, these are partially (not fully) connected with soda / sugar / caffeine. I am not diabetic but easily see becoming diabetic with current sugar intake.

Caffeine pills I think would only be reasonable if I was trying to break the habit of having a drink in my hand, and once that was done, tapering the caffeine pills. It bugs me to trade one form of the same drug for another but as with money problems, it's usually about everything but money so it may still be a solution.

Someone mentioned I should just stop and move on. I have tried that, but my job is mentally demanding and I can't sit there with a massive headache unable to string two thoughts together, so it has to be another method. I have quit maybe 3-4 times and have lasted anywhere from 2 days to a couple weeks, but that's it. I am trying to combine stopping soda with a new workout schedule so that the morning "wake-up" is handled by exercise and the afternoon lull is handled by some other method, sans soda.

Black coffee will help a lot with the caffeine withdrawal/focus issues.

Your obesity and diet WILL lead to diabetes. Cut the high sugar NOW. No juice. No soda. When you're craving something, plain seltzer water spiked with a little juice is great. Eventually (like me) you may prefer it plain. Snack on high protein stuff like nuts. Allow yourself fruit, especially things like clementines that are small. It's a great way to spike your sugar a bit but a fraction of the calories that a soda has.

Cold turkey is the best way to go, I know from experience. After a couple months without it, a Pepsi will literally make you sick.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Cincy Stache on February 05, 2014, 02:06:42 PM
Learn to love black coffee. It's practically health food. People have been drinking it for centuries.

+1 on the black coffee!  ALSO, it's HORRIBLE for you.  I had no trouble quitting pop once I realized how bad it was. (just a quick google search can scare the shit out of you here) http://wakeup-world.com/2013/08/20/5-good-reasons-to-stop-drinking-soda-immediately/ (http://wakeup-world.com/2013/08/20/5-good-reasons-to-stop-drinking-soda-immediately/)

My solution was a 32oz plastic water bottle.  I drink 2 to 3 of them a day.  I definitely piss a lot, but I do believe it helps with energy!
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Thegoblinchief on February 05, 2014, 02:51:30 PM
I like keeping water cold in summer and lukewarm in winter, so I'd recommend an insulated bottle.

I dig the Hydro Flask brand.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: tpozywio on February 05, 2014, 02:53:49 PM
I just dealt with the caffeine withdrawals for a couple days.  One tactic I used when tapering down was only putting one cold pop in the fridge at a time.  Started drinking water with Mios.  Make yourself drink a cup of water before having a pop
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Forcus on March 04, 2014, 11:14:30 AM
Just an update. Did not try to do cold turkey even though I indicated I would. Have been tapering but have had some relapses. This past week / weekend got a really bad gout flareup and decided once and for all have to change my eating / drinking (non-alcohol) habits. So I will be re-reviewing all your comments and asking more questions. Thanks again for all the thoughts, I appreciate it.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Nancy on March 04, 2014, 12:06:21 PM
I read the Art of Choosing by Sheena Iyengar, and when I realized that my "addiction" to soda was just based on  marketing, I stopped drinking soda that day.

A good trick is to try and quit while you're on vacation. I've read that addictions are connected to habits and locations. So if you always buy a soda from the corner store on your way home, you'll start craving it once you get near the store. Same thing for 3pm at your desk. Next vacation, omit soda from your routine. If you never take vacations, then try and alter some of your routines at home. Eat breakfast in a different seat, take a new route home, go for a walk around your building at 3pm, etc. It may seem weird and unrelated, but it might just work for you. Good luck!
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: MustacheMiz on March 04, 2014, 12:34:01 PM
Something that always helps me avoid soda is picturing the sugar content in teaspoons. It's much more visual and much more scary.

1 teaspoon of sugar equates to approximately 4 grams. A typical 12oz can of soda (Pepsi) has approximately 41g of sugar or about 10tsp. Simply picturing myself consuming 10tsp of sugar is enough of a deterrent.

Good luck!
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Mortgage Free Mike on March 04, 2014, 01:06:10 PM
I do drink coffee now, but there was a time in my life when I eliminated all caffeine, including sodas.  I quit cold turkey, but I took a week off of work to do so. I spent a lot of that time sleeping because of the withdrawal symptoms.  I didn't have the patience to taper off, so this strategy worked well for me. 

Also, you could consider taking an Excedrin or similar pill while you are trying to stop drinking soda.  Maybe it would be beneficial to break down how much money it's going to save you per year or how much weight you will lose.. 10 pounds for me... and put that visual reminder on your fridge or make it your smartphone screensaver.

Best of luck. You can do it.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: crumbcatcher on March 04, 2014, 02:09:49 PM
I quit a ridiculous Diet Coke habit cold turkey by substituting sparkling water (which I quickly developed a taste for).  For caffeine headaches, ibuprofin and LOTS of water (sparkling or otherwise) to stay hydrated. That made a huge difference for me.

Eventually I didn't feel that I needed fizzy water anymore so I stopped that too, which was good on the pocketbook, but it was a helpful measure for breaking the cola habit.

Two years later, I'm able to enjoy an occasional fizzy drink if I really want one, like during the summer when it's super hot, but for the most part the desire isn't even there anymore.  I drink coffee now so I have the caffeine monkey on my back again, but otherwise it's just tap water.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Milspecstache on March 04, 2014, 06:58:35 PM
Soda is very bad for your teeth.  Between the acid and the sugar it can result in much higher dental expenses down the road.

I hate the HuffPost but they have an article that compares diet soda to meth as far as its effects on teeth:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/28/diet-soda-teeth-similar-to-meth-photos_n_3348158.html

If it were me I'd consider printing some of those pictures and putting them on the fridge...  All that money you could save and the healthier teeth that would result!
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Bärtle on March 04, 2014, 08:00:11 PM
As a german I grew up with carbonated water so that's what I mostly drink or I have apple juice with carbonated water if I crave something sweet.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/28/diet-soda-teeth-similar-to-meth-photos_n_3348158.html
This is horrible but I guess my profession won't die anytime soon.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: greaper007 on March 04, 2014, 08:20:06 PM
Just switch to coffee or tea.   I used to drink tons of soda, now I go through maybe 1 a week.   I drink a half a pot of coffee everyday though, along with a couple glasses of wine or beer.   

If you don't have health problems, every major study has said there are no long term negative health risks associated with 3 cups or less of coffee a day, and it does help you focus.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Babymoustache on March 04, 2014, 08:46:27 PM
You might find the sugar punch is actually effecting you as much as the caffeine. So look to manage this too: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/08/23/is-sugar-more-addictive-than-cocaine.aspx
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: OnTheMoney on March 04, 2014, 08:56:03 PM
It's not surprising that you're having trouble quitting Mt Dew specifically. It's not just the sugar you're missing - you're likely experiencing bromide detox as well. I know it sounds "woo woo" to many people but it's a real thing, suggest you check it out. (And not to go too much into the science here, but the bromine displaces iodine in the body which is linked to thyroid disease which is linked to diabetes, among other things. So you really should look into it at least so you know what you're actually drinking.)

Also, in general I've had much more success framing this type of big change in a positive light rather than a negative one, e.g. becoming super healthy, which obviously excludes drinking that type of thing, rather than avoiding a particular drink that you have a physiological (not just psychological) addiction to. I tried to give up chocolate (my personal "vice") for many years but haven't touched it for ages (prob two years) because I haven't touched ANYTHING bad because I'm a healthy person now and so I only eat healthy things. In my experience, trying to taper off or limit myself to a very small amount (one square per day or every few days etc) just kept my focus on what I couldn't have, but these days I rarely even think about chocolate at all... I keep my focus on all the healthy stuff I put into my body every day, not what I keep out of it.

Good luck, you can do it!
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Mori on March 05, 2014, 02:11:06 PM
Just an update. Did not try to do cold turkey even though I indicated I would. Have been tapering but have had some relapses. This past week / weekend got a really bad gout flareup and decided once and for all have to change my eating / drinking (non-alcohol) habits. So I will be re-reviewing all your comments and asking more questions. Thanks again for all the thoughts, I appreciate it.

If you are willing to taper have you tried going to a soda lower in caffeine, and then eliminating a drink a day every week? That way you have progress and you still get rid of most of your sodas within two months. It will also give you time to form other habits without going totally into withdrawal.

I ended up kicking my soda habit because I moved to an all-Pepsi campus and I didn't like Pepsi. After a while when I tried a soda it would burn all the way down my throat. Pretty painful. I'll have one every once and again now but nothing like before.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: QuacktasticStache on March 05, 2014, 03:17:53 PM
I also have a ridiculous soda addiction. Can drink a two-liter in a day/day-and-a half. It messes with my sleep, I've watched all the scary videos about how terrible it is for you, and even quit for about six weeks and lost 8 pounds. But I fooled myself into thinking that I could be a "casual" soda drinker, and went right back from an occasional soda to multiple sodas a day.

I wish you luck! I'm going to try and quit again as well. It's expensive. It's unhealthy. It doesn't make my body feel good.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Thegoblinchief on March 05, 2014, 03:21:32 PM
I'm surprised at how fast I've come to like plain seltzer with a splash of citrus, no sugar. It doesn't even taste sour to me anymore.

At work I'm actually down to water-only, but a pint-size Nalgene would be a good way to bring "soda" to work with you for lunch.

Soda disgusts me now. Beer, on the other hand....
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: galliver on March 05, 2014, 03:52:36 PM
I'm feeling really lucky right now that I never developed a soda habit. However, when I start to overdo my coffee and forget to taper off, I'll get an awful headache (maybe migraine even?) about 24-48 hrs after my last cup. The only cure I've found was an Acetominophen or Excedrin (not a super-dose of either, just a normal dose), AND a cup of green tea.

I believe a sugar crash can also give you a headache...cutting out half your daily calories at once sounds really extreme. Maybe something to look at.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Mortgage Free Mike on March 07, 2014, 08:12:15 AM
Just thought of this post last night. I was reading a story about the World Health Organization proposing new rules for sugar intake.
The recommendation for most people is 6 teaspoons or 25 grams.  There are 40 grams in just one regular soda.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: pac_NW on March 07, 2014, 06:19:08 PM
This YouTube video is compelling for quitting soda ... And sugar. Have you seen it?  It is from a physician at UCSF.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: snyder66 on March 08, 2014, 03:45:15 AM
Have you tried drinking club soda?  Kombucha?
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: 1967mama on March 08, 2014, 03:55:08 AM
Club soda and flavoured stevia from Amazon cured me of the soda habit!

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=flavored+stevia
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Rural on March 08, 2014, 06:24:17 AM
Just an update. Did not try to do cold turkey even though I indicated I would. Have been tapering but have had some relapses. This past week / weekend got a really bad gout flareup and decided once and for all have to change my eating / drinking (non-alcohol) habits. So I will be re-reviewing all your comments and asking more questions. Thanks again for all the thoughts, I appreciate it.

Nothing to do with soda, but for the gout, try eating some cherries. I now keep some in the freezer for my husband because nothing else has ever helped, but I googled natural remedies, discovered cherries, and figured they won't hurt even if they don't help the gout. Near-miraculous improvement in just a couple of hours for him. Don't know if it'll work for you, but the worst case scenario is a tasty, healthy snack.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: greaper007 on March 08, 2014, 06:32:01 AM
Gout? Jeez, do you live on processed cheese?   I've never heard of anyone in modern times getting gout.

You got to get on a healthy lifestyle kick now.   Fruit, salad, lean meat and hit the gym at least 3 days a week.   What's next, the black plague?
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Rural on March 08, 2014, 06:41:18 AM
Gout? Jeez, do you live on processed cheese?   I've never heard of anyone in modern times getting gout.

You got to get on a healthy lifestyle kick now.   Fruit, salad, lean meat and hit the gym at least 3 days a week.   What's next, the black plague?

Gout's fairly common, and a lot of it has to do with genetics (and age) rather than diet. That said, diet modification can help some; foods high in purines can make it worse, but those are not what you'd think based on stereotypes (ie: dried beans are bad).

http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Gout/ (http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Gout/)
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: stpetesean on March 08, 2014, 06:42:00 AM
I drank 24 cans of Pepsi every day for years...quit 7 years ago cold turkey, took some advil for a week and had no other issues.  I lost 40 pounds in about 8 weeks with no other changes to my diet.  Just quit cold turkey, anyone can deal with a headache for a week or two :)
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: ViragoStache on March 09, 2014, 01:17:41 PM
And for the gout I believe beer is bad, sorry.  Keep trying and if you can reduce, celebrate that win.  THen after you have gotten past that, eliminate one.  The issues that you face should scare the crap out of you.  They did me!
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: tracipam on March 09, 2014, 06:18:51 PM
I lovelovelove Pepsi.  I drank it every day with lunch since middle school.  Finally, I decided I had to stop.  It was such a painful idea. 

I started by switching to water one day a week.  Any day, but had to be one.  Once I was comfortable with that, 2.  Kept working up until I got to pick the day I had my pepsi.  Finally just forgot about it and was drinking water all the time. 

Instead, I stocked my fridge with water kefir at home-- it self carbonates and it's a probiotic, AND it's sweet.  Triple win!  I keep that in the fridge for drinks after work.  I very occasionally have a pepsi with rum or other delicious alcohol during hot days in the summer, but a 24 pack of pepsi can now sit harmlessly in my basement for upwards of a year before it gets used up. 

If we're out for lunch at work or they bring in free lunch I will usually have a pepsi now, but I don't crave it like I used to, and I don't bring it to work with me.  And I'm not tempted to go to the vending machine.  It's firmly in the "special occasions only" list in my brain. 
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: warped on March 10, 2014, 02:25:50 PM
For me, it wasn't the caffeine, it was a sweet drink. I tried cutting out the soda and replacing with caffeine pill, still had cravings.

Then cut that and tried replacing with Orange Juice. That did the trick for me, and I go through a lot less OJ than Dr. Pepper.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: eljay on March 11, 2014, 05:24:03 AM
This thread has inspired me to try cutting out diet Coke.  I drink 4 cans a day (and have done for the last 20 years). I have tried to give up before but failed due to caffeine withdrawal headaches/irritability. I don't drink tea or coffee so Coke is my only caffeine source. I am trying the caffeine pills route this time as recommended in this thread.  I have club soda in the fridge in case I crave something bubbly. I am at lunchtime on day 1 and doing fine. Will update in a few days...

Eljay
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Mortgage Free Mike on March 16, 2014, 06:38:46 PM
Another side effect of all the soda intake -- the caffeine. Once you kick the habit, you will be far less jittery throughout the day. 
I was stunned how eliminating soda reduced my stress and anxiety.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: 1967mama on March 17, 2014, 12:48:17 AM
Black cherry juice (available at the health food store) cured a family member of gout very quickly. After that, diet modification kept it away.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: KBecks on March 17, 2014, 08:25:18 AM
Good topic!  When I stop soda, I start pounding coffee with cream and sugar.   I am trying to switch to iced tea with minimal sugar, and drink more water between meals.

Good luck!
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Spork on March 17, 2014, 08:37:46 AM
Good topic!  When I stop soda, I start pounding coffee with cream and sugar.   I am trying to switch to iced tea with minimal sugar, and drink more water between meals.

Good luck!

with both coffee and tea... I grew up drinking (extremely) sweetened tea and coffee.  Drinking it without is a bit of an acquired taste.  But if you do it for about a week, you'll likely never go back.

Now sweetened coffee/tea are just disgusting to me.  It's over-the-top sweet.  (I'm still a caffeine addict, but that's a different topic.)
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Mortgage Free Mike on March 28, 2014, 09:27:17 AM
Curious for an update. Were you able to quit?
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Forcus on March 28, 2014, 09:47:33 AM
Nope, still chugging soda like a fiend. Usually one mt. dew morning, one pepsi at lunch, one mt. dew afternoon then 1-2 pepsi's at night (all 12 oz. cans). It's terrible. I will say that I hope it will be easier once I have several stressful things over with. I am trying to launch a product program on my own in my failing work group so I've been working 8 AM til 7 at night, then going to my old house that I am renovating and then selling (costing me $1500 / mo sitting empty). Then driving an hour home (at midnight), collapsing and doing it all over again. Once that's done I think I can substitute exercise for the morning Mt. Dew and gradually wean (heh heh... wean) off the other sodas.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Milspecstache on March 28, 2014, 05:40:27 PM
How about substituting coffee?  That at least cuts out the calories if you drink/learn to drink it black.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Forcus on March 28, 2014, 07:34:19 PM
How about substituting coffee?  That at least cuts out the calories if you drink/learn to drink it black.

I wish I could! I've always hated coffee, and all its variants.

I drank one Mt. Dew this morning and nothing until dinner. Don't know if it had anything to do with it but felt much better this evening and got more work done on the old house. Maybe just in my head.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Nudelkopf on March 28, 2014, 07:37:27 PM
^ Well done! :)

One way that might help is to set out all the cans that you will drink that day, in your fridge. (Only put that day's lot in the fridge, the rest stay out). Then you can set your number of drinks that you'll have that day. Once you go through the ones in the fridge - that's it 'til the next day.

Say you start with 5 cans in the fridge per day, and get used to the habit of putting them in each morning/last-thing-at-night. Then you can cut down to only putting 4 cans in the fridge for the day. Once you get used to only drinking those 4, then leave one can out.

It might help with your weaning :) (Assuming you buy your drinks as a carton, and don't buy random cans when you're out & about.)
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Forcus on April 01, 2014, 09:24:24 AM
^ Well done! :)

One way that might help is to set out all the cans that you will drink that day, in your fridge. (Only put that day's lot in the fridge, the rest stay out). Then you can set your number of drinks that you'll have that day. Once you go through the ones in the fridge - that's it 'til the next day.

Say you start with 5 cans in the fridge per day, and get used to the habit of putting them in each morning/last-thing-at-night. Then you can cut down to only putting 4 cans in the fridge for the day. Once you get used to only drinking those 4, then leave one can out.

It might help with your weaning :) (Assuming you buy your drinks as a carton, and don't buy random cans when you're out & about.)

I agree with your thoughts. I hate warm soda so maybe I just need to trick myself a bit.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: shelfins on April 01, 2014, 09:28:33 PM
I know this isn't the Mustachian solution, but if your concern is really just about the sugar and not about the money, why not switch to Coke Zero / Diet Mountain Dew? It is, of course, just replacing one dependency with another, but the diet soda is going to do vastly less damage to your health than the sugared soda and my guess is it will be much, much easier for you to do than to replace the soda with something like black coffee or water. Think of it like replacing cigarettes with nicotine gum--you're still addicted, but addicted to something that isn't damaging your body. It's really hard to make several large changes all at once, and if you can do your health a tremendous solid by making a much smaller, easier change, you're going to have a much higher likelihood of sticking with the change and succeeding in losing wait/staving off diabetes.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Zamboni on April 01, 2014, 09:59:09 PM
I'm not sure diet soda is much better.  I've been trying unsuccessfully to kick my diet Coke/Pepsi habit for about a year.

It is the sweetness and carbonation that I crave.  I can get the caffeine from tea, but it doesn't make me as happy.  It's like soda is my . . . friend.  When I'm feeling shitty, a soda cheers me up.  Yeah, that's addiction alright.

Good luck to you!  Only 2 or 3 in one day is a step in the right direction!
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: shelfins on April 02, 2014, 07:20:25 AM
I'm not sure diet soda is much better.  I've been trying unsuccessfully to kick my diet Coke/Pepsi habit for about a year.

It is the sweetness and carbonation that I crave.  I can get the caffeine from tea, but it doesn't make me as happy.  It's like soda is my . . . friend.  When I'm feeling shitty, a soda cheers me up.  Yeah, that's addiction alright.

Good luck to you!  Only 2 or 3 in one day is a step in the right direction!

It's certainly better than sugared soda from a weight-loss/avoiding diabetes perspective (not a financial perspective) in that it has 0 calories and is sugar-free. Making the switch from 5 regular cans of soda to 5 cans of diet soda would save Forcus about 600 calories a day; that's more than a pound a week! Yes, if it were just as easy to do, I'd suggest he switch to water instead of diet soda, but it's just a heck of lot harder. Forcus already has a lot of demands on his willpower: working and staying focused for long hours, doing a demanding side project, exercising more, improving his eating habits. If there's a path to cutting out the sugary soda that's he's more likely to stick with consistently, I'd say to go for it. Sometimes the perfect is the enemy of the good.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Forcus on April 02, 2014, 11:30:05 AM
Thanks for the thoughts guys. I might not be responding to each post but have read all of them numerous times and think about them when I think about grabbing a soda, or just need some encouragement.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Lkmc on November 25, 2014, 02:59:57 PM
This is an ancient thread but I just randomly ran across it.  I used to have a bad soda habit.... Many people suggested substituting carbonated water for soda. Which was VERY helpful for me.  But here's a great link on how to carbonate your own water at home for literally pennies per bottle.  We've been doing this for almost 10 years now, and recently calculated that we've probably fizzed like 12,000 bottles, equaling a savings of somewhere in the neighborhood of $12,000. Plus saving a LOT of space in the landfill / recycling center.  FWIW.

http://gizmodo.com/how-to-build-your-own-carbonation-rig-that-adds-bubbles-1494028502
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: DCJrMustachian on November 26, 2014, 01:23:08 AM
I used to drink too many sodas everyday, but managed to replace it first with green tea (the caffeine & sugar you need), then eventually switched over to coconut water.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Public Hermit on November 26, 2014, 06:21:55 AM
Stopped drinking Coke, Mountain Dew, and Root Beer in 2012. I used to love rum n cokes. Would go through a 2 liter bottle of coke per night of drinking. Got a gym membership, started eating healthier, and drinking less.

Now I weigh 52 pounds less. If I need caffeine, I drink green tea.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Rosewhipped on November 26, 2014, 09:05:55 AM
Even though this thread is old, I will say things.   

I have a soda addiction!  Well to be fair mine is more of a fast food/frech fry, chicken nugget addiction which i then must have with Coke.  I am great about drinking water (ALWAYS take a thermos to work with me everyday) but have weird food rules, like I would never drink a soda by itself, only with food. 

I guess I would miss caffeine if i quit, but i just love how Coke tastes and how it tastes with certain things.  I LOVE fountain soda a million times more than a can of soda. 

I've found that food (fast food) is definitely the addiction I have and I eat it in secret a lot.  I always hit the drive thru.  I feel like I  do it sometimes when I'm not hungry. Sometimes I have to eat dinner twice because I went to the drive through and then have to go eat with my roommate or parents and eat some dinner too so they won't know i had fast food AGAIN. 

So my problem is my fast food addiction.  But similar sugar/horrible diet habits.  I think i got into this with a retail job i had in high school. Work 5-11 (or midnight) and have no breaks (food) and then stopped at wendy's on the way home for dinner since it was quick and hot and delicious and directly between me and my 3 minute drive home.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Forcus on November 26, 2014, 10:12:21 AM
Thanks for the additional thoughts guys. I am on the brink of quitting soda forever and have drastically tapered. I notice how much effect sugar has on my energy levels / lags (in a negative way) and am "done". I feel like if I go another year with the amount of sugar intake I am at, I am at risk of diabetes. Unfortunately for me it takes a big realization to make things happen but at least it is happening before its too late.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: bigalsmith101 on November 26, 2014, 12:55:48 PM
Thanks for the additional thoughts guys. I am on the brink of quitting soda forever and have drastically tapered. I notice how much effect sugar has on my energy levels / lags (in a negative way) and am "done". I feel like if I go another year with the amount of sugar intake I am at, I am at risk of diabetes. Unfortunately for me it takes a big realization to make things happen but at least it is happening before its too late.

Thankfully you seem to have at least some comprehension of what sugar is doing to you. It's not the caffeine you are addicted to. It's the sugar. It sounds like you need a bit of "big hits" to put you over the edge so I'll help a bit.

1) Adding 150 calories a day to a normal diet has virtually no visible effects on a healthy diet.  Adding 150 calories a day from SODA increases risk of diabetes by 700%. You were currently drinking 5-6+ can's a day (more on a bad day, less on a better day). 6 cans = over 2 liters. You were literally killing yourself. You may just not be fully aware of the scope of it.

2) One can of Mountain Dew = 170 calories and 46g sugar
    One can of Pepsi              = 150 calories and 41g sugar

2) You were/are ingesting roughly 3 of each type per day. OR (170x3)+(150x3) = 960 calories a day from 261g of SUGAR

3) A healthy American Male has room for about 37.5 extra grams of sugar in their daily diet. You're eating 7 times that. And you're not healthy, by your statement, you're borderline obese. Therefore you have NO room for additional sugars.

4) A sweetener substitute is JUST AS BAD as sugar. Your body reacts exactly the same way to it as it does to sugar. The body recognizes the sweetener (regardless of calories) as sugar, and flips the hormone switch that turns the associated sugar/carb calories (at the time, and for the next meals) into fats. Anyone telling you that a sugar substitute does vastly less harm to your body than sugar is lying to you, whether they know it or not.

5) Sugar enlists the help of hormones to light up the same regions of the brain that COCAINE stimulates. I.E, sugar is more addictive than a Class 5 narcotic. You're addicted to a drug.

6) Do you notice a roll of fat around your belly? That's from the near 1000 calories of sugar being turned into fat. It's also the most dangerous kind of fat. Belly fat is where important measurements come from.

7) Do you eat 3 meals during the day? Do you find that you don't need to eat much during the day for one reason or another?

8) You're not GOING to be at risk of diabetes. You are ALREADY AT RISK of diabetes. It was late yesterday man. Get on with the quitting and get started on the living.

How old are you, how tall are you and how much do you weigh? "Borderline Obese" seems to fall under different categories depending on what part of the country the person lives in (not all doctors/physicians are equal).

WHY I'm so adamant:
-History of heart disease and diabetes in my family
-Unhealthy father who can't see that the foods he eats are unhealthy
-Unhealthy friends who can't see that the foods they eat are unhealthy
-A nutritionist/personal trainer/studying dietician for a wife
-Two sister in laws, a mother in law, a father in law, all addicted to sugar and fats who can't realize the root of their issues is derived from this addiction. Reliant on other drugs/procedures to solve there problems.

I've witnessed the parents of my best friend fall into this trap. I've known them since the age of 6. I love them. The mother is diabetic (from DIET coke), and the father is either in denial, or about a half inch from the line. They work slave jobs (9-5 with no happiness) to find retirement in a couple years at 62. They won't be able to enjoy it fully because they are too fat/unhealthy/diseased/sick.

Don't be like these people man. You KNOW the err's of your ways, and you can see the difference. It's because you can already see the light of day, the brightness at the end of the tunnel that I even bother to type this. You have already taken the hard step.

Quitting soda/sugar is physically akin to quitting a drug addiction. Be strong.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: magga on November 26, 2014, 02:10:44 PM
I quit soda (coke zero), cold turkey,  7 months ago. It helped that I got mad at myself for putting something so unhealthy into my body. I decided not contribute to coca-cola's bottom line.

One thing that helped was club soda with a spoon of organic apple cider vinegar.  It tastes like crap but it cut my cravings to manageable levels over time. Now I just avoid drinking sweet liquids so no sweetner in anything and no fruit juices etc.  and if I want something sweet I'll eat a piece of fruit instead.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Cottonswab on November 26, 2014, 11:27:00 PM
Stopping completely, without tapering works best for me.  Deal with cravings for caffeine with either black coffee or tea.  Deal with sugar cravings by eating fibrous fruit (apples, bananas, oranges).  When working, substitute drinking with excercise to relieve stress during your micro-breaks.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: N on November 26, 2014, 11:54:47 PM
Forcus, It sounds like you are making progress! Thats awesome. I used to drink 4-6 cans of soda a day (coke) but quit when I did Weight Watchers. One can of soda was 3 or 4 "points" and I could only have something like 30 points a day, so the math just couldnt work for me :)

I do have a soda stream and I mix the carb. water with juice or make my own flavored syrups, but I mostly do that in summer.

Stay Strong!
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Forcus on November 27, 2014, 10:51:02 AM

Thankfully you seem to have at least some comprehension of what sugar is doing to you. It's not the caffeine you are addicted to. It's the sugar. It sounds like you need a bit of "big hits" to put you over the edge so I'll help a bit.

-SNIP-


Thanks so much for the thoughts. I think I am going to print it out and paste it somewhere & keep rereading it. Especially right now, going through something of a caffeine / sugar withdrawal :(

I stood at the gas station last night for about 5 minutes debating whether I should buy a 12 pack of Pepsi but finally decided not to. Later when I had cravings I had to think if a sane MMM type would drive ~1 mile to the gas station to get a soda and used that to go to bed thirsty but may be a little stronger.

Now I am trying to think of what I can use to replace the cravings besides good old water. I have some grape juice in the fridge but when I checked the label it had nearly as much sugar as a Pepsi. I think my cravings go 1) Pepsi taste, 2) sugar, 3) caffeine in that order. I've developed a finely honed taste where I can distinctly tell if it came from a 12 oz. can, 20 oz. bottle or 2 liter, as well as how old it is. The sugar part is what has an effect on my mood and energy. I think that might help combat 1), if I see improvements in 2). The caffeine, well, I think I might have to just suffer through the headaches for now.

I think what will help is I have definitively decided to start working out again. We'll see.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: JeffC on November 27, 2014, 12:23:38 PM
I'm a recovering Diet Coke addict. I read an article about a study where it was determined that aspartame was more addictive (to rats) than cocaine.  I decided to quit and usually can go a month without and then I have a bit of a relapse, but am able to get myself back on track fairly quickly, like 2 days into the relapse.  I was drinking a 44oz gas station fountain pretty much every day, now it is 1-2 per month, pretty good improvement!

The best way to stop any behavior you want to stop is to go ahead and live like normal but when you find that you are doing that thing (in this case drinking soda, but really it could be anything) take a moment to think about what the circumstances are that led to you doing that thing.  Then formulate a plan to avoid having those circumstances come up. This is way better than deciding to "feel bad" or berating yourself for the bad behavior - that doesn't get you anywhere. 

I figured out that I was mainly stopping and getting a soda any time I drove anywhere, and a lot of it was that I was thirsty and also just like to drink liquids while driving.  I never would even consider buying a 12 pack of soda at the grocery store, so I really only do that while driving.  Realizing this, I just make sure to load up a big stainless steel bottle of ice water whenever I get in the car.  Occasionally I will be around the house and crave a soda, and the old me would have just gotten in the car and driven to the gas station to get a soda (FACEPUNCH) but the new me just whips up a giant pitcher of Cold Brew Lipton ice tea which is definitely as delicious, caffeinated, and refreshing as a giant soda, but better for me (I don't use sugar, just plain), not wasteful of gas and time, and much cheaper. 

The sugar thing will be hard to break but hopefully this helps.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Forcus on December 02, 2014, 11:25:32 AM
Just an update:

I quit drinking soda evening of 11/26 (Thanksgiving Eve). Thanksgiving day was terrible I wanted to die, made worse with kids running around screaming at Thanksgiving dinner. Got home, took some Nyquil and slept 15 hours. Felt fine since then. No headaches, a little bit more consistent and elevated energy and drive. No real cravings for either sugar or caffeine.

Still looking for substitutes though. Tried Dasani unsweetened, worse thing I have ever drank. Did find some sort of vitamin water that is artificially sweetened a little but at $1.08 a bottle likely only a "treat". I've settled on plain old water and a sparkling water with flavoring from of all places Dollar General. It does have sucralose and I still have to see how much since they don't generally advertise it. But no caffeine.

I think my "treats" will be lemonade and grape juice, at most 8-12 oz. once a day. But so far so good.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: begood on December 02, 2014, 11:33:54 AM
I quit soda "cold turkey" in 1984. I'd been drinking stadium cups of Mountain Dew at breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the college cafeteria. I haven't had a caffeinated beverage since then.

The reason? We took our pulse as part of a class. My resting pulse rate was 108. At age 20. I quit that day, and a week later, my resting pulse rate was 80.

I treat myself to herbal teas with no caffeine - whatever kind I want to try. Different teas for different seasons. Cinnamon Apple Spice in winter. Peppermint. Raspberry in the summer, over ice. Flavors without sugar or caffeine.

Have you tried seltzer water with lime? No caffeine or sugar, but you still get the carbonation.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Forcus on December 02, 2014, 11:48:09 AM

Have you tried seltzer water with lime? No caffeine or sugar, but you still get the carbonation.

I think that was essentially what the Dasani stuff was. It had a salty taste to it, I hated it. But I am still trying similar kinds of things as I find them.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Annie-Blake on December 03, 2014, 01:30:20 AM
oh I have this same problem and feel like I am always running into a brick wall.  I have tried and tried and tried.  But I love ice cold cans of coca-cola.  on a hot summers day. 
I thought I was doing well...4 wks without...but now i'm back to drinking it.  I know all the health implications etc and why I should not drink it but I can't stop.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Forcus on December 03, 2014, 09:28:03 AM
oh I have this same problem and feel like I am always running into a brick wall.  I have tried and tried and tried.  But I love ice cold cans of coca-cola.  on a hot summers day. 
I thought I was doing well...4 wks without...but now i'm back to drinking it.  I know all the health implications etc and why I should not drink it but I can't stop.

You know, I think it has to do with personality. I'd say I have a somewhat addictive personality but I also have a situationally strong will. I was drinking anywhere from 6-18 bottles of Bud Light a night, working in the garage for 6 hours after work. Then I woke up on June 24, 2010 and just said "enough" and that was that. no real withdrawal and even though I'd like to have a beer (or 10) now and then, I doubt I ever will and it if I do it will be on my terms (e.g. not triggered by some event).

There was nothing in particular that made me stop Thanksgiving Eve (and that was only a week ago so I'm not going to pat myself on the back yet..), it was just an "enough" moment. Drinking that much soda, mood swings, energy levels, cravings, headaches, etc. I wasn't in control and I hate not being in control (at least of how I feel).

I can't advise that way of thinking to anyone else because I think it's a way of being wired. I will never be truly MMM because I am not wired the same way, I cannot have 15 different activities going on at one time and be successful, etc. I think every person who wants to quit something has to find that way to quit that works for them. Whether it's snapping a rubber band on your wrist, finding a channel / outlet for the cravings, etc. I really don't know the answer to that one.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: dantownehall on December 03, 2014, 01:13:57 PM
Unsweetened iced tea is what helped me off of soda.

I think I really am just addicted to ice-chewing, so that is still satisfied in a calorie free (actually, negative calorie) way with iced tea.  I do miss the sugar sometimes and will have an occasional Coke, but I feel much better now.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: 1967mama on December 03, 2014, 02:09:40 PM
Hot tea with milk and stevia is doing the trick for me this winter.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: lizfish on December 03, 2014, 03:17:46 PM
Hey Forcus. Just to let you know I'm rooting for you. Never had much time for coke etc but used to have a ton of hot tea with sugar. Thought it tasted vile without. A friend challenged me to try without sugar and I never looked back. Also mostly drink decaf too now.

One thing I will say, is that you will be able to taste food differently. Once you cut out that much sugar, things you thought you didn't like will suddenly taste different. I used to want to add sugar to everything. But now I can taste the *food*.

Good luck with your quest. You will find what works for you and do it. Remember, you can decide to change any freaking time you want.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: JoshuaSpodek on December 04, 2014, 06:20:14 AM
"Nope, still chugging soda like a fiend. Usually one mt. dew morning, one pepsi at lunch, one mt. dew afternoon then 1-2 pepsi's at night (all 12 oz. cans)."

I hope this helps: from the perspective of someone who doesn't drink soda, this sounds disgusting.

Soda in the morning?? That much per day?? How can someone do that to themselves?

It's been decades since I drank soda. I hope you get to the point one day of seeing this habit this way.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Forcus on December 10, 2014, 10:36:33 AM
Just an update.

No soda since 11/26. No real headaches or cravings for sugar / caffeine since 11/28 so I think I've been lucky as far as withdrawal goes.

Trying a number of drinks, vitamin water, etc. as treats to my standard water. I did make a mistake and had lemonade without checking sugar content. I couldn't believe how affected I was by it so I am very careful to check sugar on everything I eat and drink.

Haven't been craving a lot of "bad" foods in addition - ones that likely have lots of salt and sugar. Been incorporating more vegetables. I haven't been weighing myself but I can definitely tell I am losing weight. My current pants are getting too big when I was basically exploding out of them before and have been able to use move up 2 notches on my belt. Haven't been exercising yet (other reasons) but nice to know I can start dropping weight without trying. Been eating out alot less as a result of fewer cravings so less money as well.

Stomach has been upset a lot. I think it's just a shock to the system, all the changes.

I've been far more alert at work than when I had the ups and downs of sugar and caffeine. I am functioning at a higher level.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: BooksAreNerdy on December 10, 2014, 11:29:20 AM
I've been rooting for you, too. I'm a big fan of being healthy and taking care of your body. I've never been a soda drinker (maybe one root beer a year). But I can't fathom being addicted to it. I used to drink a lot of fruit juice, but quit when I realized how expensive it was and how much sugar it had.

I am so glad you are seeing positive changes in your body. One comment I wanted to make, you said a few posts back that you avoided buying a 12 pack (yay!) And later considered driving 1 mile to get a soda. Next time, frame it even differently- you have to walk. I know you don't seem to be having cravings now, but if you do, make yourself walk that mile to get the soda. Don't make it easy.

Im pumped for you. It just makes me so sad to hear about people being addicted to soda. Break the cycle and learn to love water! A sure fire way to love water is to exercise! If you bother to exercise, you sure won't want to quench your thirst with a soda and erase all that hard work you just did! Sweating a little makes water taste like a sweet treat to me!
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: KS on December 10, 2014, 11:47:52 AM
Just an update.

No soda since 11/26....

...I've been far more alert at work than when I had the ups and downs of sugar and caffeine. I am functioning at a higher level.

Congrats! The initial hurdle of the first few months is the hardest; once you have gone awhile without it, it will actually taste weird to you if one day you decide to "treat" yourself to a little bit. (And the brutal sugar crash you will have after said treat will remind you why you stopped!) I quit a fairly steady soda habit years ago, it's not easy! The pavlovian response to hearing someone open a can still surprises me every now and then. But when I do give into that and have one, or even just a couple sips of one, I find myself wondering what all the fuss was about and why I used to like it so much.

One note since you mentioned an upset stomach: keep an eye on what's in your replacement "treat beverages." My husband and I have found we react badly to some of the sugar substitutes (aspartame seems to affect us the most), in a variety of ways including stomach troubles. It's totally possible your body is just confused by all the changes you're making, but it's also worth watching the ingredient lists and seeing if the same culprit pops up frequently on days you're feeling a little off. Now that we've been avoiding it, we can't believe the amount of products it is in! (And it affects us whether it was in soda, chewing gum, granola bars, yogurt... you name it.)
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: JoshuaSpodek on December 10, 2014, 12:04:58 PM
Forcus:

Your last post sounds awesome!

The depressing spiral of binging and crashing can just as easily become an encouraging spiral of discovering nuances of food and flavor, enjoying watching your body become more fit, building confidence, gaingin independence, and everything else that comes from fitness and awareness.

There's more flavor in a carrot than in a soda, but you only sense it when your taste buds haven't been overwhelmed with sugar. Actually, carrots are pretty sweet when you get used to them. When you get there, you'll enjoy them more and probably find soda gross.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: vagon on December 10, 2014, 05:46:16 PM
Congrats Forcus, the worst bit is over!

The pavlovian response to hearing someone open a can still surprises me every now and then. But when I do give into that and have one, or even just a couple sips of one, I find myself wondering what all the fuss was about and why I used to like it so much.

Haha very true, the can opening sound is a definite trigger point. I avoid it triggering a craving by instead making it trigger the thought of how much money/health etc the guy who opened it is wasting.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: galliver on December 10, 2014, 07:36:34 PM
I've found that food (fast food) is definitely the addiction I have and I eat it in secret a lot.  I always hit the drive thru.  I feel like I  do it sometimes when I'm not hungry. Sometimes I have to eat dinner twice because I went to the drive through and then have to go eat with my roommate or parents and eat some dinner too so they won't know i had fast food AGAIN. 

So, first of all, when you have to hide your diet from people, it's a problem! You *know* it's a problem or you wouldn't be hiding it.

I don't think I'm "wired" to quit things cold-turkey like Forcus, so I use the "rule of 1" when I want to cut down on (or keep tabs on) a less-than-ideal behavior. I cut down several weekly coffee dates and several lunches out with friends to one a week of each after I discovered MMM. Actually even before MMM I wanted to transition from juice to water, I started by allowing myself one per meal. Then one per day. Then I didn't want it so much. Now if I want juice/sugary beverage for a few days, I'll get some...and have one per day. It also works for introducing good habits. Like I have to have one (non-starchy) vegetable with lunch & dinner.

My other suggestion for you is to make it at home. I think it ties in with what another commenter said: don't make it easy. You want chicken nuggets? Cut up some chicken, bread it, fry it in a pan a few at a time, drain it...and 2 hours later you have chicken nuggets. You want fries with that? Slice some potatoes. And don't get a deep-fryer by any means! You'll be forced to pan-fry or bake your goodies *evil grin*.

Try it! You can change. And you can have the things you want "in moderation." You can be happy with yourself and your habits and if you say "I got Wendy's" it'll just be a thing you do, sometimes, once in a XXX, and not a big deal.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Greg on December 11, 2014, 09:54:01 AM
Stomach has been upset a lot. I think it's just a shock to the system, all the changes.

I'm not a nutritionist, but my spouse is.  The stomach upset is likely from the lack of sugar affecting your gut flora.  Try some probiotics and/or yoghurt... look for unsweetened, like organic from a co-op, as most Yami etc. have added sugar. 

Sugar is everywhere!  It's in all kinds of stuff it doesn't need to be in.  Commercial milk producers even want to add it without having to include it as an ingredient on the label.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Forcus on December 11, 2014, 10:36:12 AM
Thanks for the thoughts, all.

I'm not a nutritionist, but my spouse is.  The stomach upset is likely from the lack of sugar affecting your gut flora.  Try some probiotics and/or yoghurt... look for unsweetened, like organic from a co-op, as most Yami etc. have added sugar.

Thanks, I'm going to be completely honest, the "upset stomach" has moved down a couple floors and now it's um.... excessive flatulence (never thought I'd ever say that ever on a forum!!). Like all evening / all night. Wife is ready to kick me to the couch. We've always joked about gassy vegetarians, (not that I'm even close nor want to be but I'm not eating much meat right now) so I think karma is coming back to bite me. I did introduce two new drinks at the same time it started... testing by not drinking those today. We'll see.

I've added nuts and things to snack on. Not bad. I like nuts and sunflower kernels, might try some dehydrated fruit (if I like it I can make my own, I have two dehydrators that have only been used for beef jerky). I need to add more veggies especially at work so I can mindlessly snack on carrots, etc.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: BooksAreNerdy on December 11, 2014, 12:45:11 PM
I've found that a handful of macadamia nuts and one small square of dark chocolate really can kill a sweets craving. The dark chocolate, 85% or above, is butter enough that I won't over eat. The macadamia nuts are rich enough that I only want a few. So I get my sweet kick, its healthy, and I don't overeat!
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: NathanP on March 04, 2015, 11:19:52 AM
I am resurrecting this old topic to post that I have now been soda free for 3 months thanks largely to reading through this thread. I have always wanted to quit drinking soda, but never had that "Do it Now!" moment. Several years ago I made the switch to drinking diet drinks, but continued to consume them in large quantities. Quitting wasn't too hard for me. I had a headache for a day or so due to reduced caffeine intake, but I countered that by drinking coffee.

As a replacement for soda, I now make a half gallon of tea each morning that I bring into work. I do sweeten the tea by adding 1 small spoonful of Stevia (hopefully safe) and a bit of lemon juice. Once the jug is empty, I switch to water.

Forcus, hopefully you have had continued success in quitting.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Forcus on March 04, 2015, 11:29:12 AM
Thanks for posting that, I try to avoid making any impact on the world around me in any way so this is embarrassing (lol).

Yep, still "clean". Not even drinking a lot of lemonade any more. Generally drink water all day, and at work a coffee in the morning and one in the afternoon. There is some sugar / creamer in both. And then my treat in the evening is a glass of chocolate milk. I don't crave soda at all now and no headaches on caffeine-free days. I also am very aware if I am consuming too much sugar which of course soda has a lot of.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: tlars699 on March 04, 2015, 11:34:30 AM
Congratualtions, Forcus!!
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Forcus on March 04, 2015, 11:39:14 AM
Congratualtions, Forcus!!

Thanks, now if I could only see some result (i.e. lost weight), I'd be happy. lol.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: 1967mama on March 04, 2015, 06:09:01 PM
Neat to hear about people being able to quit soda!  I have been drinking club soda and root beer stevia drops (from amazon) for a long time now and am soooo happy about this. Sometimes, I also use vanilla cream steavia, which tastes like a cream soda.

I have to wonder if the soda addiction is a sugar addiction? I recently watched this movie and it really opened my eyes to how much sugar is in my diet! I did the 10 day challenge at the end of the video and I can't CAN'T believe how much better I feel! I'm also down 2 lb.

http://m.zumvo.com/watch-fed-up-2014-4637

(Click on the big arrow on the top left of the screen to start).

Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: Carini on March 04, 2015, 06:40:37 PM
I didn't read through the thread, but I can tell you what worked awesome for me. Seltzer. Sugar free, calorie free, flavored, carbonated water.  I'm totally hooked on it now and there are no negatives to drinking it. And it is dirt cheap.
Title: Re: Need help quitting soda
Post by: G-dog on March 04, 2015, 07:51:44 PM
STOP IT! Just stop it. Stop it.
 Reminded me of the SNL skit with Bob Newhart (haven't read the whole thread - so someone may have brought this up already).