Author Topic: Switched to water only  (Read 9068 times)

birdman2003

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Switched to water only
« on: April 01, 2015, 04:59:40 PM »
Dumped the Dew (and milk and beer and fruit concentrate juice), and have been drinking nothing but water for 1 month now.

Savings in one month: ($1.50 per 20 oz bottle) x (2 per day) x (30 days) = $90
Caloric reduction: (290 calories per 20 oz bottle) x (2 per day) x (30 days) = 17400 calories

Retire-Canada

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Re: Switched to water only
« Reply #1 on: April 01, 2015, 05:07:03 PM »
Good work. :)

I can give up beer, but giving up my morning teas would be hard.

Did you find the water tasted better the more you drank of it and the less other stuff you had?

-- Vik

birdman2003

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Re: Switched to water only
« Reply #2 on: April 01, 2015, 05:19:30 PM »
My tastebuds got used to the water eventually, but it doesn't taste nearly as good as Mountain Dew.  I would be lying if I said water tastes good.  It's not bad, but it's not good.  Just water.

forummm

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Re: Switched to water only
« Reply #3 on: April 01, 2015, 05:48:19 PM »
I only drink water. I don't really like other drinks very much. It could be that I don't have the taste for them anymore. Plain old tap water is great stuff though. I don't require my beverages to be a party in my mouth. I never understood why other people felt that way.

wordnerd

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Re: Switched to water only
« Reply #4 on: April 01, 2015, 06:12:58 PM »
Good for you! If I could kick coffee and wine, my bank account and stomach would thank me.

bzzzt

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Re: Switched to water only
« Reply #5 on: April 01, 2015, 07:09:42 PM »
Congrats. I kicked the Dew habit about seven months ago and was even further down the rabbit hole. I was a 6-12 can/day drinker for over a decade. I'm lucky I'm not a diabetic by now.

I still drink other things (coffee, juice, beer, etc), but stay away from pop. After a while, you won't miss it. I ended up in a small gas station one day and they didn't even have water, so I grabbed a Dew. It was like drinking thick syrup.

caliq

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Re: Switched to water only
« Reply #6 on: April 01, 2015, 08:08:24 PM »
Congrats!

OP and bzzzt, do you guys have any tips? 

I'm four 16 oz bottles away from my self imposed cold turkey deadline of giving up Diet Coke (that's what's left in the fridge...will run out tomorrow night) :/  Been trying to stop for years now and I've successfully cut back a ton, plus switched off caffeinated on to caffeine free.  I just can't get past the final hurdle of just stopping.  I have quit completely before but never for more than a couple weeks at a time.  Blehhh.

fartface

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Re: Switched to water only
« Reply #7 on: April 01, 2015, 09:18:10 PM »
I love water! Drink about 6-8 glasses per day. Never did like Mountain Ewwwww

Guy @ McDonald's drive thru handed me one once. I said, "Ummm, I didn't order this."

He said, "Awww, it was poured by mistake -- you can have it."

I said, "No thanks."

On rare occasions, I'll drink Sprite or root beer if soda is forced on me.

Did you give up coffee also? That would be the toughest for me. I drink mine black.

I also try to drink one glass of milk/day. No juice.

Oh, but beer and wine? I like to have a few glasses once or twice a month.

Yep, after much reflection, coffee would be the hardest for me, even more so than alcohol.

Chrissy

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Re: Switched to water only
« Reply #8 on: April 01, 2015, 09:57:50 PM »
I went water-only 15 years ago.  Your wallet, waistline, skin and kidneys will thank you.

James!

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Re: Switched to water only
« Reply #9 on: April 01, 2015, 10:06:29 PM »
For those looking for an alternative, I'd highly suggest checking out a Sodastream. I never drank soda, but found that often I drank a beer when I got home just because I wanted something refreshing.

Carbonated water with just a slice of lemon or lime completely hits that for me, and doesn't cost much at all after the up front cost of the machine. I got the ugly one, and waited until it was on sale so it was about $50. The CO2 refills last a seriously long time.

Hope that helps those who are on the fence.

Cheers,
Jamesß

11ducks

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Re: Switched to water only
« Reply #10 on: April 02, 2015, 01:58:00 AM »
For those looking for an alternative, I'd highly suggest checking out a Sodastream. I never drank soda, but found that often I drank a beer when I got home just because I wanted something refreshing.

Carbonated water with just a slice of lemon or lime completely hits that for me, and doesn't cost much at all after the up front cost of the machine. I got the ugly one, and waited until it was on sale so it was about $50. The CO2 refills last a seriously long time.

Hope that helps those who are on the fence.

Cheers,
Jamesß

Seconded. I got a sodastream for Xmas and go through 1-2 litres of plain soda water a day. It's awesome. The bubbles were a great replacement for daily coke zero, and it's much better price than bottled soda water/soft drinks (a gas cylinder lasts for 60l of soda water, lasts around 6-8 weeks, and the refill is about $20AUD. I consider it a luxury, but it's good for encouraging you to stay hydrated.

clarkfan1979

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Re: Switched to water only
« Reply #11 on: April 02, 2015, 04:34:42 AM »
Did you lose any weight?

I gave up soda about 6 years ago. However, I might have 1 ginger ale or root beer every 3-4 months.

bzzzt

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Re: Switched to water only
« Reply #12 on: April 02, 2015, 06:35:26 AM »
OP and bzzzt, do you guys have any tips?

For me, I had to come to the realization that I needed to quit for my health. Diabetes runs in my family. More clearly, a lack of willpower runs in my family. I had been lying to myself for years that it was a small pleasure and that I deserved to let myself have it for working so hard. I was also mad that my 38" waist pants (fat pants) were tight and I had finally figured out that my back going out 4 times in 2 years was tied to dehydration.

I might have drank 1 bottle of water/day unless it was hot out. Between my back and my knees, I've probably caused myself joint damage due to constant dehydration on top of a physical job.

I still have a problem of not drinking as much water as I should (3-4 cups of coffee in the morning, 1-2 beers/night on average), but at least I have eliminated 300-600g of sugar a day from my diet. I didn't lose much weight at first, but going to a low carb diet (cooking at home more, way less take-out/fast food) a couple months later has made the weight melt off. I could probably fit in 34" pants now.

I still battle with energy drinks when I need to get things done. I got used to being productive 16-20hrs/day between work and my own projects. With the birth of my son 6 months ago, I have less free time and I still feel that I HAVE to do the same amount. I'm trying to be a recovering workaholic, but some times I have to dive back in.

lostamonkey

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Re: Switched to water only
« Reply #13 on: April 02, 2015, 06:40:37 AM »
I went water-only 15 years ago.  Your wallet, waistline, skin and kidneys will thank you.

This is so true. I started doing the water-only thing for health reasons, but I also love the fact that it saves me so much money.

ender

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Re: Switched to water only
« Reply #14 on: April 02, 2015, 06:48:08 AM »
I pretty much only drink water.

I did this inadvertently when I stopped drinking milk for a while as a test to see how it affected acne (I only really drank milk/water) and now I vastly prefer the "taste" of water to milk.


Jakobpunkt

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Re: Switched to water only
« Reply #15 on: April 02, 2015, 06:51:35 AM »
I have the attitude: water is for when you're thirsty, juice/pop is a treat. I don't buy juice or pop to keep at home, and never get cans when I'm out. Occasionally a guest will bring some and leave it here and then I'll have it in very small servings till it's gone. I've never been willing to pay for quenching my thirst on a regular basis. That's what the tap is for.

I do still have tea for caffeine (2 cups/day, generally from bags not paying cafe prices) and I have a small glass of wine most evenings ($3/bottle from our local make-your-own place)

yoga mama

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Re: Switched to water only
« Reply #16 on: April 02, 2015, 10:12:12 AM »
Congrats!  I was never a super heavy soda drinker, but I find that on the rare occasion when I think I'm craving it and actually have some... it doesn't taste good.  Like heavy syrup as a previous commenter mentioned.  I wholeheartedly second the sodastream, we LOVE ours.

forummm

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Re: Switched to water only
« Reply #17 on: April 02, 2015, 11:18:46 AM »
I don't even really like soda. It doesn't taste great. It tastes fine. It's amazing to me that people guzzle the stuff. I guess they developed a taste for it. I think Coke is a perfect example. The stuff does not taste good if you haven't been conditioned to like it. When you're a kid you'll drink anything because it's sweet. As an adult, the sugar and the caffeine seem to be good hooks (which your brain associates with even the label of the bottle).

But water is great stuff.

forummm

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Re: Switched to water only
« Reply #18 on: April 02, 2015, 11:18:57 AM »

wordnerd

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Re: Switched to water only
« Reply #19 on: April 02, 2015, 11:52:40 AM »
« Last Edit: April 02, 2015, 11:56:16 AM by wordnerd »

LibrarIan

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Re: Switched to water only
« Reply #20 on: April 02, 2015, 02:00:04 PM »
All the points to you. Water is the winner.

11ducks

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Re: Switched to water only
« Reply #21 on: April 02, 2015, 04:04:44 PM »

Jesstache

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Re: Switched to water only
« Reply #22 on: April 02, 2015, 04:21:28 PM »
I recently gave it up too.  I was a crazy drinker of diet sodas like three 12-packs a week PLUS a daily double gulp.  It's embarrassing just to type that to strangers.  No calories, no harm, right?  My teeth have paid the biggest price, I'm sure. 

It's been two weeks so far and all is good.  Water actually tastes good/refreshing.  Not exactly the same but sufficient and more filling.  I now have an occasional glass of iced tea (unsweetened) with my dinner or if I'm feeling extra tired but that's about it.  It's SOOOOO much cheaper too. 

Added bonus, I don't have to feel like a hypocrite when my kids ask to have a drink of my soda and I tell them they can't because it isn't good for them...

Luckyvik

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Re: Switched to water only
« Reply #23 on: April 02, 2015, 04:33:08 PM »
Ugh. I used to drink a lot of coke and now I only have some every now and again but every time I feel like one I will remember this ad. One can of coke is about 400kj which is about 10% of what my intake is supposed to eat per day not to mention the money savings. I drink coffee but have cut down from 2 sugars to none (slowly over 3years) and when I have coffee or tea at home I have just a small amount of skim milk. So saves $ in sugar and milk. When I get a cafe coffee I get a 3/4 full skim latte which means that they only fill the cup 3/4 the way up with milk so saves me kilojoules. Working my way down to piccolos which is like a mini latte probably less than half the milk. I only have water at restaurants now or wine but not coke or juice.


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Doulos

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Re: Switched to water only
« Reply #24 on: April 02, 2015, 07:03:14 PM »
Milk?
BEER?!

Sure that was an april fools joke right?

Soda, everyone should give up.

possumjaw

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Re: Switched to water only
« Reply #25 on: April 04, 2015, 12:54:30 PM »
This thread gives me hope for humanity.

I mean, I still drink tea or water with a little juice in it, sometimes an alcoholic beverage, but drinking nothing but soda just blows my mind.  How can anyone do that?

happy

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Re: Switched to water only
« Reply #26 on: April 04, 2015, 05:06:38 PM »
Timely thread. I haven't drunk juice or softdrink for decades, so no problem with that.Recently had a little fling with tonic water, but have stopped that.  But I am hopelessly addicted to  tea/coffee/herb tea again….If I stop one of these, then the others blow out. So I'm thinking I might try water only.

I will get a caffeine withdrawal headache, so I will cut back, then go cold turkey until I get the headache, have 1 cup to stop it, then go caffeine free until the headache hits, rinse repeat a few times. I've done this numerous times and this is my preferred method. 

agent_clone

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Re: Switched to water only
« Reply #27 on: April 04, 2015, 06:44:17 PM »
Congrats!

OP and bzzzt, do you guys have any tips? 

I'm four 16 oz bottles away from my self imposed cold turkey deadline of giving up Diet Coke (that's what's left in the fridge...will run out tomorrow night) :/  Been trying to stop for years now and I've successfully cut back a ton, plus switched off caffeinated on to caffeine free.  I just can't get past the final hurdle of just stopping.  I have quit completely before but never for more than a couple weeks at a time.  Blehhh.
Personally what I would say is that one or 2 bottles a week is ok, more than that is not.  I would not keep it at home as this just leads to temptation and requires more self control as you already have a supply in the house.  If you really have a craving for it, make yourself go out and buy it (often laziness will kick in so you won't bother). When you do have a craving for it, just get the smallest demonination possible, enough to take care of the craving, but not more than you need to.  Buying individually will cost more per instance but should end up saving you money as you buy less overall...

birdman2003

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Re: Switched to water only
« Reply #28 on: April 06, 2015, 04:26:44 PM »
Congrats!

OP and bzzzt, do you guys have any tips? 

I'm four 16 oz bottles away from my self imposed cold turkey deadline of giving up Diet Coke (that's what's left in the fridge...will run out tomorrow night) :/  Been trying to stop for years now and I've successfully cut back a ton, plus switched off caffeinated on to caffeine free.  I just can't get past the final hurdle of just stopping.  I have quit completely before but never for more than a couple weeks at a time.  Blehhh.

I tried to do the "one cheat day per week" thing but it inevitably leads to a loss of control and binge drinking (pop, beer, whatever.  Never binged on milk before...).

This is the conversation I had with myself that finally changed my habits:

"Do you need milk to live? No.  Do you need gatorade to live? No.  Do you need coffee to live?  No.  Do you need beer to live? No but it's tasty.  Do you need pop to live? Not sure, but I have to say probably not.  Do you need water to live?  YES.  Yes, humans need water to live. You are a human."

And as weird as it sounds, that is what I use to reinforce my new behavior whenever I am tempted to grab or order something that is not water.  Do I need it to live?  Nope.  I'll take a water, please.

I am not saying I'll NEVER drink something besides water (never say never) but I'm already feeling so much better after switching to water, I'm probably not going backwards.

I had to take some Aleve for a couple days until my caffeine headaches went away, and I found myself increasingly hungry so make sure to plan ahead with having a water bottle in your car, at your desk, etc...

Best of luck to you!

 

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