Ha anyone here ever kicked a Cola habit?

[Waffle]

I have been addicted to Pepsi for about 30 years (started in college). I've tried repeatedly to quit - the longest I've ever gone without is about a month.

How long do you have to be off of it before it doesn't taste good to you? Or does that just never happen? I used to routinely drink about 36 ounces of it a day - more if I went to a restaurant with free refills or to a fast food place with the ridiculously large portions. Right now I'm limiting myself to 12 ounces a day, but I'd love to kick the habit completely.

Anybody out there got any helpful hints?

[Deleted]

I kicked it when I was pregnant and it made me nauseous...

Do you like coke? Diet coke? Maybe the next time you're at the store get a case of one of the colas that is close, but that you don't like. Allow yourself one a day and you'll probably not even want to finish it. Then I would think that if that was all you had available you'd start skipping days and before long you'll not want any... That's just my theory ;D

[thyme4change]

For about 15 years, I drank several Dr. Pepper's a day. I would often get the 44 oz size from Circle K, and really just couldn't function when I didn't have it. At work I would be restricted to the cans and would get at least 2 during the work hours. I made the decision to rid myself of the pop habit because it really brought very little value to my life. I was 300 - 400 calories per day that didn't really fill me up, nor did it bring me any nutritional value, whatsoever.

To kick the habit I replaced it with ice tea (no sugar) and apples. Apples filled me up more, and gave me less calories. Tea gave me caffeine. I also upped my water intake, because I often found I was just thirsty. I first reduce it to never going over one can. Then I replaced each can with something else - whatever struck me at the time.

It sucked for a couple months. Really, I think it takes 3 months to adjust your habits and taste buds. I would cheat from time to time - sometimes it would taste so very, very good. Sometimes it would just taste useless and I would come away frustrated and sorry that I had wasted the "treat."

After a year without pop, it still has a variety of tastes. Usually it tastes ridiculously sweet. Disgustingly sweet. Even when I decide to drink one, I can't choke down more than a can, and it never tastes good enough that I want to mindlessly start inhaling it again.

I lost about 5 pounds without any other adjustments to diet or exercise.

[Waffle]

Thyme4 change - thanks that's encouraging. I'm not a big fan of tea, but I can certainly add apples and I've already started drinking more water. I have a 12 pack in my refrigerator - the goal is to not buy anymore.

I hope I can really kick the habit this time.

[dancinmama]

I haven't kicked the habit, but I did go from regular to diet several years ago. I mostly drink it when the weather is hot. Actually, my fav is Diet Dr. Pepper Cherry. I just stockpiled several 12-packs at CVS that hopefully will get me through the summer.

If I run out I can get by with iced tea, but do prefer the soda.

[The J]

What is it you like? The caffeine? The carbonation? The flavor? There are alternatives. I realized that I like the carbonation the most, so I drink a lot of seltzer.

[Deleted]

I don't really drink a lot of pop now. I might have 1 a week or 1 every 2 weeks. I usually order tea or water when I go out to eat and I rarely buy pop for at home.
I used to drink a lot of pop, but I was really starting to put on weight so I decided it was time to cut back. I stil had my Starbucks addiction though. Since January 1st I have only had Starbucks 2 times (that is good since I used to have it almost every day!) and maybe 1 pop. I have lost 8 pounds!

It will take some time, but the health benefits and the weight loss will be worth it in the end. Good luck!

[Deleted]

Jan 23, 2011 8:29:54 GMT -5 @angel33 said:

I don't really drink a lot of pop now. I might have 1 a week or 1 every 2 weeks. I usually order tea or water when I go out to eat and I rarely buy pop for at home.
I used to drink a lot of pop, but I was really starting to put on weight so I decided it was time to cut back. I stil had my Starbucks addiction though. Since January 1st I have only had Starbucks 2 times (that is good since I used to have it almost every day!) and maybe 1 pop. I have lost 8 pounds!

It will take some time, but the health benefits and the weight loss will be worth it in the end. Good luck!

Wow! Way to go! So are you still getting caffeine? If I were to eliminate that, I might end up eliminating anyone who crossed my path...

[Deleted]

Oh yes...I HAVE to have caffeine. If I don't I might stab someone. I will have a cup of coffee from home and I drink Earl Grey tea or Moroccan Green Mint at work. So I do still get caffeine.

[Frugal Nurse]

Jan 22, 2011 16:14:19 GMT -5 Waffle said:

I have been addicted to Pepsi for about 30 years (started in college). I've tried repeatedly to quit - the longest I've ever gone without is about a month.

How long do you have to be off of it before it doesn't taste good to you? Or does that just never happen? I used to routinely drink about 36 ounces of it a day - more if I went to a restaurant with free refills or to a fast food place with the ridiculously large portions. Right now I'm limiting myself to 12 ounces a day, but I'd love to kick the habit completely.

Anybody out there got any helpful hints?

I gave up soda and caffeine for 3 years. I never really got over the cravings. I realized that soda is a snack, not a beverage, and when I indulge, i treat it more like drinking a milkshake than just something to wash down my salad with.

Looking at soda as not an evil thing, but also not a beverage has really helped. When I go out to eat, I order water, not soda or any other sugary drink. As you know, the first 3 weeks or so are the hardest. After that, you will start reaching for water out of habit.

[Waffle]

The J - interesting way to look at it. I know it's not the carbonation - because I've increased my diet 7up and diet orange pop intake as a way to lower my pepsi intake. I like the taste of both of them - but I don't crave either of them the way I crave Pepsi - so I don't think it's the carbonation.

It might be the caffeine - I have actually had caffeine withdrawal headaches a few times in the past when I was unexpectedly someplace where I couldn't get pepsi.

Snerdley might be on to something with her dessert thinking - maybe it's the sugar. I do love sweets and Pepsi has a ton of sugar in it. Maybe I should just be happy with drinking less. Although I think 12 oz. a day is still too much. I think my desire to cut it out completely is because my inability to do so in the past makes me feel like some sort of weak pathetic failure. Like I ought to be able by sheer willpower to just stop drinking it.

[The J]

What you need to do then is to try to figure out the trigger -- try drinking some coffee when you crave the pepsi, to see if it's the caffeine. If that doesn't do it, then try something sweet flavored.

Have you tried switching to diet pepsi or pepsi max?

[Artemis Windsong]

I liked the sound of the ice cubes in the cup and the sweetness of the diet cola. I used to drink at least 32 oz. a day of diet coke.

The way I got off it is to think of it as nothing but chemicals. There was a commercial that showed the ones in the sodas.

I switched to coffee and iced tea, no sugar, homemade.

To get off caffeine in 3 days. 1st day cut your coffee in half either with water or number of cups. The next day cut the first days cups in half. Day 3, cut your coffee in half again from Day 2. Day 4 is none. If you absolutely have to have caffeine then it's one sip followed by water.

[Waffle]

To answer some questions:

I don't like the taste of diet Pepsi. I haven't tried Pepsi Max.

I don't like or drink coffee - I have tried eating chocolate when I craved Pepsi - but I usually end up drinking the pepsi anyway.

If I haven't made real progress by the middle of March I'll may mention it to my doctor, but the side effects of diamox look pretty scary. I'm not sure I'm ready for that.

[cael]

I love coke I go through periods of stopping drinking it, or only drinking a bit, or full-blown drinking it frequently (DF keeps it in the house because he loves it). Recently with my good eating efforts, I've limited myself to one day a week having some. That's been OK for me so far... I'll probably never totally give it up, but as long as I don't drink a lot of it every day I'll be happy.

[Waffle]

Sorry I missed the joke, sometimes I'm just too literal.

[Jake 48]

Switched from Coke classic to Coke Zero, wanted to get away from the sugar, still get my caffeine

[Cookies Galore]

Bf found that he was drinking a lot of Coke at work (vending machines) and started bringing flavored seltzer to work. He now prefers seltzer to soda (as do I). I was never big into soda so I never understood how he could drink so much of it, but every so often I NEED a Mountain Dew or a grape soda. But that's only every couple of months.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

For some reason, I have been almost totally off soda for the last several months. I had a 12 pack of diet Pepsi where I'd bring one to work, but would wind up throwing away about half the can. Now I've got diet Snapple peach tea in my fridge.

Not sure what triggered my lack of interest in soda, but I noticed that when I was out I started drinking a lot more tea and lemonade at the fountain rather than soda when those were options.

[Abby Normal]

I kicked the habit about 4 years ago. DH managed to kick the habit about 2 years ago. Now neither of us drink it routinely.

I used to drink several a day. I just started drinking water instead and gradually decreased the amount of soda. I never order soda in restaurants- always water. I still have a can of Diet Pepsi every now and then. Maybe once a month or so I'll get a craving and have on at the office. We still by soda to have at the house for when we have guests. We buy several 12 packs when they are on sale and they will last for months.

Thankfully, because the kids don't see us drink it, they are not developing the habit. They occasionally ask for one with dinner, and we split one can amoung the 4 of us.

[kadee]

Way back when....Pepsis came in 16oz. bottles in plastic cartons of 8...the 3 of us, my hubby, my son & myself were consuming an entire carton EVERY day! (about 42.5oz.ea.per day)
I got tired of the expense & started making iced tea...still drinking tea 24/7/365! But I now sweeten with Stevia instead of sugar.

Find some material & read about all the bad stuff that both regular sodas & diet do to you. Even the zero ones are NOT good for you. If you drink Snapple, read about it too!

I have an occasional coke or pepsi when we eat out. I don't care for the tea in most restaurants....I like mine STRONG & SWEET!
If you sweeten your replacement enough you will get over the pepsi craving...then start cutting back your sweetener! And cane sugar is better than all the substitutes for you! Stevia is natural and very sweet (use tiny amount) but takes a bit of getting used to....it's sweet but doesn't have any calories..your body will crave the calories for awhile then that will fall away too....if you choose stevia.

[yogi]

Wish I could! I'm a diet coke junkie unfortunately...

[upstatemom]

I used to start my morning with a diet coke and drink it all day. When I got pregnant, I stopped and switched to decaf coffee.

I did resume drinking once I had my kids but then thought about all the chemicals that made up the soda and weaned myself off. I do have a diet coke a few times a month when out but since I do not keep it in the house its is easier not to drink much. I refuse to pay a 1.50 or so from a vending machine so that helps me not buy it at work.

Good luck, your body will thank you!!

[thyme4change]

You know, I will say that I lost weight when I gave up the cola habit.

But, I also noticed that with both me and especially my husband, that there was less farting.
I mean - there is still farting, especially when we eat beans and broccoli and stuff, but my husband use to have constant nasty farting. And it changed drastically when his soda consumption dropped. I think the sugar and the chemicals just did some crazy stuff in there. I also noticed that my twosies were more consistent. Pretty big change for me. I always wondered if I had a mild version of IBS, but as it turns out, my body would sometimes swiftly expel the pop in a somewhat violent manner.

Your results may vary - but I'm just sayin' - there might be some side benefits to reducing the soda intake.

[thyme4change]

Was that TMI? If it grosses you out - just think about it every time you drink a Pepsi. That will help you resist the craving.

[Abby Normal]

If it grosses you out

I'm laughing too hard to be grossed out. Man did you paint a picture.

[upstatemom]

Jan 27, 2011 11:17:06 GMT -5 Abby Normal said:

If it grosses you out

I'm laughing too hard to be grossed out. Man did you paint a picture.

That was my thought too! ;D I agree, my stomach used to be upset more often when I drank lots of soda. I also read that soda weakens bone, something to do with calcium absorbtion, I think.

[domeasingold]

I quit drinking coke or anything with high frutose corn syrup. I have been trying to monitor whether a product I buy contains that or cane sugar. I started on Jan. 1st (I know, another resolution to break) in an effort to lose weight and get healthier. I thought that this time I would eliminate the obvious intake of what I thought is hurting any chance of losing weight that I cannot seem to lose. Eventually I will pick another item to eliminate from my diet such as bread, fried foods, sugary snacks. I think quitting them all cold turkey is what causes diets to fail. Anyway, we completed three weeks of no soda pop and I admit it's tough but we forge ahead. Oh yeah, have we lost any weight? Yes about 5 pounds so far. I do get daily excerise, walking up to 2 miles every day.

[Waffle]

Well I've gone two days without Pepsi - I had been slowing down over the last few weeks so no caffeine withdrawal headaches

I'd be happy if I could get to the point where I just drank one once in a while.

[Jem0607]

This sounds weird, but adding coconut oil to your diet satisfies cravings for empty, sweet calories. I drank waaayy too much Diet Pepsi for years but after using coconut oil for a while the pop started to taste wrong and I finally enjoyed the taste of water. Google it for more info, I swear it works and I didn't think anything could help me kick it.