Need help to stop drinking Pop/Soda!?

Question

I am addicted to sugar, and my favorite thing in the world is pop. I could drink mountain dew in particular all day and night long. It is NOT the caffeine that I crave, its the sugar. I'm just as happy drinking non-caffeinated drinks (like Sprite). I am almost 30 and starting to gain weight. I need to stop drinking so many extra calories, but I cannot seem to stop. I don't like water, but I force myself to drink as many glasses as I can. Diet pop doesn't take away my cravings. Please advise!

Answer 1

You know, when I was growing up, we were only allowed one pop a week. Even now as an adult, I don't have pop in my house on a regular basis. When I do have one, it is like a treat. Maybe if you found a way to start limiting yourself, you too could just enjoy one every now and then....like a treat. That way you are not completely cutting it out, so it is not like quitting cold turkey.

I never limited my sons pop intake, but when he started really getting serious about sports, his coach forbid them to drink ANY soft drinks. Now my son never touches pop at all for the last 2 years. He says he feels so much better, and if I give him a sip of mine, it actually makes him sick....so he stays away from it all together.

Answer 2

Soda is really bad for you! Make sure you are taking daily vitamins so that you are getting everything you need, i.e. that it's not some sort of a craving your body is trying to fill. Instead of drinking straight water, go for flavored waters. There are ALL sorts of varieties of flavored waters that taste really good. Some brands I like, others I dislike but I have friends who feel the exact opposite so I won't try to recommend one. Instead, try a bunch of different ones and see which appeal to you.

It's REALLY good that you're not addicted to caffeine, that's a really hard thing to break. If it's just sugar, we should be able to get you off the soda kick. It's not just the calories - it's the tooth decay and other problems that soda causes.

Keep in mind that it will probably take 2-3 days of really nasty side effects (headaches etc) to go "off sugar". Once you are, though, you will feel MUCH better. I went through that. Plan that around a weekend, and just tough it out. You'll find the following week that your blood sugar levels are far more stable and that your energy levels are much better than before.

Lisa Shea
http://LowCarb.BellaOnline.com

Answer 3

I just went through something similar. I would drink 3-4 cans of Sprite during the day. I knew I needed to drink more water, but couldn't get past the taste. What I did that helped me was to freeze water in a container and drink it as it melted. For some reason, ice water tasted better than regular bottled water. Now I'm down to having a Coke or Pepsi once or twice a week when I'm at a restaurant. My weight has dropped and I feel much better. Don't give up, keep trying new things, it will work out :)

Answer 4

I'm 25 and I gave up soda (or pop or whatever you want to call it) several years ago because I noticed it was slowing me down physically. I think the combination of the sugar and the carbonation just got me. Anyway, I started drinking water instead (which I'm not a fan of water either). The trick I learned as far as downing water is to squeeze lemon or lime in it. I basically stopped drinking soda "cold turkey" and made it a personal goal. You have to be totally committed to it or it won't work. I've never smoked, but I imagine the steps to quitting are much the same. Anyway, find other drinks you like and substitute them and just refuse to even have one glass of soda. I'll occasionally have a canned lemonade, but even that is too sweet now. Your body will adjust over time, but it's rough going at first. However, the benefits are great and I lost a lot of weight. Good luck!

Answer 5

hey--i am addicted to pepsi, and have been for 5 years. i could drink a 2liter a day if i let myself. i have quit totally a few times, and the way I did it was to: 1. buy a 6pack of cans...i found that a can was just as satisfying as a 20oz. (that helped me a LOT) 2. mix a little diet into your drink and gradually increase the diet and decrease the real. 3. wait until you are absolutely DYING, then drink a can. 4. try scheduling pop times-first thing in the a.m., lunch, dinner. i understand when you say it's the sugar...don't you hate when people say "that caffeine will get ya hooked!" also, i lost 6 lbs in the first week i switched fully to pepsi one. good luck...you can do it if you take one day at a time! that pop will Kill Ya!!

Answer 6

Sometime addiction to sugar is due to deficiency in vitamins. Try taking detox pills of a good brand to flush out the toxins in your body. In addition, take oats with milk everyday for breakfast. Oats helps to cut down sugar craving. You should be able to see some improvement

(drink coke light to replace your usual soda)

Answer 7

I have the same problem-i am almost 40. I have a coke addiction-lol. I have tried to drink water. Recently crystal light has come out with these little packets that you put in your bottled water. Something like little kool-aid packs. That has helped me some. I am drinking more water. There is only like 5 calories in them.

Answer 8

Your body has developed an addiction to sugar. You'll have to force yourself to stay away from the pop.

Instead of telling yourself that you will *never* drink pop again, try giving it up for one full day ... and by that I mean 24 hours.

Once you've done that, try doing it again for another 24 hours.

Just convince yourself that you're strong enough to give it up just for today.

Answer 9

i am addicted to the caffeine in coke. when i dont drink coke, i get bad headaches. maybe you just need to chew gum to help you. it has less calories. oh and i'm from South Mississippi, so when i say coke, i mean all of the drinks. "you wanna coke?" "what kinda coke do you want?" im stuck in kansas though and people are always pickin on me about it. i just cant call it "pop" or "soda" or "soda pop" it sounds too weird.

Answer 10

You got it bad.It's the carbonation your wanting... Try some carbonated water mixed with juice and slowly keep cutting back on the carbonation until your off the sodas. You need to trick you body.