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How to wean self off soda for good.

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Posted 12/8/2013 6:37 AM (GMT 0)
Willing to do what it take to rid myself of PAD & lower the level but this is a hard one,Ive tried this many times&I don't last long&I truely want to quit drpepper this be my main problem&I can notice a diffrence after have had one&my mother says I need no sugar either. But goes to store&by 6packs with 56grams of sugar in it&I don't ask for them,but she call herself being thoughtful but that only makes me have to drink them(Lol) but I know I need to quit them for good because they are not only bad for anxiety,but bad for thyroid health to so I need to do my best to follow the doctor order has anybody else on here had problems with soda and if so what did you do/doing to beat the problem? I have saw many places in research that it takes 21 days to beat /cure one self from bad habbits&by day 22 one should be rock solid with no problem,I mean why is this so hard when I was able to quit smoking cold turkey in 09&had started in 07&Ive been 4years free soon to be 5years&yes there are days I like to go back&start all over again,but know it is a mind thing&Iam able to overcome&to be free another day. So why the heck I can't do this with soda/sugar but mostly soda I don't understand&so open to all advice ,do if you have had this problem please help.
Posted 12/8/2013 2:42 PM (GMT 0)
I can relate to you greatly. I am also addicted to soda... Mt dew is my favorite. I have quit before and might be able to help you out. First things first you know its a problem and that's always step 1 so you are already ahead of the game. My main problem I have found is this... I decide to quit drinking soda because I want to lose weight. I am miserable about my weight and I know most of it is from soda. But when I tell myself "you are not going to drink ANY soda at all " I have a really hard time with self control and thinking about never ever having another soda again seems unrealistic. So then if I messed up and drank a can of soda I tend to tell myself "its ok you can quit tomorrow ". But tomorrow never comes... or when it does you end up falling off track again and then the cycle continues. This leaves me feeling guilty, ashamed, stressed, and a whole lot of negative emotions. But if I change the way I think about quitting then its easier for me. For example so you are going to quit drinking soda. You already decided that your overall health will be greatly improved simply by cutting out soda. The key is moderation. Instead of telling yourself that you aren't going to ever drink soda again, tell yourself you are going to stop drinking soda "just for today ". Simply take it day by day. Days will add up and before you know it a week will pass, eventually months, etc... and you will be soda free before you know it. Start off by only allowing yourself a soda a day, or every other day. Drink lots of water whatever you do. That's the best thing you can do for yourself. Water is so good for you. I don't now how you feel about drinking water but if you have a hard time with it, all I can just say is keep up drinking. I have found that for me the hardest part is the beginning ... getting started. But once a few days has passed it gets a lot easier. If you just always keep a bottle of water with you then you will end up drinking more and more. As far as the Dr pepper as a thoughtful gift... accept it and save them for a special occasion or for when you are really craving a soda. Whoever is getting you Dr pepper as a thoughtful gesture will see you have quit soda and wont buy you that again. Take control. If you want- the buddy system works well for me and I don't mind if you want to try it out. We can quit soda together and you would be surprised how much easier it is with support. Sorry for rambling on and on... I am on a bit of a manic state right now so its hard for me to focus on one thing. Hope I helped at least a little bit.

Post Edited (UnquietMind) : 12/8/2013 8:09:47 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/8/2013 2:49 PM (GMT 0)
I was addicted to Soda too. The first step I did was I noticed the caffeine was affecting me the worst. So I switched to Caffeine free Pepsi first. Which is kinda bad, cause I don't think they make caffeine free Dr. Pepper. Least in my eyes, every pop should have a caffeine free option.

But after noticing it still bothered me, I started to only drink it with meals. And only minimally, like when I really needed a drink to swallow, not have such a dry throat, etc. And like Unquiet stated, the bottom line is you do have to be dedicated to stop for yourself, which was how I stopped smoking cold turkey two years ago. :)

Just keep with it and remind yourself that you don't really need it, you'll be a healthier person without it. It was hard for me, because I hate water. But some flavored waters aren't bad, and I find myself drinking more milk, which I hated to do before when I drank tons of pop. and also maybe decreasing the amount you drink, instead of going cold turkey, might make it easier on you. :) Good luck :)
Posted 12/8/2013 4:07 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks to the both of you great advice I will use.
Posted 12/8/2013 6:28 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, SNH,
I dunno if this will help, but my doc prescribed my adipex and topamax to help me lose weight. I won't go into my weight loss stuff, but let's just say that I am still taking the topamax (generic brand). It is a drug used for various things. For me it helps to curb cravings. But anyway, one of it's neat side effects (hahaha, "neat" a strange word to use for a side effect!) is that it makes all sodas taste nasty! Most people report this when taking this med! Now I love me some sodas! I love coca-cola and dr. pepper, but you can't pay me to drink either one while I'm on topamax!
Just a thought. It may be worth looking into! :)
jl
Posted 12/8/2013 7:24 PM (GMT 0)
Shucks, I hate to be the bad guy here or gal, I should say...........I love my Diet Coke and have given up so many other things over the years that I am keeping my coke as the one thing that helps be feel better when I am down etc.

However, I gave up real Coke when TaB hit the market in the mid-1960s.

Suggestion, you might start switching to Caffeine Free Diet Coke  even if you go ever other can for awhile until you become used to the taste.

 

Posted 12/9/2013 12:18 AM (GMT 0)
Kay Redfield Jamison?

Excellent reading, btw. (Not sure if you meant the reference or not) <-- to Unquiet Mind


As for giving up soda pop, I still drink a SMALL can every now and again, but I swapped it out near totally for bubbly seltzer water. NOT the kind that is sweetened with any of that artificial stuff either. Plain seltzer water that has flavours or essences, such as Poland Springs or Polar.

The feeling of the bubbles addresses the sensation you get when drinking, and the flavours help to appease the mind.

As of current, I rarely ever drink soda. My drink of choice is exclusively water. No juice, no milk, rarely a coffee (if I need the caffeine, which I also quit), no cocoa, no alcohol,....

Just good ole water.

I take my own 1-litre bottles with me everywhere I go, to all my doc appointments, family gatherings, everything. I bring a bag and stock up with 2 or 3 flavours.

I'm not tempted in the least because I bring my own beverages. Not even the little bottles. Nothing subtle about my enjoyment of bubbly water. The world sees me walking with my big litre bottle!

It might be a place to start?

If you start tapering off and set up a "reward system" of a Dr. Pepper, that is NOT good because you'll start to equate the Dr. Pepper with "good behaviour." That will backfire, and I promise you that.



M.
Posted 12/9/2013 2:02 AM (GMT 0)
One thing to keep in mind about diet sodas: artificial sweeteners are actually bad for us, but then again, so much stuff is. however, in some people, they can trigger anxiety symptoms. Don't take my word for it. Just Google "artificial sweeteners anxiety" and read for yourself........unless you are one of those that gets stressed out by Googling. Then by all means avoid it!
jl
Posted 12/9/2013 3:02 AM (GMT 0)
^^Ditto^^ in a very big way.

Diet sodas are more harmful to us,....not just because of the numerous so-called artificial sweeteners, but the multiple chemicals put into them can actually cause weight gain, bloating, water retention,....

Diet soda is not the answer, it would be switching one addiction for another.

If you must have a soda, have a soda with real sugar in it, not HFCS, and limit them, and again, important, do NOT ever use those occasions as rewards or treats.

Give the seltzer a try. I can't speak highly enough of the benefits. I drank soda daily, and it's been well over 15 years that my primary beverage is exclusively water.

You can do this!



M.
Posted 12/9/2013 6:20 PM (GMT 0)
I changed my diet and eliminated all unhealthy food. No more sugar or greasy food for me. My body doesn't seem to like it! Changing your diet and palate may require some time for you..but it is worth it! I now only drink fresh vegetable and fruit juice when I want something sweet. Don't try to do it overnight. Cleansing your system may take more than a few months.
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