Quitting

[wrc fan]

those vitamin waters are the biggest crock of crap ever. they're nothing but sugar.

Um... who cares? They taste good and aren't soda... that's all he asked. He didn't say he needed to cut out sugar, just soda.

 

[Abulia]

I drink about 2 2-liters of coca~cola a day or a 12 pack. Sometimes ill sit down at lunch at work and drink an entire 2-liter in half an hour. And now I've decided and made a bet that I could quit drinking coke and all other caffinated sodas completely.

Any tips on how to get through? I am going to try to lower my intake down to 1-2 cans a day and then dump it completely. I know I will get the headaches and will prolly sleep more. Anyone got any tips?

Hi there. I quit caffeinated sodas about 6 months ago after drinking them my entire life (I'm 35).

It's not hard at all. Seriously. You've got the perfect plan: lower your intake slowly, over the course of a week, and then you can quit. You'll have 1-2 days of headaches and then you'll be clean. (Caffeine stays in your system for up to 12 hours.)

The problem I've found is what to drink to fill that void. I'm now drinking lots of root beer and Gatorade (don't like tea). At home I drink Caffeine Free Coke but I don't know if that's an option for you. (Are you quitting all sodas?)

Yes, you will get tired sooner. I used to stay up until midnight easy. Now I'm ready for bed at 10:30 on most nights. The good news is you'll sleep better, it's helped my acid reflux considerably, and you'll wake up in the morning easier and more refreshed.

Mostly, more than anything, I miss the taste. I don't miss the caffeine, just the taste. But, with time, that goes away too. Really, there's no secret science to this as I disagree with the assertion that caffeinated sodas are addicting. They might be psychologically addicting, but they're not physically addicting.

For my part I quit just to prove "that I could." That and also researching the effects of caffeine on the brain. Scary stuff, that!

Good luck!

 

[taytho]

i kinda think that the 500 dollar bet would be my motivating factor....... find something you knwo you want to spend it on .... lets say you want a 60 gig ipod, for example..... get a picture of it.... carry it around with you.... and look at it and make the simple choice..... ipod or glass of coke.

 

[puckhead193]

did someone say try having like a flavored water so you'll have a taste instead of just plain water. Then cut down on that and stick to water.
Or you can just get juice. The miniute maid coolers are really awesome. I like the fruit punch and tropical punch myself..

 

[m-dogg]

Wow, that's a high soda intake - It's good that you are going to try and kick the habit, whatever your motivation. Good luck to you.

Go with water, and one or two cups of coffee per day if you need a caffeine kick. I tend to drink a cup of coffee every morning, and another in the afternoon only when I'm at work.

Growing up I constantly drank Coke. I kicked the habit when I started living on my own 7 or 8 years ago. Between rent & a car payment, I had very little spending money at the time and decided that I was just spending too much money on something that isn't really even good for me. So I switched to tap water for that reason. A little bit to my surprsie, I stopped liking the taste & carbonation of soda fairly quickly. I still may get a coke when I go out to dinner sometimes, but that's it. It's never in my house, and I won't buy it from the vending machines at work.

 

[Ugg]

I suggest taking some Sparkling water with a hint of lemon instead. It will kind of give the sizzling ssensation of coke with a refreshing lemon taste.

That's my suggestion too, the fizziness is great and plain water is just plain water.

 

[paleck]

I did this a few years ago. What helped me to do it was this:

• Do it with others - I did it with some of my friends at the time so we all kept eachother in check. Every once in a while we would declare a moratorium and be allowed to drink a soft drink(like a baseball game).
• Drink water - this doesnt mean that it only has to be water, keep a pitcher of Crystal Light made up or carry a few of the Crystal Light-to-go that you can easily pour into a water bottle.
• If you screw up, don't worry about - It's bound to happen, just try to keep it from happenning again(don't dwell on it)
• After going a few weeks try to drink a soda - after a while of your body not having all that sugar and carbonation you will actually feel ill trying to drink it (especially if you try to drink it as fast as you used to)

I drink a soda every now and again, but I have to drink it much slower; say an hour or two vs 20 mins for a large soda. Hope this helps!

 

[MarkCollette]

Sorry if I'm stealing, but here's my complete list:

- Ideally water. Add lemon if you need flavor
- Juice, if you're missing the sweetness. Fruit JUICE, not Fruit BEVERAGE.
- Green Tea, if you need the caffeine. This can speed up your metabolism and help you lose weight.

 

[Leraste]

Try tropical and/or passion iced tea, they have a little more flavor than regular teas. Sweeten with Splenda if you need it. Throw in a squeeze of lemon too for an extra kick..

 

[katie ta achoo]

I got off coke/pepsi a few years ago.
GOOD LUCK WITH THE CAFFEINE WITHDRAWAL!
For me, it was brutal.. Have lotsa baby aspirin on hand.

Good ol' water is what I replaced it with. (I was having heart and kidney stone problems)

Congrats for deciding to do this.