It's been close to a month now since my last can of coke. Regular coke used to be the only soft drink I drank. I cut down from a couple of 20 ounce bottles a day, two years ago (it used to be my coffee, breakfast and lunch) to about a can a day, last year.
Starting around Christmas, I quit completely.
The Results:
- Jeans feel a bit looser. Weight loss wasn't the goal, but it's not a bad thing.
- I can rest easy about my teeth. My school doesn't offer dental insurance and I have been sort of concerned about my teeth. But I'm hoping this slows down the decay process.
- I feel less jittery. I've had only one real bad panic attack this month, which is great given the stress levels. This also means that...
- I sleep like a baby. It's a good thing because that further decreases my stress levels.
- Menstrual cramps were much easier to bear this month. I experienced only one day of low to moderate level of pain, instead of the usual three day severe to uber-severe pain. This is the best result for me.
How I did it: I replaced coke with another fizzy drink at first since the withdrawal was a funny feeling.
I'd get all restless around 4 since that was when I'd drink my usual can of coke.
So I started drinking carbonated fruit juice around that time of the day (which by the way, is one of two ways you can get me to drink fruit juice-- carbonated; the other way is with alcohol).
I order lemonade instead of coke in restaurants. Now I drink only water on a regular basis.
Is quitting soda an easy habit to break? What's holding you back?
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Comments (220)
i quit drinking soda about 8 years ago...gave it up for lent once and haven't had it since!
it's sooo much healthier for you anyway, plus you save money eating out if you stick to water
Congratulations. (: It's easy for me to quit drinking coke. I've done it numerous times in the past, without even realizing that I do it. Nothing is really holding me back from not drinking soda, though. I drink it because I enjoy it, so I see no reason in stopping so long as I drink it in moderation.
Congratulations!
Personally, I like drinking it, and I don't see it doing any harm to me unless I start drinking it multiple times a day. Coke is also my "drug of choice" however, I tend to drink Sprite when in the school caf or order lemonade when I go to restaurants.
It's not making me fat,
My teeth are fine,
I don't get panic attacks very often, if ever,
I can fall asleep wherever, whenever, if I choose to,
I only get bad cramps maybe once a year.
i actually don't like coke, all those sugary drinks leave a britty feeling in my mouth...
I quit cold turkey about four years ago. Now I generally do not like soda (but I may have two every month or less) but I will get water or iced tea instead of a soft-drink. Also, since I stopped drinking soda, for the most part, I do not like super sugary foods.
wow great post you've given me even more inspiration to not drink it. My husband and I decided to go on a water diet for awhile and not drink soda for awhile except maybe once in a blue moon when we go out to eat which isnt that often....it really does make a difference! and even when we drink soda most of the time its sprite or serra mist---I dont feel good at all if I drink like pepsi or mountain dew and stuff----J
Good job!
I've never really had a problem with drinking soda. I've always preferred things like juice and water. I guess disliking carbonation helps, too.
Good Job. I was an avid fountain soda drinker for years. I would have a 44 ounce fountain soda with me at all times. I was also morbidly obese at 265 pounds.
I gave it up, along with fast food sugar and all caffeine, my diet is very good now, and it shows. I have lost over 75 pounds in a year, I still have a little way to go, but it is inevitable. Well done!
Fountain slop (thats what I call it) is no good for anyone!
Congrats! I quit soda a while ago, now I only drink it on rare occasions. It really is terrible for your teeth though, isn't it! My dad used to bring a bottle of Sprite for me whenever he picked me up from school, but now I somewhat dread when that happens. I limit it to when my mom buys 12-packs for family parties and stuff, and even then I prefer something like iced tea or pink lemonade.
go you! soda is liquid shit. diet or not. yuck.
Congrats! I stopped drinking caffeinated soda a few years ago. If I drink any soda at all I'll drink Sprite. I can count on one hand how many Sprites I drink in a month. After not drinking Pepsi, Coke, Mt. Dew. etc for a long time I really lost my taste for it. I had a Mt. Dew at a party and it was so gross. I take it as a good thing b/c then I won't fall off the wagon. I drink mostly water and Iced tea now.
It used to be really hard for me to do. But now I've started to quit drinking soda with no problem. I used to not like water but that's all I can have at work and I'm always as work, so I love water now. I also got turned on to Naked Juice which is not only really good and healthy but filling too. I just don't get cravings for soda anymore. It's weird but oh so nice :)
Losing weight is my biggest reason I've stopped drinking it. I knew a guy in high school that stopped drinking soda and stopped eating candy and lost 100 pounds in a year.
omgggg thats awesome!!!... and thanks for the tips.. about two weeks ago i decided to quit soda too but its SOOO DIFFICULT.... i'm feeling the withdrawal effects and cracked two days ago... but i only took a few sips and threw out the bottle...
I will try the tips and hopefully it'll work... AHHHH :( wish me luck!!!
I feel you on this...All your reasons for stopping are great. I stopped drinking soda and now if I do I feel so overly bloated I can't even finish the whole cup. No more soda for me...uck.
Congrats!
It was easy for me, I just order water with lemon instead of pop [soda] when I go out. Plus, at home the pop is downstairs and I don't really feel the need to go there ever. Water is at more of a convenience.
Wow, congrats! I can't get myself to give up the coke. I even did two presentations on the detriments of soda on your health for classes, and it didn't stop me. However, I now only mainly drink coke and ginger ale, so I guess that's an improvement? haha, ...one day!
i dun even rmb since when i started not drinking soda no more...
probably since ive picked up the habit of working out regularly 3yrs ago and become a health-concious freak in every aspect lol.
its jus nvr a problem for me to get soda out of my life.drinking soda makes me feel bad and worse still even more thirsty.water is the only way 2go for me.:)
I stopped drinking pop, ohh. like 6 or 7 months ago. July 20, 2008. I did it because a friend of mine told me he hadn't had pop in like 7 years, so i wanted to see if i could. Now imagine, i used to drink a 24 pack in two days. It was terrible. It was so hard to quit. But i'm glad i did, i don't drink anything with carbonated water in it anymore. :]
I wish I could do the same. I work in place where I am around it constantly, and not much is better than pop. I'd love to do this more for my fiance than myself. He drinks a lot of pop, and really affects some of his daily life. I have tried to tell him, and he says that's not his problem, but I question what I would do to him, and how he might feel in the end.
I never understood the soda addiction which I guess is lucky for me. My family goes through at least 1 24 pack of soda every day, and the only water they drink is flavored.
I probably drink soda at most, once a month. I usually get juice when I fly (about once a month), but occasionally I'll get a ginger ale.
I stopped when I started doing track, switching to water made me have less stitches!
Congrats! Yay for healthy decisions :D
yeah i quit soda when i was in highschool and probably only took a sip of someone else's drink cos i was too thirsty since then.. i'm in college now so that's more than 3 years. and i feel great too
AMEN!