Quitting soda

I'm on day 6, and oh my God, it is so hard.

I used to drink 8 cans of soda or more a day. I went full cold turkey. Not only am I craving sugar, but I'm getting headaches and body aches, not to mention general dizziness. I took an Ibuprofen for the first time today, and I feel a bit better, but still not right.

I'm doing this for health reasons. According to the BMI, I am 37 pounds over the top of the weight that is healthy for me, which is probably still too heavy. I need to lose at least 50 pounds, and this is the quickest and easiest way to do it. I also have a gym membership, which I plan to invest in.

Anybody done this, and with good results? I am 31, so not a spring chicken anymore, but I'm hoping that the sugar in itself will make me lose weight.

I quit soda, caffiene, and nicotine at the same time, and it was very difficult for me. I had some of the same withdrawl sympthoms you did. I still have to drink caffienated coffee once or twice a month when I absolutely need to stay awake, but I'm not hooked on it anymore, and I don't miss it.

I drink diet soda and decaf coffee on occasion, but I've mostly switched over to healthier beverages, like fresh juice and water. I work out every day, and eat as "right" as I can. I feel a lot better without ingesting all those unhealthy things, and I'm not nearly as anxious as I used to be. As hard as it was to learn how to take better care of myself, it was worth it.

I have no idea if quitting soda will help you lose weight, but it will help you be a healthier person. 8 Cans of that stuff a day isn't good no matter how you look at it.

Good luck!

Your body's probably just reacting to the lack of sugar or caffeine it's used to, sounds stupid to say this just over soft drinks but it's better to drink less and less each week or something.

I don't drink a whole lot of soda, but i do know thats is pretty unhealthy. Anyway good luck! It's not supposed to be hard but it'll pay off in the end!

9006 said:

Your body's probably just reacting to the lack of sugar or caffeine it's used to, sounds stupid to say this just over soft drinks but it's better to drink less and less each week or something.

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I agree with this rather than with going cold turkey. It might be easier on you to drop a can a week till you have got down to no cans.

8 soda's a day? Holy crap do you have any teeth left? I used to drink maybe about 2-3 a day in college and after awhile I started to feel sick to my stomach. I quit drinking soda and now I rarely have one. I had a 12 case of pop in my fridge for over a year.

I lose count of the cups of coffee I drink by mid day. Probably more than 10 a day at least.
I only drink diet coke and not much of it, prefer Dr Pepper.

You don't say what kind you drink, so to pull one out of the air, Mountain Dew has been popular the last number of years. There is 170 calories in a 12 oz Mountain Dew so cutting out eight of them would be a daily reduction of 1360 calories assuming you don't replace it with some other high calorie item.

That is a pretty good chunk but i couldn't say if that is enough to make you lose weight because that would depend on total calorie intake and activity level.

Minus said:

You don't say what kind you drink, so to pull one out of the air, Mountain Dew has been popular the last number of years. There is 170 calories in a 12 oz Mountain Dew so cutting out eight of them would be a daily reduction of 1360 calories assuming you don't replace it with some other high calorie item.

That is a pretty good chunk but i couldn't say if that is enough to make you lose weight because that would depend on total calorie intake and activity level.

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Even if he changes nothing else, this equates to roughly 3 pounds worth of calories per week, as you said - provided he doesn't replace them with something else.
If you continue to stay away from them, the withdrawal symptoms should ease up around the end of week two. If you just can't stand it anymore, try eating a bit of fruit. Apples are my suggestion.

I'm in high school.

8 sodas is a LOT dude. I used to drink 1 soda a day since my school had a vending machine. Tasted so good lol.

Even then, I felt like that was too much and I just randomly stopped. I rarely drink soda nowadays and opt for water instead.

I still drink a fair bit of diet soda everyday. The equivalent of 2-3 cans.

8 cans is impressive. You were going through 2 12 backs every 3 days. Meaning you would need to buy 5 12 packs to make it through a week. I think you're body is definitely going to thank you.

Don't worry, I'll pick up the slack and drink an extra 6 cans a day to even it out.

I was drinking Dr Pepper and regular Coke.

Good on you for quitting.

Here's the golden rule: coffee and tea are fine, soda is not.

And I can guarantee you that you *will* lose weight cutting all that soda out of your diet.

Yes, I love coffee and tea a lot more than soda. I can't quit my java.

I actually have been replacing regular meals, that I've defaulted with a can of soda, with water. It makes me appreciate the food more, which is odd.

LeaningIntoTheMuse said:

I was drinking Dr Pepper and regular Coke.

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I gotta say that I was a heavy Coke drinker too, I still drink it but not as much as I used to - if I did I wouldn't have any teeth left, as Sci said!

If you still have soda problems you may want to get a dog. Put the soda in the dog's watering bowl, then the dog will drink the soda instead of you. Just make sure the dog drinks all the soda, so you won't get to it later. I recommend naming the dog Dr Pepper or You've Got The Right One Baby Uh Huh so you won't forget the dog's purpose, and accidentally learn to love it. It probably won't live long.

Boring-Weirdo said:

If you still have soda problems you may want to get a dog. Put the soda in the dog's watering bowl, then the dog will drink the soda instead of you. Just make sure the dog drinks all the soda, so you won't get to it later. I recommend naming the dog Dr Pepper or You've Got The Right One Baby Uh Huh so you won't forget the dog's purpose, and accidentally learn to love it. It probably won't live long.

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You're suggesting animal abuse now? What would Jesus say?

I quit sodas myself and replaced it mostly with water and some lighter sports drinks. I don't miss it at all.

And you know what they say, a lot of sodas are basically liquid candy. So you'll definitely loose weight if you quit them. I am still a bit overweight, but lost about 45 lbs already in the last year or so.

Try walking one hour a day, seven days per week. I do too and lost around 4 or 5 lbs a month from just that and quitting the sodas. I didn't even change what I eat. Walking is super easy on the body and joints, especially when overweight and just starting exercise.

I have quit sodas before and felt better for it, but have been sliding back onto it lately and have to get off it.

I did find putting a table spoon of sugar in a glass of water and let it dissolve eased my withdrawals and then just reduced the sugar till i leveled out.
It may help as i found if i just stopped drinking it cold turkey it would cause headaches, but by gradually reducing it never has so many problems, plus it stopped me going out and buying a 2liter bottle of coke due to cravings.
I think a can of coke has 10 tablespoons of sugar so even one tablespoon in water is a big reduction.

Although it could be the caffeine your withdrawing from as well.

Good luck with it all, toxic stuff sodas.