An Impossible Promise?

[mahreeuh]

Ok, so for as long as I can remember I have been drinking soda. My Mom drinks about 10 a day (regular Pepsi) and as a result when we were growing up, my sister and I drank a lot of soda too. Now, I've been struggling to quit drinking soda for a long time and I even quit for about 3 months at the beginning of the year. But, I'm back to drinking them more than ever right now and I know that soda is a big reason why I'm not losing any weight.

SOOOOOOOOOOO, tonight I did the unthinkable. I made a promise to my husband that I would not drink another soda for the rest of the year. OMIGOSH! What have I done???!!!!!

So, I guess I'm wondering if anyone else out there has had a similar struggle and what he or she did to make it through. It seems so stupid but it's really an addiction for me. Life would be so much better if there weren't Mt Dew!

Am I just crazy or are there others out there with the same dirty little secret as me? Also, what do you drink (besides water)?
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Ironcreek Off Road Triathlon 7/16/05
Afton Ambush Off Road Triathlon 8/7/05

[gjennifer]

I answered 1 - 2, but it's more like 2 - 3 a week (couldn't answer zero and still be honest!) I drink diet pop, and usually something without caffeine (like 7-up or gingerale). I drink a lot of water but it is nice to have something different now and then.
_________________
Jen

Lifetime full marathon count: 2
Currently on a 9-month ultramarathon. (Surprise! Baby is late. EDD was June 12)

[getfit]

I used to drink quite a bit of Coke in my twenties. I started getting a lot of heart palpitations and had a number of tests done to find the cause. Everything came back negative and then my doctor asked me if I had caffiene in my diet. Well guess what, when I stopped drinking Coke the heart palpitations went away. I do drink the occassional can of pop, but I usually reach for the water bottle to try to get in my daily quota. I also love a coffee first thing in the morning (which, by the way has never given me palpitations). I like a cup of green tea in the evening and on weekends I'll enjoy the occassional glass of wine. To wean yourself off of the pop try mixing 7-up with cranberry juice and soda water. At least you'll get some health benefits from the cranberry juice.

Joanne

[SuperBob]

I'm the type that loves kicking back with a cold non-alcoholic beverage. Bottled root beer is my absolute fave.

I used to drink 1-5 sodas per day. Then my health revolution started and I stopped completely. The key for me was to always carry a bottle of water around so I drank whenever I was thirsty. It stopped me from consuming the bad "empty calories" from my diet. (I even stopped drinking coffee and went to tea)

Sodas are back into my life again, but 2-4 per week is my limit.

To add to getfit's great 7-up and cranberry idea, you can also move to tonic water or club soda with cranberry juice to cut down further calories.

Cheers!

Bob

[rungirl]

Not another soda? Not one?

What if you alloted yourself three a week? And you could choose whenever you wanted to drink those three. It could be one every other day or so...or hey...if you're feeling really crazy slam them back-to-back!

I think if you knew you were allowed to have one (or three), that cutting back might be an easier thing to stick to in the long run. I recently learned that soda was a bad thing to have with a meal as it interferes with calcium absorption (i think it was calcium?). I suppose that, if that were true, it'd be best to avoid the "alloted" around meal time.

I think cutting them out of your life entirely is a little drastic. Why do we always have to eliminate everything entirely? Doesn't that just make us want that item even more? No carbs, no fat, certainly no transfats (yikes), no caffeine, no salt, no chocolate....

Geez, we're hungry.

[lservage1]

I gotta agree on the "cold turkey" deal on this one. Unlike quitting smoking (see our busy post under general discussion!) with food choices I think total deprivation just invites relapse! Why not limit yourself to one (diet) soda a day? Or just only allow yourself one after you've had five good size glasses of water?

And yep on the weight loss thing. Dont' know if anyone saw "Supersize Me" but there was a good little piece in there on soda consumption . Some of the "blame" for epidemic childhood obesity place on the amount of pop that kids drink. (Noticed that Pepsi -- perhaps Coke too? -- now marketing little half-size cans . A response to all the bad press that pop is taking? Let's hope so...

I guess it is an acquired taste, but I love carbonated water with a little bit of lemon-lime flavouring. Cheap, no calories, and more "kick" than regular water. And seeing how's it comes in a pop bottle and bubbles, maybe you can trick yourself into subbing it for the "real thing!"

And isn't the "soda" vs. "pop" thing interesting? ***** call it "pop" but I guess it is "soda" in the US.

[rudder]

Assuming the "soda" vs. "pop" thing makes you from the US... You might find a way to wean yourself slowly off the caffeine. You mentioned you love Mountain Dew. It has one of the highest amts of caffeine in the US. (interestingly,in Canada, Mountain Dew contains no caffeine, nada, zilch)

So, while you may think it's the soda you are addicted to, it may very well be the caffeine.

Good luck!
Lori

[bluejay]

May I suggest that you cut back to one soda a day. This way you are not totally depriving yourself of something you like. My DH is a big coke drinker. He cut back to 1 a day and lost 40 pounds (also back on junk food). Moderation is the key. If you totally eliminate something you may be setting yourself up for disappointment.

[LaRochelle]

I never drink pop/soda. I just don't feel the need to.

I am addicted to milk. It tastes so good! I drink about one liter a day! I need milk with everything. Toasts in the morning, with cookies for desserts at lunch and dinner and with my cereal in the evening.

[dgrant1]

[bluejay]

Good for you two on your milk consumption. I'm trying to increase my milk intake. I was experiencing cramps in my legs at night (after heavy work outs) and it was suggested to me to increase my calcium intake. The calcium will relax your muscles. I try to drink 500 ml a day and my goals in 750 ml to a litre a day. I prefer milk over a calcium supplement.

Happy trails everyone!

[dgrant1]

[Bonnie_Ward]

Don't drink soda at all, maybe a cultural thing but I grew up in the UK where these drinks were not as popular, might be now but not when I were a lad.

Must admit I was surprised to see the popularity of soft drinks in Canada when I first came here.

Always drink a lot of milk, again this comes from my early days in the old country where every kid was given a botle of milk each day in school. I am sure this program stopped some time ago, thanks to Maggie Thatcher (Milk Snatcher)!!!

[DavidShilman]

[jmcnamee]

I was consuming way too much caffeine, so as part of my cut-back, I eliminated the 1-2 cans of Pepsi I was drinking per day & cut back to just a morning cup of coffee. As part of my withdrawal, I experienced horrible headaches & was really dragging by butt. I now feel 100% better. I still have a rare can of Pepsi, but I don't find it as satisfying as I used to. There's no benefit in the thirst-quenching aspect at all & now, when I'm thirsty, I reach for water or Gatorade or the like. Milk's great, too.

Jean