How to overcome soda pop addiction?

lapbandtalker · 01-05-2009, 01:44 PM

Posting this here instead of food and nutrition because this isn't about food, it's about addiction.

2009 is the year I kick the soda pop habit. Anyone who has done this (coffee/tobacco/drugs/sex/gambling/food/etc.) can you please share how you did it?

Been a soda pop drinker all my life and since childhood I have preferred drinking instead of eating. Meaning, if I'm hungry I'd rather drink OJ instead of eating a muffin. I'd rather have soup than the sandwich. Make sense? Don't know why I'm this way- and maybe that's some place to start looking.

Migraines started in my 20s like many mother/grandmother/greatgrandmother before and I was taught to drink a coke w/ a BC powder. Or Coke w/ and Excedrin. So, drinks again.

When I go without soda for more than a day I get sleepy, I tremble, and desire isn't even the word anymore...I have to have it. If I don't I get hostile.

Many years ago I did (or so I thought) kick the habit. I went on Atkins and went from 100% soda to diet soda...then to Splenda koolaid. I've tried that technique again but it isn't working this time.

Mt. Dew is my beverage of choice. If I don't get it I get mean and headaches. But I've got a new home, my oldest two are in the military, 1 left at home. I've lost the weight, lost my mother. I have a cat (mom's cat). I think I am in a place now where I can tackle this Mt. Dew demon.

I've handled the stress of lifetime and that Mt. Dew got me thru some pretty rough times. But enough is enough.

Thanks for your input.

Florida Pete · 01-05-2009, 02:11 PM

Honestly it takes a good amount of work to kick any addiction. Weather it's food, soda, alcohol, drugs, work or whatever. Of course most of us on here I believe are battling food and soda addictions.

But for me I have beaten one addiction many years ago. I am a recovering drug addict. I was a heavy meth user and dealer years ago. Before the weight gain. For me I had to get myself into a intensive drug and alcohol treatment program and attended NA and AA meetings for a good solid 2 years. I have been clean for over 12 years now and will never trade my life now for what I was back then.

So much like my drug addiction food is another addiction that has to be battled. I do that by gaining as much support from those around me and work to change my thinking. I have to think about why am I consuming this food. Do I really need this or is this something that I want? By the grace of God I am doing very well with the fight and will continue to push forward. Migraines can be treated with medicine by a physician. I know because I am a person who has gotten migraines since I was about 10 years old. I do still get them today but I also have medication to take when I feel one coming on and deal with it in that manner.

As for soda that was a hard one to stop. But I did back in October. For me it first was a change from Pepsi to Sprite to Sprite Zero to no soda at all. This actually was over a period of about 5 years but I did it. I do not drink any carbonated beverages anymore and don't even crave them anymore either. It just takes telling yourself that you don't need it and being strong to change your ways.

Best of luck!

jillbeme · 01-05-2009, 02:33 PM

I gave up soda about 2 years ago. I was drinking diet and having joint pain and someone told me that it was the sweetner in the diet drink... Yeah well I believed them and woke up and gave it up... I continued to drink tea with real sugar and started slowing going with out the sugar. When I had the lapband tea tasted different.. so I gave it up all together... Now I drink diet Hawaiian Punch... The sweetener wasn't the problem it was my weight... Now if I could only do that with food...LOL... Start slow... I too get migranes... but the excedrin migrane works the same as extra strength excedrin with a coke... But since I have cut all the caffine the headaches are fewer and weaker... Good luck

sandielaw · 01-05-2009, 07:32 PM

I know I'm in the minority here, but I haven't given it up. I open a can of diet soda, have a sip, burp, and set it down. About an hour later, I come back and slowly finish the soda. It's not very bubbly, but still cold and sweet. Works for me.

food expert · 01-06-2009, 08:14 AM

I went cold turkey when I had the surgery and it wasn't that hard. I used to have 2-3 sodas per day and considered myself a caffine addict. Then I started getting eye twitches whenever I consumed caffine. That started before my surgery. It was a double reason to quit caffine. I tried some Coke about a month ago and it made me uncomfortable. I also thought it was kinda gross. Every now and then I eat some chocolate and my eye twitches a little bit, just another reminder why caffine is bad.

Not sure if that helps you with your demon, but cold turkey a little bit of withdrawl is what you have to do. Good luck...

lapbandtalker · 01-06-2009, 08:40 AM

Thanks so much for your responses so far. I gather addiction is difficult to break and sometimes needs a doctor's influence.

And I think attempting this would be best in March as during spring and summer I tend to crave sugar instead of soda - as in lemonade or simply ice cold water.

I feel if I could just go without soda for a few weeks -I won't ever have to have it again. Trick is getting to 3 days without it, then 7 days, then 14....those are the hard ones.

Thanks again and hopefully others will post as well.

odamay · 01-06-2009, 09:19 AM

Well I went cold turkey when I had my surg. also. I would drink about 4-5 cans of d. coke a day sometimes more weird things were happening to me. But once I stopped they stopped I have no desire to even take a sip But recently discovered that I cant have caffeine when I tried to drink a caf. hot tea ,(That i also gave up with the soda.) and those funky feeling came back I new it was the caffeine.

WOWOX7 · 01-06-2009, 09:38 AM

First, I want to say "JOB WELL DONE" to Pete, What a story, and thank you for sharing.. what an inspiration.
You rock.
Maybe it is just me, but since my banding, I just can not drink soda. It makes me soooo uncomfortable, it is just not worth it anymore. Even when I let it sit. I drank 3-5 Diet Cherry cokes a day before banding. I could not drink one now if I had to.

Jillbeme, Is that diet Hawiian Punch Carbinated?
I would love to try it..

Best of luck to you all, Follow those band rules.

laurenica23 · 01-06-2009, 12:28 PM

When I was in high school I had daily migraines. I was drinking lots of soda and taking lots of excedrin migraine everyday. I went to the doctor finally and he prescribed me some medicine and told me to STOP all forms of caffeine. So I began drinking lots of CF diet soda. I had caffeine withdrawl for about 4 days ... severe migraines.

Eventually I began drinking caffeinated sodas again (within a year or so) and was drinking A LOT of it before my surgery. I was going through drive thrus to get large diet sodas 1-2 times a day and I always had cans of diet soda at home. Then when I started supervised weight loss I tried to cut down to 1 soda a day. That worked for a while until about 2 months before surgery when I freaked about not having soda and began drinking it a lot more.

Finally I decided I needed to get over the addiction to soda, so over Thanksgiving vacation I decided to stop soda for a few days. I did, then only allowed myself a soda once every couple days. This prepared me a lot and my cravings slowly went away. I had my last soda the day before my liquid diet began and I haven't had one since ... about 3 weeks ago. If a craving ever gets to be too much for me, I'll probably take a drink of soda, swish it around my mouth, and then spit it out. At this point it's the taste that I love, not the caffeine anymore.

I always stock light lemonade in my fridge now, but drink only 1-2 cans a day. Much less than I was drinking with soda, but it is a replacement. And I like opening the can ... cause it reminds me of a carbonated drink.

I never thought I would able to give up soda, but I'm doing just fine 3 weeks later. It's entirely possible to give up soda and caffeine. You could even have a replacement drink like I do with light lemonade.

momcof3 · 01-06-2009, 02:04 PM

I also went cold turkey the day of my surgery. I had a monster sized diet Coke the day before though. I used to drink Diet Coke and/or iced tea all day long - no regular water. I haven't had any caffeine or soda since the day before my surgery and I am fine. I tried a sip of Diet Coke once and it tasted horrible - don't know how I drank it before. I also drink the sugar free Hawaiian Punch - I use the individual packets you can add to your water - I also use the Walmart brand ones. I tried decaff iced tea, but didn't like the taste so I don't have that either. I guess I didn't notice the withdrawal headaches etc as I was on pain meds for the surgery already.

KarenK · 01-06-2009, 02:13 PM

I got myself down to one big Diet Coke every morning, then slowly upped the ice so I wasn't getting as much soda. I'm a major ice cruncher (Sonic has the best), so it worked for me.

A couple of weeks before the surgery, I stopped it entirely and switched to unsweetened iced tea and crystal light lemonade.

I still have a small soda a couple times a month, but that's it so far. I was sort of hoping it would stop tasting so good - no luck.

For me, it was my source of morning caffeine since I don't do coffee. The iced tea has helped with that.

HarleyGirl · 01-06-2009, 02:32 PM

I was a four diet coke a day gal......following at least a pot of coffee in the morning.

I have been caffeine free for nine months now and I can tell you, that I feel so much better!

I just did it cold turkey....the first four days or so were hard, but after that, it wasn't bad at all. I drink a lot of water, so the "drinking habit" is still there, but just replaced with a better choice. I've become very fond of herbal teas in the morning....or a cup or two of decaf.

thenume · 01-09-2009, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by food expert

I went cold turkey when I had the surgery and it wasn't that hard. I used to have 2-3 sodas per day and considered myself a caffine addict. Then I started getting eye twitches whenever I consumed caffine. That started before my surgery. It was a double reason to quit caffine. I tried some Coke about a month ago and it made me uncomfortable. I also thought it was kinda gross. Every now and then I eat some chocolate and my eye twitches a little bit, just another reminder why caffine is bad.

Not sure if that helps you with your demon, but cold turkey a little bit of withdrawl is what you have to do. Good luck...

Oh my goodness! I was a heavy soda drinker myself (Pepsi was my drug of choice) - but I would get eye twitches! I always thought it was my nerves, but since reading your thread, I just realized I've only had a twitch once since quitting soda over a year ago (that time I was worrying about buying a new car). Wow! The things we learn from this LBT.

thenume · 01-09-2009, 08:11 AM

...by the way, I went cold turkey, just like I did with cigarettes. It wasn't easy. I just did it. I got through the 13 year cigarette addiction with ALTOIDS and I got through the soda addiction with will power!
Best of luck t o you!!!