Quiting soda

[Octopod]

Anyone ever quit drinking soda after being a big soda junkie? I keep trying to quit drinking it but its like Im addicted or something lol. I drink ALOT of coka-cola. I mean like 4 liters a day, every day.
I quit smoking on the 1st of the year after 20 years of smoking and I have put on 20-25 pounds in the mean time. I quit drinking beer 10 weeks ago because I thought that might be part of the problem ( actually it was a part of several problems ) but it has had no effect on my wieght. I made a doctor apointment and had a check up and she told me to eat 5 small meals instead of the normal 3. Its not really working for me as really I only ate 2 huge meals a day before. I just dont get hungry in a way that would allow me to eat 5 small meals but I guess I should work on it. They took blood and other fluids for testing and did an EKG while I was there and I got a call last friday telling me to start taking fish oil supplements and to come in tuesday morning. This has me a little worried to be honest. My mind is going crazy thinking I have heart disease or some shit. Im 33 and maybe 15 pounds over wieght. Yeah this is personal stuff I am sharing with strangers lol. Anyhow, do you think quiting the soda will help me loose a few pounds and be in better health in general?

[otaku]

of course it will the stuff is terrible for you all that sugar and the chemicals and the caffeine best not to be hooked on or drinking it regularly (though I do drink it regularly) some people including myself once experience headaches from caffeine withdrawal but yeah its a good idea just switch to water and tea/coffee that's what I drink most of the time soda is usually just one a day if that. Weight loss? Certainly especially if its regular and all that extra water you drink will help to. Don't forget to excercise to. I shouldn't have bought that gamer fuel today

[J T]

Wow, nice job on quitting smoking and drinking! That's hard work! I quit drinking a year or two ago. It makes you realize just how much alcohol is a part of almost every social activity. I was never addicted, so I don't miss the drink, but I do miss just being able to relax at a social event without having to turn down 10 drinks and constantly explain why I don't drink now.

I don't think you need to kick the soda entirely, but 4 liters a day is a lot. I might cut back to a liter per day, and every thing else has to be water. Especially if you're not drinking diet (I hate diet, but the new Coke Zero & Pepsi Max products aren't that bad). I make it a rule not to drink my calories.

Also, I'm sure you know this, but make sure you're getting enough exercise.

[Flak Beard]

I used to drink four to five cans of Mountain Dew a day. I couldn't beat the caffeine addiction, so I switched to diet soda about eight years ago. After switching, I lost about fifteen pounds almost immediately. I still drink quite a bit of soda every day, but it's either Diet Mountain Dew or Coke Zero.

[Octopod]

Yeah, Im not getting any exercise at all lol. I do residential construction but I have been getting almost zero work since about christmas so I have been sitting on my ass alot. And then one day they did have some work for me I hurt my knee and had to have PT for a few weeks but that is completed now. Guess Ill have to get off my ass and do something.

[Ack]

Yeah, I quit drinking soda over two years ago, and I quit drinking alcohol six months ago. I've never smoked, but I really wasn't in shape. Last fall I spent a lot of time eating out and not doing much, so I gained about fifteen pounds, and hated myself for it. Now I'm changing my diet, and I exercise a good bit more. I haven't gotten rid of as much fat as I would like, but there's now a lot more muscle then there used to be. Just find a strenuous activity that you enjoy and start doing it more often. Anything will do, as long as it's giving you a good workout.

[KholdStare]

Gaah I feel ya man, I'm addicted, haha. I tried to stop and go on an all water diet but it didn't work. I just had two cases of Mountain dew today and the day before last. ugggh. I don't gain weight though, I've tried but I can't, too skinny. I'm going to try again though.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

I used to drink four to five cans of Mountain Dew a day. I couldn't beat the caffeine addiction, so I switched to diet soda about eight years ago. After switching, I lost about fifteen pounds almost immediately. I still drink quite a bit of soda every day, but it's either Diet Mountain Dew or Coke Zero.

I had a huge caffine addiction. I had at least 7 cups of coffee a day last year, then there was all the Pepsi and Dr. Pepper. I really crashed when I stopped, sleeping about 16 hours a day for a couple weeks and was very angry. Did horrible in school at that time too.

It'svey possible to quit drinking soda or other caffinated products but its not very pleasent and its difficult considered its the one "drug" thats used in a huge ammount of things in this country and most of us have it every day.I haven't had a problem since I got rid of that caffine addiction. Also every time I drink something caffinated now I just want to sleep.

[Hatta]

Switch to coffee. The real problem with soda is the sugar => fat => diabetes. You don't want that. Also all that phosphoric acid can promote kidney stones with heavy use. And 4 liters a day is a LOT of soda.

Lets see here. Coca-cola has 105 (k)calories in 8fl oz, or 13.1kcal/oz. There are 135fl oz in 4L, so that works out to 1768calories. That's nearly all of the calories you burn in a day. Or if you look at it another way, a pound of fat has 3500 calories in it. If you cut out the soda entirely, you're looking at losing 1lb every 2 days *with no other changes*.

Plain black coffee has no sugar in it, but will get you your caffeine fix. There are a lot of other health benefits to coffee too. It helps prevent diabetes, kidney stones, even parkinson's. Oh, and it's delicious too.

BTW, congrats on quitting smoking!

[Dakinggamer87]

I drink a lot of soda but I balance it with tea/water. I also drink a good amount of milk too.. Also, congrats on quitting smoking/drinking..