Diet Sodas - bane of my existance

[Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN]

I am trying very hard to live a healthier lifestyle and lose some weight. I am significantly overweight, and I have decided I am giving myself until April to get this under control or I will have to look into bariatric surgery, which is something I have always said I would not do. Hopefully this will be the motivation I need to get it under control once and for all!

One of the areas I want to change is to get off the diet sodas, which are very much an addiction of mine. I rarely drink coffee or tea, so this is my "caffeine kick" to get me going. In the past when I have tried to wean myself off them, I get killer withdrawal headaches, no matter how slowly I make the transition. I firmly believe that there is nothing redeeming about sodas, diet or otherwise, and I want to get them out of my diet. I try to remind myself that they are full of chemicals, that they leech the calcium out of my bones, that they stimulate appetite...but the little voice in my head says "I don't care, they taste good!"

Has anyone kicked the soda habit for good? Any tips on getting off the canned stuff?

[*ac*]

It's my only vice. I've given it up before, but life seemed so empty...

[llg, PhD, RN]

I shared an office with someone with a caffeine addiction whose withdrawal symptoms were similar to yours -- only her vice was coffee, not soda. She weaned herself off very slowly, diluting her caffinated coffee with a tiny bit of decaf at first ... then a little more decaf ... then a little more ... etc. If she got that headache, she would have a little more caffiene and keep it at that level for a few days before she increased the decaf again, giving her body time to adjust to the slightly decreased caffiene before dropping the caffiene level any lower. She got down to drinking only decaf over a period of several (6? 8?) weeks.

Maybe you could do something similar with the soda. Wean yourself slowly by continuing to drink the sodas ... just deceasing the amount by a tiny bit every couple of days. Substitute with non-caffinated drinks.

Another suggestion is to talk with your physician about some options to go "cold turkey." Take some vacation days and pamper yourself while you suffer from the symptoms of withdrawal, with whatever symptom relief your physician recommends. It might be worth the investment of some vacation time to really break the drug addiction.

Those are the only 2 methods I am familiar with, but maybe some other people know of other methods.

[Jolie, BSN]

I am a caffeine fiend also. A number of years ago, I decided to go caffeine-free because I mistakenly believed that it was contributing to a health issue. Knowing that I would endure nasty headaches, I went to my doctor first to discuss temporary use of a strong pain reliever during the process. She was very helpful and supportive and wrote a short-term RX for headache medicine.

I weaned myself off of caffeine over a few weeks, while working on other issues as well, such as better eating habits and exercise. It wasn't as bad as I anticipated, but despite sticking with it for over 6 months, it made no difference with the health issue. Over time, I gradually fell off the wagon and am back to heavy consumption again.

It can be done, and without as much "pain" as you might be anticipating, but for me it just didn't matter.

Good luck!

[Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN]

Thanks for the replies! I like the idea of using vacation time and doing a lot of self-care while going cold turkey. I am a school nurse, and winter break is fast approaching so I might use those 2 weeks for that strategy! That was something I had not considered, but it seems like the perfect timing.

[blue4thebeach]

I went cold turkey almost 2 months ago and have very little temptation. I started by cutting out the sodas and drinking regular Snapple tea (with sugar instead of sweetener). More than likely it's the aspartame causing your withdrawal symptoms (it was for me). I went about a week on Snapple (taking ibuprofen if I had any sign of headache). After about a week, I started drinking a glass of OJ first thing in the morning with toast or other breakfast item. I don't get headaches and am completely off both soda and caffeine. I keep a 24 oz water bottle at my desk (still at my office job, waiting for nursing school) and I fill it 3-4 times daily. Not only am I sleeping better and avoiding the extra chemicals, but I'm eating a lot less too - the water really fills me up.

Good luck. I've tried once before to quit and ended up starting back up and doubling my consumption. I'm hoping to avoid falling back into it this time around. The first two weeks are the worst, but you can do it.

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

I was a Pepsi addict, but then started putting lots of ice in with the soda, and it would melt, and I was soon drinking half strength stuff. Then switched to water or crystal light for every other drink. Now I'm still enjoying a can every day or so, but I buy the yucky generic stuff and it is used up slowly.

[Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN]

More great ideas! The Snapple substitution is another one. It would be some empty calories that I really don't need, but having something flavored might help me get "over the hump" for the first week or so. Somehow plain water is just not as appetizing! I have been on the "diet drink" kick for so long I never really considered something like natrually sweetened (sugar) drinks instead of the artificial sweetened ones. In moderation, it might be a good happy medium.

[llg, PhD, RN]

I hate drinking plain water (unless I am really parched) ... but I like it with a twist of lemon withmeals. No calories, no chemicals, no caffeine.

[Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN]

My mom does the twist of lemon, and sometimes she adds a little sweetener to make a mild lemonade. I have also heard of making juice ice cubes and using them to slightly sweeten plain water.

I had some green tea this morning, and I am going to try and go without the soda today. If I start to get a headache, I am going to have one, but I am limiting it to only one per day. Once winter break rolls around, I am going to stop all together. Wish me luck!

[JennNJ83]

It's my only vice. I've given it up before, but life seemed so empty...

same here, i figure with no sugar and no cals it can't be THAT bad right??? Good luck!

[CNA2day]

Hello! Glad to know there is another soda addict!

I am completely and utterly addicted to Diet Mtn Dew! I crave it like no other its insane! My teeth were actually starting to hurt I was drinking so much of it! That is INSANE! So I started cutting back. I still drink it, and I really don't have any intention of quitting. However I am tryin to be more healthy. Instead of reaching for the pop I may go for a glass of tea, or juice (on occasion), or even water! I also have found I love rasp Ice Tea but I do not do that one to much cuz of the calories. I am a Water addict also! I drink at least 34 ounces of water with a meal.... no joke!

Instead of having it hard set in your brain you are going to quit today why don't you just consider and alternative everytime you reach for a pop. Why not drink a glass of tea or coffee or something else instead to get out of the habbit of the pop. It will gradually become not so importaint!