Anyone Here Successfully Quit Drinking Soda?

[cyfanatic]

I am absolutely addicted to Diet Mt Dew! I like other sodas but I don't crave them. I wish I could stop drinking DMD cold-turkey but it won't happen. Anyone here have any success quitting soda? Any advice on doing so? Something to help with the transition to...water? I am not someone who feels everything I put in my body needs to be the healthiest stuff ever...but I drink way too much DMD and that can't be good! Appreciate any advice/guidance IF I choose to go down this path! Thanks!

 

[Aduhbolu15]

Try tea if it’s a caffeine problem for you.

 

[cycloneG]

I quit soda about 16 years ago. No tricks. I just stopped. Good luck with your journey to a soda-free life!

 

[Cyched]

I've had success paring it back by subbing in Bubly/Aha anytime I want something fizzy. Haven't given it up completely, but it's more of a treat every once in a while

 

[MJ29]

I didn't quit completely, but I drink far less than I did 10 years ago. Maybe don't quit cold turkey at first. Try having just one a day for a while. Then then one every other day. Then down to just having it on weekends. The biggest key is just not having it super accessible. Only buy a certain amount and only keep one or two cold at a time. That might help slow it down. Best wishes!

 

[1100011CS]

I used to have a diet Pepsi every afternoon. I quit a little over 5 years ago. I can't remember exactly why but it was some health concern. A few months after I quit I was diagnosed with cancer. Coincidence? I will have a Dr Pepper every once in a while because we often have it stocked for my kids who are addicted but, other than that, I don't miss it.

EDIT: to address the questions, I don't really have advice but I feel like the sugar in soda is the worst part. If you're drinking diet, I wouldn't be that concerned. There are conflicting thoughts on how bad/good caffeine is for you but I'm not quitting coffee any time soon.

 

[ImJustKCClone]

Back in the day, no one ever saw me without a Coke Classic close by. Then they sent my son to Baghdad in 2005 and I got an ulcer. At that point the doctor "no more Coke or it will get worse". That's a pretty good incentive.
I drink mostly water now. Every once in a while I have a Sunkist orange pop, but sweet pop just really doesn't please the taste buds any more.

Good luck to you - even if you just reduce the amount you drink by half, you're winning.

 

[BCClone]

Quit about 4 years ago just cause I wanted to. Drank lemonade, iced tea, Gatorade. Iced tea and coffee for caffeine.

Be careful on iced tea, I went through a heavy phase and found out it is heavy in uric acid. I got kidney stones and found out. Lemonade break down the uric acid for do some Arnold palmers every so often.

 

[cytor]

I quit drinking soda about 8 years ago. Don't miss it at all. I drink a lot of water, and 1 cup of coffee in the morning.

 

[FarmClone]

Wait as far into the day as you can before you have the first one, then wait as long as you can before you have another. Eventually you will start cutting down on how many you have a day. That's what worked for me.

 

[1100011CS]

Also, keep in mind that a lot of 'energy' drinks have a ton of sugar in them and so do juices. So, replacing dt soda with those isn't a great tradeoff.

 

[Buster28]

I love DMD also. I have tried to quit several times, all unsuccessfully. While I used to chug regular Mountain Dew in my 20s, in recent years, I have generally kept to one 20 ounce (or whatever size those are) per day. When I decided to quit the last two times, I switched the the tiny bottles that come in the 8-pack to reduce my daily consumption (which reduces withdrawal headaches once you do stop). Straight water for a couple weeks will get your system used to not having DMD daily. THEN, I tried Zevia, which to me is way better than LaCroix. Once all the soda is off your tastebuds, it's actually pretty decent and tastes like the flavors they're supposed to be. I miss the fizz of soda and the Zevia is an ok substitute. I still have an occasional DMD, but only once a week - twice, tops. Once I stopped with the diet soda, my Covid weight gain started coming off - I've lost 14 of the 25 pounds I gained so far.

 

[ribsnwhiskey]

Its been ~ 10 years for me. I'd recommend sparkling water or flavored seltzer as an alternative.

 

[Cyclonepride]

I am absolutely addicted to Diet Mt Dew! I like other sodas but I don't crave them. I wish I could stop drinking DMD cold-turkey but it won't happen. Anyone here have any success quitting soda? Any advice on doing so? Something to help with the transition to...water? I am not someone who feels everything I put in my body needs to be the healthiest stuff ever...but I drink way too much DMD and that can't be good! Appreciate any advice/guidance IF I choose to go down this path! Thanks!

I quit years ago, but I had a lot of help (almost certainly an ulcer). At that time, I had a choice between beer and pop, and chose beer. That didn't do it, so I had to give up beer too. Finally figured out the right combination of things to get my stomach right, so I can drink beer now, but have no desire to go back to soft drinks. I drink a ton of water, mixed with a Gatorade Zero every once in a while.

 

[tim_redd]

If you are drinking multiple a day, try to cut it down to one. Substitute coffee or tea (hot or cold) and drink plenty of water.

 

[cycloner29]

I gave up Mt. Dew for Lent one year and when Lent was over it tasted horrible when I tried it again so I didn't drink it anymore. I'm not a Diet Dew guy either. I think I just needed the carbonation. We got a Soda Stream and used that for a quite some time. I would put a squirt or two of some of those flavored water enhancers. Not to bad. Then Sugar Free Mt. Dew came a long now and now I have one 12 oz can a day.

Knew a guy I used to work with that would bring two 2 liter bottles of Diet Dew in everyday and finish them.

 

[drlove]

quitting soda was one of the hardest things I've ever done. There was a couple years when I worked for Pepsi and drank a lot of Mt.Dew. one year I gave it up for Lent and it was painful as I didn't realize how hard it was going to be. Lots of water and advil helped me get through it the first 2 weeks.

Now I do enjoy a Dt Dr Pepper on very rare occasions, but that is about it.

Good luck.

 

[SCNCY]

Similar to what others have done. I didn't quite completely, but I will get pop when eating out or on very rare occasions buy it from the store. I usually drink a lot of water. I think a lot of my motivation is due to running/working out and my body is no longer young and gets upset if I fill it with junk.

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

I haven't quit but I can't remember the last time I had one. Sometimes on a long road trip I'll want something sweet instead of just water.
Of course when I go to the theater I always say I'm not going to have one and then I get a popcorn and coke. Haven't been to a theater in well over a year for obvious reasons.

 

[Drew0311]

I was addicted to Dr Pepper. I have about one soda a month while eating out