HELP!!! What can I do to get rid of the cravings for pop?

@carmella (496)
United States
February 9, 2007 11:22am CST
I am horribly addicted to pop, namely pepsi, and I don't know how to stop drinking it. I'm over weight to start with and I know that pop does not help, not to mention it really is not good for me. Has anyone had this problem and conquered it? If so how did you do it? What did you do to replace the pop? Water is good, but too much is bad, and I need something with a little flavor once in awhile. I drink herb teas, but that does not take the urge away for that pepsi, neither does coffee.
11 people like this
54 responses
@XxAngelxX (2830)
• Canada
9 Feb 07
I don't think anything really takes away the urge as it is very addictive. It's like anything else you are trying to quit, it takes willpower. But you could try replacing that habit with another habit. If you find you want more flavour than something like water, why not find a juice that you like? I think after a few days of this perhaps the cravings will diminish somewhat. Or you could just try cutting back on it. I cut way back on the amount of my pepsi intake when I found out I was pregnant with my son. I too was addicted to it, so what I did was allow myself one glass of pepsi a day and when I found I wanted more, I would substitute juice or chocolate milk instead. Although it didn't "hit the spot" as pepsi would have, I stuck with it and today, 8 years later, I still drink pepsi on occasion but never to the extent I use to. It just takes time, patience and willpower. Sorry I can't come up with something better to help you out, but I wish you luck in quitting.
3 people like this
@carmella (496)
• United States
9 Feb 07
Thank you for the response. I know this is going to be hard, I've been trying for months, but now it seems that if I drink pepsi all day at the end of the day my stomach is bloated and hurting really bad. I used to drink iced tea all the time, but when I met my hubby 12 years ago he was a pepsiholic and I soon was too! The funny thing is that he now is a tea drinker, (I converted him), and I am hooked on the pepsi, LOL. You are right though, it is going to take great will power on my part, and I so much appreciate the support. I know I can do it, I just have to focus. Maybe I need to get hooked on ice tea again, LOL
1 person likes this
• United States
9 Feb 07
good luck it was hard for me to just stop sdoing something
1 person likes this
@carmella (496)
• United States
9 Feb 07
It is so hard to quite a bad habbit, but I quite smoking 10 years ago, surely I can kick the pepsi habbit, I hope. LOL
• United States
9 Feb 07
have you tried diet pepsi? that way you are still getting the caffeind but not the calories? I know my thing is diet dr pepper and i can't do without the caffeine even if I wanted to. I get horrible headaches. you might just try diet pepsi and cut it down to like 1 or 2 a day and then go from there. my sister loves flavored water...i don't like it, but you might like that too.
2 people like this
@carmella (496)
• United States
9 Feb 07
Flavored water could work, but diet anything is gross! I have the worlds best nose and taste buds, and I can taste the diet sweetners even in the tiniest amount and I cannot stand how it taste at all, very nasty, bitter taste. I know most people cannot taste it at all, but me, I taste it all to well. Good idea though if it weren't for that, it would help the sugar intake for sure, butI just cannot stomach that aweful taste.
1 person likes this
• United States
9 Feb 07
LOL i don't mind SOME diet like diet dr pepper, but diet pepsi and especially diet coke is disgusting!!! LOL well, good luck to you! :)
1 person likes this
@carmella (496)
• United States
9 Feb 07
Thank you! I think just getting it out of the house will be the biggest help to me. I had a two liter in the fridge, and yes, I have the rest of it right here next to me, LOL Once what I have left is gone, it's over, I will not buy any more, I will be strong! : )
1 person likes this
• United States
9 Feb 07
I used to think I couldn't go without drinking pop, either. I drank mostly diet, so I wasn't used to the high sugar levels. I just decided to stop and drink it only once in a long while. I stopped buying it and drank 100% juice or milk. Now, I just drink a can of pop a month or less. I know you can do the same. Now that I've stopped for quite some time, I don't have a craving anymore. Water is fine as long as you're drinking it when you're thirsty and not forcing yourself. I filter mine. By the way, thanks for drinking Pepsi. I own stock in that company. ;) :)
@carmella (496)
• United States
9 Feb 07
LOL, I think I have stock in that company too, LOL I think a big help to quiting will be not letting myself be tempted into buying it when I go shopping. If it is not in the house I cannot drink it. I know that as you said, once I have been without it for awhile I will not crave it anymore, and that is something to look forward to. I always filter my water. Our city water smell like a swimming pool and taste like, I'm not sure what that taste is, nasty is what it is, LOL
1 person likes this
• United States
10 Feb 07
Excellent, if it doesn't go in the cart, it can't come home!
1 person likes this
• Canada
9 Feb 07
hey don't try to stop cold turkey man i used to dirnk 12-24 cans a day man all you have to do is switch to ginger ale then to juice then to water. if you drink water only it will help you lose a couple as well i was extremely overweight and now i am still a little big but over 6mths i lost 60lbs and this happened after i stopped eating sugar all together and now i only drink water(no pop)
2 people like this
• United States
10 Feb 07
Congrats on your weight loss! And great idea on how to cut down. Its hard to go "cold turkey" on things that you are so used to having in your life. Starting slow is always most successful.
1 person likes this
@RobinJ (2501)
• Canada
10 Feb 07
it may not be the Pepsi that is the problem but the sugar, It takes 3 full days to rid your body of the craving for sugar, also I don't know where you got the idea that too much water is bad, it is almost impossible to over do water. If you replaced your pop with water You would be in much better shape and if it is the regular pop you will loose about 25 pounds in 3 month. For each can of 12Oz is 160 calories. all of this is sugar 1 teaspoon is 15 calories so in effect every time you drink one 12 oz can you can sit down and eat 10 teaspoon fulls of sugar with a class of water. If you do the math you will see how many empty calories you are consuming. I would not recommend you use the artificial sweeteners as they just keep your craving for sugar or sweet stuff going. It will be difficult but it can be done, keep up with the herbal teas and best of luck
@skydancer (2101)
• United States
10 Feb 07
Like several people have already said, you cannot break old habits without forming new ones. I think it's a question of a lifestyle change (or at least small changes one can make within their lifestyle that can have big results) rather than a question of willpower, but this probably depends on the individual (I understand some people muster the willpower to cut it out for an extended period of time and that just makes them want it more and more, and thus they eventually OD again), in which case something would have to replace the soda in such a way that you don't feel deprived. Unfortunately, I don't know what that is, and everyone's answer would probably be a different one. Maybe you could try "tapering" yourself off of it. Take however many cans/bottles of soda you drink on a normal day, and try to drink one less tomorrow, and once you're consistent enough with that, try to eliminate one more, etc., and maybe eventually you can get to where you are more in control of how much you're consuming. This is just an idea. Please forgive me if you have already tried this.
2 people like this
@Pmcbride (1081)
10 Feb 07
I know you have said this before, but i used to like pepsi (or coke), and my wife dared me to change to diet, i, like you couldn't stand the taste of artificial sweetner, but now (after forcing myself to drink it) actually prefer diet pepsi (or diet coke), i find now that the sugar builds up on my teeth and leaves an aftertaste that i don't like. It took me a while (2 or 3 months) but it was worth it, just try it, as diet pop is better than no pop at all, willpower is the key, just tell yourself that this is all you will drink so like it or not you WILL get used to it. It is difficult but you will get used to the taste of it.
2 people like this
@cikedo (3483)
• United States
10 Feb 07
Instead of quitting drinking soda why don't you switch to diet pepsi. There are 0 calories so that would help fix the weight problem. I stopped trying to give up soda a long time ago. It was too hard considering that is practically all that my family buys.
2 people like this
• Philippines
10 Feb 07
Why not try drinking juice or ice tea those have flavors...Too much pop is dangerous to your health...My brother-in-law who has diabetes was told to stop drinking to much pop..I guess he got that there. Maybe once a day wont hurt....bu drink only when you crave but just once...If you can still hold it stick with juices or iced tea.
2 people like this
@krishkorp (427)
• India
10 Feb 07
It takes a lot of willpower to conquer such addictions.Anyways after having such a determination divert yourself into fresh fruit juices ,health wise it's awesome.That should take u off pop for a while then after wards it's in ur hands to continue with juices or just leave it.All the best for ur try anyways.
2 people like this
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
9 Feb 07
I too drink too much pop. My brand of choice is Coke. I have quit before and got terrile headaches. My dr told me to never just up and quit suddenly. YOu must do it slowly. Decrease the amount you drink each day till you are not drinking it.
2 people like this
• Canada
10 Feb 07
Hi , I also am addicted to Pepsi and got this addiction from my friends , as everytime I would go see her that is what she would offer me and that started my addiction . This same friend got off the Pepsi herself last year and how she did it was by getting the Welches's Grape Juice and this was what she drank instead . She said the first couple of days were the worst for her . You could probably try any kind of juice you like and try to replace it with that . Good Luck !
2 people like this
@docjudie (42)
• United States
10 Feb 07
Well I have good news and bad..You are addicted to oth the sugar and caffiene...but it iwll only take about 4 days for the constant craving to stopl.. Plus you will be saving thousands of calories and will lose weight. Get sugar free soda ..you'll get used to it and before long regular sode will seem "too sweet" Make sure you do get some caffiene..or else it could lead you bcak to the pop..iced tea..(with artificail sweetner" will give you a boost of caffiene but no sugar.
• United States
10 Feb 07
For some reason if I eat a pickle when I am craving sugar, the craving goes away! I don't know why.
2 people like this
@AndreaM76 (1164)
• United States
9 Feb 07
Water is only bad if you go excessive but it takes alot of water to be excessive. I have an addiction as well to that caffiene. Water really is the solution. You can drink a gallon in a DAY and be safe. If you drink it in an hour there might be some caution there but water all the way. If this really concerns you about drinking too much ask your Dr. to be safe. this may not be the best advice but since it's the caffine we are craving I take the generic walmart excedrine since it equals one cup in two tablets and it keeps me from having headaches from withdraws. So water and Excedrine.
1 person likes this
@AndreaM76 (1164)
• United States
10 Feb 07
Good for you Joel. When I was in my early 20s' is when I startedgetting addicted to soda. I was waiting tables and ususally drank water but this restraunts water tasted so bad even lemon didn't cut it. I then started drinking half sprite and half coke. it was tasty and now I've been hooked onto Dr. pepper for a few years now. I quit smoking cold turkey a year and half ago so Now I gotta kick this addiction. My hubby bought a new Bowflex revolution spriaflex machine and the weight loss section says to drink four 32 oz glasses of cold water aday to start. This will get you kidneys to do what they are supposed to do by processing the fat an motabolizing it. Drinking cold water is abonus becasue it burns calories to prcess it. Anway this is my plan. it should give you something to think about.
1 person likes this
@carmella (496)
• United States
10 Feb 07
I've heard that too. It would makes sense that ice water would burn more caleries, because your body has to use more energy to warm it up. If you quite ssmoking cold turkey, (I did too), then you can do this. I'm sure I can to, especially with all the support coming from everyone here! Oh and enjoy your weight machine, I'd love to have one of those.
• United States
9 Feb 07
u guys can do it ive been drinking coffee since i was 9 and i can stop when ever.somethimes i have it 1ce a month maqybe 2wice but i usaully only have like 20 a year
1 person likes this
@cutepenguin (6431)
• Canada
9 Feb 07
I get like this sometimes, although not with pepsi. What I did was: I used little cups. (really small ones like for kids). I'd pour myself a cupful of pop, and then I'd let myself drink it, but not in the kitchen. Before I could drink another, I'd have to have a full glass of water or milk. I tracked it. I wrote down everything I was drinking and about how much. This way I could see when I started improving, and that helped me to improve more. I tried lots of different drinks, for variety and to make it more fun. I had lots of little crystal lite packets, and different kinds of juices. Now I buy one bottle of pop each month. It's a lot better.
2 people like this
@chello63 (305)
• Philippines
10 Feb 07
you must take it slowly by step by step in stopping drinking pop... you must drink water in replacing pop..if you really want to quit try your best to stop it.
1 person likes this
@KHyuga (1694)
• Singapore
10 Feb 07
Yes, it will be a slow and painful process to get rid of your addiction but when you finally do it, you will be glad that the effort is well worthed it.
1 person likes this
@shywolf (4514)
• United States
9 Feb 07
Carmella, the only thing I know to suggest off hand is to buy diet sodas. There are so many of those out there that have zero calories in them. You can also get a lot of decaffienated brands that have zero calories. To me, those ar the best, because I was having a real problem with caffeine when I got really addicted to soda pop. Anyway, yes, drinks with a lot of calories in them really do help to add up when it comes to gaining or losing weight. I took all caloric drinks out of my diet, along with a lot of junk food, and that helped me to lose a lot of weight these past few years. So you are doing a good thing looking to replace your pop with something with less calories. But you really can get a lot of zero calorie sodas nowadays. My house was full of cartons of them these past few months, lol! ^_^
1 person likes this
@carmella (496)
• United States
9 Feb 07
(I'll respond to both your post in this one) I'm not just trying to get away from the sugar, I want to get away from carbonated drinks alltogether. I bought a book called "Your not sick, your thirsty", and it talks alot about sodas and how bad they are for our bodies. I also will never be able to deal with artificial sweetners. I have a big issue about putting man made chemicals and such into my body. Not to mention I know there is no way I will ever be able to deal with that nasty taste, LOL I'm just not going to buy any more, and maybe I'll try my herb teas on ice, I use honey in those. Hopefully the cravings will not last too long.
• United States
9 Feb 07
ya buy det and then slowly quit!
1 person likes this
@max1950 (2306)
• United States
10 Feb 07
magnesium supplements will reduce your craving for sweets.and their also good for the body,or if you like fruit,keep the ones you like the best on hand,and have a piece to reduce the cravings :)
1 person likes this
@max1950 (2306)
• United States
10 Feb 07
but since i have stock in pepsi be my guest,ENJOY!!!!!!
1 person likes this
@lisa101 (1362)
• United States
9 Feb 07
I am also addicted to mnt. dew but i feel like i wouldn't want it so bad if i didn't smoke. I can go without mnt. dew if i don't smoke but as soon as i light up a smoke i got to have a glass of mnt.dew. I don't really know of any good drinks that are diet you could replace your pepsi with. However diet mnt.dew does taste a little better than the other diet sodas or atleast they do in my opinion. Try some diet drinks and see what you think. It will help with your weight hopefully.
2 people like this