Kicking the Soda Habit

I have been drinking soda (at times either regular or diet) almost my whole adult life (terrible habit, I know).

This being my third pregnancy, I have made a decision to kick the habit. I currently drink regular Coke, maybe 2 servings a day. But I want to stop. I drink water during the work day, milk in the morning and evening as well.....but when I eat dinner....I need my cola fix! Its not the caffeine, its getting the sweetness.

So for the past two days, I have been soda free. Water, tried seltzer (which I absolutely hated) and had my usual milk.

But I don't know if I can keep this up! At dinner, I am just craving! I try to stay away from juice because it is not all that dissimilar in sugar content.

So my question is....if I needed a fix, is it better to have a serving of diet soda? Or is there anything else recommended? I am very picky in general so I need a practical solution.

Re: Kicking the Soda Habit

What about Hansen's natural soda that is sold in Trader Joe's? It's made with cane sugar, it's natural and caffeine free. I would stay away from artificial sweetener and get the regular variety.
Hansens

Kicking the Soda Habit

I don't like seltzer either but I don't mind the flavored seltzer, did you try those?

Kicking the Soda Habit

Sugar is very addicting. So it's definitely very hard to give it up, but if you stick with it, soon you won't crave it as much any more. But in the mean time, would you be willing to mix a little soda in to a big glass of water, so you'd be drinking mostly water with a soda taste? That's what I do sometimes. DH thinks I'm weird, but I've come to prefer it like that. Its more thirst quenching since it's mostly water, but still sweet.

Re: Kicking the Soda Habit

I got a water bottle like this off amazon and I put fresh fruit in it. If you do it the night before, the water gets a TON of sweet flavor.
It's especially good with grapefruit!





Also never was a big seltzer fan either but Polar seltzer makes the best flavors! In Target right now they have the holiday flavors- Tart Cherry and Lime, Blackberry Apple, Champagne Strawberry, Mandarin and Cranberry.

SOOOOO delicious

Kicking the Soda Habit

ugh, I just did this. I have a soda every now and again, helps with headaches, and I'm also preggo so I really wanted to cut it out. it's hard and I get a lot of headaches when I go through withdrawal. But I have cut down tremendously. I HATE flavored water but I drink plenty of plain water.

I have come to like flavored seltzer. It's my new favorite. It took a very long time to like it but I kept trying b/c I wanted that fizz and carbonation. It's a very hard habit but once you do it you won't regret it. Now when I have one, It's ok. I mainly do it for caffeine, I don't drink coffee or tea, and I don't love it anymore

Re: Kicking the Soda Habit

I had a crazy soda habit too (Pepsi, sprite, sunkist). I did cut back a bit and have one every other day (Stuarts cream or grape soda). Maybe you can have one caffeine free coke with dinner per day? Don't do diet, the sweetner is not good.

I think as long as your weight is ok, you don't have to worry.

Kicking the Soda Habit

I cut back but didn't cut it out altogether

Re: Kicking the Soda Habit

I am right there with you- dinnertime is when I always crave a soda. Usually I'll try to drink an iced tea instead, but I feel like it's JUST as bad. I do have the occasional soda, but I try to buy those super little cans (I think 6 oz. or 8 oz.?) and limit myself to that.

Re: Kicking the Soda Habit

If you want soda, I'd have 1 can (to limit your portion) of regular (not diet) caffeine free.

Re: Kicking the Soda Habit

Message edited 12/14/2015 10:10:34 AM.

Re: Kicking the Soda Habit

Re: Kicking the Soda Habit

Re: Kicking the Soda Habit

I always drank diet soda as well and when I was pregnant I switched to flavored seltzer because I needed the carbonation

Re: Kicking the Soda Habit

Just switch to caffeine free. No diet, just regular. My endocrinologist almost had a heart attack when I told her I drink diet soda. She said its much worse for you than regular. The aspartame in it really messes with your metabolism and actually causes weight gain amongst a slew of other health problems. But really, soda isn't terrible during pregnancy as long as you limit it and have caffeine free.

Re: Kicking the Soda Habit

Honestly, I don't even think caffeine free is necessary. My doctor said caffeine is fine- to continue drinking a cup of coffee each day if that's what I've always done. I don't drink coffee at all so a small can of soda doesn't really feel like I'm going overboard with caffeine.

Re: Kicking the Soda Habit

Kicking the Soda Habit

You have to try Hal's New York flavored seltzer. It is amazing, nothing like any other flavored seltzer that I've had, and I drink flavored seltzer all the time. I know it usually has a funky taste to it that you have to get used to but this doesn't at all.

Re: Kicking the Soda Habit

Oh, and I wanted to come back and say you MUST try this.

This stuff is amazing- and nothing artifical at all.

Comes in non carbonated- if you aren't into the fizz of a seltzer.
Truly yummy

Hint Water

Re: Kicking the Soda Habit

I have always had a caffeine problem. I've always had an iced coffee in the AM and several sodas throughout the day. Pregnancy makes me slow it down, but I never stop completely bc it makes me feel worse. I still have a SMALL iced coffee in the AM most days, and if I do that...I try to avoid any soda for the rest of that day. There are days I have one anyway. My body reacts worse when I have no caffeine at all, so I indulge. When I DO have soda, I try to avoid diet soda (even though that's my weakness!) and stick to caffeine free - root beer, orange soda, ginger ale etc. I know some people would disagree with soda in general, but I don't overdo it, so I'm okay with my choice.