Giving up fizzy drinks?

Strepsy

My hubby is an addict too. His is diet coke. We've established that it's not the caffeine he's addicted to as he'll drink the caffeine-free quite happily and doesn't get any withdrawal symptoms. He can go for a week or so without fizzy pop but then he seems crave more and more as the days go by and gives in. I guess for him though, he hasn't any motivation to do it for himself as he doesn't want to give it up, I guess it's just me nagging about the cost and the bad example whereas you have a clearer goal. Just keep that in sight. I gave up smoking so I know breaking an addiction is possible when you're determined. Good luck!

I've never liked fizzy pop, so I don't see the attraction at all. Myself and the kids may have a fizzy drink at the cinema or if we eat out but that's it.

Jamsi

An idea would be to buy squash then dilute it with fizzy water. This would work for lemonade if you bought lemon squash.
As for coke... at least this way you are still getting your fizz!

julbags

Strepsy wrote:

My hubby is an addict too. His is diet coke. We've established that it's not the caffeine he's addicted to as he'll drink the caffeine-free quite happily and doesn't get any withdrawal symptoms. He can go for a week or so without fizzy pop but then he seems crave more and more as the days go by and gives in. I

Strepsy, that's exactly what I was like! I only stopped because I realised it was the diet coke making me feel crap but it did take me a long time (and a lot of diet coke) to get to that realisation . I was determined to beat the cravings this time because I knew it was bad for me, any other time I didn't have that motivation and slowly but surely started drinking it again. As a testament to how vile I find it now there are three 2 litre bottles of dc left over from a barbeque we had just as I had stopped drinking it two months ago - they are still there, normally they would've been finished within a week!

I need to get rid of them but not sure who to give them to and the OH won't touch the stuff now either.

Edimew

Is squash healthier or is it that because you use less it's less harmful.

I recently swapped diet coke for sugarfree dandelion and burdock. I did get terrible headaches for a few days but they passed and D&B tastes nicer than coke so I don't miss it at all.

The problem is that the D&B contains sweetners. I drink lots of water during the day but I like something fizzy at lunch time. I don't like carbonated water but I suppose it could work with squash.

Anyway I'm rambling a bit here, I suppose what I'm asking is which is the better option, ordinary squash or sugar free?

keithsav

Hi,

One tip that might help giving up fizzy pop in favour of water is to force yourself drink sips of water very frequently throughout the day - in this way, you'll stop the thirst pangs from cropping up, keep yourself properly hydrated and you might find you prefer the taste of water (eventually - it worked for me, don't drink fizzy drinks at all now !).

HTH and good luck !

Keith

earthmother

lipidicman (#39) - fair enough if you don't agree with the website I quoted, but it is not the only place where this information can be found, and the book the site quotes has already been recommended earlier in this thread.

Thank you for your link - it certainly goes into more detail on what is admittedly a simplistic and not so well written site such as my link, and I shall study it when I have a little more time.

One thing I did note however is that your site and mine agree on at least one thing - that high intake of caffeine drinks is not good, and act as a diuretic - a link within the site you posted actually says that along with other potential health issues, caffeine (and alcohol) dehydrate the body (was that not what I said?) when consumed in large quantities. Seeing as many of the posters on this thread are talking of their consumption in litres not the odd glass, I think it would probably apply to them.


By the way - the calculation does work - before I had even heard of it my mother and I had both independantly increased our water intake for health reasons, adjusting the volumes until we found a comfortable level at which we felt healthy but not 'bloated' - it wasn't until I found the site and mentioned it to her that we found we had both, by that trial and error procedure, ended up drinking to within 1/4 pint of the recommendation, and we are very different weights.



And in answer to the locked room - I'd take nothing but an empty cup - disgusting as it sounds, it is better to drink your own products than a diuretic when it comes to survival. It's actually a recommended procedure for shipwreck survivors for example who have no source of fresh water.

susank

I gave up all fizzy drinks by buying in Mr T's large 2L bottles of still water and keeping it in fridge at work and home - it feels like a treat to drink it - you could try fizzy instead and its cheap and healthier for you and little one too

smsmasters

I used to drink a litre of coca cola a day, everyday, for the whole year. Then I started getting pain in my kidneys, I just stopped, and got used to the taste of water. I only drink water mostly now, but I drink coke like once a week.

halloweenqueen_2

I swapped for water - not the same but after a few days I felt so much better and it was much much cheaper! Good Luck!

callansdad

I am a Pepsi Max addict, although i am drinking a can of Coke Zero just now as Asda's special offer was not in stock and Zero is the closest thing. I once decided to go cold turkey and i was shocked at the withdrawal symptoms, the sore heads were horrendous, then i started again. At one point i stopped smoking and after a few weeks i noticed that i hadn't had any coke either, i think the 2 addictions go hand in hand for me. Will have to go cold turkey again. I hate diluted squashes and went a week drinking mostly water not long ago and got fed up with it but i am going to have to do it sooner or later.:eek: