I am doing so well but the soda addiction is so hard. I am weaning myself each day but I still just want it. What are others doing to replace soda?

I don't know how you feel about artificial sweeteners, but have you considered diet soda, or those zero calorie drink mixes like Mio or Crystal Light?

I "was" and I LOVE saying "was" a HUGE soda junky. I now drink ice water flavored with MiO about 98% of the time. (My fav is mixing Strawberry Watermelon and Sweet Tea.) I still allow myself the occasional full flavored ice cold Pesi that I love...but it's rare...and I'm good with that.

Less than a month ago, I drank 2 liters of diet pop a day. Now, I drink almost exclusively water. It has to be REALLY cold for this to work and I still don't drink as much as I probably should. But at this point, I don't really miss the pop and I feel better without the carbonation ---and water is a real weight loss aid!

And now my teen son is drinking water instead of his sugary sodas, too --- it might be worth a try to see if you could develop the habit.

I agree with the ice cold water.. I really like my water with lots of ice cubes.. the colder the water is the better.. I also like to add lime or lemon to my water and even thinly sliced cucumbers and a mint leaf.. very refreshing..
Makes u kinda feel like your drinking a fancy spa mojito

I just quit soda cold turkey. I think I've had a couple cans of diet Sierra Mist and just one "Big Gulp" from a convenience store since January. I felt bloated after the Big Gulp, but needed the caffeine as I was driving. Should have bought one of those "power shots" instead. I know you can quit the soda if you want to. Sometimes I think doing it slowly is harder.

Lin

I was a total Mountain Dew addict and have not had any soda since May of 2010. I mostly drink water, but I always had a Dew while watching TV at night, and water would not cut it, so I now have a flavored calorie-free Sobe at night. The Strawberry-Kiwi-Lemonade is my favorite!

I still have a can or two of diet coke a day - one with caffeine as that is my only caffeine source, I don't drink coffee, and then sometimes a second one if I am out or a caffeine-free one at home.

I could see it being a problem if you drink tons and tons of it (or if it wasn't diet), but I personally think that some diet soda in moderation is not that awful, and it makes me very happy. Things that make me happy and that keep me on plan are not things I'm that interested in changing!

Here, here!

I keep herbal ice tea in the fridge and reach for that instead.

I'm with the girls on the water - AND the Ice, Ice, Baby. It' has to be soooo cold.

I also keep iced tea in the fridge for drinking - I buy fancy flavors and mix it up. It's nice to be used to it without the sugar added because, well, I can TASTE the fancy flavors!!!

I'm also a coffee addict. I started my Plan when I was drinking up to a pot a day (DARN YOU Pacific Northwest!!!) I now drink 1 -2 cups of Half-caf each day, no sugar, shot of milk. I'm cool with that. At least, for now. If I cut out everything, I'll quit for sure. (I don't do well with austerity).

I think the key is having stuff ready made and easy to grab. It's that way for snack foods too. We are creatures that live fast and on the go. We crave convenience. I love the idea of the mojito-water. NOM NOM NOM!

Good Luck!

-Kiki

I was an 8 can a day mountain dew addict for years! I loved them so much. I quit completely in June 2010 when I started my diet.
I bought a water purifier pitcher (which has paid for itself many times over) I can keep it in the fridge and keep the water really fresh and cold.
I also enjoy Welches light grape juice it has 50 calories in 8 oz.
Tropicana now makes a light drink found in the cooler section next to the other Tropicana drinks. My favorite flavor is tropical with 10 calories in an 8 oz. glass.
It took about a month for my mountain cravings to go away- but they did. And now I treat myself to a diet dr. pepper or diet mugg root beer every week. If I do taste a real soda now- it is so sweet I don't even like it! I did notice that after giving up all that soda- it makes my food have so much more flavor now. When I do have something sweet- you can really tell it's sweet now. You will be amazed how as time goes by you will be able to give up those soda's and look at all the extra calories it will save you each day

When I started counting calories I gave up soda for fruit juices.
They have the same amount of calories, but the juice is packed with vitamins and minerals.
And fruit juice helps fight off heart disease and stroke. Sodas just can't do any of this.
I drink 10 ounces of juice every day.

And I also drink Mullein Tea because it suppresses the appetite and aids my immune system.

And I drink more ice water, sometimes with a twist of lemon or lime.

Fruit is expected to double in price, so I planted all my own berry bushes, fruit trees and grape vines.
I make juice and freeze it. It has no sprays, artificial colors or flavors. And it tastes so much better than store bought juice.

YOU KNOW IT’S TIME TO DIET AND EXERCISE WHEN......

You try to do a few push ups and discover that certain body parts refuse to leave the floor....

Years ago I was a bad pop addict. I'd drink a 2 litre of 7-Up or Barq's Root Beer a day. It was the first thing I phased out on a diet attempt a few years back, and even though that attempt eventually failed, I got rid of pop for good.

Going cold turkey got quite easy for me after a few days. Trying to gradually cut down didn't work for me at all. As long as you're feeding your body all that sugar, you're going to keep craving it, and it'll be really hard to phase out completely. I craved it like crazy for a week or two when I went cold turkey, but I just ignored it. It went away pretty quick.

My household's tap water is disgusting, even after a filter, so we bought a water cooler (that takes 5 gallon bottles). Now we always have fresh tasting ice cold water. I have learned to love it by itself, but I also love crystal light (especially the iced tea and lemonades). Mio is pretty good too.

We also have a sodastream maker that we bought before I started my diet, but it also a decent compromise if I do really want a soda. Their syrups use a mix of sugar and sucralose, so it doesn't taste as terribly fake as some diet sodas, but it's around 30-35 calories a serving instead of 100+. Generally though, I drink it sparingly, I've lost most of my taste for soda. I don't even like the taste of regular Pepsi anymore, which I was previously addicted to (I still like Pepsi Throwback).