Hi all. I found this web site by doing a search and I sure hope I can fit in here.
I didn't start to get fat until I was about 10 and even then I was just a little chubby. I would loose the weight and then gain it back, not trying for either. I remember getting teased a LOT picked on when I was younger for being overweight even though I look back at pictures and see that I was never more than 20 pounds overweight. In fact, when I graduated from high school I only weighed 104 lbs although I still thought I was really fat, a self-esteem problem resulting from being picked on all the time I guess.
The most I weighed before my son was born was 140, which at 5'0 was overweight for my height. I was depressed for a few years and had gained it, but in the six months before my son was conceived I had lost 20 pounds and felt great. I was finally starting to feel good ablout myself.
I gained 46 pounds with my son, and now 3 years later I still weigh the most I have ever weighed in my life: 155-160 lbs depending on the day. At only five foot tall with a small frame that's quite a bit overweight.
The only way I have ever been able to loose weight before has basically been to not eat. I can't do that now because I'm taking a prescription drug that makes me sick to my stomach if I don't eat a lot with it. I take 2 of those a day so that's 2 meals I have to eat.
I think my biggest problem is that I have a HUGH Pepsi addiction. My mom said my great grandfather used to put it in my bottles when I was a toddler so this is basically a 25+ year addiction. I've been drinking a ton of it for as long as I can remember. The only time I have quit drinking it was when I was pregnant and even then I think I had a few sips here and there and was still drinking caffeine free. I knew I should have never had that whole regular one a few months after my son was born cause I've been back on it full force since then.
I just don't know how to do it. If I don't have one first thing in the morning I get massive headaches for the rest of the day. If I go for more than several hours without one I get bad headches. I've tried switching to diet, or one, and all the others, but I can't stand them: the taste makes me want to throw up. I can't stand anything with nutrasweet or equal or even splenda in it. The taste is horrible. And I hate water. I've never liked it. I'll drink gaterade, but get tired of it pretty fast. I've tried propel, but after one I just can't drink one for a long time. I don't like whatever they put in that.
Now, I can't stand myself and I feel embarrased whenever I'm in public. I hate being this fat and it's affecting my relationships with my family. I've cut back to about one 2 liter every 2 days, with suppliments from the corner store ( 20 oz fountain pepsi).
I'd be happy to be back at 120 at this point though I really want to get down to 104 again.
Anyone else overcome this addiction?

I've had a pepsi addiction my whole life.I clued in one day that i was drinking a whole days worth of calories in pepsi alone.I was still eating too.I don't like diet so it wasn't an option.Of course you get headaches without it.The stuff is full of caffine.I cut back to one can a day a year ago because i knew i would never lose weight otherwise.Neither will you.The headaches will subside after a couple days.Take a tylenol.I drink a gallon of water everyday so most of the time i am too full for my one pepsi.Gatorade is loaded with sugar too so that isn't a good option.If you want to lose weight make the sacrifice,we all have to give up something.

My mom was totally addicted to pepsi all her life. And she tryed lemonade crystal light, in the shake n' go packs for water bottles, and now thats all we drink. Its awesome! You should give that a try! It really worked for her.

Good Luck <3

Try alternating soda and water. I drink 17oz of water to 12oz of soda (sometimes I don't finish the soda and it becomes stale..I don't allow myself to open another one) then I drink 17oz of water, etc. I start the day with water and end the day with water. It ends up that I have 2 sodas (I drink diet). I also use the flavored crystal light.

My boyfriend has a MASSIVE soda and energy drink addiction. he has to have his caffine every day. But because he's trying to lose weight, he switched to Tea.

Tea with just a touch of sugar. Same amount of caffine... a fraction of the calories.

Hi,

I just joined the site today and your post caught my eye. I had a huge diet coke habit a couple of years back, I used to drink six cans a day. Even though it was diet I feel it acted like a trigger and helped by weight balloon up to 194lbs. I'm managed to loose the weight between October 2004 and September 2005 getting down to a healthy 141. However, my lifestyle has completely changed in the last year and I'm now back up to 157.5lbs. And guess what I've noticed has jumped with my weight, my diet coke intake. In order to cut out the diet coke I had to ask myself what it was about the drink I liked so much, and once I had narrowed it down I looked for an equally satisfying substitute. I asked myself was it the caffeine, the flavor, or the texture? For me stupid as this may sound it was the bubbles So I ended up trading in my diet coke for sparkling water and for me it really worked, plus it made my teeth look so much nicer. How about you what is it about pepsi that you like so much? Are you a bubble lover too?

HI, I've been a pepsi fan since I was little and was raised in a house of coke freaks! I'm a diabetic and still couldn't give it up. It wasn't till this past spring when my husband couldn't bring me shopping for awhile so I had no access to buying pepsi when I realized only after 3 or4 days that I lost that bloated feeling and I wasn't eatting as much because I didn't have a nice cold pepsi to go with it, a few weeks later me and my sister went out to lunch and they didn't have pepsi there so I got ice water and was surprised to notice I didn't order half as much if there was pepsi. Everyone I've talked to including my Doctor said Soda makes you crave bad carbs and it is really true, plus there is 16 teaspoons in a small glass of soda, Last week my sister brang me a pepsi since it had been about 3 months since I had one and I was so excited! I took a big sip and ugh! it was so sweet! I a couple of more sips and then all I could do was burp, my body just doesn't it want it anymore. Now the weight is finally starting to come off. Think of this, if you were going to have some chips and dip but only could have a coffee with it I bet you would skip the chips and dip because you just wouldn't enjoy it as much. Just go cold turkey!! In a couple of days it will get easier and easier. I hate diet soda but, I do like diet orange byPolar but, I noticed even with the diet I still tend to over eat so now I don't even bother. Good luck.

Cold Turkey, that's my best advice. I gave up my Pepsi addiction on May 10, 1998 when I first started Weight Watchers. I decided I wasn't going to "pay" 3 points for each can when I was drinking almost a 12 pack a day.

Headaches? Yes, ma'am! You betcha. TWO WEEKS worth. I found Excedrin to help because Excedrin has some caffeine in it.

Once the two weeks was over with, the headaches were gone and so was the addiction. I did not substitute for another soda. I'm not a big fan of plain water so I buy the flavored stuff. I'm not crazy about Propel, too strong a flavor, but Nestea puts out a calorie free flavored water that pretty mild. Dasani has one as well. If you like the carbonation try the carbonated flavored waters that K-Mart or Walmart carries.

At this point, I'll have a Diet Coke/Pepsi when I'm out for a treat. A "regular" is like sipping syrup to me. It won't take long before you don't miss it at all, I promise.

Just my 2 cents.

Former MAJOR pepsi fan here. I decided to stop cold turkey and I had a headache for several days. However, i stopped cold turkey from everything, pop, fast food, fried foods and perhaps that was withdrawal from too many things. However, I wanted to post because 1) some have posted some great suggestions and 2) to let you know that I feel soooo much better since I stopped. I haven't drank a drop of pop for almost 3 weeks and it feels sooo good. Not only does my body physically feel better, but mentally as well. No longer do I feel prisoner to POP. It is amazing the hold that it can have on you. So anyways, please hang in there and kinda wean yourself off of it. It is so worth it. I'll be rooting for ya!

Elycia

I gave up full flavored pepsi at the beginning of the year. I tried to give up soda completely but I realized I really liked the carbonization (sp?) in the soda so now I only drink Pepsi One or Diet Dr Pepper Berries and Cream. I usually only have 1 or 2 max a day. If I do have a pepsi with full flavor I can hardly finish it. I drink more water and I like to put those crystal light packets in it to give it a sweet taste. It was a hard two weeks going without but I have lost 20lbs since. (I also do weight watchers) Oh, yeah fresca black cherry is really good, no sugar, no caffene, and no diet taste.

I think I am a bubble lover. I'm just not satisfied with drinks that aren't carbonated. The non bubbly ones just don't do it for me.

I do like iced tea, but I've noticed that it really stains my teeth worse than pepsi. I was drinking it for a while, but couldn't stand the stains. Plus, I like my tea strong ans for some reason I just couldn't get it sweet enough to satisfy me last time (I use the premixed stuff). It's always tasted fine before, but maybe I'm just too used to all the sugar in Pepsi?


That's true. There are a number of things I won't eat if I don't have a pepsi, and chips and dip are one of them!


Another thing that's a problem for me is that I use Pepsi to relieve my stress. I finally figured that out a few months ago. Whenever my son does something that irritates me or stresses me, the first thing I do is practically run to the fridge and pour myself a glass.

i'll have to try the fresca black cherry.

I really admire those of you who did it cold turkey. That's so hard to do. Didn't your family want to kill you? My head hurts so bad that I can't get out of bed and I drive my husband crazy because I get really crabby and mean the few times I've unsuccessfully tried to do it.
It's expensive, but maybe I'll have to buy the cans and slowly try to wean myself off again by cutting back on one can a day. I almost did it before, I was down to 4 oz of pepsi a day, but then I didn't have time to cook a meal for lunch, my sister was with me and wanted to go to taco bell. So we went and it was cheaper for me to share a meal than to order separate tacos and pop, and being short on cash that's what I did. And of course, those meals come with a large drink I think so, it was in front of me so I "had" to drink it. I just have no self control. Plus, my husband likes to sabbotage me. If I'm trying to cut down, he'll come home with a nice fountain pepsi ( my favorite).
I've been trying to have another baby and I know it would help me increase my chances of getting pregnant if I could loose some weight, cause it helped the first time. I also know that I could make myself stop drinking regular pepsi if I got pregnant cause that's the only thing that helped me before.

I am right there with you!!! I have a major diet coke addiction, that I so need to break. I gave it up once for about 2 months, but once we went to Veag that all went straight out the window. Hmm...maybe another cold turkey is in my future

Hi,I also was hooked on Pepsi,then I switched to diet pepsi.I grew up in a PEPSI houeshold.I was at a point thats ALL i wanted and needed to drink.It wasnt until my mom went without Pepsi for a while that she told me she felt better and didnt crave it anymore or didnt have the urge to want to eat more with it.I felt like my food didnt tast as good without it,,,lol.I tried cutting myself back little here little there.Now when I go shopping I buy myself 1-6pk of diet cans.Having it in the house makes me feel better than knowing I dont have it.But i leave it in a cupboard i dont use often.Better out of sight out of mind.I drink flavoed sparkling water,water with crystal light added to it(a good flavor is peach tea),water with lemon(my mom got hooked on that).Fresh brewed ice tea is really good too.Now unless i go into that cupboard my pepsi stays there.Knowing I have it in the house should i have one of those bad days where i just HAVE to have it,and it gives me a sense of relief.Now i can make a 6pk last up to 2 weeks at a time.I was drinking5-8cans a day or a 2ltr or more a day.I do feel better.Its just a suggestion,try to buy a 2liter or 6pk and put it where u dont really look into regularly.It helped me.Good luck!!!

My name is Jen and im a D. Coke freak. I love it. I love caffine free Diet coke. .and reading these posts have made me cry. I so need to stop.

It is so bad for you and i know that. its the Cold very cold fresh taste for me. However i have been 2 days now without one. and im gonna keep going thank you for the encouragement this posts has given me

I used to think we were out of groceries if there wasn't Pepsi and Mountain Dew in the house. I'd make a special trip to town to get some if we ever ran out. My main weakness was in drinking at least 6 of the 20 oz. bottles per day of Mt. Dew. I stopped this cold turkey about 14 months ago and haven't had one since. Yes, I had horrible headaches for about 4 days and was a real grouch to be around. I drink coffee, tea or water now. I still don't like the taste of diet soda and rarely have it. Once I changed my lifestyle , it didn't take long to figure out that I'd never lose weight if I kept drinking the regular pop because I was getting more than my daily calorie requirements from pop alone.