I am beginning a weight loss program in a couple of weeks. It is a pilot program my employer is offering and I can't drink soda on the plan. Since my employer is paying for a good portion of it (lab work, meeting fees, 1/2 the cost of meals etc) the lucky 30 who were chosen have to follow the diet plan each has chosen to a tee or will be asked to leave the program.

I don't smoke or drink.....but Pepsi is my addiction!!! This will be the biggest challenge of the program. I have to drink lots of water and can have crystal light drinks. I have never tried crystal light so hopefully I will like it. I have always had trouble adjusting to the taste of the sweetners and stuff they put in diet drinks that is why I have never been successful in switching to diet soda.

I know I need to start weening myself off the soda before the program begins....but I keep saying "tomorrow I won't have any".....

You can do it! I have myself down to half a can of Diet Pepsi per day, if I have any more than that I feel all gassy and bloated.

Good Luck!

I'm addicted to the caffeine in soda, I used to joke about it when I was in high school, but I had no idea how hard it would be to quit. Obviously it's not as bad as smoking or crack or anything, but for a legal substance that's totally socially acceptable to drink in large quantities, caffeine is really addictive! I quit it cold turkey back in September, switched to drinking cold bottled water instead... getting a plastic bottle out of the fridge made it easier for me, since I was only changing what was in the bottle. Now I just drink water from the dispenser in the fridge.

Since you're drinking regular soda (and a lot of it, if you're anything like me!), then you're going to be AMAZED at how quickly the weight drops off once you quit! Good luck!

Can you switch over to one if the diet ones right now? At least if there are any bad effects from all that sugar withdrawal, you have a little bit of time to deal with it before your boss gets involved.

If you're really desperate you could drink juice for the sugar or flavoured seltzer/carbonated water to get a bit of that pop feel. But I would really try and ween yourself off of it somehow. It's just not a good thing to put into our bodies.

Crystal Lite Focus has 40 mg of caffeine per serving, (about the same as Pepsi) which can help with the caffeine withdrawals from getting off sodas. I get them in the single use packs for water bottles. You can dilute them by putting them in larger water bottles, then you are getting even less caffeine and can gradually wean yourself off.

PEPSI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love Pepsi too. I use to drink at least three cans a day. mmmmmmmmmmmm! I started by limiting myslef to one a day. I would behave all day and then I could have one at supper. I was counting calories so if I was hungry I would sacrafice the pepsi for more food. But most days I would say if I was good and had enough calories for one I could have one. Now I am lucky if I drink three a week. I still love it alot. I drink it like a beer or mixed drink at happy hour on a friday evening. But I know I do not need it anymore!!

One thing that helped me get off the soda (or two) a day track is switching to tea. I've gradually gotten away from that, too. Now, I have a vitamin drink in the afternoon.

How much do you drink a day? When do you start the plan?

Say you drink 6 a day, tomorrow only allow yourself 3. Then starting next week go down to two, then one, then half, then no more. Time it so like if you have two weeks till you start, you cut down by half every 3-4 days.

Hope that helps

My husband used to drink a 2 Liter a day of coke- now he has one can a day with lunch at work, he just decided he drinks too much coke one day and started weaning himself off of having so much.

jamiec, good luck with the program! I, too, would suggest easing yourself off the pepsi - I used to drink more than 2 liters of diet coke every day, and this past spring switched over to green tea. Although green tea isn't as high in caffeine as cola, it helped with the withdrawal - I had few, if any, headaches. I also added mint and or lime juice, to add more flavor.

Best of luck, keep us updated!

That sounds excellent, what brought your employer to help with such a program?

I don't believe I was too addicted to drinking beverages loaded with caffeine like sodas and coffee. That is why it was easy for me to quit drinking both. I now drink more healthy drinks.

I was totally addicted to Mountain Dew for YEARS. I HAD to have a six-pack a day or I got horrible headaches. They are highly addictive.

When I went on Atkins the first time, in 1999, I cut them out cold turkey. I ended up having to take a day off from work because the headache was so bad. But I got through it, and didn't even taste another one until about 2003, and it wasn't very good. You can totally do it, just commit to it and DO IT. I won't lie to you, the detox/withdrawal will suck but after a couple of days you will feel SO MUCH BETTER!!!!!

You aren't giving anything up, you are getting a good healthy weight in return!

I despise soda. I hate what it's done to this country. I hate how at restaurants, parties, gathering, etc you can get a soda no problem but you can't get a glass of water.

My entire family is addicted to Pepsi -- they each have several cans per day, and they are all overweight. I used to drink it too, but in college I made the switch to diet soda, and then last year I gave up all sodas cold turkey. I don't miss it at all, that icky sticky sugary taste in my mouth all the time bleh.

Trust me, you can do this, and then you'll never want to go back.

I'm a recovering Coke addict. I'd snort the stuff if I wasn't afraid of drowning. I used to be a 6-8 can a day guy.

I knew a few weeks ago I'd be on a new weightloss lifestyle starting this week, so I slowly switched from regular Coke to Diet Coke. I hate Diet Coke, but needed the caffeine. That was a week ago. I've slowly over the past week got down to just one can of Diet Coke daily - and no regular Coke! I do have a couple cups of green tea daily now, as well, to curb the addiction. I miss the sugar, but I'm eating more fruits on this weightloss lifestyle change, so that has curbed that addiction.

Onwards and upwards, my friend. It can be done!

I agree- I'm willing to bet my kidneys that if we didn't have such sugary drinks the rate of obesity would decrease dramatically- so many people I know act like the calories in soda and other drinks don't count! One of my good friends drinks a 6 pack of mountain dew a day! I'm like that's like 700 calories a day in DRINKS alone!