Hey I am having some serious issues with craving Pepsi!! I have a serious addiction to it I have reduced my pepsi intake alot!! I went from like 7-8 a day to I have only had like three this week having issues with it. any good advice on healthy drinks I have tried suger free koolaid and water and gateraid. Does water take some time to get accustomed to? I am so ashamed now that I see the number of colas I used to drink. wow it didn't seem I was drinking that much at the time! so are those alternatives good ones? thanks amyz

Are you drinking diet pepsi, or regular? If it's regular, it's probably the sugar that's causing you the most grief. If it's diet, it's the caffeine and/or carbonation.

I know I crave the carbonation more than anything else... dunno why. I like the fizzy feeling I get from it. Anyway, I just try to get those flavored carbonated waters instead. It kinda tastes like store-brand cherry soda, but it doesn't have caffeine, calories, carbs, or sodium. But it's sweet, and it's water, so I'm getting my water in.

I mostly drink flat/plain water when I'm in the gym or working out in a situation where I need to be able to swallow it quickly. (I don't recommend carbonated anything when you need water in a hurry!)

--Janis

I'm just getting over this problem myself.. I was craving coca cola, and I have gone without for a week now.. Yes, it takes a while to get used to plain water. I use Gatorade for workout situations, and if I absolutely have to have something with flavor, I'll drink 100% fruit juice like my kids.. but I am beginning to actually enjoy my water. DH was shocked when he ran in the store yesterday and I told him to get me a water instead of the usual coke... Make sure you drink the water really cold, this always makes it taste much better to me, I can't stand it when it starts to get warm.. I try to keep one in the fridge that I can grab just as it is getting icy... or freeze one overnight and leave it out to sip on all morning. Good Luck!

Dee

I love diet pepsi and used to drink it all the time, but now I drink nothing but water (i don't like milk and only have that when it's in cereal or something) cause when i think of calories in drinks, i figure that i would rather eat something then waste calories on a drink that's going to do nothing for me!

Oh and here's a tip...for me it's easier to drink water when it's ice cold (like Dee said) and also when it's in a water bottle, rather than a glass whenever i can!

I was also a complete pepsi/mt. dew addict until I realized how much i was drinking everyday... so last Halloween, I had my last Mountain Dew, and I've been pop-free ever since. I loathe diet pop, so I don't even try to substitute. It does get boring always drinking plain water, so I started out by drinking a lot of iced tea and crystal light... then I realized the artificial sweetener was giving me headaches... so I'm drinking real lemonade (not often) and iced tea with no sweetener ( I love sweet tea!)... I do like the minute maid light drinks (the limeade is my favorite) but drink it in moderation, or mix it half and half with water so it isn't so strong. If you don't like plain water, you can also try putting a slice of lemon or lime in it to give it a little flavor. I hope this helps, and good luck breaking the pepsi addiction! If I can do it, anyone can!!!

When I got pregnant I gave up all colas, all everything with caffeine, cold turkey. After a few days of headaches (caffeine headaches are baddd!!) I was fine. I had a really good incentive not to slip (my beautiful baby) and I occasionally drank caffeine free soda when I really was craving it.
I went back to drinking an occasional caffeine drink after my daughter was 6 mos old (she nurses so didn't go back to it right away). It got worse and worse til I ended up drinking 5-6 a day again. So when I decided to start eating healthier at the end of January, I decided to wean myself from the soda too, this time because of the empty calories and excessive sugar.
Right now I am only allowing myself one soda/sweet tea a day and only if I have already drank atleast 60 oz of water. I usually have it with dinner because dinner tastes funny w/ water, lol. I plan on getting rid of this daily drink too. I would like to get down to only drinking it on special occasions or as a treat. I mean I know that I will not live the rest of my life without a soda or a frozen coffee (hmmm.. one of my favs) so moderation is the key.
Yes, water takes awhile to make it a habit. Some days I just hate water and end up not drinking much of anything. Most days I try to get atleast 60 oz though.

Hi my name is Christen, and I am addicted to diet coke.
I have been trying to kick it for about 4 months now, and first I switched to caffine free (thinking it was the caffine) but I still can't get rid of them. I had been doing so well, but I bought a new 12 pack today, and I have had 3 already today.

HELP!!!

I'm afraid that there is no easy way to go about kicking the habit. I had to go cold turkey, and although I am finally starting to enjoy water and drink a lot, there are still a few moments during the day when I think I could kill somebody for a coke... I have to say though, that I can't have them in the house.. if they were, I don't know if my willpower would be up to it. When I was trying to quit at first, I wouldn't buy any, but would make myself walk to the commissary here on base if I wanted one. That's not much of a walk, but a long ways to go for a 20 ounce coke when you have water and gatorade in the fridge already. I don't know if it would work for me now that I've started exercising though, since I do more than 4 times that distance on my daily walks, lol. Good luck, and I hope that you are able to kick the habit.

Dee

Yes I think my problem is alot of carbonation I love and I also loath diet sodas so I am just doing the water and watered down flavored drinks we did go out and I had a coke. I thought one os way down from 7-8. and after i got home I did pilates to kind of take off the guilt!! I am going to get some lemon to add to water and see if that helps. but, getting better everyday! and yes caffine headaches are the WORST!!!

I also love the carbanation. Most people don't like Alki-silzer, but I love the taste. I know it is not the caffine because I only drank 7-up which is soppose to be caffine free. I am starting to get use to water. It does have to be cold. And I also like it out of a bottle as opposed to a glass. It is hard sometimes after a meal that pop just goes great with. And I also find that if I put water in a glass that I reg. drank pop out of and go for a drink w/out thinking,I am surprised. I was expecting pop and I got water . Not a good surprise. But it's ok. I am adjusting fine. BUT I may be scarred for life. LOL I try to drink 100% juice watered down. That is actually good. And green tea. W/out sugar. the tea kinda blows but I am sure I will get use to that too. I do not like diet sodas either. love ya sis! keep up the good work! You will cut out pop. You just need to try to find an alterantive you can live with and keep drinking the water!!