I've always tried to look after my health with a good diet and exercise. Soda is no good for you, but that Mt. Dew is really tough to quit. I have tried and failed. Not sure there is any shortcuts other than to suck it up and do it. I guess there are worse vices, but that's no excuse.

It's tough, but doable.

I used to drink soda several times a day, every day. I had initially switched to diet soda, but that's still not good for you.

So I decided to quit cold turkey about 10 years ago. Keeping a large bottle of water handy really helped. I just kept swigging on that all day, and drinking coffee in moderation when I needed a caffeine fix. After a few weeks, I didn't even really want soda any more.

Now I drink coffee in the mornings, water the rest of the day, and a few beers a week. I have maybe 2 or 3 sodas a year nowadays. I'll very rarely pick up a bottle from a gas station when I'm on a long road trip and have to stop for a break, or if I'm really dragging ass and I'm at a restaurant that doesn't have coffee.

The occasional soda is fine, allow yourself that. Drinking soda every day is what needs to stop. Gradually reduce the amount you consume, and don't be too hard on yourself.

What Arc said. If you can quit entirely, great. If you want one and have one occasionally that isn't going to cause you any harm.

Drinking soda, diet or otherwise, every day is a health killer.

I quit pretty much every day soda a few years ago. Just kinda stopped.
I'm lucky if I have a soda a month now. Coffee, different story.
It's tough, hang in there.

I call it Liquid Crack.

I used to drink Diet Mt. Dew as my only source of caffeine. Caffeine withdrawal was not fun. That was 4 years ago and I still drink a lot of ice water. I use this: 64oz double wall jug, to refill my 30oz cup. I sip it all day.

Yep. They say the caffeine is there for taste. I believe it is there for a captive market share. Quitting Dr Pepper has been a difficult thing for me. I became addicted before I knew it and have struggled to quit it through various convolutions of logic and strategy. I tried tapering, mixing with diet and non-caffeinated soft drinks and cold turkey. I am finally down to half a can a day. What worked for me is drinking a glass of water first and then waiting 20 mins before hitting the DrP.

A "Hillbilly Breakfast" = A Mountain Dew & a cigarette!

I don't drink or smoke, soda (coke) is my one major vice. I am in terrible shape and diabetic so it should go but I cant cut it out. I drink way less than I used to, I used to drink 8 - 10 20oz bottles a day, now I drink 3 cans of diet a day.

I'm the weekends I enjoy an ice cold Mexican Coke with real sugar

Google Image search some of the nastier side effects of diabetes.

You're welcome!

I haven’t had a sugar soft drink in well over a year.

There is nothing good about them. It’s not the caffeine. It’s the insane amount of sugar.

Trying to keep my kids from drinking them all the time.

I’ll have artificially sweetened seltzer water daily, but no sugar for me.

While I’ve cut way back on Diet Pepsi, I love a Monster with breakfast each day. I never drink more than one a day unless I’m on a long drive. Haven’t drank a cup of coffee in over 20 years.

Then there’s Warren Buffett’s diet - 5 Cokes and McDonalds.

Mike

caffeine , sugar, tobacco, salt, coco.

it gets a hold and won't let go

For 50 I was a cola addict. It was my Main source of food. I was living on sugar almost exclusively. Drank over a dozen large bottles a week.

One day I stopped liking Coke altogether but could still drink Pepsi in huge quantities.

My wife made me switch, slowly, to lighter sodas (the darker the color, the worse to your health, they say). Eventually, I moved to flavored water and that is what I drink now. Mostly apple flavored, the occasional grapefruit or orange.

It's doable and healthier. Find another drink and switch patiently.

I discovered food in my fifties....

Can't stand coke anymore. I can drink Pepsi once in a while. A can, tops.

I used to drink a ton of diet soft drinks (colas and dew) but about four years ago I switched to home made lemonade with very little sugar and good ole water. I'm not sure what caused the switch. Honestly I don't feel any healthier now although I don't have a ringing in my ears due to aspartame. I guess no ear ringing is healthier. I just got tired of soft drinks. I do still like my rum and cokes.

Switch to Mello-Yello and taper off...

Funny story- back in high school I went to a keg party and lost big at quarters. Somehow, I managed to not puke, but had to go work my pump jockey job the next morning. With about 4 hours of sleep. And still pretty much out of sorts.

I started feeling really nauseous about an hour in and drank 2 ice cold Mt Dews from the machine. I felt better for about, oh, maybe 10 minutes. Then I could feel my stomach rebelling against the introduction of 24 oz. of carbonated green sugar water. I ran to a trash can in the garage bay and heaved just as one of the tow truck guys was rounding the corner. He said it looked like I was throwing up antifreeze

quote:

addicting

?

YGTBSM.

My old boss from Germany used to head straight to Target from the airport to buy Mountain Dew because it's unavailable in Germany. I swear, that was his main reason for wanting to come to trade shows in the US. I don't get it. I haven't had a soft drink in about two years and had them very rarely before that. My dentist always tells me she can see I never drink soda. Water is just fine until it's booze time later in the day.

I had a hardcore 5 bottle a day bottle dew addiction back in high school and college.