Freed myself from Coke/Candy-Bar Habit

[seeker5]

Hey, on Dec. 24, I completed a 30 day trial of not drinking any sodas and not eating any candy bars, chocolate, or junk food for snacks.

I had tried it back in September (here), but did not succeed. Each week I kept drinking more then previous until I was back to drinking 3 cokes a day by the fourth week.

So, the Sunday after Thanksgiving (Nov. 26), feeling so bloated and quite unhappy with feeling so lethargic, I made a huge psychological shift to do this trial again. This time, I didn't focus on my health and I didn't focus on doing all of these extra things (such as sleeping during lunch, exercising) so that I could avoid coke. The problem with that was that when I wouldn't do one of those things to help me quit coke, that'd be my excuse to drink coke.

So, this time, I focused on something that feels much more important to me - I focused on one of my most important values - my freedom. Freedom is hugely important to me, and I want to be the kind of man who is not a slave to these addictives. I made the decision that no matter what; I would not drink coke or eat candy bars. It became more important then my job, then anyone else or any other goals I had. I did do a lot of the things I had done earlier (exercise, sleep during lunch, eating light meals, etc) and even more to help counter-act the effect of the withdrawal from caffeine and sugar-highs. However, this time, if I missed one of these things, it didn't matter, because I was so incredibly determine that nothing would get me to drink coke or eat a candy bar during this trial.

I also didn't care that I was doing this trial during the one month of the year in which there is the most temptations to eat chocolate, junk food, etc. I knew that doing this in the month of the Christmas season would make success even sweeter. I had made my decision and drawn the line of battles.

So, when I finished my 30 day trial on Dec. 24, I felt that it was the best Christmas present that I received this year. The feelings of being free from caffein and sugar-highs for the first time in 7 years feel so wonderful in so many ways.

[rusty]

Congratulations seeker5 on your success . I have also stopped drinking coke. It has been about 5 months since I have stopped. This was hard for me to accomplish,but after looking at all the ingredients that are in coke it gave me the strength to quit.

[seeker5]

Originally Posted by rusty

Congratulations seeker5 on your success . I have also stopped drinking coke. It has been about 5 months since I have stopped. This was hard for me to accomplish,but after looking at all the ingredients that are in coke it gave me the strength to quit.

Thanks Congrats on your success too!

[Lucas]

Congratulations! The act of removing pop from my diet became a huge catalyst for so many of my other changes and thirty day trials. All you need for a 30 day trial to work is to have a desire for something that is stronger than the need for the thing you are stopping.

Keep it up!

[Zombie]

I'd love to kick the habit - at almost 3 liters (1 and a half big bottles) a day I could lose something like 800 calories a day without changing my eating habits.

What do you drink now? Water? I keep falling off the wagon because I'm so used to drinking Coke with meals (and every other second of the day). I've tried water and tea with meals and it just doesn't seem right.

Also, did anyone get the caffeine withdrawal headaches? How did you get through that?

Congrats on your success!

[Lucas]

Originally Posted by Zombie

I'd love to kick the habit - at almost 3 liters (1 and a half big bottles) a day I could lose something like 800 calories a day without changing my eating habits.

What do you drink now? Water? I keep falling off the wagon because I'm so used to drinking Coke with meals (and every other second of the day). I've tried water and tea with meals and it just doesn't seem right.

Also, did anyone get the caffeine withdrawal headaches? How did you get through that?

Congrats on your success!

I only drink water, and sometimes beer because I like it so much. The way I got through it was only doing it for 30 days. Its temporary! After that time I can decide if it was beneficial, if not, out for a 12 pack. I felt so much better, that I never picked up another...not even to see if I still like it.

The way to get rid of the headaches is to get the caffeine and reliance on it out of your body. Sort of catch 22 eh?

[seeker5]

Originally Posted by Zombie

What do you drink now? Water? I keep falling off the wagon because I'm so used to drinking Coke with meals (and every other second of the day). I've tried water and tea with meals and it just doesn't seem right.

Yes, I only drink water now, with some fruit juice in the morning usually.

Also, did anyone get the caffeine withdrawal headaches? How did you get through that?

When I tried it in September, I got headache only the first day. This time when I tried it starting Nov. 26, I got no headache at all. However, I was very tired the evenings of the first week and a half. However, that may in part also have been because the same day I stopped drinking coke, I also re-started getting up at 5am instead of 7am. After the second week, I started feeling quite awake and good most of the day, better then pre-stopping coke.

Congrats on your success!

Thanks . This is my third attempt this year, (the first was in July and it lasted only one day). Keep trying new things and new ways of quitting and eventually you'll find the way that works for you.

[seeker5]

Originally Posted by Lucas

Congratulations! The act of removing pop from my diet became a huge catalyst for so many of my other changes and thirty day trials.

That's true! Now with the success of this trial, I can look at a 30 day trial of being a vegan and know I can successfully do it. I'm even looking at a 30 day trial of being a RAW Vegan, which doesn't sound as farfetch now as it did before I succeeded this trial here.

[quin]

I've almost gone 2 weeks without chocolate bars and lollies. I can't believe how easy it's been?

I have tried before with little success. But for some reason this time, something psychologically has just clicked!

[Honeywith4bees]

That"s so great Seeker5!
It reminded me of myself in college, I lived on candy bars and cokes, literally nothing else (except maybe some beer!!)
Caffeine and sugar, probably the most difficult two things to give up aren't they? I was impressed (and inspired) with your decision to use "freedom", as your motivator. Nice work!

[elastigirl]

excellent,thats why I am doing this 3 day water fast,to rid my sytem of chocolate,soda and any fatty foods.

u are a great inspiration

[Ralph]

Good job. Congratulations especially for huge commitment you put into this.
I was addicted to candies aswell. I once tried no solid food detox ,but managed to survive only a day. Than I started reading more about how toxic they are and I gradually became less interested in eating candies. The complete shift happened when I decided not to eat unneccesary sugar at my early rising trial.
It is exeptionally hard to read books and watch movies without candies to snack. My mind automatically connects those.

[shiggityjoe]

thats incredible. I really need to send this to my buddy mike. Mike is, in summary, a fat slob. Check out this YouTube video I made of him - YouTube - Cookie Monster

[Lucas]

Originally Posted by shiggityjoe

thats incredible. I really need to send this to my buddy mike. Mike is, in summary, a fat slob. Check out this YouTube video I made of him - YouTube - Cookie Monster

Wow. That reminds me of myself, though not to that extreme. I had horrible horrible heartburn. Now the only thing that gives me heartburn is when I use a lot of habanero sauce. But it takes quite a bit.

That boy is a slave to sugar. Hopefully he wakes up someday.

[shiggityjoe]

yeah, hes actually gained some weight. I plead with him nearly everytime we hang out. He promises me that when he goes back to school (its still the last of winter break) he is going to eat right.

Ever notice that when people decide to start diets at some distant date, they tend to never get around to them? I wonder why...Priority.

I gotta make mike care somehow. When I showed him that video he just cracked up and rewinded it to when he burps and farts, he's like an ogre.

[medaille]

I've been popfree for about two weeks now. What I've done that's helped was I brought in a Nalgene bottle filled with juice. I make the "old orchard" at home and fill it up when I go to work. It's a 100% juice and helped replace some of the sugar energy I've been missing. (I'm still not 100% eating a full breakfast yet, about half the time I drink a green smoothie.) The thing that's helped the most is that I put a box of clementines on my desk to snack on when my energies low. They peel really easy and help smooth out your energy when compared to pop. After two weeks, I've found I don't really need the juice anymore, but I still eat the clementines.