Trying to kick the Coca Cola habit - this is a really serious issue in my life.

[MargoPego]

Hey, all!

The angry face is because I'm mad & frustrated & upset & fed up with myself on this issue!

Something I've struggled with for years & years is my addiction to Coca Cola. Some people wouldn't call it an addiction, but I definitely do! I've had this problem for a long, long time & I've tried to kick it before. I've prayed about it & have been able to go for periods without it at all. Sometimes it's been months, & then I start back up again. I know that I can kick it, but I'm not sure what the best way is to.

Please don't tell me about going cold turkey - I've tried that & it doesn't usually help for me. I hit day 3 & the headache's often so bad I'm in agony. So then I drink some more to get rid of the headache, & I'm back on the stuff again.

I've tried drinking coffee, but that never lasts long. I'm not really a huge coffee person, & I figure it's kind of defeating the purpose since part of the reason I'm trying to stop drinking Coke is to stay away from caffeine for the most part. I'm going to stay with my chocolate, but that doesn't affect me the same way as Coke & I don't eat enough chocolate to really affect me.

Anyway, if someone else has any other ideas, please let me know. This is serious as I'm finding it harder & harder to stop drinking it. I'm 36 & moving back South to B. C.'s Fraser Valley in about 5 weeks, & I'd like to've stopped by then, or at least be on my way to being fine without it.

I know all about what it does to a person's body & how it dissolves nails & stuff like that, & I know that it's a diuretic & does nothing for my skin or health except harm them, & those are all reasons for me to dump the stuff. Also, I want my good, deep, healthy sleep back! I'm really feeling the lack of this, especially lately.

Any helpful suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Also, anyone's prayers on this matter, too, please! I am praying myself - & I know that God will help me if I let Him. Well, I'm ready to release & let Him take it away. How do I truly let go? I've been a believer for over 30 years (I'm 36) & this is something I'm still not very good at when it comes to Coca Cola. Grrr!

 

[Sammeh_3]

Have You Tried Diet Cola ? its not that bad hunni xx gbu hope u find a solution soon

 

[MargoPego]

Sammeh_3, thanks for the suggestion, but I really don't like diet pop. I have tried it & it always leaves a terrible aftertaste in my mouth. Also, I don't like the risk of what can happen from aspertame. Besides, they still have caffeine in them.

One thing I do occassionally is drink root beer (except Barq's - it has caffeine) & orange pop & Sprite or 7Up or Fresca, but not all the time. Sometimes I feel like I need something fizzy, & they help to get rid of some of the craving. I've also started drinking orange juice again, & I find that's helping as well.

The only caffeinated drink I'll have nowadays is hot chocolate. I don't like tea, either - someone suggested that to me as well.

Anyway, thanks for your suggestion & prayers & hopes, Sammeh_3 - I really do appreciate it! Today is the start of day 3 without Coca Cola, & so far it's been OK. If I can get past today, I'll be fine for a while again. I'm working hard at it, & I've been drinking a lot more water. That seems to really help as well! Lately, too, (& I know that this is from God) I've read a lot about the benefits of water, & thinking about all those things has really helped me to drink a lot more of it.

Still, the craving for Coke's in the back of my mind still, & will be for a while. However, I know that with prayer & God's strength, I can have complete victory over this. After all, He is the God of true victory & freedom!

 

[morethandiamonds]

I am SO glad I have found someone else that has the same problem! I am also trying to kick the habit. Because of medical reasons that are too complicated to get into, I was told by my dietician (Spelled wrong??) that I have to kick the habit of drinking any caffienated, carbonated drink. She said a half a cup a coffee in the morning wouldn't do much harm though. Anyways, I suggest what I am trying to do. Give up Coke for the Lord. Make it a fast. Like any fast, you have to pray through. Everytime the craving comes, or a headache comes, go to your prayer closet and spend time in prayer, in the Word and don't forget to be silent and just listen for His voice. I will pray for you during your time of fasting. God is going to bless you for it! PRAISE THE LORD FOR HE IS WORTHY!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Chad]

ALL SODA IS JUNK! Please read the ingredients carefully, they are all artificial garbage. The same way a man's wisdom is garbage when held up to GOD's wisdom - so is artificial food & drinks when held up to GOD's natural organic food and juices.

Most people know this, but I'll let you read it here anyway:

Pour soda (any) on car, watch the paint dissolve before your own eyes. If that's not enough to get you off it, then I'm not sure what is. But again, we all have our weaknesses and none are perfect. None have strength alone but found solely in the name of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 21:20-22
20When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither at once?" 21And Jesus answered them, "Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' it will happen. 22And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith."

I will keep you in prayer sister. I did a quick Google search for dangers of soda, and how ironic that I get Missouri Baptist University (GOD calling you here?). Click here for the article

God bless you sister

 

[MargoPego]

morethandiamonds, thanks for your post. (I replied to your PM, by the way) I have done that fasting thing before, but I always end up back on the Coke. I've prayed long & hard about it & asked others to pray & for help. I do rely on God, though, mostly for help, but then I, in my weakness, go back to it. It's a struggle I've had for decades, literally, & it's not been something I've been able to break away from completely.

I have rededicated myself to the fast thing, though, before you posted about it, & I'm doing it for that as well as to detoxify myself. I'm hoping that God will use all thoughts of how bad it is to really drive home to me the unhealthiness of this. I know that He's the God of victory & that He can help me conquer this - I just need to remain strong as well, & I know that He will help me in that as long as I don't keep going back to it.

I'll keep everyone posted on this.

 

[MargoPego]

Chad, thanks for your post. (God's not calling me down to Missouri, at least not at this point in my life. I'm heading home to my family ) I've known about how unhealthy all pop is for years & years, but I figure that's it better to tackle the worst of all right now. I don't drink the other stuff much at all (I've kept track, both when I've been drinking Coke a lot & when I haven't drunk any at all, & the amount of other pop I drink is not enough to cause me any concern, but thanks for your's ) & I figure it's easier on me if I just concentrate on the Coke problem right now. The rest'll fall into place. It's not very often at all that I even reach for any of the other stuff.

People, I know all about faith & trusting in God & stuff - I really do! I'm not saying any of that at all, & I have trusted in God & asked for strength in this. My problem is that I keep going back to it, just when I think I'm finally free of it. That's when I'm most vulnerable, & that's when I get most lax & over-confident in myself. I know that that's the issue & that I think then I'm OK to have one sip again. Not that I'm comparing myself to an alcoholic at all, but even one tiny teeny bit of Coke can get me back on it, & I don't want to be back on it. I need to avoid it at all costs, but it's a huge struggle for me.

I guess my specific request here is that I wouldn't get over confident & that I'll be kept from allowing thoughts that I can do it & that at my most vulnerable times I won't give in. It's when I think I'm the strongest & have overcome that I'm actually at my weakest with this. That's when I really need to focus on God the most. Please pray that God will constantly remind me of that & how much more I need to rely on Him then. I thank you all for that.

Really & truly, I do appreciate all the words of advice you've given me & all the prayers you're sending up. I know about how acidic Coke is & how junky it is. I'm grateful for your reminders of all those things. As I said, I'll keep you all posted. Just so you know, today is day 3, historically the toughest day for me in this struggle, but I will not give in, not even when I go out for supper tonight. (also the historically toughest thing for me! I know it's not usually possible to have two toughest things, but they are, together, the toughest struggles for me in this)

 

[Girl]

Alllrightio!!!! Tell me you do not have COKE for breakfast.... Or in the morning!!! Because that is kinda grotty... and unhealthy.

I know this lady who is a HUUGE coke drinker. It kinda puts me off. May i ask, what is it about coke that you really are hooked on? Is it the caffiene, or the bubbly? ...or the sweetness? Or all of it???

You could just stop completely.. But your mind would be thinking about it 24/7 uncontrollably! GIVE ME COKE!!! And it will be giving you HUUUUUGE headaches... which wont go away for a while. But its the bodies way of dealing... So either be a touch chic, and fight those headaches/cravings, which could be severe, but after week 1, will most probably stop..

Well you could also start off slowly, right.. Less and less each day..
You could have a good breakfast, lunch, tea...ect. Fill yourself up. After each meal, skull a bottle of water. So you feel pretty full, and not thirst driven. That way, you probably wont even feel like the stuff.

Coffee, is high in caffeine so that swap wouldn’t be so great.. But Tea! Tea would be good, because it has a bit of caffeine. .plus lots of feel-good benefits... And you said that chocolate doesnt do it for ya...so what about a cocoa drink.. Just a little something else on the side to keep you away from the COKE!

If its the bubbly you enjoy..soda water and cordial is an idea..
You can quit if the motivation is really, really there... So try really really hard!!

 

[MargoPego]

Alllrightio!!!! Tell me you do not have COKE for breakfast.... Or in the morning!!! Because that is kinda grotty... and unhealthy.

I know this lady who is a HUUGE coke drinker. It kinda puts me off. May i ask, what is it about coke that you really are hooked on? Is it the caffiene, or the bubbly? ...or the sweetness? Or all of it???

You could just stop completely.. But your mind would be thinking about it 24/7 uncontrollably! GIVE ME COKE!!! And it will be giving you HUUUUUGE headaches... which wont go away for a while. But its the bodies way of dealing... So either be a touch chic, and fight those headaches/cravings, which could be severe, but after week 1, will most probably stop..

Well you could also start off slowly, right.. Less and less each day..
You could have a good breakfast, lunch, tea...ect. Fill yourself up. After each meal, skull a bottle of water. So you feel pretty full, and not thirst driven. That way, you probably wont even feel like the stuff.

Coffee, is high in caffeine so that swap wouldn’t be so great.. But Tea! Tea would be good, because it has a bit of caffeine. .plus lots of feel-good benefits... And you said that chocolate doesnt do it for ya...so what about a cocoa drink.. Just a little something else on the side to keep you away from the COKE!

If its the bubbly you enjoy..soda water and cordial is an idea..
You can quit if the motivation is really, really there... So try really really hard!!

Wow! I can't believe it's been one month since I started this thread! Thanks to all for prayer & support & all your advice. I gained some great ideas that've really helped.

I want to apologise for sounding snappish & all at times - I was quite frustrated with myself & going through issues of pride. I'm not excusing what I did by any means - just trying to explain why I was going through such an exasperating time &, unfortunately, probably coming across a lot more awful then I wanted to. If I upset or offended anyone, please accept my apology & I ask for forgiveness. It was unexcuseable if I did that & I feel dreadful to think That I might've done such a thing.

Coke for breakfast? No! I've never been that bad.

Anyway, the part of Coke that's got me hooked - I'm not really sure. This has been such a long standing thing with me that I really don't know why I'm hooked. I've tried going cold-turkey & substitutions & all that (I don't like tea or soda water, & I'm not sure what cordial is), & the only thing that's helped lately has been lots & lots of prayer & avoiding stores when the urge hits. If it does get really, really bad I've given in, but after a few sips - the past few days - I've had enough. Praise God for this step! Yay!

I've been drinking a lot more water since my Coke thing has been fading & I've been much better. My memory's improved to its old excellent self & my skin's improving (as much as it can in this dry climate - thankfully I'm moving back down to B. C. where the humidity my skin's used to will be a good thing ). Also, my concentration's better & my headaches have greatly increased.

Girl, I thank you for your post, & I thank everyone for their prayers & support. Thankfully, God's really helped me in this & I've really been able to just leave it with Him. Thankfully the stuff's really not appealing to me anymore. Of course I do think about it from time to time & it does drive me nuts sometimes how much I think about it (not all the time, but sometimes it is oddly too much), but the urges are passing & becoming fewer & farther in between.

Praise God for victory!

 

[SpiritLedEd]

Re: Trying to kick the Coca Cola habit

Why not take a page from the Alcoholics Anonymous program and tailor it to your situation? AA preaches the importance of a 'one day at a time" approach. Don't look at it as never being able to drink a Coke again. That is overwhelming.:lightbulb Just don't drink any Coke TODAY.

Today is the only day that we are living in, anyway. As someone once said, "Yesterday's a cancelled check, tomorrow's a promissory note; only today is cash."

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Mt 6:34).


SLE

 

[MargoPego]

SpiritLed, thanks for your kindly words, but I have been doing that. As I wrote in my last post, I'm doing much better with this - thanks to the grace of God. He's really helped so much & has brought someone else alongside who's really been of great help to me. I've gained so much in the month since I first posted this & He's shown me so much about myself. I'm so thankful to Him & for those in my life who've been with me at all times, who've shown me support besides just when I ask for it, people who've just dropped words of encouragement or even just listened when I needed to spout or what have you.

I don't know if I'll never drink Coke again - if I came off that way originally, I apologise, & sometimes it is the only thing that helps my asthma when it acts up & I don't have a puffer with me, but just a little bit. Anyway, I'm thankful that my Coke drinking level has dropped way, way, way, way off.

Once again, I thank any of you who may've been praying for me this entire month - I don't know if anyone has or not, but if so, yours have been joined to others who've prayed for me, & that's been the biggest help of all.

There's been some sort of breakthrough within my soul the past while, & admitting that this whole thing is an addiction has been part of that. Thanks again for any prayer & support that may have come out of here. I ask for your continued prayers. God bless you for it.

 

[Girl]

I want to apologise for sounding snappish & all at times - I was quite frustrated with myself & going through issues of pride. I'm not excusing what I did by any means - just trying to explain why I was going through such an exasperating time &, unfortunately, probably coming across a lot more awful then I wanted to. If I upset or offended anyone, please accept my apology & I ask for forgiveness. It was unexcuseable if I did that & I feel dreadful to think That I might've done such a thing.

Wait, wait, wait............Huh...? When did this happen? No your post was fine.. no rudeness pointed in any direction............ No need to ask for forviveness, when you did absolutely nothing wrong.....

unless ive missed something.


hmmm.......anyhow, its fabulous to hear your doing well! Big congrats!

 

[On the Path]

How about this: If you drink one coke a day for a year, you will have drunk enough to gain 12 pounds.

How about just drink one cup a day for a few weeks, drink a lot of water to help dilute it and flush it out of your system faster.


good luck

 

[MargoPego]

Wait, wait, wait............Huh...? When did this happen? No your post was fine.. no rudeness pointed in any direction............ No need to ask for forviveness, when you did absolutely nothing wrong.....

unless ive missed something.


hmmm.......anyhow, its fabulous to hear your doing well! Big congrats!

Girl, Thanks so much for your encouragement. It might've just been how I saw it or thought it might've come across. I'm so thankful it didn't come across that way. Bless you!

Yes, I'm doing well, although it's definitely still a struggle at times. I did have a Coke on Saturday, but it was disgusting to me, praise God! Way too sweet, sickeningly so! I think that's a good thing to me in this struggle. I'll remember that for a long time & refrain from partaking.

Thanks again, Girl. I appreciate it.

 

[cjl1108]

Pour soda (any) on car, watch the paint dissolve before your own eyes. If that's not enough to get you off it, then I'm not sure what is.

Dont pour OJ on a car and watch it because it will probably do the same thing The next thing you know there will be nothing left to drink.

Anyway, to comment on the original question. I too was what I considered addicted to coca cola. Very recently I took my 5 can a day habit right down to 1 can a day. I still have my one can of soda and it might not be great for me, but I no longer feel a need to have more. Trust me when I tell you I know what it is like to have soda have a hold on you, and how silly it feels to admit it.

This is how I did it (also how I quit smoking). Think back to a time in your life when you never had soda. This works for smoking too, as most kids dont drink coke or smoke. Remember your life back then, how good it was, how you didnt have a care in the world. Now think about how you didnt have any soda and didnt ever care or need it. When you realise that there was a point in your life when you never needed cola and your life was great, makes it easier to envision yourself no longer commiting a bad habit. If you stop you will be OK. Keep telling yourself that.

I hope this helps. Im not the best at writing out my thoughts. Much better at verbalizing.