How to Stop Your Craving for Soda

Co-authored by Claudia Carberry, RD, MS

Last Updated: November 2, 2022 References

The sweetness and caffeine of soda makes it a popular drink for many. Unfortunately, soda is just empty calories and can cause serious weight problems if you drink too much. Even diet soda is associated with weight gain.^{[1]
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Research source}To stop your cravings for soda, work on cutting it out of your diet gradually so that your body slowly gets used to lower levels of the sugar and caffeine.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Making Healthy Choices

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Decide what your ultimate goal is. Do you want to cut soda out of your diet completely? Or will it be something you have as a treat once or twice a week? Think about what will work best for you. If you’re not sure how much soda you want to cut out, use a calorie counter to figure out how much you are consuming. You will probably discover that you’re taking in hundreds of empty calories in the form of soda.^{[2]
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USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
U.S. agency responsible for promoting good nutrition based on scientific research
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Determine why you crave soda. For some, it's about the sugary taste. For others, it's the caffeine rush. It's important to know what you are getting from soda so that you can figure out an alternative to help move you away from soda.^{[3]
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Try alternatives for the caffeine in soda. If it's caffeine you like, coffee and tea are going to be better choices than soda. Investigate different coffee drinks (both hot and cold) and teas. There are many options beyond black coffee and black tea. You might want to try^{[4]
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- Iced tea
- Flavored black tea
- Cold brew coffee
4
Explore sweet drink alternatives. For many people, the sweetness and carbonation of soda are what make it most appealing. There are many alternatives that can help satisfy your craving. There are even water bottles and pitchers that you can fill with herbs or fruits to make your own infused waters.^{[5]
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- Flavored and/or infused water
- Carbonated water
- Sparkling juice

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Curbing Your Appetite for Soda

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Drink a glass of water before soda. By drinking a glass of water before you drink soda, you’re not thirsty by the time you get to the soda. This will help slow down your soda consumption.^{[6]
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Start small. Replace one of your daily 8 oz servings of soda with water. That way you hydrate and get fewer calories. Do that for one week and then decrease your intake again.^{[7]
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Research source} Continue to lower the amount of soda that you drink until you have given it up completely.
3
Find a replacement. Hopefully you’ve found some drink that’s not soda that can be your daily drink -- coffee, tea, flavored water. Try to replace one of your servings of soda with your new drink and one serving of soda replaced by water. Do this for a week.^{[8]
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Keep cutting down the soda. Find out a combination that works for you -- water, some soda, some of your new drink -- and keep drinking less and less soda. This process might take a few weeks, or even a month. By doing it slowly, you’re allowing your body to get used to the lower levels of soda it’s taking in.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Ending Your Soda Cravings

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Try cutting soda out completely. Now that you have water and some other beverage to hydrate you and satisfy some of what soda gave you, hopefully you will be able to stop drinking soda. It might be difficult at first, but by working up to it slowly, your body has gotten used to progressively lower levels of soda.^{[9]
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Treat yourself sometimes. Just because soda is no longer as central to your diet doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy it occasionally. One serving of soda a week may be an acceptable amount.
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Stay committed. Don’t let yourself fall back into bad habits because you’re tired or wanting a sugar fix. If you are tempted by the vending machine at work, bring your own beverages. Keep water as your main beverage -- don’t let yourself be sucked into craving your new beverage choice (coffee, tea, flavored water).
4
Find new treats. Even though you’re not drinking soda, you can consume or do other things that can satisfy your cravings that are healthier. When you start to crave soda, do something enjoyable that can take the place of the soda craving. In addition to the drinks mentioned earlier, some options might be:
- Chewing gum
- Taking a walk
- Playing a game on video or smartphone
- Texting with a friend for support
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Make a list of the reasons you want to quit drinking soda. Write down your reasons and keep them somewhere that you can look at regularly, such as on your refrigerator or on your phone lock-screen. When you feel a craving come on, look at your list and think about how you'll feel afterward.
- Remind yourself of the ways that soda can impact your health. Sugary sodas increase the risk for obesity, type II diabetes, osteoporosis, kidney stones, and heart disease.^{[10]
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- Sugary drinks are bad for your teeth.
- Soda is also expensive.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Dealing with Caffeine Withdrawal

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Be prepared for lower levels of caffeine. Large quantities of soda typically keep you highly caffeinated. Even though the levels of caffeine in coffee are higher, if you have a serious soda habit you’re probably drinking a lot of caffeine. Think carefully about how you’re going to deal with the effects of reduced caffeine. You’re going to feel more tired and less alert than usual, and this could last weeks as your body adjusts.^{[11]
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Deal with the caffeine headache. Serious caffeine withdrawal will typically involve a headache. Because your body has been so used to the elevated levels of caffeine, it’s going to take it a while for it to readjust to functioning normally without the high levels of caffeine. Try using over-the-counter headache remedies containing acetaminophen, which do not contain caffeine.^{[12]
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Stay hydrated. Drinking plain water is a healthier choice to keep you feeling full. It can also help combat the caffeine headaches and become your drink of choice, rather than soda.
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Sleep when you need to. Chances are, without caffeine you are going to feel much sleepier than usual. Go to bed earlier to get more sleep and nap when you can. These extended periods of sleep can help you get through the withdrawal and alleviate the headaches.^{[13]
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Expert Q&A

Question

What is a good substitute for soda?

Claudia Carberry, RD, MS
Master's Degree, Nutrition, University of Tennessee Knoxville
Claudia Carberry is a Registered Dietitian specializing in kidney transplants and counseling patients for weight loss at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She is a member of the Arkansas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Claudia received her MS in Nutrition from the University of Tennessee Knoxville in 2010.

Claudia Carberry, RD, MS

Master's Degree, Nutrition, University of Tennessee Knoxville

Expert Answer

Water is always the best beverage choice. If you like the flavor of soda, try sparkling water instead.
Question

Is drinking soda an addiction?

Claudia Carberry, RD, MS
Master's Degree, Nutrition, University of Tennessee Knoxville
Claudia Carberry is a Registered Dietitian specializing in kidney transplants and counseling patients for weight loss at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She is a member of the Arkansas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Claudia received her MS in Nutrition from the University of Tennessee Knoxville in 2010.

Claudia Carberry, RD, MS

Master's Degree, Nutrition, University of Tennessee Knoxville

Expert Answer

You may feel addicted to the sugar or caffeine that soda provides. Wean yourself off of it until you have eliminated it completely.
Question

Can you lose weight by cutting out soda?

Claudia Carberry, RD, MS
Master's Degree, Nutrition, University of Tennessee Knoxville
Claudia Carberry is a Registered Dietitian specializing in kidney transplants and counseling patients for weight loss at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She is a member of the Arkansas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Claudia received her MS in Nutrition from the University of Tennessee Knoxville in 2010.

Claudia Carberry, RD, MS

Master's Degree, Nutrition, University of Tennessee Knoxville

Expert Answer

Soda is very high in sugar and calories so you can lose weight if you cut out soda.