Please help me give up fizzy drinks!

[Summerishere123]

I don't like tea or coffee, and I am not a huge fan of cordial or fresh juice. I normally live off fizzy drinks and water but not really enough of the latter.
Over the last few months I have been getting very regular heartburn. It is now 2-3 times a day and getting worse.
I am guessing my diet is to blame and am trying to fix it, starting with fizzy drinks.
Please give tips on giving up fizzy drinks!

Try sparkling water as a starting point.

One thing I've found helpful is I allow myself as many fizzy drinks as I want if I go out for a meal or to the pub or something. But stopped them altogether at home. I'd tried allowing myself one on a weekend but kept slipping back into bad habits. This new way I have maintained for over a year.

I gave up drinking cans of Coca Cola about 2 years ago. I was motivated to save money so that helped, after a few days I wasn’t even bothered.

I cut down gradually. I downgraded from 2ltr bottles to 1.25ltr bottles then bought a 24 pack of cans and only allowed myself one can in the evening.
I also went and bought some nice cordials.

But now I just drink water but still allow myself some Pepsi max occasionally, especially when on my period as it stops my headaches!

I hate sparkling water! I wish I didn't.
I might start trying to like tea :)

I have cut down loads compared to a few years ago, but I run a play centre and am surrounded by fizzy drinks 5/6 days a week!

Maybe someone will suggest something neutral but the tannin in tea will set off your indigestion. Maybe fruit tea?

Have you seen your GP?

If you run the play centre can you stop stocking fizzy drinks? They’re not good for the kids either so it’s a win-win!

I have fizzy squash when I’m craving a fizzy drink at home

I just stopped and found it really easy. It wasn't like stopping chocolate/alcohol/cigarettes where I struggled, it was just a 'I'm not going to drink these anymore' and that was it. I wonder if you try it you may find it's not such a big thing?

I'm drink water and fruit teas with the occasional coffee now

I have tried it a few times. I just don't really like many other drinks so always end up caving.

No we can't just stop selling them. We would lose alot of revenue.

I used to drink 2-3 cans of diet coke per day. Then with peri-menopause I decided to stop drinking carbonated drinks so initially reduced down to 1 can per day and then stopped altogether. I have replaced the coke with water and have found that I drink more different herbal teas such as peppermint. Still have my morning coffee though. The benefits have been whiter teeth, improved sleep and I am now 4 months since my last can.

I gave them up for my New Year's resolution but mainly because my teeth are crumbling.

Like a pp I let myself have them if I'm eating out. So I still get them occasionally and that feels like a real treat.

I hate water but I've got used to it now, tried various squashes and like some. I have a coffee in the morning.

I've had cystitis for 15 days and am only drinking water and weak tea. Felt a bit better so tried my regular Fanta - couldn't finish it. So I think a longish break works.

I am surrounded by cakes and chocolates at work. So a regular diet would never work for me. I tried. I have started 8:16 diet 5 weeks ago. Basically I eat whatever I like within 8 hours but nothing in between (16 hours fast). Funnily enough, my craving for sweet staff is practically gone. I learned the hard way in the last 5 weeks that if I don't stuff my face on fibre and protein I will end up very hungry the next morning. Cakes just upset my system now. I only lost 1 kg so far but it hasn't been hard at all and I am heading in the right direction

I swapped my awful habit for fizzy huel in January. The headaches were horrible but after a few weeks I don't even think about coke. I have the cherry huel once a day at work, they supposedly have vitamins but they aren't Coke and I feel so much better, they contain natural caffeine and only 30cals.
You can get them in Tesco

@barstar how did you crack the chocolate and fags in the end? I somehow have to give up - or at least cut down - fizzy drinks, chocolate AND vaping and can't seem to do any of them. Willpower and self control are severely lacking! 😩 stopping any of them feels like a huge deprivation and I need to somehow shift my mindset I think ...

OP I empathise ... once you get used to the fizz nothing else seems to hit the spot! From what I hear going cold turkey js the best way to break the habit, but easier said than done ...

I have been addicted to Coca Cola on and off for years. The full sugar version! It also gives me heartburn and of course affected my teeth.. anyway. I’m off it at the moment. Are you drinking sugar or diet versions? If sugar what has worked for me is cutting out fizzy drinks completely and drinking lots of water and tea. I just can’t really have just the odd one, it just makes me want more (I guess like an alcoholic!). I often find that I don’t crave the coke after a glass of water anyway. It takes a couple of weeks to stop the cravings completely.

I didn’t use to like tea either, but started by getting into herbal teas and I now drink a lot of black Earl Grey - but decaf as caffeine also gives heartburn. There are loads of herbal teas out there I’m sure you could find one you like.

Iceyz.

It’s surprising how you can move onto something else ime. Had a Diet Coke habit for years, I’d say move onto apple and cinnamon tea or mocca coffee sachets.

Matcha is really good for heart burn

I used to hate sparkling water too but I've now trained myself to like it and now I drink it all the time.

I drink kombucha. I detest tea, and it is made from tea, but it doesn't taste of tea. It is fizzy but good for you.

I have hiatus hernia and gord so have to avoid anything fizzy or spicy.

Do you like milkshakes or just plain milk?

I carry flask of milk around to keep heartburn at bay. Also dry crackers or bread or dry biscuits helps soak up acid in stomach.