Quitting Pepsi Max in 2021 Support Thread

[NoZoomAtTheInn]

Open to anyone who has already quit with their success stories or anyone who also wants to quit.

I’ve tried twice to stop in the past, once by just stopping and once by gradually cutting down. Both times the withdrawal headaches were awful. Have decided this time to speak to GP first to see if there is anything I can take - like smokers get nicotine patches/gum - while I wean myself off it.

Welcome new posters! Everyone who wants to give up or who has given up is welcome here!

jumperweather - when I went cold turkey a few years ago, the headaches and fatigue lasted 8 days. I cracked and resumed my habit. Good luck to you!

I’m now at the start of day 3. I’ve done 2 days of reducing down by one can ( I was on 6 cans a day, now on 5). I’ve been upping my water intake, yesterday I had 2 litres of Pukka vanilla chai tea. It’s a lovely taste but definitely doesn’t hit my ‘Pepsi max spot’!

I’ve noticed already that I’ve been sleeping much better but definitely noticed the beginnings of a withdrawal headache in the early evening.

Today I plan to space out my cans. It’s all trial and error

@NoZoomAtTheInn Phasing it out does seem like a better idea! Doh!

My DH did cold turkey from Boxing Day and he's been fine! BUT he does drink tea. Maybe that's why?

I think I'll most miss the morning Pepsi Max with my porridge! I know, that's weird? Or maybe it isn't. I really do love Pepsi Max.

Good luck with today and spacing out your cans, I hope it goes well for you :)
Do you like sparkling water? My Sodastream is going to save me I think.

I switched to sparkling water with squash straight away; completely cold turkey.
For me it's the fizz and the chilled drink I craved. This has hit the spot. I buy the cheapest sparkling water (Morrisons Savers is 17p for 2 litres) so my shopping bill has reduced quite drastically too.

I was drinking around 3L a day of DC, and nobody thought I'd kick the habit, least of all me!

Once the withdrawal headaches stopped I've not craved it at all and feel pretty confident I'm off it for good.

@demolitionduo Congrats! Do you think you could have a meal out and order a DC and still be ok? Or off it forever and ever?

How is everyone getting on today?

I'm managing, I've just accepted that the headaches are here for a while and it makes me realise how bad PM must be for me if my body reacts this way! I'm really missing holding a can.... are they any good cheap flavoured sparkling water cans out there?

Although I suppose i should just stick to the Sodastream and save all that £!

I was spending about £20 a week on PM!
I'd get the 24pk in Tesco for £8 and then top up by going to a nearby store when I started to run out! (My DH was also drinking them as well!)

@jumperweather yes, I think I could manage that now. Six weeks ago, probably not though.

There are lots of flavoured sparkling waters in bottles (supermarket own brand), some are better than others.
Flavoured Volvic (still water) is nice too.

Treat yourself to a special glass to replace the can, though I do totally understand that feel of a can in your hand.

Good luck, you can do this!

jumper - I think you are me! I also get the 24 cans for £8 at Tesco. Sparking water is a good shout, I’ll probably need that as I reduce further.

As I’m reducing, I put just 5 cans in the fridge when I go to bed rather than a fridge full like I had before

Am feeling quite pleased that it’s 6 pm and I’ve only had 3 cans today! The spacing out seems to be working ok. Today it was a can at breakfast, then at lunch then at 4 pm. In between, I’ve been drinking the pukka vanilla chai.

@NoZoomAtTheInn hey! How are you getting on? :)

I'm still cold Turkey and the headaches have gone and I'm feeling great! (For now) 😅

I gave up about four years ago. I actually found that Pepsi Max was impossible to give up, so I changed to Diet Coke for a few months and then gave that up. I didn't ever have a lot of it, usually two cans a day, but I was very reliant on it to get me through that difficult bit of the day between collecting the DC from school and sitting down to dinner. I chose to give up over the summer holidays because at least I wasn't dealing with homework then.

When I gave up I continued to have coffee in the morning (black, no sugar as my name would suggest) and I found the best substitution for a can of Diet Coke was a large glass with lots of ice and about a quarter of coconut water to three quarters sparkling water. The coconut water gave a bit of flavour, sweetness and a slightly syrupy texture to the drink and the sparkling water gave the fizz.

The physical withdrawal didn't last long but the psychological dependence took months to disappear. Once school started up again I went straight back to walking into the house after school pick up and opening the fridge, and then I was pissed off because, of course, there wasn't any Diet Coke there.

V stressful day yesterday, and I had two cans. I love fizzy water but it doesn’t seem to hold its fizz once a bottle is opened, and flat fizzy water is awful.

I had a terrible soda addiction in my teens through to last year (32!)

The diet stuff was worse than the full fat. I could easily drink 2ltrs a day of Diet Pepsi.

Might sound strange but I switched back to full fat first, the withdrawal headaches and sickness was worse coming off the diet than the full fat. So I weaned myself onto full fat to stop the worst of the headaches. I could drink a lot less of the full sugar stuff because it was more filling and sweet. Then when I had two weeks off work and no school run to do in August I stopped all together.

I felt horrendous for two weeks but then felt better than ever! I just had sparking water, Brita filter water and occasionally a coffee.

That was last august so it’s been 5 months. From someone that used to have to have a fizzy drink for breakfast it’s good going!

Over Christmas I had a taste of OHs sugary energy drink and I couldn’t stand it. Too sweet. Made me feel sick. Same for most squash and juice now. Just don’t like the taste of it anymore.

So it’s definitely possible. And you’ll feel so much better once you kick the habit. And save so much money!

@GwendolineWindowlene. I buy sparking water in the 500ml bottles for this reason. I know it’s not great for the environment but I figure it’s better than buying loads of Pepsi every day.

Also some are 1ltr which aren’t too bad. I love the San Pelegríno bottles.

Welcome to new posters! Great to hear more success stories!

jumper that’s brilliant! Well done you! How are you feeling generally?

gwendoline don’t beat yourself up, you’ll find something that works for you - there’s certainly some helpful suggestions from others who have cracked it

I’m feeling pleased - I’m now down to three cans a day and haven’t noticed any side effects. Spacing them seems to work, so one in the morning, one at lunch and one at 4 pm. In between, I’m drinking about 2 litres of the pukka vanilla chai tea (no caffeine).

Good call on the smaller bottles, Mol, I'll give that a go. I do have a nagging fear that fizzy water causes problems for tooth enamel, but I'm too scared to google!

Getting down to 50% of what you were drinking is good going, NoZoom, well done!

Thanks gwendoline - all trial and error! I’ll do anything to avoid those headaches that I had last time. The memory makes me shudder! Top tip if you’re worried about tooth enamel - get yourself a reusable bamboo straw ;)

ISo pleased I started this thread because it’s great to hear from others who want to quit or have already managed to quit.

@NoZoomAtTheInn I'm feeling really good now the headaches have gone.

Yesterday I started Fast 800 and I don't know if that's helping but I drink water all day and have dinner in the evening.
It means I don't miss my Pepsi Max with breakfast and lunch. And I need to lose weight anyway 😅

You must be really proud getting down to 3 cans a day! That's awesome! I'm glad you're not having any side effects, it sounds like the sensible way to do it tbh!

I also heard about sparkling water and enamel.... 😟😟😟😟 not going to google it either though!

Thanks Gwen! Have you decided to switch to 500ml fizzy water?

jumper that’s just fantastic - I’m so happy for you and in awe that you did it cold turkey!

Hi all.

I don't drink tea, coffee and I've never been bothered with alcohol. But I loved, loved Pepsi Max.

I moved teams some years ago and a colleague nagged me about drinking the stuff. I got through two 500ml bottles at work and had lots more when I got home.

Then I just stopped, going cold turkey. I did feel a bit agitated and had bad headaches. This just lasted a few weeks.

I only drink water, mainly sparkling, now. Though because of the pandemic I have vitamin C in a some water, and a few other vitamin pills when I remember.

I sometimes try to wean myself off sparkling and just stick with still water, but I keep going back to it. The water, not the Pepsi Max. 😁

And like @Mol1628 I feel guilty about buying the 500ml bottles. But I find I waste water when I buy bigger bottles as it goes flat more quickly.

I always feel like an alien, walking down the drinks aisles in supermarkets not caring about all the varieties of soft drinks, alcohol, teas and coffees. As long as there is sparkling water I'm happy. 😁

If it's only sparking water you drink would a soda stream be cost effective and be more environmentally friendly?

@RandomMess

It could be. However, the Sodastream manufacturing facility is in an Israeli occupied territory, if people care about such things. One can be pro Israelis and Palestinians, but not enamoured of the occupied settlements.

[quote Gettinggrumpier]@RandomMess

It could be. However, the Sodastream manufacturing facility is in an Israeli occupied territory, if people care about such things. One can be pro Israelis and Palestinians, but not enamoured of the occupied settlements.[/quote]
Sorry, didn't realise that the Sodastreams are no longer made there.

However, the company was bought by Pepsi. So it seems they could get my money by other means if I wanted to be more environmentally conscious.

There always seems to be a catch to whatever you want to do/buy to be more environmentally or ethically conscious!!

This is an interesting thread. My relative is addicted to Pepsi Max - 6 litres plus a day most days.

I didn't realise it was so common. It is a proper addiction with her she gets twitchy if she doesn't think she will be able to get any.

@RandomMess

There always seems to be a catch to whatever you want to do/buy to be more environmentally or ethically conscious!!

I know! I try and justify using all the smaller bottles by ensuring they are sent for recycling.

Similar to @Gettinggrumpier in that I don't drink tea, coffee or alcohol.

I switched from full sugar coke 8 years ago to pepsi max. 2L bottle per day usually. Then in August I decided that I would just stop. I have been making changes to my diet and ways of thinking since April, so it seemed a good choice.

I didn't have any side effects at all. I appreciate I must be really lucky as I've never met anyone else on a caffeine withdrawal with no headaches.

I haven't touched a drop since, or any other fizzy drinks. I now drink diluted squash. I bought a 1l kleen kanteen bottle which keeps my drink on me all day and nice and chilled, so it stops any possible temptation.

I quit McDonald's back in lockdown 1.0 too, when they all closed. Was the best thing that could happen to me. Them being closed really stopped me from being able to quit quitting!

I've not noticed any major health benefits from quitting but I'm sure there is. One plus side is my bottom burps are now back in control!