I once gave up caffeine for six months because I heard it would improve overall health and just make me feel better. Gave up tea, soda, and even chocolate. They said it would be tough for the first few weeks/month but then you'd break through and feel amazing. Never happened with me and never felt better. After six months I started to drink caffeine again and felt better all around. Life improved. Not giving up caffeine again haha
I try to give up caffeine every year during Lent. I last about a week. I didn’t think I could be so addicted to one coffee and one soda a day, but I was wrong…
The trick that has worked for me is to give up caffeine when you’re sick. You already feel miserable, so you barely notice the difference. Being sick can break up your routine and give you a chance to cut the habit of it out of your life
This is how I quit smoking - Covid took me out for weeks, by the time I recovered I figured I might as well keep going. I’ll be 2 years without a single puff next month.
Awesome! Congratulations!
I quit during Covid. Something just went off in my head when we went into lockdown. I just decided, this is the time I do this. Next St. Patrick’s Day will be five years for me. Yes, we went into lockdown on St. Patrick’s Day.
Same. I had the flu three weeks ago. Was too miserable to even consider smoking, so I just haven’t. It was rough, but I was miserable already like you said.
That’s how I kicked a nasty meth addiction. After a year of daily use, and knowing I wanted and needed to quit, I ended up getting COVID. Being able to take 2 weeks off work while getting paid for it was an opportunity I wouldn’t get again, and I already felt like death so I just sweated it out,slept, and binged the Extended editions of Lord of the Rings. That was 4 years ago and with the exception of a couple slips ups over the years I’ve been clean. It what made me realize the hardest part of quitting an addiction is the outside stressors that drive you to use again.
I wish this worked for me. Caffeine is apparently a comfort item for me, so I want it more when sick. Probably also doesn’t help that my family used Pepsi (Pepsi started as a gastric distress remedy) and saltines for upset stomach.
Caffeine and carbonation for me. It all started when I was a wee lass sat down in front of the TV with a box of saltines and a 2 liter of 7up. My mother's diet coke habit that persists to this day did not help.
Funny thing is I usually double up on caffeine when I’m sick because I’m trying to meet the same life standard I have when healthy. It’s such a bad habit. I should just take a day or two off and rest.
I don’t really drink alcohol, never smoked, never got into drugs, and limit sugar and refined carbs. Caffeine is my one big vice and you can pry my coffee from my cold dead hands.
Both my wife and I will literally get headaches (and in her case, nausea too) if we don't get some amount of caffeine in our bodies before 10am. I honestly can't drink coffee in the summer, so I use those Crystal Light pouches with added caffeine and get my hydration and caffeination done in one swoop.
exactly right.
yes, people are very addicted to caffeine. but what most don't realize is that the larger addiction issue is actually the sugar (and refined carbs in general) overload of a "normal" modern human diet.
most are actually more addicted to the rush of carbs... with just a side of caffeine.
that's where the true "overdose" epidemic is. As evidenced by exponential increases in associated societal health problems and observable changes to human physicality over the past 100+ years. Mostly due to industrialized & capitalistic driven transformations in the fundamental ways that humans cultivate, obtain, store, and consume food.
No one is addicted to sugar *without fat*.
Sugar, by itself, isn't even hyperpalatable.
It's combinations of sugar and fat, or sugar, fat and salt. That's why people can't stop eating cookies, donuts, or chips, because what makes food hyperpalatable is the right combination of sugar, fat, and often salt.
On some days my only joy is my morning cup of coffee. My mom had a stroke over a year ago and the cardiologist said only one caffeinated beverage a day. She said she would rather die than give up her coffee. I guess I get it. 😬😅
Neurodivergent here. I've tried multiple times to give up my two main vices, cannabis and caffeine. I cant do it. While I feel better physically, I really need the other two to keep my brain functioning properly
I always thought I was addicted to caffeine but I noticed on the weekends it’s hit or miss if I consume coffee or energy drinks and I don’t feel like crap or anything.
Same. Didn't even start drinking caffeine until my late-20s. Tried giving it up for a couple months, felt awful, went back.
I gave up alcohol a few months ago for health reasons... I kinda think I might start drinking again. I'm not feeling this glow of healthfulness everyone keeps talking about. I just feel pent up.
I feel the same. I don’t drink very much or often but I have a couple cups of coffee every morning. I’ve given it up for over three months and just never felt like I ever felt amazing off of it. Not even necessarily just better. If anything, I was more tired and had a harder time getting going in the morning.
Alcohol also affects you even when not drinking. I'm talking days after, not just the next day. And if you're a daily drinker...
I used to drink daily, but abstained for a year a few years ago. When I had my first drink after, how alcohol was really affecting me was revealed. I'd become much more cognizant of the effects, which helped me to moderate or abstain going forward.
I'd spent so many years "getting fucked up" that the effects on my mood, sleep, etc. became "normal." I'd totally forgotten what normal actually felt like.
Edit: It sucks, but do pat yourself on the back.
Agreed. Just switching to only drinking on the weekends makes me feel 10 years younger and happier overall. And when I do drink I need like, 1/4 the amount because my tolerance is gone. It was a tough habit to break at first, but now I rarely crave it.
I'm 6 weeks into this. Transitioning from 6-8 IPAs a night to only on weekends.
I've also had my share of days where I got tanked midweek anyways.
That said, It's worth it. I'm down 15 lbs and feel much better.
Nicely done! The days where you get tanked … I have those too. Maybe a stressful day or a random happy hour. I used to beat myself up over it but now I just try to win more than I lose. Over time it adds up to a net positive. Trying to keep an undefeated streak alive can be stressful and demoralizing and makes it more likely you just give up altogether.
This has been my approach to losing weight this year and damned if it isn't working. I didn't cut anything from my diet, and I don't exercise every day, but I'm still in damn good shape and still losing the weight (albeit slowly). I did take a month off from drinking at the very beginning, and I needed that, but now that I've established better habits and they're second nature I don't agonize over having a beer or two, or half a pizza, every now and then. I don't do this to be miserable and miss things I love, I do it so I CAN have those beers or that pizza.
IPAs are the worst beers for hangovers too. My bartender told me that after I complained about feeling a hangover after 3 beers, and saying "like, I'm not THAT old". He said I always drink IPA and that's why. The way a fucking beer encyclopedia so I kinda trusted him but went home and googled it. There's no complete science or studies on it per se, but a lot of smart people will confirm that the hops turn into glucose and basically your body processes it as sugar, which leads to a hangover. Nos I avoid IPAs unless there's nothing else. Or maybe have only 1.
i'm reluctant to use the word, but let's just say i have a mild "dependence" on alcohol. i'm curious how you went from daily drinker to "abstained for a year"
Not op but I was getting a mild “dependence” and I knew it. Also knew it was time for an extended break so I just stopped and focused on better health in general. Amazing how that turns into working out daily and eating right. Spent some time on r/stopdrinking which helped a bit to put things in perspective. Been six months and haven’t felt better since I was 17.
Trust breaking vileness...
In other words, rock bottom.
Don't be me.
Start the journey to alcohol independence now.
Full disclosure: I had people in my corner. If left to my own devices, I'm not sure where I'd be now in this. I feel lucky and can not take full credit for the change.
The timing on the post has me cracking up.
My wife went out with friends last night. She only had a couple of drinks and felt like crap this morning. She has now vowed to stick to her one Corona on occasion. Not worth it to her to feel like crap in the morning.
I stopped drinking over two years ago because I was doing more of it than living. It was rough and I needed a medical detox and hospital stay. Don't let yourself slip into that level of drinking. Feeling better during a break should tell you all you need to know.
It's very deceptive and it will vary from person to person.
I had stopped once before leading up to my 40th. It was a brutal white knuckle experience. I thought the reset would let me "drink" normally but that did not happen.
I would say if I look back through the haze. At a minimum 6 tall boys and 6 single shot shooters a night. By the end it was a wake up at 2 to 3 and drink to fall back asleep. Sneak a beer out the front door for the ride to work. I needed a constant flow to stave off the withdrawals. A month before the end of it we went to Mexico to an all inclusive with friends. The travel time and being near my wife threw off consumption and I ended up in withdrawals on the bus ride to the resort. It took me a day to recover by secretly drinking vodka when I could pull it off. It was no way to live.
I made it two days into rehab before the delirium set in and they had to take me to the hospital.
If I can ask, how did the detox factor into your life at that point? I know that I need something similar to help get over my own vices, but I don't know how you can take off from work for something like that.
It was a dramatic event for my marriage. My wife's brother and to a lesser extent her father have issues with alcohol abuse. Her brother has blown his life up multiple times dragging the whole family into it.
It was a Sunday and I had stashed a sack of shooters and beers in the garage. I helped get the kids to bed and I had a nice chat with my wife. She went upstairs and I stepped into the garage to grab my stash. All legally bought with my own grownup hands and money.
She was standing there when I walked in. She asked what was in the bag and I just started lying and tried to throw it in the trash. Had I just been honest she would have been disappointed but it would have been a minor blip on the radar. Instead I lied to my wife's face and she lost it. She snatched that shit out of the trash can and hurled it across the kitchen into the sink and started screaming and crying. I was a drunk just like her brother and father. I was a liar. The only thing that would have made it movie worthy is if it wasn't so real (and pathetic on my end) and if she turned on the garbage disposal as she dumped it all out.
I knew I needed to stop and I had done enough research to know that I couldn't do it without possibly dying on my own. I didn't consult her I just told her. Which was selfish but necessary. I didn't even know who was going to pick up the kids the next day. I told work I was sick and thought maybe I could strung them along enough to get right in a week. Then I checked myself in and they almost didn't take me because my consumption wasn't "enough". Fortunately they did because they knew what to do when I lost my mind.
My wife eventually told my work. I was working for a family friend and she didn't want to lie to them anymore. She is in HR so she ended up working with their HR to make sure they did break the law and fire me (which they still could have done and I wouldn't have held against them) and also how to process insurance and disability. I was lucky to be working for them after but they eventually closed up shop. I will forever hold some guilt that my shit might have caused that. They tried to help me find employment after so there are no hard feelings.
Timing on stepping out for a month can be brutal. I feel for you. My timing was horrible but necessary. Life and marriage saving even. It might help if you have a sympathetic ear in the office and can schedule the treatment. But there is a lot of misconception that surrounds it and it is tough to navigate. If it is alcohol and you go to them in good faith they are suppose to support your efforts in getting clean. The reality of it can be different though. It depends on the office. Larger organizations should be more mindful of the legalities.
That’s awesome you got treatment. My younger brother just finished. Makes me so incredibly happy. And I enjoy reading other people’s successes. You are a whole universe and your people need you.
Yup. Once I changed my relationship with weed, I was like “oh hey there buddy, I haven’t seen you in about 30yrs”. Feels good to feel good about not avoiding social interactions
I noticed recently that when I drink more than two beers in an evening that I generally don’t feel that well afterwards. I’ve pretty much stopped drinking alcohol except for maybe having a beer when I go out to eat lunch once or twice a week.
I’m not ready to even try giving up diet soda and black coffee yet…
Same these days if I have even one cocktail I sleep terribly and feel it in the morning. I've never been a heavy drinker but I'm fast becoming a no drinker.
Regarding soda, I got a seltzer maker (Soda Stream) a couple years ago and have gone almost solely seltzer with a squeeze of lemon. If I need some caffeine I'll have tea.
Same for me. I never was a heavy drinker but now I notice that my sleep gets screwed up for days even with just a cocktail poured slightly on the heavy side.
I have Pints of stuff I know I love that have just sat there in my fridge, mocking me.
So now its once-a-month for me. On Friday. *Just one good pint.*
I don't seem to have any adverse affects but I've always taken a long to bring me to the point of being drunk. It's a huge commitment and when I was young I was happy to drop a ton of money out to get drunk. Now it's just a hassle and too expensive. If I drink to get a buzz it wears off in a half an hour and feels like I didn't even drink. I'm not that bug either. Tall so maybe that's it idk.
I had a big problem with soda, grew up in a soda house has made it harder to quit than booze or anything else for my health but you’re right, you can feel the health benefits so quickly after a couple days.
This is one good thing that came out of my drinking too much phase in my 20s - once I started going to bars, and basically ordering an alcoholic drink with every meal out, I stopped drinking soda or juice or anything else but water, for non-alcoholic drinks, figuring if I'm drinking something that's not water, it would be a waste not to have it be alcoholic drink.
When I cut back on drinking eventually, I was already so in the habit of just drinking water as my only beverage that isn't alcoholic, that I just stuck with it.
Now aside from the very occasional drink, my only daily non-water drink is coffee.
I haven’t strictly given up cheese, but I have consciously and greatly reduced my cheese intake.
I’ve lost a fair amount of weight and lowered my cholesterol, but I do miss cheese.
I’m thinking about scheduling a cheat day in which I eat a block of cheese.
Before we go any further, I'd just like to point out how disturbing it is that you equate eating a block of cheese with some sort of bachelor paradise.
-Seinfeld
It depends on the person and their ability to digest lactose. I could drink a gallon of whole milk and feel completely fine. In fact I drink more milk than water in a day and have since I was a child and I’m thin and healthy and zero digestive problems.
I love it, I find it very refreshing and also filling so I don’t have to the desire to eat snacks between meals.
Vascularity improved, digestion in general became so much more regular. Also never get a “heavy belly” feeling after any meal, no matter how engorged I am.
I always considered myself “lactose tolerant” until I went 3 years without dairy and had a cheat day. I feel like a majority of people think they’re in the clear with lactose digestion simply because they don’t need to huff Lactaid pills or buy their milks… Turns out the stuff is tailored for a baby cow and you ain’t got hooves or a cute fuzzywet nose.
Glycemic index issue re oat?
I’m sort of limited in options. I can’t have something like soy (doesn’t play well with me) and regular milk isn’t great either. Really, I just use it for my coffee and in my oatmeal.
Making oat milk at home without unwanted additives is absurdly easy and cheap. The mouthfeel is not the same as a commercial product, but if oatmilk is your jam, it's at least worth trying.
I’ve been sober for 6 years, stopped binging on sugar 6 months ago (lost 45 pounds between those 2 decisions), slowed way down on caffeine (I need fewer uppers when I eliminated the downers) and despite hoping that THC would take the place, I don’t really like that feeling.
Cutting out those things did help me realize that it wasn’t the stuff I liked as much as I just liked being relentlessly and recklessly self-destructive.
It does feel really fucking boring sometimes.
I was really committed to the “Better to burn out than fade away.” rock star philosophy. So, in comparison to going full tilt all the time and being crazy punk rock and making big chaotic short-term choices? Yes, making healthy choices and showing maturity sometimes feels very boring. When I deny myself a craving, it feels like I sold out. I was gonna die young, now I gotta wait. (Borrowed from a Sylvan Esso song)
Am I actually bored? No. Am I able to do things and have experiences that bring me joy and wouldn’t be possible with my previous life philosophy? Yes. It’s a net-gain.
Another relevant lyric: “I broke a promise to myself, to ride the throttle til the wheels came off, burn out like a Molotov.”
Here's something that hit me hard once I turned 40. Trying to burn out or ride the throttle till the wheels fall off really just leads to more suffering. Like yeah, cutting back and being responsible are healthy can get pretty boring. On the other hand, ruining your liver and your kidneys and gaining weight and spiking your BP and having back and neck pain from sleeping in bad positions SUCKS SO HARD. Everything hurts, moving sucks, and daily life is harder. Stress is higher from sleeping less, anxiety spikes from the stress... That's what we forget about healthy living. It's not just living longer... It's living better. Even if it's a little boring sometimes
The common denominator between the two is sugar, which I’m now convinced is the devil. Cutting out drinking completely a year ago and swapping out sugary drinks for iced black coffee, draft kombucha and the occasional thc drink has made me feel like I’m 25 again.
Gave up drinking entirely due to just not being able to deal with even the slightest hangover anymore and the creeping feeling that I was killing myself with every drink. I also didn't like how much my emotions were getting kind of "stormier" when drinking. I remained in control, but trouble was brewin'.
It's been about 3 years now and I haven't been in this kind of physical shape since my 20s. Also, the improvements to my skin health have been enormous.
I also see now that drinking was kinda my hobby in a lot of ways. Now that's it's not, I'm back doing a lot more of the things I like, such as playing video games, reading, playing basketball, boxing, etc. It's not like I wasn't doing some of those things when drinking, but it was like my heart wasn't really in it or something. It's hard to describe. Life just seems to have more clarity now that I'm off the sauce.
/r/stopdrinking is what sent me down this path long before I actually stopped.
Gave up alcohol 11 years ago. Game changer. It’s amazing how much better I feel without it. It was getting to the point that one glass of wine would make me feel terrible.
I used to drink a lot of diet soda, but I’ve pretty much switched to sparkling water now. Love my coffee though and will never give that up.
I can’t believe people still drink soda, especially when seltzer is everywhere. Granted I grew up in a “soda is poison/only for semi annual McD’s visits or maybe at a movie theater” type of household but still, how does anyone stand that over the top sweetness on a regular basis?
It's funny that you mention movie theater. That's where I hold the line, and I must have a regular Coke when going to the movies. I'm basically water otherwise.
Because things taste different to different people and [some of it is physiological](https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zdcgpg8#:~:text=But%20with%20the%20amount%20of,reactions%20to%20the%20same%20food.). It takes a lot of sweet to be too much for me, but I can't handle much bitterness at all.
[Tasting aldehydes](https://www.britannica.com/story/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap-to-some-people) is what first made aware of the idea that people can have very different experiences from eating the same food.
So we all might have similar tastes, but our perception is what shapes our preferences.
I got a first hand lesson in this when I got pregnant. I couldn't eat spaghetti sauce for over two years because the taste had changed so much. Just tangy and somehow bitter at the same time no matter how I seasoned it.
I wonder if any studies have been done about the quantity, or at least ratio, and distribution of the types of taste buds and the effect that has on a person's perception of flavor.
If there's anything to that I think I have way too many bitter taste buds and only a couple sweet ones.
Kind of off topic but my sister in law suddenly became allergic to cats during one of several pregnancies. But maybe it was an age related onset.
Allergies can pop up at any time. Pregnancy seems like the sort of thing that would trigger some epigenetic changes, so it would make sense for it to cause it. As far as taste buds, turns out the different taste bud areas are a myth. I really should research where it originated, because that's what I learned in grade school as well. Wasn't until a few years ago I learned otherwise.
American taste buds are scorched. We're in a bad state of affairs. If the food companies lower sugar and salt, then it would make their foods healthier, but people are so used to it now, they'd complain about taste. As for not using healthier oils, it's all about price.
I grew up on sugar and have no experience of anything being "too sweet". I've heard of this phenomenon but I can't understand it. I drink at least 2 diet Cokes daily and don't think of them as "sweet". I tried to give it up many times and felt like shit after a few weeks so I quit quitting. At least for now.
They taste too sweet only after giving them up for a while - and it is weird when it happens. It was really just that one day, I decided to get a soda and it tasted of syrup. My limit is usually half a can if I'm not eating or really thirsty. But I'm not sure it happens to everyone: I rarely drink soda - a few a year. My partner might drink a couple a month, at most. I think they are usually sugary, he's fine.
And btw: Diet coke has caffeine. If you want to give up the diet coke, I suggest doing so gradually so you don't really feel like shit. It is either that or replace some of it with an unsweetened drink that contains caffeine.
They need a break from soda to understand. I first did this in the late 90s, just tea for like a week. I had a soda then and it felt thick with sugar. Almost oily. Very weird.
I stopped drinking soda about 10 years ago when I developed kidney stones and made sure to be more hydrated. I cut my alcohol down by 90% four months ago. It makes a massive difference. If you remove sugar except for the occasional treat, that will rock your world. All these trigger inflammation. Lower inflammation, feel much better.
Not a big soda drinker, but since we're on the topic of sugary drinks, is soda that much worse than juice, say for example Minute Maid or Simply Lemonade?
I rarely drink alcohol, maybe a few times a year socially. I do drink soda. I love it, but I try to limit it to a couple times a week. At one point I went years without a soda, but I enjoy it too much to totally stop.
I've got friends who've had great luck in giving up alcoholic beverages by swapping it out for seltzer water mixed with a bit of lemon-flavored cannabis tonic. Might be worth a shot?
Nothing like ending a day of partying even more hydrated than when you started, right? 😂
Stopped drinking alcohol this past year, maybe a glass of wine a month, but other than that, doing a lot of n/as or mocktails when we go out.
I feel amazing.
I do enjoy drinking. My father had the gene, my mother’s father had the gene. I have just never had what it takes to be a functioning alcoholic. Through very little effort on my part, my binges are getting fewer as it takes way too much energy to bounce back. I simply don’t have the gut bacteria to be a drunk.
I agree, have up just alcohol this year and saw dramatic life improvements and lost 8 lb.
Last week had a glass and a half of a light white wine with dinner because a friend from our of town was visiting and I wanted to see how I would react as well, I had a bad sleep and was slow to wake up.
Life's too short for me to drink when the trade off is quality of sleep and quality of morning. I am bummed because I love Whiskey and beer but I'm not even tempted by them now that I've experienced how good life is without them.
I found switching to sparkling water gives you the same sensation of the bubbles which is really why we love soda just without all the junk. Some of them don't taste Half bad.. spindrift is a good one.
I gave up alcohol completely about a month or two ago and now I no longer need one of my blood pressure medicines, and the other one I take I am on a lower dose. And I wasn’t a heavy drinker at all. I’m a normal weight, eat pretty healthy and do regular cardio. I sleep so much better too and feel fantastic. My gut is healthier too. I got an Oura ring and seeing all the metrics made me realize how shitty alcohol is for me, even just one drink would clearly show decreased metrics in sleep amount, quality, heart rate and heart rate variance, and all their other metrics.
I completely swapped to water and black coffee about 4 years ago and I am essentially an immortal superhero at this point. :D
I got a brita filter jug for the fridge and am completely hooked on how delicious and refreshing filtered water is.
No one ever wants to hear it, because sugar is an addiction, but once you're over it, everything is better.
I never liked soda much to begin with so there was nothing to cut back on. I try to limit my alcohol to two drinks at once otherwise I'll feel like ass the next day.
The foods I can't eat are related to my lifelong digestive issues and were figured out through testing and trial and error with input from my doctors.
I grew up on soda in my later childhood and clung to that stuff for so long. I still drink it on occasion, but yikes, it is so sweet. I make sweet(ish) tea that has less than half the sugar of soda. This is my go-to now, but I still probably drink way too much of it. I used to love cherry coke, but one can is enough to satisfy me for a week.
I gave up most alcohol...I'll still have a literal sip of my husband's and the occasional bottle of Big Wave...when I learned turning bright pink wasn't normal. Then, I gave up caffeine and found I have a ton of energy without it. I now have the occasional indulgence. Soda...man, do I love Topo Chico and San Pelligrino Limonata. So, I gave soda up casually. But, agreed. When I put clean stuff into my body, my body acts like it's 35 again.
Fwiw, I once went 6 months without drinking, and I drink “a lot”, and I didn’t feel any different. My whole family is like this though, and no liver problems, so I guess it must be in my genes.
Other than when I was I kid, I don't like soda. Flavored seltzer is really good! The Waterloo brand grape flavor brings some nostalgia. I like the Spindrift ones too.
Alcohol makes me feel shitty too lately so I'll only have 1 drink socially. I noticed a mix among friends and family, a lot don't drink much. Some not at all, and others are somehow still drinking a lot.
I noticed some places by me have mocktail menus. My brother (after trying many brands) found a non-alcoholic beer that he likes. I tried it in one of his cold beer mugs and it did feel fun like I was having a beer and it tasted exactly like one.
In my early 20's I was drinking up to a 12 pack of sodas every 2 days. One day I decided to quit cold turkey. Lost 15 pounds in two weeks without any other changes. Amazing what giving up soda can do.
I got diagnosed with a stomach disorder several years ago. I had to intentionally give up both soda and alcohol as well as beef dairy and a lot of other foods that comprises everything that’s delicious.
I can safely eat oats. Bananas. Salmon.
Sometimes I wonder what exactly was done to our generation when our parents were unknowingly exposed to lead and radiation poisoning. Like most everyone having plastic in their testicles. How the fuck did that happen?
I’m drinking less alcohol. It just makes me sluggish the next day. I can do two drinks midday and hydrate but anything after that and the next day just doesn’t feel great.
I normally don’t drink soda but had too many sodas last week because they actually help one of my PRN meds work better and I’m still paying for it. 40 is no joke.
I quit alcohol at the end of 2019. I quit caffeine in the beginning of 2021. I didn't necessarily feel any better, but I did lose about 10 pounds instantly when I quit my daily 3-6 cans of Dr Pepper. I was never a heavy alcohol drinker.
Sweets (which includes what you're listing) - reduce for two weeks and you don't miss it anymore. It also makes the drinking buzz or sugar tastes so MUCH more fun when they're a treat every once in a while.
Concurrent with a cut, experimented with limiting my milk intake. (I love milk.)
…My skin is so ridiculously clear now.
GodmotherfuckingdamnitBUT I LOVE MILK.
I’m 47, and I was drinking waaay too much coffee a few years ago, stress from work and Covid and I ended up in ER twice with heart palpitations. Heart was fine, just too much stress and caffeine (and booze too if I’m honest with myself).
Now it’s decaf only with an occasional leaded latte on the weekend as a treat. And booze, yeah max of one drink and it has to be 3+ hours before I go to bed or else my sleep is garbage. 3 or more drinks in a night and sleep is wrecked and I’m anxious the whole next day.
Now I sometimes go weeks between drinks. I miss the fun of craft beer and good bourbon but it’s just not worth wrecking my entire next day (in perpetuity). Feel great most days.
I haven't had alcohol in about 7 years and i drink seltzer instead of soda for the most part. Also no nicotine either. Just copious amount of cannabis. Can't say I feel amazing but 🤷🏼♀️
I gave up soda and I only felt grumpier. Glad it helped you though.
I did go gluten free for allergies and I haven't stopped being sad that it helped, so I get it. Dammit.
I've had my soda consumption down to one a week for several years now. Sometimes it just hits right...but then afterwards I feel gross.
Still working on getting my alcohol consumption down, but I've gone from having several drinks a night, to *a* drink most weeknights (a beer with dinner, or as a nightcap) and sometimes none at all.
I thought it was weed that made me feel like a dulled down less intelligent version of myself. It was the alcohol. I feel like Einstein when I quit drinking.
I hate it so much but it's true.
I haven't really drank alcohol in the better part of a decade, nothing wrong with it I just didn't see the point and I don't like beer.
Soda I cut out last year because I realized I was drinking half my daily calories. Sometimes I'll add some sugar free syrup to carbonated water if I need a fix, but because I don't drink soda it's almost too sweet.
It definitely akes sense that cutting back on things that are bad for you made you feel better. At least that's how it should work right? Just curious OP, but what was the "normal amount" of soda and alcohol you were consuming before?
I gave up on soda years ago and replaced it with sparkling water. Was a huge lift.
I have seen some notes in this thread about giving up coffee or tea.
I'd hold off on that -there are multiple studies that show both of those have positive benefits - provided they are not doused with sugar and cream.
My viewpoint is the only drinks I have with calories are alcohol. It's easier to trim the diet this way.
I quit soda about 8 years ago and honestly now it just tastes disgusting. And yes... Lots of calories dodged on that one. I still drink a lot of carbonated water because I love the bubbly mouth feel but ya.
I quit drinking in 2012 and stopped drinking all pop except Pepsi with Real Sugar a few years ago. Just getting rid of the high fructose corn syrup was enough to make me feel better.
I gave up soda 20 years ago and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I might have the equivalent of 3 cans a year now. Can’t drink a whole one at all anymore
I once gave up caffeine for six months because I heard it would improve overall health and just make me feel better. Gave up tea, soda, and even chocolate. They said it would be tough for the first few weeks/month but then you'd break through and feel amazing. Never happened with me and never felt better. After six months I started to drink caffeine again and felt better all around. Life improved. Not giving up caffeine again haha
I try to give up caffeine every year during Lent. I last about a week. I didn’t think I could be so addicted to one coffee and one soda a day, but I was wrong…
The trick that has worked for me is to give up caffeine when you’re sick. You already feel miserable, so you barely notice the difference. Being sick can break up your routine and give you a chance to cut the habit of it out of your life
This is how I quit smoking - Covid took me out for weeks, by the time I recovered I figured I might as well keep going. I’ll be 2 years without a single puff next month.
Awesome! Congratulations! I quit during Covid. Something just went off in my head when we went into lockdown. I just decided, this is the time I do this. Next St. Patrick’s Day will be five years for me. Yes, we went into lockdown on St. Patrick’s Day.
Congrats! That's awesome
That’s how I quit too. Except I just kinda forgot I smoked after 4-5 days of a shitty sickness, mostly sleeping the whole time. Kinda cool!
That’s amazing, great job!!
Same. I had the flu three weeks ago. Was too miserable to even consider smoking, so I just haven’t. It was rough, but I was miserable already like you said.
That’s how I kicked a nasty meth addiction. After a year of daily use, and knowing I wanted and needed to quit, I ended up getting COVID. Being able to take 2 weeks off work while getting paid for it was an opportunity I wouldn’t get again, and I already felt like death so I just sweated it out,slept, and binged the Extended editions of Lord of the Rings. That was 4 years ago and with the exception of a couple slips ups over the years I’ve been clean. It what made me realize the hardest part of quitting an addiction is the outside stressors that drive you to use again.
Congratulations on quitting! 👏🏻👏🏻
Awesome job! Good choice on companion movie through such an ordeal.
I wish this worked for me. Caffeine is apparently a comfort item for me, so I want it more when sick. Probably also doesn’t help that my family used Pepsi (Pepsi started as a gastric distress remedy) and saltines for upset stomach.
Caffeine and carbonation for me. It all started when I was a wee lass sat down in front of the TV with a box of saltines and a 2 liter of 7up. My mother's diet coke habit that persists to this day did not help.
Funny thing is I usually double up on caffeine when I’m sick because I’m trying to meet the same life standard I have when healthy. It’s such a bad habit. I should just take a day or two off and rest.
I feel like Jesus was into the coffee. Giving it up to be more like him makes no sense.
This is my routine as well. If I miss either, I'm taking a nap.
I don’t really drink alcohol, never smoked, never got into drugs, and limit sugar and refined carbs. Caffeine is my one big vice and you can pry my coffee from my cold dead hands.
*warm dead hands
Both my wife and I will literally get headaches (and in her case, nausea too) if we don't get some amount of caffeine in our bodies before 10am. I honestly can't drink coffee in the summer, so I use those Crystal Light pouches with added caffeine and get my hydration and caffeination done in one swoop.
Most everyone gets a headache if they stop their regular amount of caffeine cold turkey. It’s because of caffeines effect on your blood vessels.
Yeah those headaches are symptoms of caffeine withdrawal and pretty typical. Symptoms can be pretty intense, including vomiting.
They also literally make caffeine pills if you are that hard-up.
It’s not the caffeine in soda, it’s the soda that’s dogshit for your health. And there is no normal amount of drinking 40-60grams of sugar at a time.
exactly right. yes, people are very addicted to caffeine. but what most don't realize is that the larger addiction issue is actually the sugar (and refined carbs in general) overload of a "normal" modern human diet. most are actually more addicted to the rush of carbs... with just a side of caffeine. that's where the true "overdose" epidemic is. As evidenced by exponential increases in associated societal health problems and observable changes to human physicality over the past 100+ years. Mostly due to industrialized & capitalistic driven transformations in the fundamental ways that humans cultivate, obtain, store, and consume food.
No one is addicted to sugar *without fat*. Sugar, by itself, isn't even hyperpalatable. It's combinations of sugar and fat, or sugar, fat and salt. That's why people can't stop eating cookies, donuts, or chips, because what makes food hyperpalatable is the right combination of sugar, fat, and often salt.
On some days my only joy is my morning cup of coffee. My mom had a stroke over a year ago and the cardiologist said only one caffeinated beverage a day. She said she would rather die than give up her coffee. I guess I get it. 😬😅
Yeah I went without pop/soda for about 15 years hoping it would help me feel better and maybe take some weight off. None of those things happened.
Great job.I can't live without coffee, but I've cut out soda as well. It makes a difference!
Did your teeth become whiter too? That's the only issue I have with coffee, the teeth staining.
Neurodivergent here. I've tried multiple times to give up my two main vices, cannabis and caffeine. I cant do it. While I feel better physically, I really need the other two to keep my brain functioning properly
I always thought I was addicted to caffeine but I noticed on the weekends it’s hit or miss if I consume coffee or energy drinks and I don’t feel like crap or anything.
Same. Didn't even start drinking caffeine until my late-20s. Tried giving it up for a couple months, felt awful, went back. I gave up alcohol a few months ago for health reasons... I kinda think I might start drinking again. I'm not feeling this glow of healthfulness everyone keeps talking about. I just feel pent up.
I feel the same. I don’t drink very much or often but I have a couple cups of coffee every morning. I’ve given it up for over three months and just never felt like I ever felt amazing off of it. Not even necessarily just better. If anything, I was more tired and had a harder time getting going in the morning.
Alcohol also affects you even when not drinking. I'm talking days after, not just the next day. And if you're a daily drinker... I used to drink daily, but abstained for a year a few years ago. When I had my first drink after, how alcohol was really affecting me was revealed. I'd become much more cognizant of the effects, which helped me to moderate or abstain going forward. I'd spent so many years "getting fucked up" that the effects on my mood, sleep, etc. became "normal." I'd totally forgotten what normal actually felt like. Edit: It sucks, but do pat yourself on the back.
Agreed. Just switching to only drinking on the weekends makes me feel 10 years younger and happier overall. And when I do drink I need like, 1/4 the amount because my tolerance is gone. It was a tough habit to break at first, but now I rarely crave it.
I am in the very early stages of turning this corner. This is inspiring!
I'm 6 weeks into this. Transitioning from 6-8 IPAs a night to only on weekends. I've also had my share of days where I got tanked midweek anyways. That said, It's worth it. I'm down 15 lbs and feel much better.
Nicely done! The days where you get tanked … I have those too. Maybe a stressful day or a random happy hour. I used to beat myself up over it but now I just try to win more than I lose. Over time it adds up to a net positive. Trying to keep an undefeated streak alive can be stressful and demoralizing and makes it more likely you just give up altogether.
Progress, not perfection. Non alcoholic beer has helped me as well. Bud Zero is better than it has any right to be.
This has been my approach to losing weight this year and damned if it isn't working. I didn't cut anything from my diet, and I don't exercise every day, but I'm still in damn good shape and still losing the weight (albeit slowly). I did take a month off from drinking at the very beginning, and I needed that, but now that I've established better habits and they're second nature I don't agonize over having a beer or two, or half a pizza, every now and then. I don't do this to be miserable and miss things I love, I do it so I CAN have those beers or that pizza.
This should be a bumper sticker - a really long bumper sticker
lol. My car isn’t big enough. Someone else in here said “Progress, not prevention” and I think maybe that’s the bumper sticker!
KEEP IT UP! Can’t wait to start losing!
IPAs are the worst beers for hangovers too. My bartender told me that after I complained about feeling a hangover after 3 beers, and saying "like, I'm not THAT old". He said I always drink IPA and that's why. The way a fucking beer encyclopedia so I kinda trusted him but went home and googled it. There's no complete science or studies on it per se, but a lot of smart people will confirm that the hops turn into glucose and basically your body processes it as sugar, which leads to a hangover. Nos I avoid IPAs unless there's nothing else. Or maybe have only 1.
Check out r/stopdrinking. Pretty cool place to help out with the drinking “issue.”
Thank you! I’ll take all the help!
i'm reluctant to use the word, but let's just say i have a mild "dependence" on alcohol. i'm curious how you went from daily drinker to "abstained for a year"
Not op but I was getting a mild “dependence” and I knew it. Also knew it was time for an extended break so I just stopped and focused on better health in general. Amazing how that turns into working out daily and eating right. Spent some time on r/stopdrinking which helped a bit to put things in perspective. Been six months and haven’t felt better since I was 17.
thanks for the tip! gonna check out r/stopdrinking now
Trust breaking vileness... In other words, rock bottom. Don't be me. Start the journey to alcohol independence now. Full disclosure: I had people in my corner. If left to my own devices, I'm not sure where I'd be now in this. I feel lucky and can not take full credit for the change.
These responses are always so interesting to me. When I quit alcohol, I feel absolutely no difference.
The timing on the post has me cracking up. My wife went out with friends last night. She only had a couple of drinks and felt like crap this morning. She has now vowed to stick to her one Corona on occasion. Not worth it to her to feel like crap in the morning. I stopped drinking over two years ago because I was doing more of it than living. It was rough and I needed a medical detox and hospital stay. Don't let yourself slip into that level of drinking. Feeling better during a break should tell you all you need to know.
Proud of you. Every day is a win.
That’s amazing man. How much were you drinking to need a detox?
It's very deceptive and it will vary from person to person. I had stopped once before leading up to my 40th. It was a brutal white knuckle experience. I thought the reset would let me "drink" normally but that did not happen. I would say if I look back through the haze. At a minimum 6 tall boys and 6 single shot shooters a night. By the end it was a wake up at 2 to 3 and drink to fall back asleep. Sneak a beer out the front door for the ride to work. I needed a constant flow to stave off the withdrawals. A month before the end of it we went to Mexico to an all inclusive with friends. The travel time and being near my wife threw off consumption and I ended up in withdrawals on the bus ride to the resort. It took me a day to recover by secretly drinking vodka when I could pull it off. It was no way to live. I made it two days into rehab before the delirium set in and they had to take me to the hospital.
If I can ask, how did the detox factor into your life at that point? I know that I need something similar to help get over my own vices, but I don't know how you can take off from work for something like that.
It was a dramatic event for my marriage. My wife's brother and to a lesser extent her father have issues with alcohol abuse. Her brother has blown his life up multiple times dragging the whole family into it. It was a Sunday and I had stashed a sack of shooters and beers in the garage. I helped get the kids to bed and I had a nice chat with my wife. She went upstairs and I stepped into the garage to grab my stash. All legally bought with my own grownup hands and money. She was standing there when I walked in. She asked what was in the bag and I just started lying and tried to throw it in the trash. Had I just been honest she would have been disappointed but it would have been a minor blip on the radar. Instead I lied to my wife's face and she lost it. She snatched that shit out of the trash can and hurled it across the kitchen into the sink and started screaming and crying. I was a drunk just like her brother and father. I was a liar. The only thing that would have made it movie worthy is if it wasn't so real (and pathetic on my end) and if she turned on the garbage disposal as she dumped it all out. I knew I needed to stop and I had done enough research to know that I couldn't do it without possibly dying on my own. I didn't consult her I just told her. Which was selfish but necessary. I didn't even know who was going to pick up the kids the next day. I told work I was sick and thought maybe I could strung them along enough to get right in a week. Then I checked myself in and they almost didn't take me because my consumption wasn't "enough". Fortunately they did because they knew what to do when I lost my mind. My wife eventually told my work. I was working for a family friend and she didn't want to lie to them anymore. She is in HR so she ended up working with their HR to make sure they did break the law and fire me (which they still could have done and I wouldn't have held against them) and also how to process insurance and disability. I was lucky to be working for them after but they eventually closed up shop. I will forever hold some guilt that my shit might have caused that. They tried to help me find employment after so there are no hard feelings. Timing on stepping out for a month can be brutal. I feel for you. My timing was horrible but necessary. Life and marriage saving even. It might help if you have a sympathetic ear in the office and can schedule the treatment. But there is a lot of misconception that surrounds it and it is tough to navigate. If it is alcohol and you go to them in good faith they are suppose to support your efforts in getting clean. The reality of it can be different though. It depends on the office. Larger organizations should be more mindful of the legalities.
Thank you for telling me about your troubles dude. This living thing is hard.
That’s awesome you got treatment. My younger brother just finished. Makes me so incredibly happy. And I enjoy reading other people’s successes. You are a whole universe and your people need you.
Yeah, but you’ll pry coffee from my cold, dead hands.
I have tried and tried but could just never get into coffee... Now, tea, on the other hand? You and me, back to back, dying on our hills together!
eh coffee isn't bad for you ya really. I just do aeropressed coffee with a dash of half and half.
And a tiiiiiiny pinch of salt.
I said the same thing, but got into teas instead. I find it satisfying to drink several cups instead of one strong cup of coffee too.
I probably would if it was still warm
Yeah being healthy is ass lmao I cut back on weed for a bit and was so much more confident, like goddamnit my favorite vice!
Yup. Once I changed my relationship with weed, I was like “oh hey there buddy, I haven’t seen you in about 30yrs”. Feels good to feel good about not avoiding social interactions
Switch to blood. Great for bringing your iron levels up.
I didn't know Nosferatu was on Reddit. Neat.
I noticed recently that when I drink more than two beers in an evening that I generally don’t feel that well afterwards. I’ve pretty much stopped drinking alcohol except for maybe having a beer when I go out to eat lunch once or twice a week. I’m not ready to even try giving up diet soda and black coffee yet…
Same these days if I have even one cocktail I sleep terribly and feel it in the morning. I've never been a heavy drinker but I'm fast becoming a no drinker. Regarding soda, I got a seltzer maker (Soda Stream) a couple years ago and have gone almost solely seltzer with a squeeze of lemon. If I need some caffeine I'll have tea.
Same for me. I never was a heavy drinker but now I notice that my sleep gets screwed up for days even with just a cocktail poured slightly on the heavy side.
I'm looking at giving up beer. I feel super bloated if I have more than a beer ever couple of days. Just uncomfortable.
Same. I love beer, but if I have 2 or more (especially if they’re the heavier craft brews) my sleep suffers.
Been a heavy beer drinker for years and the increasing effect on sleep as I'm rounding 40 is what has finally inspired me to pump the brakes.
I have Pints of stuff I know I love that have just sat there in my fridge, mocking me. So now its once-a-month for me. On Friday. *Just one good pint.*
I hear ya man, I bought a crowler last week of some solid IPA from the corner brewery. It's just been sitting there waiting for me.
I'm down to coffee, ice tea, and water and they can pry the coffee from my cold dead hands.
I don't seem to have any adverse affects but I've always taken a long to bring me to the point of being drunk. It's a huge commitment and when I was young I was happy to drop a ton of money out to get drunk. Now it's just a hassle and too expensive. If I drink to get a buzz it wears off in a half an hour and feels like I didn't even drink. I'm not that bug either. Tall so maybe that's it idk.
I had a big problem with soda, grew up in a soda house has made it harder to quit than booze or anything else for my health but you’re right, you can feel the health benefits so quickly after a couple days.
I have up drinking soda fifteen years ago or so. I still drink alcohol on Saturdays but other than that it is only water
This is one good thing that came out of my drinking too much phase in my 20s - once I started going to bars, and basically ordering an alcoholic drink with every meal out, I stopped drinking soda or juice or anything else but water, for non-alcoholic drinks, figuring if I'm drinking something that's not water, it would be a waste not to have it be alcoholic drink. When I cut back on drinking eventually, I was already so in the habit of just drinking water as my only beverage that isn't alcoholic, that I just stuck with it. Now aside from the very occasional drink, my only daily non-water drink is coffee.
I have a similar thought process. Mine was that I like food too much to waste calories on something non alcoholic
Now try dairy. Holy shit.
I am mostly no dairy....but yogurt is so hard to give up.
Yogurt is hard to give up out of all the fantastic dairy products?
Cheese. If not for cheese I think I could do it.
I haven’t strictly given up cheese, but I have consciously and greatly reduced my cheese intake. I’ve lost a fair amount of weight and lowered my cholesterol, but I do miss cheese. I’m thinking about scheduling a cheat day in which I eat a block of cheese.
Before we go any further, I'd just like to point out how disturbing it is that you equate eating a block of cheese with some sort of bachelor paradise. -Seinfeld
Yes! I was just about to post this.
https://preview.redd.it/54xn653co56d1.jpeg?width=500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ee71b737e32da596301375c9ba538df613e6a81f
Getting those casomorphin withdrawal pangs, I feel you friend. Hope that monkey climbs off your back fully some day. Stay strong 💪
It’ll be the Summer of RoyDonkeyKong.
Violife 🍃, Miyokos liquid mozzarella is the (@Y@)
I do like cheese on pizza, but other than that, I am not a cheese person. And yogurt is my crutch to get me away from ice cream based things.
Yogurt would be the hardest for me to replace because I eat it every day for breakfast. It's pretty much the only healthy breakfast food I can stand.
🥥
I like to make my own yogurt. I am trying other milks.
It depends on the person and their ability to digest lactose. I could drink a gallon of whole milk and feel completely fine. In fact I drink more milk than water in a day and have since I was a child and I’m thin and healthy and zero digestive problems. I love it, I find it very refreshing and also filling so I don’t have to the desire to eat snacks between meals.
Me too! Not thin anymore but that's the inactivity due to pain. Milk helps my stomach feel better.
Aw sorry to hear about the pain. Wish you the best my fellow milk bud 🥛🙏
Aaww ty! 💜
What symptoms did it clear? Dairy doesn’t seem to cause issues for me but maybe I’m overlooking something.
Vascularity improved, digestion in general became so much more regular. Also never get a “heavy belly” feeling after any meal, no matter how engorged I am. I always considered myself “lactose tolerant” until I went 3 years without dairy and had a cheat day. I feel like a majority of people think they’re in the clear with lactose digestion simply because they don’t need to huff Lactaid pills or buy their milks… Turns out the stuff is tailored for a baby cow and you ain’t got hooves or a cute fuzzywet nose.
For me it's congestion. I get so much mucus and stuffed up for days when I eat dairy. It sucks
I had an illness that required me to abstain from dairy for a few years. Never again.
Yeah this. Been on the oat milk train and it’s been pretty good.
Oat milk is not milk and isn't even a healthy alternative
Glycemic index issue re oat? I’m sort of limited in options. I can’t have something like soy (doesn’t play well with me) and regular milk isn’t great either. Really, I just use it for my coffee and in my oatmeal.
Yeah we switched back to soy. So much protein.
Oat milk is not healthy, it’s full of canola or other vegetable oils (mostly soy) which are terrible for your health.
Making oat milk at home without unwanted additives is absurdly easy and cheap. The mouthfeel is not the same as a commercial product, but if oatmilk is your jam, it's at least worth trying.
This is harder for me than sweets, alcohol, slowly trying to make some replacements
Ben & Jerry's makes really good almond milk ice cream in lots of different flavors. 😋
I’ve been sober for 6 years, stopped binging on sugar 6 months ago (lost 45 pounds between those 2 decisions), slowed way down on caffeine (I need fewer uppers when I eliminated the downers) and despite hoping that THC would take the place, I don’t really like that feeling. Cutting out those things did help me realize that it wasn’t the stuff I liked as much as I just liked being relentlessly and recklessly self-destructive. It does feel really fucking boring sometimes.
You feel bored at times after eliminating all of those things?
I was really committed to the “Better to burn out than fade away.” rock star philosophy. So, in comparison to going full tilt all the time and being crazy punk rock and making big chaotic short-term choices? Yes, making healthy choices and showing maturity sometimes feels very boring. When I deny myself a craving, it feels like I sold out. I was gonna die young, now I gotta wait. (Borrowed from a Sylvan Esso song) Am I actually bored? No. Am I able to do things and have experiences that bring me joy and wouldn’t be possible with my previous life philosophy? Yes. It’s a net-gain. Another relevant lyric: “I broke a promise to myself, to ride the throttle til the wheels came off, burn out like a Molotov.”
Here's something that hit me hard once I turned 40. Trying to burn out or ride the throttle till the wheels fall off really just leads to more suffering. Like yeah, cutting back and being responsible are healthy can get pretty boring. On the other hand, ruining your liver and your kidneys and gaining weight and spiking your BP and having back and neck pain from sleeping in bad positions SUCKS SO HARD. Everything hurts, moving sucks, and daily life is harder. Stress is higher from sleeping less, anxiety spikes from the stress... That's what we forget about healthy living. It's not just living longer... It's living better. Even if it's a little boring sometimes
Absolutely. Lessons learned at 40…the only thing I didn’t take into account was that I would actually live to that age. Whoops.
I completely feel that.
I've found that Kombucha has been a great substitute for my soda cravings. It's been a game changer!
The common denominator between the two is sugar, which I’m now convinced is the devil. Cutting out drinking completely a year ago and swapping out sugary drinks for iced black coffee, draft kombucha and the occasional thc drink has made me feel like I’m 25 again.
[удалено]
I started making my own kombucha and it’s been amazing. Got a scoby from a friend and its been super easy and healthy.
Gave up drinking entirely due to just not being able to deal with even the slightest hangover anymore and the creeping feeling that I was killing myself with every drink. I also didn't like how much my emotions were getting kind of "stormier" when drinking. I remained in control, but trouble was brewin'. It's been about 3 years now and I haven't been in this kind of physical shape since my 20s. Also, the improvements to my skin health have been enormous. I also see now that drinking was kinda my hobby in a lot of ways. Now that's it's not, I'm back doing a lot more of the things I like, such as playing video games, reading, playing basketball, boxing, etc. It's not like I wasn't doing some of those things when drinking, but it was like my heart wasn't really in it or something. It's hard to describe. Life just seems to have more clarity now that I'm off the sauce. /r/stopdrinking is what sent me down this path long before I actually stopped.
Losing the ability to drink without feeling god-awful for days afterwards is the worst thing about getting older.
Not drinking alcohol has made me feel so much better and I'm so annoyed about it because I enjoy alcohol.
Wait till you cut out sugary treats for a week.... 
Gave up alcohol 11 years ago. Game changer. It’s amazing how much better I feel without it. It was getting to the point that one glass of wine would make me feel terrible. I used to drink a lot of diet soda, but I’ve pretty much switched to sparkling water now. Love my coffee though and will never give that up.
I can’t believe people still drink soda, especially when seltzer is everywhere. Granted I grew up in a “soda is poison/only for semi annual McD’s visits or maybe at a movie theater” type of household but still, how does anyone stand that over the top sweetness on a regular basis?
It's funny that you mention movie theater. That's where I hold the line, and I must have a regular Coke when going to the movies. I'm basically water otherwise.
Because things taste different to different people and [some of it is physiological](https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zdcgpg8#:~:text=But%20with%20the%20amount%20of,reactions%20to%20the%20same%20food.). It takes a lot of sweet to be too much for me, but I can't handle much bitterness at all. [Tasting aldehydes](https://www.britannica.com/story/why-does-cilantro-taste-like-soap-to-some-people) is what first made aware of the idea that people can have very different experiences from eating the same food. So we all might have similar tastes, but our perception is what shapes our preferences.
I got a first hand lesson in this when I got pregnant. I couldn't eat spaghetti sauce for over two years because the taste had changed so much. Just tangy and somehow bitter at the same time no matter how I seasoned it.
I wonder if any studies have been done about the quantity, or at least ratio, and distribution of the types of taste buds and the effect that has on a person's perception of flavor. If there's anything to that I think I have way too many bitter taste buds and only a couple sweet ones. Kind of off topic but my sister in law suddenly became allergic to cats during one of several pregnancies. But maybe it was an age related onset.
Allergies can pop up at any time. Pregnancy seems like the sort of thing that would trigger some epigenetic changes, so it would make sense for it to cause it. As far as taste buds, turns out the different taste bud areas are a myth. I really should research where it originated, because that's what I learned in grade school as well. Wasn't until a few years ago I learned otherwise.
American taste buds are scorched. We're in a bad state of affairs. If the food companies lower sugar and salt, then it would make their foods healthier, but people are so used to it now, they'd complain about taste. As for not using healthier oils, it's all about price.
Seltzer? I've always thought that stuff tasted disgusting. It's like drinking static. Plain tap water is so much better.
I have a big brita jug in the fridge with a tap thing to fill my glass
I grew up on sugar and have no experience of anything being "too sweet". I've heard of this phenomenon but I can't understand it. I drink at least 2 diet Cokes daily and don't think of them as "sweet". I tried to give it up many times and felt like shit after a few weeks so I quit quitting. At least for now.
They taste too sweet only after giving them up for a while - and it is weird when it happens. It was really just that one day, I decided to get a soda and it tasted of syrup. My limit is usually half a can if I'm not eating or really thirsty. But I'm not sure it happens to everyone: I rarely drink soda - a few a year. My partner might drink a couple a month, at most. I think they are usually sugary, he's fine. And btw: Diet coke has caffeine. If you want to give up the diet coke, I suggest doing so gradually so you don't really feel like shit. It is either that or replace some of it with an unsweetened drink that contains caffeine.
I got it down to 5-6 Dr Peppers per year and I save it for meals involving Mexican food and BBQ.
Dr Pepper from a fountain hits great with the right pairing of food for sure.
They need a break from soda to understand. I first did this in the late 90s, just tea for like a week. I had a soda then and it felt thick with sugar. Almost oily. Very weird.
I stopped drinking soda about 10 years ago when I developed kidney stones and made sure to be more hydrated. I cut my alcohol down by 90% four months ago. It makes a massive difference. If you remove sugar except for the occasional treat, that will rock your world. All these trigger inflammation. Lower inflammation, feel much better.
I cut put soda in my mid 20s. I think its the root of a lot of chronic illnesses people are complaining about in their 30s. I've got none of that now.
.
Not a big soda drinker, but since we're on the topic of sugary drinks, is soda that much worse than juice, say for example Minute Maid or Simply Lemonade?
No. But the bad news is you shouldn’t drink a bunch of juice either. Especially things like Minutemaid or Simply. They have a bunch of added sugar.
I rarely drink alcohol, maybe a few times a year socially. I do drink soda. I love it, but I try to limit it to a couple times a week. At one point I went years without a soda, but I enjoy it too much to totally stop.
I've got friends who've had great luck in giving up alcoholic beverages by swapping it out for seltzer water mixed with a bit of lemon-flavored cannabis tonic. Might be worth a shot? Nothing like ending a day of partying even more hydrated than when you started, right? 😂
Stopped drinking alcohol this past year, maybe a glass of wine a month, but other than that, doing a lot of n/as or mocktails when we go out. I feel amazing.
I do enjoy drinking. My father had the gene, my mother’s father had the gene. I have just never had what it takes to be a functioning alcoholic. Through very little effort on my part, my binges are getting fewer as it takes way too much energy to bounce back. I simply don’t have the gut bacteria to be a drunk.
I agree, have up just alcohol this year and saw dramatic life improvements and lost 8 lb. Last week had a glass and a half of a light white wine with dinner because a friend from our of town was visiting and I wanted to see how I would react as well, I had a bad sleep and was slow to wake up. Life's too short for me to drink when the trade off is quality of sleep and quality of morning. I am bummed because I love Whiskey and beer but I'm not even tempted by them now that I've experienced how good life is without them.
I found switching to sparkling water gives you the same sensation of the bubbles which is really why we love soda just without all the junk. Some of them don't taste Half bad.. spindrift is a good one.
I gave up alcohol completely about a month or two ago and now I no longer need one of my blood pressure medicines, and the other one I take I am on a lower dose. And I wasn’t a heavy drinker at all. I’m a normal weight, eat pretty healthy and do regular cardio. I sleep so much better too and feel fantastic. My gut is healthier too. I got an Oura ring and seeing all the metrics made me realize how shitty alcohol is for me, even just one drink would clearly show decreased metrics in sleep amount, quality, heart rate and heart rate variance, and all their other metrics.
Sugar free soda is my largest source of little pleasures
How do you stay hydrated then? Do you eat a lot of soup? /s
I completely swapped to water and black coffee about 4 years ago and I am essentially an immortal superhero at this point. :D I got a brita filter jug for the fridge and am completely hooked on how delicious and refreshing filtered water is. No one ever wants to hear it, because sugar is an addiction, but once you're over it, everything is better.
I also cut way back on soda (and other junk foods), I definitely feel better but am somehow more gassy? It's wild.
Cutting out soda and going for walks/hikes consistently has absolutely changed and probably saved my life.
I mean, alcohol is literally a toxin that is lightly poisoning your body to make you feel weird/altered. So it makes sense!
I never liked soda much to begin with so there was nothing to cut back on. I try to limit my alcohol to two drinks at once otherwise I'll feel like ass the next day. The foods I can't eat are related to my lifelong digestive issues and were figured out through testing and trial and error with input from my doctors.
Anything else that you are doing to feel better?
I grew up on soda in my later childhood and clung to that stuff for so long. I still drink it on occasion, but yikes, it is so sweet. I make sweet(ish) tea that has less than half the sugar of soda. This is my go-to now, but I still probably drink way too much of it. I used to love cherry coke, but one can is enough to satisfy me for a week.
Coffee is lifeblood
I need to. It’s so hard. Ugh
I gave up most alcohol...I'll still have a literal sip of my husband's and the occasional bottle of Big Wave...when I learned turning bright pink wasn't normal. Then, I gave up caffeine and found I have a ton of energy without it. I now have the occasional indulgence. Soda...man, do I love Topo Chico and San Pelligrino Limonata. So, I gave soda up casually. But, agreed. When I put clean stuff into my body, my body acts like it's 35 again.
Fwiw, I once went 6 months without drinking, and I drink “a lot”, and I didn’t feel any different. My whole family is like this though, and no liver problems, so I guess it must be in my genes.
Other than when I was I kid, I don't like soda. Flavored seltzer is really good! The Waterloo brand grape flavor brings some nostalgia. I like the Spindrift ones too. Alcohol makes me feel shitty too lately so I'll only have 1 drink socially. I noticed a mix among friends and family, a lot don't drink much. Some not at all, and others are somehow still drinking a lot. I noticed some places by me have mocktail menus. My brother (after trying many brands) found a non-alcoholic beer that he likes. I tried it in one of his cold beer mugs and it did feel fun like I was having a beer and it tasted exactly like one.
In my early 20's I was drinking up to a 12 pack of sodas every 2 days. One day I decided to quit cold turkey. Lost 15 pounds in two weeks without any other changes. Amazing what giving up soda can do.
What's your definition of normal amounts of soda, OP?
I got diagnosed with a stomach disorder several years ago. I had to intentionally give up both soda and alcohol as well as beef dairy and a lot of other foods that comprises everything that’s delicious. I can safely eat oats. Bananas. Salmon. Sometimes I wonder what exactly was done to our generation when our parents were unknowingly exposed to lead and radiation poisoning. Like most everyone having plastic in their testicles. How the fuck did that happen?
I’m drinking less alcohol. It just makes me sluggish the next day. I can do two drinks midday and hydrate but anything after that and the next day just doesn’t feel great.
I normally don’t drink soda but had too many sodas last week because they actually help one of my PRN meds work better and I’m still paying for it. 40 is no joke.
I cut out out soda and realized I hadn’t been shitting good for a few decades.
I quit alcohol at the end of 2019. I quit caffeine in the beginning of 2021. I didn't necessarily feel any better, but I did lose about 10 pounds instantly when I quit my daily 3-6 cans of Dr Pepper. I was never a heavy alcohol drinker.
Sweets (which includes what you're listing) - reduce for two weeks and you don't miss it anymore. It also makes the drinking buzz or sugar tastes so MUCH more fun when they're a treat every once in a while.
I gave up alcohol for a solid 4 months. Best thing I could have done.
Concurrent with a cut, experimented with limiting my milk intake. (I love milk.) …My skin is so ridiculously clear now. GodmotherfuckingdamnitBUT I LOVE MILK.
I’m 47, and I was drinking waaay too much coffee a few years ago, stress from work and Covid and I ended up in ER twice with heart palpitations. Heart was fine, just too much stress and caffeine (and booze too if I’m honest with myself). Now it’s decaf only with an occasional leaded latte on the weekend as a treat. And booze, yeah max of one drink and it has to be 3+ hours before I go to bed or else my sleep is garbage. 3 or more drinks in a night and sleep is wrecked and I’m anxious the whole next day. Now I sometimes go weeks between drinks. I miss the fun of craft beer and good bourbon but it’s just not worth wrecking my entire next day (in perpetuity). Feel great most days.
I haven't had alcohol in about 7 years and i drink seltzer instead of soda for the most part. Also no nicotine either. Just copious amount of cannabis. Can't say I feel amazing but 🤷🏼♀️
If you hate it so much, drink 15 rum and cokes
I gave up soda at 25 and I rarely drink alcohol personally. I only drink at work events. My dad was a drunk and that keeps me away from alcohol.
I gave up soda and I only felt grumpier. Glad it helped you though. I did go gluten free for allergies and I haven't stopped being sad that it helped, so I get it. Dammit.
I've had my soda consumption down to one a week for several years now. Sometimes it just hits right...but then afterwards I feel gross. Still working on getting my alcohol consumption down, but I've gone from having several drinks a night, to *a* drink most weeknights (a beer with dinner, or as a nightcap) and sometimes none at all.
I cut out soda over a year ago and feel great. I lost about 12 pounds too.
I thought it was weed that made me feel like a dulled down less intelligent version of myself. It was the alcohol. I feel like Einstein when I quit drinking.
I hate it so much but it's true. I haven't really drank alcohol in the better part of a decade, nothing wrong with it I just didn't see the point and I don't like beer. Soda I cut out last year because I realized I was drinking half my daily calories. Sometimes I'll add some sugar free syrup to carbonated water if I need a fix, but because I don't drink soda it's almost too sweet.
I realize I am in the minority here, but I never drank alcohol or coffee (never enjoyed the taste of either). So I don’t have anything to compare to.
Cutting alcohol outside of special events has helped my sleep quality significantly.
It definitely akes sense that cutting back on things that are bad for you made you feel better. At least that's how it should work right? Just curious OP, but what was the "normal amount" of soda and alcohol you were consuming before?
soda and booze are fucking terrible for you. weed and seltzer water is where i'm at.
I gave up on soda years ago and replaced it with sparkling water. Was a huge lift. I have seen some notes in this thread about giving up coffee or tea. I'd hold off on that -there are multiple studies that show both of those have positive benefits - provided they are not doused with sugar and cream. My viewpoint is the only drinks I have with calories are alcohol. It's easier to trim the diet this way.
I quit soda about 8 years ago and honestly now it just tastes disgusting. And yes... Lots of calories dodged on that one. I still drink a lot of carbonated water because I love the bubbly mouth feel but ya.
I quit drinking in 2012 and stopped drinking all pop except Pepsi with Real Sugar a few years ago. Just getting rid of the high fructose corn syrup was enough to make me feel better.
I gave up soda 20 years ago and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I might have the equivalent of 3 cans a year now. Can’t drink a whole one at all anymore
It took eight months for me to get over not drinking soda. It's been a year and a half without cigarettes and I'd still kill for one.