Whilst I have never been addicted to soda and find it hard to imagine how anyone can be, it still annoys the hell out of me to see posts from the "Just stop drinking it!" brigade.

I have a history of various addictions, the most public and most notable and most recently overcome, being nicoteen. The number of times I heard "Why don't you just stop" etc. and non-smokers telling me how easy it is not to smoke.

Of course its easy if you're not addicted. Same for soda - sounds easy not to drink it when you speak from a position of not being addicted. For someone who craves it, its not so easy.

Personally, I find that cold turkey is the best way to break addictions but, it is never a pleasant or easy experience and it won't work for everyone. Try it - see how you get on.

Best of luck.

Jeez, now I got everybody wanting to **** down my throat. OK, my bad, I was insensitive. But still, what else is there to say?

ChrisJG, you essentially just gave the same advise as everyone else, saying "Personally, I find that cold turkey is the best way to break addictions but, it is never a pleasant or easy experience and it won't work for everyone. Try it - see how you get on." So just the fact that you said it nicer makes it better?

A lot of the advice on this thread talked about cutting down gradually, changing to diet soda etc. whereas I was suggesting going cold turkey. How is that the same advice as everyone else? That aside, as you can see from what I said, I was speaking about my own personal experiences of breaking addictions. That doesn't mean it will work for everybody, it simply worked for me.

Yes

Although I'm not convinced that you and I were reading from the same page in what we posted (or even necessarily the same book!)

Hah! Alright alright, I'll try to be more understanding. Although my original post was pretty much saying just stop (i.e. cold turkey), just in a different way.

Yes, it is an addiction, but you need to have some will power... Just because you have an addiction doesn't mean it isn't hard. There isn't a magic pill that will cure it. Do what every addict does: set goals, create a support group, and find healthy alternatives.

He was being polite in his post and you attacked him. Maybe you should think before you say something. Your attitude isn't going to get you very far here, I promise you that.

May you not look at a WASHER and DRYER the same:

(This symbolizes path ways in attempting to solve an addiction/problem)



WASH AND DRY (by Chillen)
===============================================
You can throw an addiction in the WASHER: (The BRAIN)
===============================================

Let it Spin and Agitate: (Brain Storming Ideas to Solve it)

Spin it Dry: (Picking an Idea in an Attempt to Solve it to see if it will work)

Rinse (Select idea? Yes?, No?) (Yes, back to spin, then Dryer)

Repeat Cycle (If No, start over to find solution)

============================
Dryer: (Solution Pathway Used)
============================

Throw it in the dryer along with a dryer sheet to make it smell better (Your on the right path, and looking and feeling good--SHAPEN' AND BAKEN' BABY!)

Open DRYER Door......Addiction solved.


If you fall off path and get dirty AGAIN.......WASH AND DRY.
==================================================

Again, this symbolizes path ways in attempting to solve an addiction, but in the END of things.....

It is about FLAT STOPPING IT.


Its just that the pathways for some.....are different than others to reach that point........however.......


The result is the same for the one that accomplishes it......

FLAT STOPPING IT........


May you have to ONLY WASH AND DRY ONCE------------------>

Chillen

WASH AND DRY!--------ROCK ON!............HEHEHEHE.......But its the truth......



I want you to read a post I made in the ChillOut Log (COL) today. Here is the link:

http://training.fitness.com/wellness...tml#post235705


The name of the Article is: Self-Limiting Beliefs: The Inner Enemies of Progress


Best wishes to you my friend,


Chillen

I want to know if you read the COL, and I want to know what you plan to do.

"Sometimes" google is your friend and can add things to your WASHER , therefore, keep seeking. However, I want to know what you decide you are going to do to combat this complication you have......understand?

You made a post commenting on your problem.

Now, I want a post commenting on a path-----on how your going to solve it...

Make it your next fricken post..........


Best wishes to you my friend



Chillen

Thats a pretty cool way of looking at it. I used to drink a lot of pop (soda, coke or what ever you want to call it). As stated above I went with coffee and tea and of course water. I feel better and am spending money on stuff that is much better for me. If I were you I would try to avoid carbonated beverages completely

oops - posted twice!

Chillen, we need your help here - people on this thread need to CHILL OUT!

Nobody was attacking anybody. Read back what was posted and highlight for me which bit was 'an attack'. 29 posts really isn't enough for you to be telling others what will and won't get them far on this forum now is it? (pot, kettle, black?!! )

Now, c'mon people, can't we all just get along, its nearly xmas?......

When it comes to addiction (to anything) - there is no best way, and no one else can decide which way is best for you.

You have two choices - cold turkey, or a gradual weaning down.

I don't know exactly what all the science is behind food addiction, but common sense would tell you that all the added chemicals in everything would start affecting the brain somewhere along the way. So, I can see where, just as with drug use or alcohol, it may not be as simple as "just stop".

I also find it interesting that everything in the world, from ingrown toenails to pedophilia, is a disease, syndrome, or disorder - yet anything at all to do with food, is seen as self-indulgent and lazy.

I would say that pedophilia is self indulgent and lazy.

Here are some basic rules -

1. If a real man wants to stop drinking soda, he stops drinking soda.

2. If a real man wants to stop smoking, he stops smoking.

3. A real man is not a pedophile.

Everyone likes to over analyze everything. If you think too much about cutting out soda being hard, you are going to find out it is hard. It is a simple as stopping. If you are having a hard time it is because you do not want to stop bad enough.

We were talking about this in the gym the other day. Way too many people have excuses, the main excuse it "but this is hard." Well, nobody cares if it is hard. If you want to get something done, get it done, don't be a big sissy.

The trainers at the gym I train at have one main rule -

"You are going to get results..... Or quit!"

Maybe it is my environment that makes me think this way, but really the cold hard fact is, you will get it done, or you will not.

I vote for get it done, and stop drinking soda.

F'in right.

No arguments from me - you definitely have to want to quit, otherwise you're fighting a losing battle.

But, is it really that simple? I may aswell come clean about my experience to give my posts some context. Some years ago, I had a cocaine addiction (not something I'm in any way proud of) and, from the point at which I realised I wanted to quit, it probably took me 6 months before I actually managed it. Does that mean I'm not a real man? Not in my opinion it doesn't. It means that an addiction which becomes the focus of your entire life; social, financial and psychological - is a hell of a hard thing to overcome. Almost everything in your life has to change - including your personality,your priorities and the people you considered your friends. You have to become less selfish and you have to deal with the depression your body throws at you when it doesn't get what it craves.

Is an addiction to soda the same? I have no idea, quite possibly to a lesser extent but, if its in anyway similar then it isn't as black & white as it may appear to those not actually experiencing it.

Either way, I wish the OP the very best of luck and I still believe that cold turkey is the way to go. Again, I wish you the best of luck - it isn't supposed to be easy but, with determination, you will prevail.

And remember.....don't do drugs!