Hey, I need help with this topic. I’ve been addicted to sweets, chips, and fizzy drinks since I was 8 years old, and it’s still with me today at 16. This is a big problem for me, and I just don’t know what strategy is the best to fight the addiction. I guess my brain is addicted to them, and whenever I have money, I go and spend it, even though I don’t want it that much. I’d say in my ‘defense’, I eat healthy food at home and hit the gym. These sweets are my relaxation from the stress, and this is a problem too. If you encountered this problem or have any sort of tip, I’d appreciate it a lot.
Transition to flavored carbonated water; it’s way cheaper and healthier than name-brand sodas. Also, just drink plenty of water; when you finish a glass, fill it up again. Don’t give yourself a chance to get a different drink in between.
Never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach.
This one is HUGE for me. I ALWAYS eat or drink before I shop, and I get one soda or something as a reward for not buying bags of them at the checkout.
I cold-turkeyed my Coca-Cola addiction. It was a hard few weeks, but now I’m over it. Don’t buy it! Simple as that. Don’t have it in the house at all. Also, avoid going out to eat for a few weeks because that makes it easy to cheat yourself. However, I suggest using sparkling water as a substitute; at least it gives you the fizzy feeling.
You had a Cola addiction? What was the withdrawal like?
True said:
You had a Cola addiction? What was the withdrawal like?
I had to have one every day. Withdrawal was tough; I craved it like my life depended on it and felt a bit depressed because it was my source of happiness. I also had headaches because I don’t drink coffee.
I would get headaches and become irritable if I didn’t get my Diet Cokes. No cold sweats or shakes though.
I did the same thing—stopped cold turkey in January 2020. It was tough, especially during the pandemic, but now I don’t even like the taste when I try a soda. Maybe start with one a day, then one every other day if completely stopping doesn’t work.
First step, figure out what it’s giving you. Is it the taste? The sensation of the bubbles? The dopamine from getting something you want? Replace the reward with a better one, or learn portion control. Allow it only on certain days or after workouts.
I combine soda with water to still have the taste. I use a big mug with ice, water, and one can of Coke Zero. It has helped my consumption of soda.
Water and soda don’t mix well though; you lose the carbonation, which is part of what makes soda exciting.
One thing that helped me was setting a small limit on how much I could spend on snacks each week. I also tried swapping some sweets for things like fruit or yogurt. It’s not about quitting all at once but cutting back slowly.
Imagine yourself in 10 years, overweight and dealing with medical problems. You need to stop or you’ll regret it.
Just stop. No one is addicted to snacks. It’s just poor impulse control. You won’t go through withdrawal. It’s really that simple.
Make your own chips and learn to make kombucha! It’s super easy and cheap.
You need a budget. Use a zero-based budgeting system like YNAB (www.ynab.com). Budget for groceries and eating out, and stop when you’ve spent it all. You’ll realize how inefficient it is to buy snacks compared to cooking.
He’s 16. He’s not going out grocery shopping for a family.