I'm addicted to pop

[Adam Griffin]

I will only be drinking 56oz of pop today.

Are you trying to become the replacement for the Update?

This was my thought precisely. I don't know about everyone else, but I'm going to get in on the ground floor and make my investments in this new venture before it takes off.

FTR: I'm at 24 oz of coke for the day

[Adam Griffin]

No one cares about this.  Thx.

If people follow the life of a obese man from Oklahoma whose most interesting activity in life is watching 14 hours of sports on TV and eating grilled hamburgers, why wouldn't people be interested in this?

Indeed. Mark my words: this is the beginning of something great. Hopefully 2014 will bring us stories about something other than cheeseburgers and failure.

[Adam Griffin]

Is this a planned spinoff of The Update that we weren't told about?

Get in on the ground floor now. I keep saying it: this is the future.

[Adam Griffin]

Congrats on the success! No headaches or major caffeine withdraws? The amounts you were drinking would make me think that your head would split in two going cold turkey. At least you should be over pretty much all of the withdraws at this point. With that being said:

So I haven't had pop in two days now. Mostly because I have started a new job, and have to be up early. I don't plan on having any pop today. I did have two lemonades though yesterday at dinner. I may have a pop at lunch on some days since the caffeine will be gone by bedtime. I think if I cut my pop down like 75% if not more it will really help. I think I can have a drink while working too, but I will try to stick with water.

The reason you are currently succeeding with a coke-free diet is because your circumstance/routine has changed enough to remove you from the standard triggers and usual situations in which you consume it. The classic addict's mindset is one of "Ha! See? I don't really need it, after all. So since I'm cured, I can have some as a non-addict" If you begin to re-incorporate this into your new daily routine this soon, it will surely begin to take over every facet of your day just as it did. If it becomes OK to drink a coke in the morning hours of work, then it'll soon be OK to do it in the evening hours of work, too. Drink a coke on the way to work and you'll soon be drinking another one on the way home from work. You need more than two or three days away from the stuff before you can healthily incorporate it back into your life. You can consume it again at some point, but you need to adapt to not desire it constantly before you do.

If you need the caffeine, either pay a premium for the unhealthy act and purchase a dense canned drink like a Red Bull ($3) or buy 100 caffeine pills ($5).  You could also get one of the various "energy in a bottle" supplements that they sell at convenience stores (Five Hour Energy works pretty well, but just have one; $4). Personally, I'd just go with the caffeine pills since they separate the caffeine rush from the act of consuming carbonated beverages entirely (and is hella cheap).

And what is "two lemonades"? Is that lemonade out of a can?

[Adam Griffin]

You know I have been on this forum for 10 years also, it was 10 years in December. That is crazy I guess since I only have like 3K posts most people don't realize I have been here so long. I still think a lot of people here don't know who I am.

I know that feel. Also, stop drinking so much pop etc etc

[Adam Griffin]

I can't remember if I suggested this before, but have you considered buying the flavored water enhancer stuff like MiO?

I know Kroger has them ($3.50 each), plus a store brand that comes in a few flavors ($2.50) that tastes just as good. Each one will make like 5-8 liters of beverage depending on how strong you like it, basically tastes like Kool-aid and has no sugar. Breaks down to about $0.80/2-liter. I usually substitute this for a coke if it's close to bedtime (the type of sugar in this stuff just passes through you, plus no caffeine and no calories).