Soda is huge! I quit it back in December and have lost 15 pounds since. It's not just the calories in soda, but it's also how it screws up your sense of thirst and hunger. Water doesn't taste good when you're addicted to soda, so you crave more soda when thirsty. And I was way more ravenous when drinking soda. I'm sure some people are able to lose weight while still drinking soda, but my experience has been that it's way more difficult (bordering on impossible).
The way I quit soda was by divorcing caffeine from sugar. I switched to coffee or caffeinated tea for caffeine, and to oranges for my sugar fix. So. Many. Oranges. Once my body got used to those substitutes, I weaned myself off caffeine entirely (using wean caffeine -- caffeine pills that decrease in dose every few days). And then I started swapping some oranges out for other, less-sugary fruits.
And now, 3-4 months out, my cravings for soda are nearly entirely gone. I still get occasional cravings in certain situations (especially road trips), but I can normally have a glass of water or a piece of fruit, and I feel satiated.
The way I quit soda was by divorcing caffeine from sugar. I switched to coffee or caffeinated tea for caffeine, and to oranges for my sugar fix. So. Many. Oranges. Once my body got used to those substitutes, I weaned myself off caffeine entirely (using wean caffeine -- caffeine pills that decrease in dose every few days). And then I started swapping some oranges out for other, less-sugary fruits.
And now, 3-4 months out, my cravings for soda are nearly entirely gone. I still get occasional cravings in certain situations (especially road trips), but I can normally have a glass of water or a piece of fruit, and I feel satiated.