How to Get over Your Addiction to Mountain Dew
Keep track of your drinks., Cut back consumption., List your specific cravings., Limit how many sodas you keep cold., Halve your new amount., Watch out for withdrawal., Drink healthier alternatives., Avoid buying multi-packs., Work your way down to...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Keep track of your drinks.
You might be drinking more than you realize, particularly if you drink Mountain Dew out of the fountain and go back for refills.
Establish your starting point by figuring out exactly how much Mountain Dew you drink each day.
That can help you establish a plan to gradually cut back. -
Step 2: Cut back consumption.
Quitting cold turkey is difficult.
Rather than never drinking Mountain Dew again, try halving the amount you drink each day.
If you drink four bottles of Mountain Dew per day, cut back to two a day for one week.
If you drink three bottles per day, reduce to one and half per day for one week.
Give yourself at least one week to adjust to having less before cutting back any further.
If you struggle with cutting back and it takes you longer than a week to succeed, that's okay.
Do what works for you. , Whenever you experience a craving for Mountain Dew, write down what part of the drink you are missing most.
Writing down what you miss from the drink will help you figure out what you like about the drink.
That will be what you crave.
If you think you might be craving caffeine, try drinking coffee instead of soda and see if this calms your craving.
If you suspect that you are craving carbonation, purchase a carbonation machine and use it to carbonate water. , Place only one or two bottles of Mountain Dew in your fridge before bed, to drink the following day.
If you want to drink only one bottle per day, set yourself up for success by only having one cold soda available. , A week after your first cutback, your body should adjust to having less Mountain Dew on a daily basis.
Now cut it in half again.
If you are down to two bottles per day, cut it down to one a day for another week.
If you are only drinking one per day, limit yourself now to one every other day. , As you gradually cut back more and more, you may experience withdrawal symptoms.
Withdrawal symptoms tend to be linked with caffeine.
As you begin to cut the caffeine in Mountain Dew from your system, you may start to get headaches or become tired and moody.
Don’t worry, though.
Withdrawal can be avoided by substituting other caffeine sources for your daily “fix.” Try drinking coffee or caffeinated tea when you feel the symptoms coming on.
If you intend to cut back on caffeine altogether (along with Mountain Dew), you will need to eventually cut your consumption of all caffeinated products as well.Not trying any caffeine substitute when cutting out Mountain Dew, may cause more severe withdrawal, which can make it difficult to function.
At this level withdrawal acts much like a health disorder.
It is another reason quitting caffeine (and Mountain Dew) cold turkey should be avoided.That said, caffeine withdrawal should only last a few days. , Be sure to substitute other beverages in place of your normal Mountain Dew drinks.
Do not just stop drinking altogether.
To keep yourself from becoming dehydrated, drink water, tea, fresh squeezed lemonade, milk, or other healthy, cheaper alternatives in place of the Mountain Dew.Try mixing sparkling water with four ounces of fruit juice for a sweet and bubbly alternative. , Prevent yourself from cheating, by only keeping three or so bottles in your home at a time.
Having easy access to a lot of Mountain Dew is tempting.
Continue setting yourself up for success by only buying a few bottles at a time.
Couple this strategy with placing only one bottle in your fridge every other day. , You may find it hard to stop drinking Mountain Dew entirely at first.
Work your way down to only drinking two twelve ounce cans a week.
Once you are able to do this successfully, you may be able to cut it out of your diet entirely if you want.
Two bottles of Mountain Dew per week is a relatively healthy amount, in comparison to multiple bottles every day. -
Step 3: List your specific cravings.
-
Step 4: Limit how many sodas you keep cold.
-
Step 5: Halve your new amount.
-
Step 6: Watch out for withdrawal.
-
Step 7: Drink healthier alternatives.
-
Step 8: Avoid buying multi-packs.
-
Step 9: Work your way down to two cans a week.
Detailed Guide
You might be drinking more than you realize, particularly if you drink Mountain Dew out of the fountain and go back for refills.
Establish your starting point by figuring out exactly how much Mountain Dew you drink each day.
That can help you establish a plan to gradually cut back.
Quitting cold turkey is difficult.
Rather than never drinking Mountain Dew again, try halving the amount you drink each day.
If you drink four bottles of Mountain Dew per day, cut back to two a day for one week.
If you drink three bottles per day, reduce to one and half per day for one week.
Give yourself at least one week to adjust to having less before cutting back any further.
If you struggle with cutting back and it takes you longer than a week to succeed, that's okay.
Do what works for you. , Whenever you experience a craving for Mountain Dew, write down what part of the drink you are missing most.
Writing down what you miss from the drink will help you figure out what you like about the drink.
That will be what you crave.
If you think you might be craving caffeine, try drinking coffee instead of soda and see if this calms your craving.
If you suspect that you are craving carbonation, purchase a carbonation machine and use it to carbonate water. , Place only one or two bottles of Mountain Dew in your fridge before bed, to drink the following day.
If you want to drink only one bottle per day, set yourself up for success by only having one cold soda available. , A week after your first cutback, your body should adjust to having less Mountain Dew on a daily basis.
Now cut it in half again.
If you are down to two bottles per day, cut it down to one a day for another week.
If you are only drinking one per day, limit yourself now to one every other day. , As you gradually cut back more and more, you may experience withdrawal symptoms.
Withdrawal symptoms tend to be linked with caffeine.
As you begin to cut the caffeine in Mountain Dew from your system, you may start to get headaches or become tired and moody.
Don’t worry, though.
Withdrawal can be avoided by substituting other caffeine sources for your daily “fix.” Try drinking coffee or caffeinated tea when you feel the symptoms coming on.
If you intend to cut back on caffeine altogether (along with Mountain Dew), you will need to eventually cut your consumption of all caffeinated products as well.Not trying any caffeine substitute when cutting out Mountain Dew, may cause more severe withdrawal, which can make it difficult to function.
At this level withdrawal acts much like a health disorder.
It is another reason quitting caffeine (and Mountain Dew) cold turkey should be avoided.That said, caffeine withdrawal should only last a few days. , Be sure to substitute other beverages in place of your normal Mountain Dew drinks.
Do not just stop drinking altogether.
To keep yourself from becoming dehydrated, drink water, tea, fresh squeezed lemonade, milk, or other healthy, cheaper alternatives in place of the Mountain Dew.Try mixing sparkling water with four ounces of fruit juice for a sweet and bubbly alternative. , Prevent yourself from cheating, by only keeping three or so bottles in your home at a time.
Having easy access to a lot of Mountain Dew is tempting.
Continue setting yourself up for success by only buying a few bottles at a time.
Couple this strategy with placing only one bottle in your fridge every other day. , You may find it hard to stop drinking Mountain Dew entirely at first.
Work your way down to only drinking two twelve ounce cans a week.
Once you are able to do this successfully, you may be able to cut it out of your diet entirely if you want.
Two bottles of Mountain Dew per week is a relatively healthy amount, in comparison to multiple bottles every day.
About the Author
Jordan Ortiz
With a background in education and learning, Jordan Ortiz brings 3 years of hands-on experience to every article. Jordan believes in making complex topics accessible to everyone.
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