Try Sparkling Ice water! Very low sugar, but tastes just as sweet as soda to me. They also make energy drinks if that’s your vibe

Fresca is my go to

Just drink water with lemon

I was going to give a bunch of advice but then you answered your own question at the end.

If you want to change, you just going to have to change - that’s all there is to it.

My advice therefore is that you’re going to experience two or three days of discomfort, be prepared to deal with that.

Honestly you’re just going to have to stop. It’ll suck at first but after 1-2 weeks it should be easy, and from there you won’t even want soda anymore.

Source: I’m a former soda addict

Are you able to find any soda in glass bottles? Companies that do that, along with Coke that comes from other countries, are sweetened with cane sugar instead of refined sugar, which people say is better for you in comparison. It’s not much but it could be a step in the right direction

I dont know if it will irritate your throat or not as it sounds like you may have an allergy to somw sweeteners, but I have been drinking Clear America sparkling water for a couple years now and it tastes lightyears better than bubbly and la Croix. It is artificially sweetened (aspertame I think?), zero calories, but most of the flavors absolutely do not taste like they are artificially sweetened. Strawberry is the best and is my go to. But the cherry limeade, black cherry, and tangerine are all really good as well. I have my entire family drinking them as a treat when they come over. You can only buy them at Walmart, in the water/sparkling water section.

Soda used to be fermented fruit juice, you could make your own.

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I am a solid Diet Pepsi drinker. All day every day. I did manage a stint for a few months with the Circkle (sp?) water bottles. There are a ton on flavors online and if you buy enough it’s MUCH cheaper than what you pay in Walmart. Today I’m sick in bed and my body has been craving water. Maybe this is a second chance.

I have tried watering things down and I’ve tried using just sparkling water to keep the carbonation but water things down.

Personally, I like just plain seltzer water by itself, but have you tried (unsweetened) cranberry juice and seltzer water? Might help if you’re craving the acidity but don’t want the sugar.

sodastream + mio really helped me kick the habit. i still have a soft drink every now and then when i’m out, but at home i stick to fizzy.

i didn’t enjoy any of the sugarfree soda mixes i tried (powder and syrup). i also can’t stand diet/zero sodas.

I just drink tea nowadays. Brewed tea at home, not bottled tea with ten tons of sugar per tenth of a serving. It took me about ten months to move from exclusively sugary carbonated drinks to tea, but now I don’t even enjoy the former anymore.

Probably not helpful, but for me I made a few changes to cut back on Cokes.

I keep the house stocked with overpriced waters and teas, and they’re in the front of the fridge so I see them first. I found I particularly like Snapple’s sugar free line. This took a lot of experimenting - be ready to spend a few months buying until you find ones you like. Don’t be shy about tossing the shitty ones either - there’s an amazing ‘variety’ of tastes here.

I also learned to make a few drinks I actually like. Right now I’m on a shaken iced tea - much like how a bartender shakes a mixed drink. Mostly just iced tea, but with a healthy splash of lemon juice, 4-6 frozen strawberries instead of ice, and sugar/sugar substitute to taste (about 1 teaspoon), then shake. Gives it a fruity-sweet flavor. And you get to eat strawberry slushies afterwards.

I do still keep Cokes in the house, but it’s the fancy glass bottle ones. They’re small and expensive, so I drink them in moderation. But simply having them in the house and knowing I can have one if the cravings really hit, somehow makes the cravings less frequent.

Make kombucha at home and let it carbonize. Its good stuff.