Would you prefer a can of soda?
The warning from Tom Bowey, 42, may make you think twice about your sugary drinking habit.
Nicknamed ‘Dr Pepper Man’ by his friends, the father-of-two spent £30,000 on the drink over the last decade, consuming almost five liters (two and a quarter giant bottles) a day.
The warehouse manager estimated that his habit was costing him around £250 a month and, despite worrying about the impact on his wallet, he didn’t quit.
However, her growing waistline, sleeping problems, and terrible oral health ultimately proved to be the motivation she needed to change her ways.
“For a while my teeth weren’t that bad, but then I went to the dentist and he said the level of acid erosion was similar to what you would expect in a 70-year-old,” said Mr Bowey, from Marlow. Buckinghamshire.
‘I basically have the teeth of a retiree. I also felt very bloated all the time, you gain a lot of weight when you only drink sugar.’
Determined to make a change, he looked for help online and, in September, found articles about how hypnotherapist David Kilmurry had helped others.
Tom Bowey downed almost five liters of sugary soda every day for almost a decade and suffered headaches, bloating, rotten teeth and insomnia as a result.
Bowey said just a two-hour Zoom session with Kilmurry was enough for him to quit completely.
Nowadays, he drinks liters of water and soft gourd when he is thirsty instead of drinking soda.
The health benefits have been significant. She has lost a stone in weight and no longer wears plus size clothes.
He is falling asleep quickly and feeling more rested in the mornings, and has overcome the persistent headaches and bloating he has suffered from for a long time.
Speaking about the beginnings of his habit, Mr Bowey said: “It started with one (drink) at lunch and then my co-workers and I started buying each other drinks during the day.”
They brought them from the cafe near work. There was also a vending machine so I could come in and get them whenever I wanted.
‘Before I knew it, that was all I drank and then I stopped drinking water completely.
‘I used to buy multi-packs of 24 cans, so I always had them and I had at least five cans in the fridge at all times.
Tom Bowey, the Dr Pepper fiend, has lost a lot since switching from Dr Pepper to water and cordial, and has seen other improvements in his physical and mental health. The father-of-two spent £30,000 on his habit over a decade.
‘I would have the first one as soon as I woke up and would always carry a can with me to drive too.
‘I would buy two bottles before going to the store for work in the morning and then I would have another two in the afternoon.
‘Then when I came home I would drink more during the night before going to bed.
“The guy at my local store called me ‘Dr Pepper man’ because that’s all he bought.”
He says his children were a motivating factor in getting him to give up.
His eldest daughter often ordered Coca Cola, but Bowey and his partner did not allow their children to copy their father’s unhealthy habits.
He said: ‘If I’m sitting around drinking it all day, at some point they’ll say, ‘If you can drink it all the time, why can’t we?’
The father of two didn’t want his daughters to copy his unhealthy habits. Pictured: Bowey in 2019 with his young daughter, Sydney.
Bowey said her hypnotherapy session virtually eliminated all cravings for Coca Cola and Dr Pepper.
‘I don’t look at fizzy drinks, I’m not even remotely tempted.
‘I’ve switched to cordial, put some in my water bottle. I’m drinking so much water now that I feel so much better.
‘The large clothing size is now too big, so I have to buy medium clothing.
“As long as you come into the session feeling positive and determined that you want it to work, it really does.”
Cognitive behavioral hypnotherapist Dr Kilmurry said he often sees his clients experience unpleasant symptoms when they suddenly stop consuming large amounts of caffeine and sugar.
“Withdrawal can cause mood swings, depression and even seizures and convulsions,” he said.
