Cutting Diet Soda
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T1DCarnivoreRunner
Posts: 11,502 Member
I'm trying to cut diet soda.
First off, here are a few things to clarify before everyone wants to start arguing about whether I should do this or why I'm doing it (I know where these diet soda threads go):
-Diet soda has 0 calories. I'm not quitting because of calories... that would be silly.
-Artificial sweeteners are safe. All of the sweeteners used have been extensively studied. With the exception of the 2 studies by the same former doctor (using junk science makes you lose credentials) who not only altered the study to try to find problems that don't exist, but when she still couldn't find any issues, she just wrote conclusions that matched what she wanted to find and not what was actually found in her research). Nonetheless, her articles are often cited rather than the 100+ research articles that dispute them. So I'm not quitting because artificial sweeteners are unsafe... because that isn't the case.
-Diet soda is not a diuretic. Your body uses the water, which is far more than what it uses to process the caffeine.
*Now that we have gotten those things out of the way, let's move on...
The reason I'm quitting is because I just don't want to feel like I am dependent upon this substance.
So far, I started 9/15 trying to cut back. I consumed 50 oz. for the first couple days, then had 30 oz., and eventually down to 0 oz. for the past 2 days. Today will be the 3rd day with no diet soda at all. I've been more tired than normal and extremely thirsty. I expect to need more water when I drink less soda, but it seems like I'm thirstier than I should be. I've not logged water for more than a year, so I don't have empirical data to show that, but it definitely seems like I'm drinking much more additional water than I used to drink diet soda.
My question is for others who have also quit diet soda... when you got to where you had none for a few days, did you keep at none? Did you allow some diet soda after a few days without it? If you did, were you able to return to drinking none the next day? I'm really thinking this weekend I will want to have some again.
First off, here are a few things to clarify before everyone wants to start arguing about whether I should do this or why I'm doing it (I know where these diet soda threads go):
-Diet soda has 0 calories. I'm not quitting because of calories... that would be silly.
-Artificial sweeteners are safe. All of the sweeteners used have been extensively studied. With the exception of the 2 studies by the same former doctor (using junk science makes you lose credentials) who not only altered the study to try to find problems that don't exist, but when she still couldn't find any issues, she just wrote conclusions that matched what she wanted to find and not what was actually found in her research). Nonetheless, her articles are often cited rather than the 100+ research articles that dispute them. So I'm not quitting because artificial sweeteners are unsafe... because that isn't the case.
-Diet soda is not a diuretic. Your body uses the water, which is far more than what it uses to process the caffeine.
*Now that we have gotten those things out of the way, let's move on...
The reason I'm quitting is because I just don't want to feel like I am dependent upon this substance.
So far, I started 9/15 trying to cut back. I consumed 50 oz. for the first couple days, then had 30 oz., and eventually down to 0 oz. for the past 2 days. Today will be the 3rd day with no diet soda at all. I've been more tired than normal and extremely thirsty. I expect to need more water when I drink less soda, but it seems like I'm thirstier than I should be. I've not logged water for more than a year, so I don't have empirical data to show that, but it definitely seems like I'm drinking much more additional water than I used to drink diet soda.
My question is for others who have also quit diet soda... when you got to where you had none for a few days, did you keep at none? Did you allow some diet soda after a few days without it? If you did, were you able to return to drinking none the next day? I'm really thinking this weekend I will want to have some again.
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Replies
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I never made a conscious effort to cut out diet soda, but I got to the point where I only drank it when I was out to eat. Now I allow myself one a day at the maximum but still rarely have it at home. I never noticed any difference in either my desire to drink it or my thirst. Then again, I have always been someone who drinks a lot of fluids. I have a Sodastream so I mostly drink seltzer at home.0
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1. I pretty much went cold turkey on all soda when I started.
2. After a while you will probably stop craving it.
3. I've had a few of those Zevia soda in the past and I remmber why I stopped drinking soda and carbonated beverages. All that bloating and gas in the digestive tract was rather uncomfortable.0 -
I didn't "quit" drinking diet soda. I just stopped drinking it all day every day. There's nothing to quit. It's not addictive, except for the ones that maybe have caffeine, so in that case, you're really addicted to the caffeine.
I do enjoy a Diet Mt. Dew here and there, though.0 -
I actually added it to my diet to help me get through the tail end of my deficit. Eh. I worry a little bit about depending on it too, actually. I don't think I'm going to stop though.0
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Weening yourself down was a good idea. The one time I really went on caffeine withdrawal, it really knocked me over for a few days. I wasn't productive at work at all due to the fatigue and headaches.
You might be feeling thirsty because you found the cold bubbles to be refreshing and now they're gone. I might have missed this in your original post, but have you tried cold soda water? (There are some without sugar and sodium that still have just a touch of flavoring in them) Perhaps you need to ween your taste buds off the bubbles, too.0 -
ManiacalLaugh wrote: »You might be feeling thirsty because you found the cold bubbles to be refreshing and now they're gone. I might have missed this in your original post, but have you tried cold soda water? (There are some without sugar and sodium that still have just a touch of flavoring in them) Perhaps you need to ween your taste buds off the bubbles, too.
Not with bubbles, but I've been drinking some flavored iced tea (which has calories, so trying to limit that) and cold water with flavoring. The flavoring I'm using does have caffeine, but I'm sure very little compared with soda.
I definitely agree it is the taste that is what gets me, though the caffeine may have some impact as well. I've tried, unsuccessfully, in the past to quit cold turkey and load up on coffee (to replace the caffeine). That didn't work at all.
My fear is that, assuming I make it through today without any, that will be 3 days. If I drink some soda tomorrow, will I be able to stop again.0 -
If you don't want to drink diet soda, don't drink diet soda. If you like it, drink it. I fail to see what the issue is. It's not addictive. There's nothing in it to be addicted to, except for the caffeine, so you're talking about mind over matter.
If you start drinking it again, it's not because your body is going through some kind of withdrawal, it's because you choose to.0 -
If you've been more tired than normal, it might be the caffeine withdrawal. Personally, I would wait until you are over that before having some. If you do decide to have some this weekend, I would limit it to the 20 ounces you reduced to.
I used to drink a lot of soda...regular and diet at various points. Now, it is extremely rare. I will have it on rare occasions when I am outside the home, and not because I actually am craving it...usually just because it is the only calorie free option readily available. Once you kick the habit, having it once in a while won't be a problem for you...if you even want it.0 -
MommyL2015 wrote: »If you don't want to drink diet soda, don't drink diet soda. If you like it, drink it. I fail to see what the issue is. It's not addictive. There's nothing in it to be addicted to, except for the caffeine, so you're talking about mind over matter.
If you start drinking it again, it's not because your body is going through some kind of withdrawal, it's because you choose to.
Right - that is why it is impossible to be addicted to gambling, because there is no consumption of a substance that is commonly recognized as addictive.0 -
Thank you to those who responded with useful suggestions and anectdotes. I'll try to continue with water & tea mostly, but will allow myself a small amount of diet soda if/when I really have strong desire.0
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Well, we're talking about diet soda. I'm not sure how many actual diagnoses are out there for addictions to that, or if any treatment exists, but sure. Good luck with your diet soda recovery.
Sometimes I wonder about this place.0 -
midwesterner85 wrote: »I'm trying to cut diet soda.
First off, here are a few things to clarify before everyone wants to start arguing about whether I should do this or why I'm doing it (I know where these diet soda threads go):
-Diet soda has 0 calories. I'm not quitting because of calories... that would be silly.
-Artificial sweeteners are safe. All of the sweeteners used have been extensively studied. With the exception of the 2 studies by the same former doctor (using junk science makes you lose credentials) who not only altered the study to try to find problems that don't exist, but when she still couldn't find any issues, she just wrote conclusions that matched what she wanted to find and not what was actually found in her research). Nonetheless, her articles are often cited rather than the 100+ research articles that dispute them. So I'm not quitting because artificial sweeteners are unsafe... because that isn't the case.
-Diet soda is not a diuretic. Your body uses the water, which is far more than what it uses to process the caffeine.
*Now that we have gotten those things out of the way, let's move on...
The reason I'm quitting is because I just don't want to feel like I am dependent upon this substance.
So far, I started 9/15 trying to cut back. I consumed 50 oz. for the first couple days, then had 30 oz., and eventually down to 0 oz. for the past 2 days. Today will be the 3rd day with no diet soda at all. I've been more tired than normal and extremely thirsty. I expect to need more water when I drink less soda, but it seems like I'm thirstier than I should be. I've not logged water for more than a year, so I don't have empirical data to show that, but it definitely seems like I'm drinking much more additional water than I used to drink diet soda.
My question is for others who have also quit diet soda... when you got to where you had none for a few days, did you keep at none? Did you allow some diet soda after a few days without it? If you did, were you able to return to drinking none the next day? I'm really thinking this weekend I will want to have some again.
Can I just say, that I love how you started your thread... fantastic.
I still drink 2 to 3 diet dews a day. But, I also make it a point to drink 120-150+ oz of water a day. When I originally cut out soda, I tried to go cold turkey and it would make me want it more. So instead, I set water goals prior to drinking a soda. Drink 3 32oz nalegene's before drinking a soda. That seemed to help a lot.
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0 calories doesn't mean it doesn't cause a problem. Several studies on mice and people (small sample size) suggested they maybe worse than sugar. It had something to do with gut bacteria.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/20140917/artificial-sweeteners-blood-sugar?page=10 -
Quote from academic journal article:There is evidence that bingeing on sugar-dense, palatable foods increases extracellular dopamine in the striatum and thereby possesses addictive potential.
Reference:
Fortuna, J. (2012). The Obesity Epidemic and Food Addiction: Clinical Similarities to Drug Dependence. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 44(1). 56-63. Doi: 10.1080/02791072.2012.662092
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Here are 2 citations for research that finds response to artificial sweeteners to be similar to the addictive response found for sugar:
Roberts, H. J. (2000). Aspartame (NutraSweet®) addiction. TOWNSEND LETTER FOR DOCTORS AND PATIENTS, 52-57.
Yang, Q. (2010). Gain weight by “going diet?” Artificial sweeteners and the neurobiology of sugar cravings: Neuroscience 2010. The Yale journal of biology and medicine, 83(2), 101.
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Research articles more generally about food addictions, including sweet-tasting foods, both of which were released around the same time with the same lead researcher:
Gearhardt, A. N., Davis, C., Kuschner, R., & D Brownell, K. (2011). The addiction potential of hyperpalatable foods. Current drug abuse reviews, 4(3), 140-145.
Gearhardt, A. N., Yokum, S., Orr, P. T., Stice, E., Corbin, W. R., & Brownell, K. D. (2011). Neural correlates of food addiction. Archives of general psychiatry, 68(8), 808-816.
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Post bariatric patients aren't supposed to drink diet soda. But I do. Gulping down a fizzy drink that expands as it goes down you can imagine, can overwhelm a puny stomach.
I started a couple months after surgery. I sip very slowly and sometimes I don't finish the can by the end of the evening. When I am not drinking diet soda I am doctoring my water with Mio or Biosteel.0 -
0 calories doesn't mean it doesn't cause a problem. Several studies on mice and people (small sample size) suggested they maybe worse than sugar. It had something to do with gut bacteria.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/20140917/artificial-sweeteners-blood-sugar?page=1
Ah, I hadn't considered gut bacteria.
Regardless, I don't really need convincing... I'm already convinced I should try to cut back and perhaps eliminate it, even if it is just because I don't like feeling dependent upon a substance. Right now, I just am having trouble deciding whether consumption of small quantities will result in a total relapse or not. I'm at a point where it's tough to keep going because I may have weaned down too fast (I'm guessing that's why I'm having such trouble). So I'm getting the headaches / shakes / difficulty concentrating. I really want some diet soda, but I don't want to inadvertently get hooked again, though.0 -
midwesterner85 wrote: »0 calories doesn't mean it doesn't cause a problem. Several studies on mice and people (small sample size) suggested they maybe worse than sugar. It had something to do with gut bacteria.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/20140917/artificial-sweeteners-blood-sugar?page=1
Ah, I hadn't considered gut bacteria.
Regardless, I don't really need convincing... I'm already convinced I should try to cut back and perhaps eliminate it, even if it is just because I don't like feeling dependent upon a substance. Right now, I just am having trouble deciding whether consumption of small quantities will result in a total relapse or not. I'm at a point where it's tough to keep going because I may have weaned down too fast (I'm guessing that's why I'm having such trouble). So I'm getting the headaches / shakes / difficulty concentrating. I really want some diet soda, but I don't want to inadvertently get hooked again, though.
Sounds like caffeine withdrawal. I had a similar issue with coffee...also due to the caffeine. At one point about six months ago, I realized my usual one or two cups of coffee a day had turned into 4 or 5 (it just tastes good and is just about zero calories!) Now, recent research say this is perfectly safe, and may even have health benefits...however, I did not want to be dependent on coffee. I know people who can't function without their morning(or afternoon!) coffee, and I do not ever want to be one of them. So I suddenly stopped drinking it completely to "reset" myself. However, that brought on a major headache. So I had one cup, which completely got rid of the headache and limited it to one cup for a few days. After that, I could have no coffee at all and be fine, or have a few cups and be fine.
I still drink it almost every day. Sometimes one cup, sometimes 3 or 4. I just make sure I don't drink 3 or 4 every day. For the past several months this has worked very well for me. I can enjoy my coffee without feeling like I NEED my coffee. And if I run out or am someplace I can't easily get it for a few days, it is no big deal. It seems like I can have small to moderate amounts frequently without suffering withdrawal if I don't have any. It's only consistent large quantities that give me withdrawal issues.0 -
MoiAussi93 wrote: »midwesterner85 wrote: »0 calories doesn't mean it doesn't cause a problem. Several studies on mice and people (small sample size) suggested they maybe worse than sugar. It had something to do with gut bacteria.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/20140917/artificial-sweeteners-blood-sugar?page=1
Ah, I hadn't considered gut bacteria.
Regardless, I don't really need convincing... I'm already convinced I should try to cut back and perhaps eliminate it, even if it is just because I don't like feeling dependent upon a substance. Right now, I just am having trouble deciding whether consumption of small quantities will result in a total relapse or not. I'm at a point where it's tough to keep going because I may have weaned down too fast (I'm guessing that's why I'm having such trouble). So I'm getting the headaches / shakes / difficulty concentrating. I really want some diet soda, but I don't want to inadvertently get hooked again, though.
Sounds like caffeine withdrawal. I had a similar issue with coffee...also due to the caffeine. At one point about six months ago, I realized my usual one or two cups of coffee a day had turned into 4 or 5 (it just tastes good and is just about zero calories!) Now, recent research say this is perfectly safe, and may even have health benefits...however, I did not want to be dependent on coffee. I know people who can't function without their morning(or afternoon!) coffee, and I do not ever want to be one of them. So I suddenly stopped drinking it completely to "reset" myself. However, that brought on a major headache. So I had one cup, which completely got rid of the headache and limited it to one cup for a few days. After that, I could have no coffee at all and be fine, or have a few cups and be fine.
I still drink it almost every day. Sometimes one cup, sometimes 3 or 4. I just make sure I don't drink 3 or 4 every day. For the past several months this has worked very well for me. I can enjoy my coffee without feeling like I NEED my coffee. And if I run out or am someplace I can't easily get it for a few days, it is no big deal. It seems like I can have small to moderate amounts frequently without suffering withdrawal if I don't have any. It's only consistent large quantities that give me withdrawal issues.
It might be caffeine withdrawal.
I've got some time, but I do want to be totally off of it by Nov. I'm doing a 6-day hike and carrying 6 days worth of soda is tough, as is stopping cold turkey for 6 days. I've been thinking about wanting to get away from it for awhile (because I don't like the feeling of dependence), but that is what got me from thinking about it to action. If it is truly caffeine, and I can't totally quit by Nov., I suppose I could bring instant coffee or caffeine pills. I am hoping that isn't it.0
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