Is giving up diet soda really worth it?

Opha30

I used to have about 5 cans a day for, oh, the past 15 years. Today is day 12 cold turkey. I am irritable, unfocused, and kind of a witch to be honest. No, I can't have like, one a week or whatever the same way someone could probably not have just "a little" crack cocaine. Could someone please tell me that they felt better after giving up soda? I know all of the articles that are like "diet soda is the devil and ruins your bones and gives you cancer etc." but I'm looking for someone who experienced readily identifiable benefits of giving up this diet carbonated nectar of the gods and not just "I abstractly reduced my chance of cancer and a heart attack"

Thanks!

jwdieter

What did you do to replace the caffeine?

shadowharuka

I completely gave up soda 3 years ago. One of the best choices I have made. I lost 15 pounds at the time simply from cutting soda. Plus after quitting it I actually had more energy, felt like I could do more things like exercise and all those caffeine withdrawal symptoms went away after awhile. Once I replaced all the soda with water my skin and hair looked better, my mood was better, I slept better and had more energy. So I'd say yes it is totally worth it.

mkathib

I quit cold turkey too...I had headaches for a while, but after a while they went away. I was drinking over six a day, so something had to give! I have saved money for one! Anyhow, I have tried some on numerous occasions, and just don't like the taste now! The taste seems awful and I just don't crave anymore. I'm not sure I "feel" better, but I do feel better about the fact I'm not putting that stuff in my body any longer. Good luck to you!!

HeidiCooksSupper

I've cut way back on my Diet Coke consumption because I can link it directly to feeling the munchies. Sweet tasting stuff makes me want to eat more stuff. Last night I broke down and had a second Diet Coke and I was soon into the bread and butter.

So, now it's time again to go off it. At least for me. It's a trigger. This is not true for everyone but it may be for you.

Now, as to the irritability, etc., yeah, that's probably a lack of caffeine. Unsweetened iced tea and coffee can come to the rescue and homemade iced tea is remarkably cheap and easy. I use a particularly lazy method. I fill a gallon jug with water, throw in 4 "family sized" or 6-8 regular tea bags in, put it in the fridge overnight, and voila: iced tea.

epie2098

I could drink a 2L bottle of diet coke in a few minutes and still want more.

Here are the tangible benefits of giving it up:

My cravings for sweet food, and my appetite overall, dropped. I can eat fewer calories over the course of the day without it.
I don't get headaches mid-afternoon from lack of caffeine. One 16-oz mug of French pressed coffee is plenty enough.
I feel more satisfied by water, which I've always loved but didn't drink in favour of diet coke.
If I do have a diet coke now, I get a stomach ache.
I sleep way better due to not having caffeine in my system.

Greenrun99

I have diet soda.. I need something to put my alcohol in..

magerum

No.

fbmandy55

I have diet coke about once or twice a day and have no plan to change that. I love my diet coke and used to drink about 4, 32oz mt dew's a day as well. I cut the mt dew and replaced those with water.

Make sure you get plenty of water but if you don't want to quit, why force yourself? Cut back to one or two and drink water the rest of the day.

jonnythan

I've been diet soda free for about 15 minutes now, and I've never felt better!

oliviabog

I was drinking a ton of Pepsi max and i just cut it out and drink water. If i really need the boost i have tea/coffee.

My skin has definitely improved and im sure i feel loads better. When i do have a little treat of it if i eat out then it's so damn nice and a treat but ultimately im not going to revert back to drinking it all the time.

It is horribly addictive though. Just get used to drinking something else and you won't feel so inclined to have it after a while

RockinTerri

I had cut way back on my soda intake, but due to a crazy schedule this past week I've had more again. I feel drained, and know that it's in part due to the soda/coffee I've consumed in the past week. After today I'm determined to cut it out again, and hoping I'll be back full of energy once again.

BTW - my norm had been a 20 oz each day, plus on occasion a coffee or two 2-3 days per week. I was down to 1-2 cups of soda per week, plus 1 coffee 2 days per week, I'd like to get even lower than this time around.

Eandretta96

Have not had a problem with it. I can't wait for a lecture about " jsut how bad aspartame is for you."

garber6th

I didn't cut out diet soda, but I did cut way back, and I mostly drink caffeine free versions.

Diet soda didn't make me fat so I don't worry a whole lot about it.

tzig00

I have diet soda.. I need something to put my alcohol in..

Yup. My malibu just wouldn't taste the same without it.

Mommy_Time

If you knew just how bad 'diet' sodas are for you health you would not want to put them back into your body. i gave up soda and coffee this year jan 2013 and havent' looked back. I use to drink 12-24 cans of coke a day since i was about 7 until last year when i only did so much and now none. best thing i have ever done for my health

MinimalistShoeAddict

I tried to quit a few times over the years but it never lasted long.

In the end I decided I did not like being a quitter. Diet soda for life!

melindasuefritz

is not just soda its all caffine
yes its worth it

Espressocycle

I have diet soda.. I need something to put my alcohol in..

Be a man and drink it straight.

sevsmom

I had my last diet Dr. Pepper on March 29, 2013. Instead of soda, I make my own raspberry iced tea. It has a light raspberry taste, and a little caffeine to keep the withdrawl at bay. I also drink plenty of water.

Because I replaced a small amount of the caffeine with the iced tea, it helped me not feel miserable. However, I avoid artificial sweetened beverages! I add no sweetener to my tea. I believe, for me, I also had an addicition to the artificial sweetener!!

I feel much better....save money...and can save $2-$3 every time I eat out by just getting water!! Not that I eat out that much... lol

cwolfman13

I've been diet soda free for my entire life. Real soda, that's a whole other story...and I have probably 3 of them per week (rather than the 3 per day I was drinking). I get my caffeine fix with coffee and iced tea.

MatthewMacG

Everyone is different. If you think something might be bad for you like diet soda, give it up for 30 days. If you feel different then decide after 30 days if the difference in feeling if any is worth giving it up. Only you can decide, as your reaction might be different to others.

Mgregory723

Giving up soda in general is hard for me. I have tried and failed so many times. If I say I'll have a cheat day and have soda, I start to drink it all the time, if I say I will only have one a week, fail again. I just don't know how to kick the habit. I like water on most days but I also need something else, something with taste and flavor. lol. Good luck to you!

Portugueselove

I gave up all sodas, at first i gave up all regular sodas and switched to diet sodas then last year i gave up diet sodas. I don't have as much sweet cravings as i used to and no more muscle twitches and also noticed that my restless leg syndrome is not even there anymore. Never thought about that... hmm. Wonder if it has to do with it. But yeah if you can continue without soda do it, if you can't then one a day shouldn't hurt.

Eandretta96

12-24 cans of coke a day since i was about 7 until last year when i only did so much and now none. best thing i have ever done for my health

Hmmm. Like those people that drank 8 cans of redbull, die, and then blame everything on the redbull on how it's "so dangerous."

lblert

I've cut down from 3 cans of Coke Zero to just one, but not because I think diet soda is bad for my health. I cut back because I wasn't drinking enough water. It's much easier to get my water consumption up if I cut back on soda.

1princesswarrior

I'm actually giving up diet soda today but replacing caffeine by drinking tea. For my migraines I need some caffeine. I am also giving up soda for my migraines as the doctor says the chemicals will add to them and the acid is ruining my already bad teeth

Otherwise I would never give diet soda up.

TeachTheGirl

I just don't know how anyone can drink the stuff. I don't enjoy the taste of it at all.

I do get my caffeine fix from coffee or tea though.

pippywillow

I used to drink 2L of diet pepsi every day. Along with a couple energy drinks, and the occasional iced coffee.

Then one day I went without it and the headaches were horrible. Nearly unbearable. I realized if something can make me feel that crappy just from not having it for one day it probably isn't good for me.

I looked at the ingredients on my beloved diet pepsi. There's nothing real in there! It's not substance, and my body doesn't need it.

I gave it up for good (along with all caffeine and fake drinks). Now it's just water, juice, or milk. Mostly water. The headaches were horrible for the first week. But now I feel better than ever. Once I got used to it I realized I really don't need the help to stay awake. Protein is a much better energy source than caffeine.

jodynolte

I didn't think it was worth it, but was drinking the equivalent of 5-6 cans of diet dr pepper per day up until about 2 weeks ago... I cut it to 1 can per day and drank double the remaining in water. Since I have a hard time drinking plain water, I add Crystal light packets to my water. This has become tolerable and I lost 2 pounds right away last week after a 3 month plateau. I cannot wait to see what tomorrow's scale says! Try to cut down instead of cold turkey.. I have tried that in the past and the headaches push me back to it. For me, one per day satisfies that desire for DDP...

herblackwings39

I have diet soda.. I need something to put my alcohol in..

Be a man and drink it straight.

Or be a woman and drink it straight. Good liquor requires nothing, not even ice.