Giving it up (not just hiding my Diet Coke Habit)

mlrtri
mlrtri Posts: 425 Member
in Motivation and Support
I do not have many vices but I do enjoy a Diet Coke every day. I have "given it up" before but that just meant being more discrete about it. This time I am all in. I am posting on this to give myself some accountability. When I am just accountable to myself I fail. I let myself have one on a stressful day, when I have a headache, when I go out to eat.... .then I am right back to where I started. So I am done. I am giving it up.

Replies

  • mlrtri
    mlrtri Posts: 425 Member
    I have been drinking green tea. It has not yet taken away my wish for a nice cold Diet Coke but it seems like a better choice.
  • Penthesilea514
    Penthesilea514 Posts: 1,189 Member
    I wish you luck- why are you giving diet coke up out of curiosity?
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,741 Member
    You have just one a day? What's the problem? One can? One liter? If it's just one can there's nothing wrong with that. It's diet. I drink a diet Mtn. Dew (can, poured over ice) every day. Sometimes diet Dr. Pepper. Curious as to your reasoning here.
  • JamieAmble
    JamieAmble Posts: 23 Member
    I gave up the Diet Coke in June and did find it decreased my overall craving for sugar. Now I have no desire for it which I never would have imagined!
  • Wonder_Mattie
    Wonder_Mattie Posts: 13 Member
    I was so a Diet Mountain Dew Girl. Had to have some in the morning, noon and night. I figured... it's diet. ZERO calories. What's the harm??

    Then I had some great friends do a 30 day, no soda challenge. I accepted. Within a week, I could totally tell a difference. That was back in April of this year. I haven't drank a soda since.

    Trust me, your body will Thank You!
  • meganpettigrew86
    meganpettigrew86 Posts: 349 Member
    I kicked a coke zero habit a good six months ago. I had started drinking up to 1.5L per day. Since doing so I felt a lot better and resisting treats was easier. It was not an easy habit to break and initially my espresso machine got a workout.
    After kicking coke I kicked caffeine, that was hard, a couple days of withdrawals, then a week or so for energy levels to settle. Decaf coffee tastes good these days.
    Recently I have started taking a pre workout it sadly has caffeine. First time I took one at 9am I was still buzzing at 10pm (couldn't sit still, was doing squats whilst watching tv), turns out they sold me the double strength!
    If you can kick soda you can kick anything, I think it is a very hard habit to break as it is so well promoted and is everywhere.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    mlrtri wrote: »
    I have been doing some research about how different foods affect out body. Weight loss/gain is calories in and calories out but it is not a closed system and there are other factors involves as well. I am just now realizing this and trying to learn more about it. I have read research about Diet Soda that makes me think I don't want to put it in my body anymore. There is always opposing research, I realize, that disputes what one research study says. But some research says that it leads to metabolic disorder, diabetes, and kills good bacteria in our digestive systems. There are studies that link it to raised insulin levels. And whether they are all true or not I decided that I didn't need it in my diet. I need to stop liking something that sweet. It can't hurt to cut it out but it COULD hurt to keep it in my diet. So I am moving it out.

    Nothing wrong with giving up diet soda..but you should dig a little deeper into that research. The diet beverage in and of itself isn't what leads to weight gain/diabetes/metabolic disorder, etc...if you look deeper into the actual studies rather than just reading articles you will quickly determine that the reason for this is generally that people feel like they're being "good" by having a diet beverage...so why not just go for that double cheeseburger with bacon and an extra large french fry.

    When you're researching this stuff, you have to be really careful with "news articles"...they are written by journalists who have little understanding of the actual study and are more interested in getting a piece published...the more sensational, the better...this can and often does lead to cherry picking information from studies and sensationalizing the date.

    In the past 5 years I have gone from 3-6 regular sodas per day to no sodas save for here and there for a couple of years and now I usually have a diet Fresca most evenings as I am off alcohol during the week but still want something cold and refreshing...I haven't noticed any difference between no soda and having a diet soda daily...sometimes even two.

    Go with it if that's what you want to do...but do it while also actually being informed and not just because of an article or two that you read somewhere...
  • U2Bad1
    U2Bad1 Posts: 41 Member
    To each their own. I will continue to drink large quantities of diet soda. lol
  • mlrtri
    mlrtri Posts: 425 Member
    I have been delving into this topic, not just reading news articles. It gets confusing because reputable, peer reviewed sources are coming up with different results. I don't blame Diet Coke for my weight gain. Just a personal choice for me right now and I don't mean to say that it is the only way to be healthy or that it will suddenly make me drop weight (although that would be wonderful). And I don't want to get into a battle of words with anyone. It is just a decision I have made. I have talked to others that have kicked the soda habit and drastically cut sugars and they tell me that after a few weeks they no longer crave the super sweet foods and when they do eat something they find it sickeningly sweet. That would be great. I am hoping it gives me some kind of advantage as it has not been easy.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited August 2017
    anechka1981 wrote: »
    The thing about diet coke. It might not have the calories in it, but it will makes you craving sweet things the same as any other sugar. Sugar is an addiction. It doesn't matter what you will feed your addiction with , no calories sugar, or with calories. Your body will crave more. Try to quit diet coke for a month, and you will forget the taste. A minute you will let yourself to have a can of diet coke, you will want to have another or, or something else sweet shortly.

    I drink a diet Fresca every evening on my patio...it does not make me crave other sweet things...I actually don't really have much of a sweet tooth at all...it's just a nice refreshing citrus beverage that I enjoy in the evening...you're making some very sweeping generalizations.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    anechka1981 wrote: »
    The thing about diet coke. It might not have the calories in it, but it will makes you craving sweet things the same as any other sugar. Sugar is an addiction. It doesn't matter what you will feed your addiction with , no calories sugar, or with calories. Your body will crave more. Try to quit diet coke for a month, and you will forget the taste. A minute you will let yourself to have a can of diet coke, you will want to have another or, or something else sweet shortly.

    This hasn't happened for me... I have a diet coke at 10am at work and can happily wait till 12.30 for my lunch...
  • mlrtri
    mlrtri Posts: 425 Member
    trbixler40 wrote: »
    To all those telling this person to not worry about, and what's the problem? and I'm gonna keep drinking it lol, and you didnt do enough research...sorry but that's not necessary. Diet drinks are very bad for you. My nutritionist asked me the other day - name one person that has gotten thin drinking it. I couldn't. Bring on the folks that can...that's fine. But the point is still clear. Lighten up on the OP. They lead to all kinds of other results that don't necessarily translate into 'drink a diet coke >> gain a lb.'

    Thank you for the support!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    trbixler40 wrote: »
    To all those telling this person to not worry about, and what's the problem? and I'm gonna keep drinking it lol, and you didnt do enough research...sorry but that's not necessary. Diet drinks are very bad for you. My nutritionist asked me the other day - name one person that has gotten thin drinking it. I couldn't. Bring on the folks that can...that's fine. But the point is still clear. Lighten up on the OP. They lead to all kinds of other results that don't necessarily translate into 'drink a diet coke >> gain a lb.'

    Since I stopped drinking diet coke, I've gone from drinking Gold Peak Green Tea with 140 calories per bottle (because it was sweet and I didn't like the less sweet kinds) to drinking Honest Tea with 70 calories per bottle and it tastes just as good as the Gold Peak or other sweet diet beverages. And when I brew it myself I've gone from several TBS of sugar to a little less than 2. That was only in the course of about 15 days or so...

    You don't have to admit that the stuff isn't good for you but if you get serious about giving it up, you'll see positive results. No question about it.

    Nobody is being hard on the OP...stating facts isn't being hard on someone....it's stating facts.

    What positive results? I've done both and don't feel any different either way. I'm a lean, healthy, and fit mfer...
  • mlrtri
    mlrtri Posts: 425 Member
    Our bodies are complex. We all have to do what works for us. That's OK.
  • CaminoDreamer
    CaminoDreamer Posts: 9 Member
    Mirtri, I support you. I drink Diet Coke and I know that when I give it up, I feel better. If only I could stick with it. Maybe we should do the 30 day Soda challenge? Anyone up for it?
  • OnthatStuff
    OnthatStuff Posts: 141 Member
    Whichever way you all decide to go, just remember that Brosnan once approved ... just for the taste of it. :)
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  • FeelingAlive
    FeelingAlive Posts: 117 Member
    I stopped drinking sodas seven years ago. I always felt bloated and had a lot of uncomfortable gas. There are plenty of gas-free diet friendly cooldrinks out there. I am not big on drinking my calories and I found once I stopped with the sodas my cravings for sugar were reduced. The key for me is to not have anything sweet during the day, as the taste will trigger the cravings. It's as if my mind has forgotten how something has tasted if I go a long time without it, and therefore I don't want it. But once I give in, it's almost impossible to resist.

    So if you want to cut diet coke out of your diet, I would say start slowly. Don't have any during the day, and half a glass at night. You can soon make it once every two, three, four...etc. nights. Soon enough you won't crave it as much, and dropping it all together would be very easy.
  • mlrtri
    mlrtri Posts: 425 Member
    CaminoDreamer wrote: »
    Mirtri, I support you. I drink Diet Coke and I know that when I give it up, I feel better. If only I could stick with it. Maybe we should do the 30 day Soda challenge? Anyone up for it?

    I would be in. It is hard when Coke is everywhere.
  • blyons14
    blyons14 Posts: 32 Member
    Disclaimer, I enjoy a diet soda here and there but do not drink them regularly.

    I have done some research as well and I agree that there are conflicting messages that make it difficult to discern which is correct. A big thing to consider...note who is funding the study...

    Also, I was listening to a podcast recently and they were explaining that the biggest issue with artificial sugars and diet foods is the gustatory effect - your body tasting intense sweetness and looking for nutrition where there isn't any..and thus sometimes creating cravings. Just sharing a thought, I have my own feelings on this with respect to weight loss/gain.

    For every argument there will be a counterargument. You just have to decide which messages seem most important to you and go from there. Your reasoning is sound...for you, even the threat of those effects makes diet coke not worth it. Hey, can't go wrong there. Good luck with your journey!
  • lilistrawberry
    lilistrawberry Posts: 6 Member
    @mlrtri I think that it is a good idea to giving this diet coke habit up. I know peer reviewed studies and their results (especially when it comes to aspartame) can be confusing and I absolutely agree with @blyons14 that the outcome of such studies may also strongly vary depending on who funded it.

    But as you already stated: it can't hurt to cut it out but it COULD hurt to keep it in your diet. So basically, even if diet coke had no negative impact on your body the "worst" case would be that you would feel exactly the same without drinking it than before (and maybe it makes you save a little money). So in my opinion, there's no downside at trying it as you have nothing to lose.

    All the best with quitting!
  • mlrtri
    mlrtri Posts: 425 Member
    lilistrawberry- I hadn't thought of the money saving factor.

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