A question for people who have stopped drinking diet drinks
carrie1610
Posts: 54 Member
I really want to stop drinking diet coke, but it's just so hard to do! I've been drinking it regularly for the last 20+ years and usually have 3-4 cans a day. I'm looking for motivation to stop drinking it altogether - those chemicals can't be good for me and I hate being so addicted to a drink!
So, my question is what effect on health/weight loss has stopping drinking diet drinks had for you? How do you feel you have benefited?
So, my question is what effect on health/weight loss has stopping drinking diet drinks had for you? How do you feel you have benefited?
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Replies
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Lately I've really gotten into fruit-infused water. Not "flavored water" that you buy. Real water with slices of lemon, lime, orange in it. Let it infuse overnight in the fridge.
I've also started drinking Perrier for when I'm really jonesing for the fizz.0 -
Fruit-infused water sounds nice, think I'll try that. Have you noticed any improvements to your health since you stopped drinking the diet drinks?0
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Fruit-infused water sounds nice, think I'll try that. Have you noticed any improvements to your health since you stopped drinking the diet drinks?
Actually, I never liked the taste of diet sodas, so I only drank the real stuff when I drank it. I did notice a difference after reducing the regular soda. But I have found that I don't crave the fizzy in the evenings since I've switched to infused water. Also I am drinking more water which is also a plus.0 -
Weight loss is calories in vs calories out. Som drinking Diet sodas doesn't affect it.
Aside from not feeling so bloathed all the time I don't think there was any other effects for me.
Mind you I am sure they aren't too good for you. If I am to drink a soda I don't drink the diet kind anymore, I'll drink a regular one and fit it in my calories0 -
I don't usually drink any juices at all, all I drink in the day is fizzy water...and 1 can of diet coke. I really like it and I don't wanna give it up. I think if you're otherwise 'good' you need a treat for yourself. Maybe that would work for you?
But don't hold me responsible if the diet coke has actually harmed us already
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booze is way better then those diet drinks.0
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I stopped drinking everything except club soda and water and I noticed my skin got much healthier and I have more hair now.
Also stopped getting heartburn every day.
I did change a bunch of other things in my diet though, so it might not all be due to the diet drinks :-)0 -
An interesting little thing I found online:
http://caloriecount.about.com/forums/motivation/water-vs-coke-off
I try to tell myself not to drink the "poison" lol0 -
And no, fizzy water doesn't bloat me, it refreshes.0
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I've had about 2 glasses of coke since the start of the summer, so I've pretty much cut out all fizzy drinks. I haven't touched them since I saw what the acid in them does to your teeth!
As for differences, I've noticed my sugar-only cravings have pretty much gone. I used to get hit by non-stop sweet cravings at 8pm, but now it's just, "I feel like eating something" and a cup of tea (no sugar! :P) will do the trick. I used to have chocolate bars and a PINT of coke. Big difference if you ask me!0 -
Coming off it you will no doubt feel HORRIBLE, but as soon as the migraine headaches stop you'll feel a lot better than you did with the coke.
My advice would be bring it down to 3 a day for a bit
then 2 a day for a bit
then 1 a day
one every few days
etc0 -
I'm reposting this from another thread on diet soda.
I had SERIOUS diet coke habit. When I decided it was time to start taking better care of myself (including losing weight), I knew I had to cut out the diet coke. I should mention that my office keeps a fridge full of soda that we can drink for free so it was easy to drink 2-3 a day.
Anyway, I started limiting myself to one a day for a few weeks. I started drinking a lot of Topo Chico mineral water because I loved the fizzy. After about a week I started noticing that I wasn't even finishing the one can a day so I stopped. As of today it's been two weeks since I've drank any diet coke. (it's been almost three now)
I have made a lot of changes to my diet in the last month but that was one of the hardest ones for me. I buy mineral water and lemon la croix and keep it at home and at work so when I feel the need for something fizzy. It was a hard habit to break but I'm so glad I did it!
I haven't really seen any actual health benefit yet but I'm definitely drinking way more water so that's a good thing.0 -
I used to drink several diet sodas per day.
Not drinking soda is one of many variables I've modified.
The full range of effects from the dietary and fitness changes I've made include: reducing body fat to ~12%, reducing resting heart rate to mid-50s, and not getting sick in over 6 months (a significant turnaround for me, with a young child).
Here are a few positives that are specifically related to removing soda drinking in my life:
I've reduced caffeine dependence. Not removed, as I still drink coffee 1-2 times/day. I stopped caffeine completely for about a year, but I kinda like the idea/interactivity of coffee.
Since I don't have access to coffee at home, I don't drink caffeine at night. I used to drink diet sodas throughout the day.
Without the constant caffeine infusion, I don't engage in late night activities, and I sleep more.
My tooth enamel was getting dissolved, and this is no longer the case.
Anyway, it was entirely positive for me, and now the stuff I used to guzzle tastes like *kitten* so I can't even drink it. Good luck.0 -
I cut mine down significantly, and started drinking water with crystal light packets, and I have noticed a huge difference in not only weight loss and my budget but how I feel. I just feel better. I am down to one can per day (I drank way more than 3-4 cans), if desired (I had no headaches reducing to one per day) and I will eventually - when I am ready - to cut altogether. I definitely recommend at least cutting down and replacing with water. Or rotate every other pop, water, pop, water, etc... Anyway, that is my take on it. Good luck!0
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i used to be addicted to coke (a cola) and i got extremely sick and stopped drinking it. i havent had one since june 1st and i dropped 15lbs right off the bat. i was in so much pain from my other illness i didnt notice any cravings or side effects from the withdrawal but before when i tried to stop i had my fiance monitor me when getting drinks and only other side effects i had were caffeine/sugar withdrawal headaches and cravings. just keep chugging water.
positive side effects
lost weight
my skin is clearer
i rarely feel bloated/fat after drinking
and i dont burp like a trucker anymore which disgusted everyone because you could hear them down the street which im kind of sad i dont do anymore because i was proud of that i could beat any guy LOL0 -
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A way to stop drinking diet sodas is don't have them around. I kinda hate the taste (non-taste) of water so I pour a tall cup of cold water at work and put a green tea teabag in it. It flavors the water. At home I keep a large pitcher of water that I put two teabags in. Also, seltzer is good with a little cranberry juice in it.
I haven't had any diet sodas since January. I can't say there have been any "results" from this but I have the peace of mind of not pouring a bunch of chemicals into myself. And the smug satisfaction of saying I don't drink diet sodas. 0 -
I was way over your intake--typically about 8 cherry diet pepsi or cherry zero a day. I decreased slowly and substituted with the flavored waters (yes, the diet kind) or perrier or san pellingrino -- usually the fizzy waters with lime.
Health wise, I haven't noticed anything besides no more caffeine withdrawal headaches.
If I stick to the flavored waters, my wallet feels better!0 -
Coming off it you will no doubt feel HORRIBLE, but as soon as the migraine headaches stop you'll feel a lot better than you did with the coke.
My advice would be bring it down to 3 a day for a bit
then 2 a day for a bit
then 1 a day
one every few days
etc
Good advice about coming off slowly. I kicked a DrPepper habit by pouring my drink into a glass. First just 4 oz. then down to 2 oz. I would drink a glass of water before the DrPepper. Eventually it was too much trouble to drink any. Now if I do drink one, I see why people think it tastes funny. It didn't taste that way when I was drinking it every day. I drank the sugared stuff. I thought dropping 600-800 cal of sugar a day would make the pounds slide off. No such luck. That was before MFP and calorie counting. I must have replaced the calories with something else.0 -
I had headaches really bad while I drank diet coke daily....and migraines. I've always drank plenty of water. But, when I stopped drinking diet cokes daily (I still do on occasion), the headaches pretty much stopped, I drank even more water which has helped my skin. I also don't feel as dehydrated of course.
Other things are though I still crave sweets, I don't crave them as much, or it's easier to fight the craving. I am a believer that artificial sweeteners are horrible for you. And though you may not see or feel the affects of stopping usage of them immediately, I do personally believe that you will prevent negative issues in the future.0 -
I'm really curious, as I've never been a soda fan, and I never liked the taste of diet drinks. What is it, exactly, about diet coke that people find so addictive? Because I've seen so many threads on here about people who really struggle to give it up. Is it the taste? The fizzyness? The satisfying pshhhtt when you open the can? Are there physical withdrawals from the caffeine? What's the scoop?0
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Thanks for all the replies. I know I need to do this for lots of reasons. I've not lost weight for ages (in fact I've put some on though have avoided the scales) and wonder if the diet coke is causing me to crave sugary and carbohydrate snacks, which I have far too many of. I feel (and look) bloated around my middle. Sometimes I even feel a little headachey when I've had too much diet coke at once - yet I still crave it. It's not good!
Also, think of the money I'll save if I don't drink it, and how lovely not to have to lug cans home from the supermarket.
It's such a difficult thing to give up, which is ridiculous after all I've just written!0 -
Most notably, my skin cleared up and I just FEEL better after switching to only water. I tried drinking a diet soda the other day and couldn't even finish half of it... it's disgusting now.0
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The biggest problem with diet soda for me is the immoderate way I consume it. They're so low in sodium these days that that's not even really a problem, no calories, so hey, might as well have a whole 2-liter bottle in a day, what's the harm?
The harm, my dentist tells me, is several thousand dollars in dental bills caused by crazy acid erosion of my enamel, right in the perfect pattern on my teeth that he could tell I usually drank from a bottle and not a can, even. Pro-tip: use a straw.
Unfortunately, I don't notice any quick changes (or even slow changes) in my teeth or elsewhere in my body when I switch to carrying around a 2-L bottle of water instead. The one benefit of switching is that I sleep a lot more soundly, without the caffeine. I use the SleepBot app on my phone, which will graph how much you move around at night. Even if I stopped drinking soda late afternoon/early evening, I can still see the effects of that day's caffeine on my sleep.
Caffeine withdrawal headaches are a bear, but in my experience, they respond really well to Tylenol (when for most other headaches of mine it doesn't do a thing).0 -
I gave up caffeine nearly 9 years ago. I still have the very occasional soda but usually I just drink water and sometimes decaf tea. I can't drink anything with a lot of caffeine because now it makes me hyperactive and shaky. I don't have "slumps" in the afternoon from lack of caffeine and I sleep very well at night. It has made a huge difference in my skin - no breakouts! And I'm not bloated from the fizz of the carbonation. I highly recommend giving it up if you are so inclined. It takes a while to get used to it, but I think the results are well worth it. Once you do it, don't go back because it'll be just that much harder to give up again. Sometimes, I'll get sparkling water and low-sugar fruit juice when I'm really craving the carbonation but most times, it doesn't bother me at all. Good luck!0
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I stopped drinking diet drinks, diet gum, diet everything basically and what I noticed is that the bloated, stiff feeling of water retention was dramatically reduced. I stopped all that about 10 years ago now and I wouldn't go back for anything. I don't know if it's relevant but I am 61 years old and on no medications whatsoever. I try to eat as real as I can but know I still eat processed foods in some form or another. I just draw the line at artificial sweeteners. I'm sure that the less chemicals we put into our bodies the better, but that's only my opinion.0
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Have faith in yourself! You CAN do it!!! I was drinking anywhere from 2 upto 6 cans of diet Coke per day. Even after having a kidney stone I went back to drinking it. And let me tell ya, that was NO FUN! Once you set your mind to do it, it will go smoothly! I just drank tons and tons of water for the first couple days. Walking and exercising really helped take my mind off the matter. You can change anything about yourselef if you want it bad enough. I went cold turkey from smoking and then left diet sodas/soda in general. It is a great feeling knowing you beat the challenge!0
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It saves me lots of money.0
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I quit drinking diet soda and did not notice any of the miracle changes everyone said to expect.
I had withdrawals for about a week.
I now drink mostly water. I may drink a diet coke when I go out to eat on occasion.
I think it is healthier not to drink them, but don't expect any magical change when you stop.0 -
"I think it is healthier not to drink them, but don't expect any magical change when you stop."
That's a shame - I was really hoping it would kick-start weight loss and I'd feel much better and have lots more energy...............0
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