Food as an Addiciton.

nabooru1017

If one is on this site, and still drinking soda pop, you're not doing it right. Discuss.

Janet39

I drink it occasionally, I know it interfears with calcium absorption so I try to stay away from it. Unless there is alcohol with it, lol.

Fattack

I drink diet soda when I'm having a tough week, but I generally eat clean and avoid processed food. I know the health risks, have read about aspartame, effects on insulin resistance etc. and I still do it, and if some 1 calorie diet drink fills a hole that would have otherwise been filled by a chocolate bar or a cake, then that's a far better substitution as far as I'm concerned. If we wanted to be Food Nazis there are plenty of things that most people consume of which they are convinced are healthy, but aren't. For instance, my idea of dieting hell is a low calorie microwave meal and "frankenfoods" but I see people eating them regularly on here and extolling their virtues - but it's not my place to tell somebody that their low calorie chicken korma is bad for them, whilst drinking my Pepsi Max. Whilst it may not be nutritionally better due to additives, it's lower calorie than a traditional curry and good for them for making a positive change. The fact of the matter is we're striving to improve old habits, and for most of us it's a gradual learning and adapting process.

Andythefitfamilyman

Agree 100% with fattack

TourThePast

I'm not a great fan of sickly sweet fizzy drinks, but have diet cola maybe once every couple of weeks if I am out with friends and don't have enough calories for a glass of beer or orange juice.

I'm not super keen but bought a large pack to drink as an alternative to the half bottle of wine I was drinking every night. It is clear which was the healthier choice for me.

I'd rather "do it better and be able to stick with it for the rest of my life" than "do it right" - I'm not in this to get a "tuned racing car" of a body, I'm in this to get a body which is functional and reliable.

MoonShadow_1au

Really only drink pepsi MAX (1 cal / glass) so is that counted ?

I have heard reports on A Current Afair (Sydney) that sugar free softdrinks make the mind think you should have sugar to burn ... and as there is no sugar the body craves it more. If you can then RESIST you should be tortured by OK, if not then maybe the suggary softdrink would be better.

Either way you are not wasting your time if you are here and drinking / eating anything. Honesty will show you what you are eating, and if you are here to change that and being here helps then great.

raychybabe

The OP's post isn't referring to drinking soda specifically - more the fact that people who continue to eat badly, despite not wanting to and their health being in danger or whatever, could be said to be displaying a food "addiction". Its more to do with the continuing bad behaviours even though you know they are bad, because you still enjoy them or get something from it. Same can be said for drugs, smoking, drinking, gambling, taste for bad boys etc lol.

Quite a hot topic! (and I'm an addiction counsellor!)

JenKoz4

I have a can a day, but I make sure I can "Afford" it in my calories for the day. Its my one pleasure, and I've cut so much of it out of my diet that one can isn't going to make me curl up in a ball and cry.

tashajayne2011

I have absolutely no doubt that I replaced my addiction to amphetamines (a looong time ago) with one for cigarettes and then my addiction to cigarettes with one for sugar and/or caffeine

I think that you can absolutely be on this site and be committed to making better choices while still having things which may be deemed bad.

In my opinion its all relative.. Ok so you might think that me going over my sugar allowance every day and having 1 fizzy drink is bad but now most of my sugar comes from fruit and my fizzy drink is fizzy water and lime.. last week it was diet lemonade and the week before it was 1 can of cola a day BUT the week before that it was chinese takeaway a couple times a week and 6 cans of cola per day..

No I am not as healthy as some here (which is great, I love seeing a healthy food plan as it motivates me) but I am healthier than myself on a bad day if that makes sense

unsuspectingfish

Having other, non-food-related addictions, I think this analogy is a bit too black-and-white.

If, say, you were drinking several sodas a day prior to joining the site, and now you're down to one a day, and you're doing your best to reduce that PLUS improve the rest of your habits, then I think you're absolutely doing it right.

If you were drinking a few sodas a day prior to joining the site, and now you're down to one a day, and you're improving the rest of your habits, but you don't feel the need to give up that one last soda, then I think you're doing OK, but there's probably some room for improvement.

If you were drinking a few sodas a day prior to joining the site, and you're still drinking those sodas every day, and you don't feel the need to change that, and you don't feel the need to improve any of your other habits, THEN I'd start to wonder what you're even doing here.

Sarah_uk

If one is on this site, and still drinking soda pop, you're not doing it right. Discuss.

I think that if it fits in their calorie allowance, then there isn't a problem.

People all like different kinds of food and drinks and drinking soda is not the end of the world. At least it isn't for me anyway.

Everything in moderation.