Addicted to Soda!

supergirlie00

I'm a soda lover and I can't keep away from it! I usually drink about 2-3 diet cokes a day ( horrible I know) and the past couple of weeks I've been drinking non-diet sodas. I've tried quitting several times, and I get the same outcome a mean grumpy bi%#$! Is there anything I can do to help reduce the withdraw affects?

HMonsterX

I usually drink about 2-3 diet cokes a day ( horrible I know)

Why is that horrible?

Valechka

Try black or green tea or coffee? Iced? Maybe the caffeine is what you want.

kristilovescake

Try tea for the caffeine or carbonated waters for the bubbly (you might just be craving the carbonation). There are some carbonated lemon/fruit waters that are delicious and "naturally flavored" without any sugar substitutes.

grassette

You are probably reacting to the caffine withdrawal. Substitute good strong coffee and see how it goes.

maura5880

Diet soda has aspartame which is not good for us to consume, but otherwise I don't even care. I cannot wake up without caffeine and I don't like coffee too much. I think as long as you're not drinking it ALL day long, it's not bad..

Lindz2323

If its because of carbonation try some kind of fruit juice in flavored sparkling water, it may help a little. I used to be addicted to but finally got over that after a longgg time. I bought a 12 pack of diet dr. pepper back at the beginning of August this year, i've only drank one so far.. lol Bought it for when I might have cravings and I only did once since then.

paladeac

I drink seltzer water - it comes in plain or flavored. I get the "bubbly effect" without sugar or artificial sweeteners.

HMonsterX

Diet soda has aspartame which is not good for us to consume,

Why do you say that? Can you back it up?

VulcanLover

I hear you and feel your pain.

That said, I drink about 1-2 diet sodas a day and I feel no guilt about it.

It has no calories, fills my belly and makes me happy.

I don't believe a lot of the hype about aspartame and sorbitol anyway, but even if I did, the small amount in my two sodas per my body weight, compared to the extreme amount given to lab rats would make me feel better. As well, I have cut out many other harmful foods all together (like beef which is linked to many cancers and heart disease) and I just do not see one unhealthy vice amongst all the very healthy things I am doing as a bad thing.

Schuyler

Oh honey 2-3 is nothing! There are days when I'll easily have 6+ cans. I've quit for a week or so before and felt great but then I'll let myself have just one and things start to go downhill. I've tried drinking tea for the caffeine -- even tried nodoz. But it's the addictive properties of aspartame that gets me. Hopefully we can quit the habit together!

NinjaMonkey201

I'm the same way!
I went from diet soda to caffeine free diet soda. This way, when the caffiene withdrawal headaches start, I've still got some soda to make me feel better. Just make sure you have some tylenol/ib profen/aleve/etc handy.

The caffeine headaches last only 2-3 days, tops (at least for me). Once that nasty headache was gone, then I started dwindling down the caffeine free soda. I now drink maybe 2-3 cans a week, sometimes none at all.

I also like to punish myself. I'm on Weight Watchers, so anytime I have a soda (even diet, caffeine free, etc) I count it as a point. This way I have to mentally decide if I want something to eat or a soda. It's worked for me so far.

Also, try the Crystal Light mixes. They're a great flavor changer for water, at least until you've kicked the habit.
My hubby and I joke that they need to have SDA... soda drinkers anonymous.

Just make it through those couple of days with the nasty headache and it WILL get better.

Good luck!!!

slimothy89

I would say no! Just stop. Its only in your mind that you NEED the coke.

Think of how much money you would save if you only have 3 cokes a WEEK. Soda doesn't help in weight loss. So you will see that you have to stp it!

Replace each coke with a water. Watch how many more calories you have to eat. Your probably needing the caffeine, or something from the soda. There are plenty of other ways to get it.

Maybe this will help: MY HUSBANDS DAD DRUNK 3-5 COKES A DAY. HE IS NOW IN NEED OF A NEW LIVER, SUFFERING FROM CIRROSIS.

slimothy89

The caffeine headaches last only 2-3 days, tops (at least for me). Once that nasty headache was gone, then I started dwindling down the caffeine free soda. I now drink maybe 2-3 cans a week, sometimes none at all.



LOL!!! CAFFEINE HEADACHES SUCK! i HAD THEM WHEN TAKING A DIETING PILL, AND GOT MIGRAINES AS WELL IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CAFFEINE HEADACHE. MADE ME HATE SODA.

stoutsfitgal

Soda-love is tough to break-up. I try to keep carbonated flavored water in stock so I get the same "zing" when I drink it. They have the 0 calories out there (I always find them at Dollar General), but make sure you look at the label because a lot of the ones at the grocery store actually do have calories. At least you're craving diet soda. Maybe try to cut back by one each day and only have 2 in the beginning and then try to cut down to one each day and see how that goes. At the same time, try to counter with the carbonated flavored waters so you get that same feeling when you drink.

Also remember, for each soda you drink, you need to drink 2-3 glasses of water to keep your body hydrated enough. I'm not a huge fan of plain water so I LOVE adding the different flavors of Mios (also 0 calories) now to my water. Good luck, hun!!!!

HMonsterX

Soda doesn't help in weight loss. So you will see that you have to stp it!

We don't have to only eat/drink things that help our weight loss. What about taste?

MY HUSBANDS DAD DRUNK 3-5 COKES A DAY. HE IS NOW IN NEED OF A NEW LIVER, SUFFERING FROM CIRROSIS.

Do you have any proof that the coke was the reason? Correlation does not equal causality, remember that.

And on Aspartame..

The overwhelming body of scientific evidence clearly demonstrates that aspartame, even in amounts many times what people typically consume, is safe and not associated with adverse aspartame side effects. However, over the years, some consumers have reported symptoms, which they believed were associated with aspartame. The FDA has investigated these allegations and concluded that there is no "reasonable evidence of possible public health harm" and "no consistent or unique patterns of symptoms reported with respect to aspartame that can be causally linked to its use."

supergirlie00

You all are so awesome for giving me tips and input! It's good to be reminded other people deal with the same problem. I know 2-3 cans doesn't sound like its a bad thing I've done much worse, but I'd rather just not drink it at all because I'm reducing my water intake. I do crave the caffeine and the carbonation the soda gives. I drink coffee but it's got to have some sort of creamer in it, I can't handle just straight black coffee. Green tea isn't bad I can handle that! Would non sweetened ice tea be good substitute as well? Drinking soda has become more of a habit rather than a treat for me. As far as aspartame goes, I've read a variety information on it, and from what I've concluded that although it's not harmful unless it high doses it causes you to bloat and retain water weight. Then again it was on the internet so it could just be a bunch of crap!

Sunjenk

I drink seltzer water - it comes in plain or flavored. I get the "bubbly effect" without sugar or artificial sweeteners.

Same!!

ncsubeachgirl

I had this same problem! I stared by just drinking a little less everyday.. Then I just bough caffeine free diet coke... It only took me a month and I was an AVID diet coke/dr pepper girl.... Now I barely ever have sodas.

Replacing your cans with bottled water so you have no soda option is good too!

Elizabeth_C34

I was a 4-5 cans of diet coke per day drinker for over 2 years. I quit cold turkey. I got migraines and really moody, but it didn't last long. I just took ibuprofen for the headaches and pushed through it. Without it, I sleep better at night, am not nearly as puffy and bloated as I was, and can focus far more clearly than I ever could before. I also no longer deal with bowel cramps, constipation, and painful bowel movements.

Quilter1024

I have given up soda before and seem to always return. Unfortunately, if you are addicted, the only way to stop is cold turkey. The side affects will disappear in a few days. Wish I had better news for you, but just stop. When I get home to stay for a few weeks, I will join you.

Now for the person who asked about aspartame. Some people are very affected by aspartame, it can be especially harmful to anyone with an auto-immue desease. I have given up aspartame, I have Lupus. My joints were almost immediately less painful, so much so that I brought the article I had read to my Doctor to read. My sister in law has MS and was told years ago to give up aspartame by her Doctor. There are several published papers on aspartame, google it. It is not good stuff.

PB67

I have given up soda before and seem to always return. Unfortunately, if you are addicted, the only way to stop is cold turkey. The side affects will disappear in a few days. Wish I had better news for you, but just stop. When I get home to stay for a few weeks, I will join you.

Now for the person who asked about aspartame. Some people are very affected by aspartame, it can be especially harmful to anyone with an auto-immue desease. I have given up aspartame, I have Lupus. My joints were almost immediately less painful, so much so that I brought the article I had read to my Doctor to read. My sister in law has MS and was told years ago to give up aspartame by her Doctor. There are several published papers on aspartame, google it. It is not good stuff.

I love people who make unsubstantiated claims and then say "Google it"

OK, sparky, I did a search on Google Scholar and came up with this:

http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&q=aspartame+safety&btnG=Search&as_sdt=0,38&as_ylo=&as_vis=0



"The safety testing of aspartame has gone well beyond that required to evaluate the safety of a food additive. When all the research on aspartame, including evaluations in both the premarketing and postmarketing periods, is examined as a whole, it is clear that aspartame is safe, and there are no unresolved questions regarding its safety under conditions of intended use."

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0273230002915424

"These results further document the safety of the long-term consumption of aspartame at doses equivalent to the amount of aspartame in approximately 10 L of beverage per day."

http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/149/10/2318

"The weight of existing evidence is that aspartame is safe at current levels of consumption as a nonnutritive sweetener."

http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10408440701516184


KTHXBYE.

slimothy89

Soda doesn't help in weight loss. So you will see that you have to stp it!

We don't have to only eat/drink things that help our weight loss. What about taste?

MY HUSBANDS DAD DRUNK 3-5 COKES A DAY. HE IS NOW IN NEED OF A NEW LIVER, SUFFERING FROM CIRROSIS.

Do you have any proof that the coke was the reason? Correlation does not equal causality, remember that.

I wouldn't have said it if I didn't have proof. He's 97% sure, nd the doctors are 100%. They didn't even make him stop drinking it at first cause they wanted a close look at his diet. They couldnt figure out what else it could be, and made that correlation. Thank you.