Diet Coke Addiction

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  • aymie24
    aymie24 Posts: 227
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    I quit!!! At least I hope I have! I have been diet coke free for 24 hours. My hubby flew from Houston to Dubai to Iraq a few days ago and I cried so hard I made myself sick! I've been home sick from work with this horrible head/chest cold and all I wanted was water. I think I was so sick that the withdrawl headaches didn't really bother me, my whole body hurt too much to notice.

    I will say, I already feel better. Still have a little of the cold going on but overall, I feel so much better, more calm and just better...hard to explain. Obviously that could have more to do with things besides the diet coke but I really think not having it helped, a lot.


    I am so sad to hear about how much you are grieving and to be sick on top of it (probably sick because of it). :brokenheart: I pray that your husband is safe and will return to you soon. :flowerforyou:

    Donna

    Thanks, he's my best friend, as corny and cliche as that is...I'm 32 and we've been together 17 years, married 15 next month...he really is my whole life :love: 120 days to go and he'll be home for a week...
  • aymie24
    aymie24 Posts: 227
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    I just figured out that if my hubby and I quit Diet Coke and Crystal Light we would save at least 200 bucks a month. He is drinking 99 ounces a day! He says he can quit no problem. I wish I had that confidence. I think I will have to do a gradual cut back. I am currently drinking two 24 ounce bottles a day. One in the morning one after lunch. And 75% of the water I drink if flavored like Crystal Light, propel, G2 kind of stuff. How long should I give myself to get off of all this stuff???

    And for those of you who drink tea, what kind do you like? Are you drinking hot or cold?

    OMG ...I actually wish I was you becuase if you quit...you will get that super good feeling that I now take for granted sometimes,.,,,you will be so happy if you quit

    I like apple spice tea and green tea witha dop of honey

    plus the $$$ ...you can go on a super vacation after a year!!!

    I had organic chai tea (Meijer brand) today ad it was fabulous! Nothing but tea and spices. I really can't believe how good this feels, like detoxing I would imagine....and I suppose it is detoxing.

    Here in Michigan we pay $.10 deposit on every soda. I usually return about $20 to $30 a month! I can't imagine what that will mean in savings!!!!
  • aymie24
    aymie24 Posts: 227
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    Ok so the Green Tea that they sell in the store-the diet stuff from Lipton-does that have artificial sweetners in it??

    Yes. Aspertame.
  • IrishLass
    IrishLass Posts: 10
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    It may sound strange but I gave up Diet Coke about 4 or 5 years ago for lent...I've never looked back. I actually tried to drink it and it tasted so gross!!!! I would agree with some of the other posts...use excedrin for the withdrawals, it has caffeine. I do drink tea and coffee but not a lot...I drink mostly water. You will feel so much better and think of how much you will save!!!!
  • Kimono
    Kimono Posts: 367
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    Ok today is day one of kicking the habbit. I am going to cut back slowly. Going from 48 ounces to 36 today, then to 24, 12, 6, 0!!! My husband is quiting cold turkey today-wonder how he feels right now? Oh and I have had no Crystal Light today either.
  • PamKay
    PamKay Posts: 19
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    My boyfriend was a diet coke freak. It was the first thing he drank in the morning, and he drank it all day long, he was addicted for many years. He started having burning feelings in his joints, and shooting pains in his legs. Anyway, long story short, I read up on Diet Coke and found that the "aspartame" that is in it can cause all kinds of health problems. I also read that for some people it can take months to start feeling better after quitting. He stopped drinking it and started drinking sprite instead. He also had the headaches but I think they only lasted a few days. Once in a while he has a regular coke now, but not diet. After what I read about aspartame I will never eat or drink anything that has that ingreedient in it again.
    Good luck, hope you can kick the habit!
    Diane
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
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    you guys are freaking me out. I used Coke zero to replace real coca cola, so as to eliminate those calories.

    I only have one can each day with lunch, and I don't crave it, I just like the taste with my lunch. I drink water all through the day otherwise, and sometimes I get those diet green teas, but this thread has scared me.

    Should I stop buying coke zero?
  • Kimono
    Kimono Posts: 367
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    I don't know if you need to be freaked out about it. I truely don't believe all the stuff they say about artificial sweetners. I just figured I make so many other healthy choices in my life and I want to continue. I hope quiting makes me feel better. I guess I will just have to wait and see. Even if it doesn't make me feel better I will be saving money for sure.
  • Kimono
    Kimono Posts: 367
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    Since I am weaning off Diet Coke and only had one today. (Yeah me!!) I have had 80 ounces of water today and I haven't worked out yet. Am I going to poison myself with water??? Is this normal?? I am still thirsty??
  • Chrismarie59
    Chrismarie59 Posts: 6
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    Well my advise to you is whatever amount of Diet Coke you normally have, just have less of it everyday and lessen the amount each day till you no longer have the headaches. I've been there, I stopped cold turkey several years ago and had not only a killer headache I was so tired too, I mean really dragging. I didn't realize that it was from the Diet Coke until later and then I was like "duh". I drink it again now (my choice), but I hope the advice helps.
  • Kimono
    Kimono Posts: 367
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    Well my advise to you is whatever amount of Diet Coke you normally have, just have less of it everyday and lessen the amount each day till you no longer have the headaches. I've been there, I stopped cold turkey several years ago and had not only a killer headache I was so tired too, I mean really dragging. I didn't realize that it was from the Diet Coke until later and then I was like "duh". I drink it again now (my choice), but I hope the advice helps.

    That is what I am doing now. But I don't want to be tired! That would suck.
  • iTim__
    iTim__ Posts: 6,823 Member
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    If you stop taking caffeine abruptly, you may have symptoms for a day or more, especially if you consume two or more cups of coffee a day. Symptoms of withdrawal from caffeine include:

    * headache
    * fatigue
    * anxiety
    * irritability
    * depressed mood
    * difficulty concentrating

    No doubt, caffeine withdrawal can make for a few bad days. However, caffeine does not cause the severity of withdrawal or harmful drug-seeking behaviors as street drugs or alcohol. For this reason, most experts don't consider caffeine dependence an addiction.

    Source: webmd.com
  • Kimono
    Kimono Posts: 367
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    The caffeine isn't the main reason I want to quit. Correct me if I am wrong on this but I thought a little caffeine wasn't really bad for you. I mostly want to try to get off artificial sweetners, see if it makes me feel better, helps me stay hydrated for long runs. And save some money.
  • iTim__
    iTim__ Posts: 6,823 Member
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    OK. The symptoms described sounds a lot like caffeine withdraws. Yes, some caffeine is good -- but with all things, overindulgence is harmful. I'm interested to see how your going off the diet coke makes you feel. Keep us posted.
  • PamKay
    PamKay Posts: 19
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    Maybe it isn't the caffeine that you are having the withdraws from. Try regular coke for a few days and see what happens? Then try regular sprite, not diet.... then go to water,, slowly.... Seems to me that any drink that you can get addicted too (((can't be good))).
  • dothompson
    dothompson Posts: 1,184 Member
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    If you are having physical symtoms, headache, etc. I think you could try to taper yourself off slowly first. There isn't really any reason to cause yourself pain unless it's a last resort.

    If you are drinking fountian soda's I'd switch to cans. Then monitor how many you are drinking for a couple of days without trying to reduce. Then if you are drinking 6 cans a day. Limit yourself to 5 cans for 3 days, then go to 4 for 3 days, etc... make sure you replace the liquid with something else that's heathy, like herbal tea or water. Soon you'll be at one can and it's time for cold turkey.

    Come up with a prize of some sort to celebrate.
  • Kimono
    Kimono Posts: 367
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    My husband and I are now on day 3 of weaning off Diet Coke. We haven't had any today! Yippy! I feel pretty good now, drinking tons of water, can't seem to get enough of it. I am guessing I was probably dehydrated from all that soda. I haven't had any Crystal Light either.
  • aymie24
    aymie24 Posts: 227
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    My husband and I are now on day 3 of weaning off Diet Coke. We haven't had any today! Yippy! I feel pretty good now, drinking tons of water, can't seem to get enough of it. I am guessing I was probably dehydrated from all that soda. I haven't had any Crystal Light either.

    Good for you and your hubby!!! Stick with it, I was feeling great and then I had a really tough day on Friday, went back to my old habits and bought s diet coke and a snickers bar to soothe my stress. Yesterday and today were awful again, I want one SO bad and have a horrible headace at the moment. I'm so upset with myself for caving on Friday....I guess there is harm in having "just one"...

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