Diet Soda Addiction

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  • gibbsracefan18
    gibbsracefan18 Posts: 3
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    I used to drink a lot of soda but have knocked myself down to 1 to 2 cans a day. I feel alright since I didnt totally stop drinking it but I dont think I will ever totally give it up.

    Good luck to you :)
  • illecl
    illecl Posts: 30 Member
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    Here's some motivation for you. I gave up my life-habit of Diet Coke the day my bone density test showed I had lost ten per cent of the bone in my spine and eight per cent in my hips in two years. All this after downing lattes, swallowing calcium pills and weight-bearing exercise til I dropped. I'm only 60. This shouldn't be happening for a while yet.

    The phosphoric acid leaches calcium from your body and aspartame is poison (according to my dietician). I now pour about two ounces of pomegranate juice into unsweetened bubbly water. With lots of ice, it's a good substitute. Stevia is good if you need it sweet.

    Good Luck!
  • JForsythe0970
    JForsythe0970 Posts: 18
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    I've been drinking 6-8 cans of diet coke a day since the year it came out. I switched to caffeine free about three years ago. I used to bring it with me to work every day and crack open that can when I sat down at my desk.

    When I started MFP, I gave up bringing the soda to work. Now I start my day off with water. I have a 20 oz bottle that I force myself to fill up twice before I allow myself a soda. I usually try to only drink a fountain soda too. It feels more like a treat that way. I save a ton of money now that I'm not buying 3 or 4 12-packs a week. I don't drink coffee or any other caffeine either. Occasionally I'll have a Monster, but I drink it for a dessert treat because I like the taste. I don't even care if it gives any extra energy.

    It was a hard addiction to break, but after about two weeks, it just became routine to fill up the water bottle instead of popping the top. I miss that fizz a little bit, but now when I have a fountain soda, I feel like I'm having some awesome reward for drinking my water. I feel a lot better without the diet coke woozy head feeling that I used to get.
  • iron_jj
    iron_jj Posts: 446 Member
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    Former diet coke addict here! Went cold turkey and cut out all artificial sugar/sweetener and all that crap. I felt horrible for like 2 weeks, now I've had this can in the fridge for like 3 months, I feel sick thinking about it. :sick:
  • 81Katz
    81Katz Posts: 7,074 Member
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    Although, I will admit I do like a Diet Snapple from time to time. It might take me a couple weeks to drink a 6 pack though.
    Also sometimes the fizzy flavored waters from Walmart and they have aspartame. And I never drink that big bottle at once. I probably get 3-4 servings out of it. No calories either.

    GOSH, that aspartame stuff seems to be in everything and sometimes unavoidable.

    I should work on that ... :embarassed:
  • jkleon86
    jkleon86 Posts: 245 Member
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    I've been reading about aspartame withdrawal. I wish there was a diet soda drinker's anonymous. I think today I'll finally start to stop feeling like I got hit across the face with a skillet.

    My hubby was reading that the dude that came up with the aspartame came up with the agent orange around the same time. BAD STUFF!! BAD DUDE :devil:
  • kate_sunflower
    kate_sunflower Posts: 152 Member
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    I have to have some kind of caffine so I drink 2 cans of Coke Zero a day. I figure with everything else I have given up if I don't keep something I will go crazy, or crazier than I already am. Plus I have talked to a doctor whom I respect who drinks a heck of a lot more diet soda all day than I do and he said the talk about it being bad for you is way over blown.

    Well I'm not just a 2 cans a day type person. Plus I don't really think it is overblown - I've been reading countless articles of the tricks it plays on your body and the psychological effects is can have on your brain. This is going to be worth it, for my body and my life.
  • normanmac
    normanmac Posts: 34
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    I had to give up my diet soda because the NutraSweet was giving me migraine type headaches. I did not go cold turkey like you did but did manage to rid myself of all pop except the first one of the day. You'd think that giving up the final one would be easy but I had withdrawal symptoms from the last one too. It was awful. I can sympathize. Stick with it. You can do it.

    It just proved to me that while we believe diet soda/pop or pop in general is harmless, it really isn't. It sure made me think twice about letting my grandkids drink it at my house.
  • caramkoala
    caramkoala Posts: 303 Member
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    I gave up a 2Litre a day addiction to Coke Zero about a year ago. Same withdrawal you describe. Sometime I still have one out of habit, but I'm not addicted to it anymore. Quitting is well worth it!
  • charming72
    charming72 Posts: 37 Member
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    I too am a Coke Zero addict! I have been drinking it since it came out. Before that it was a Diet Coke addiction. I know I should probably give it up, but I have limited myself to just one can a day. I was drinking more than that before, but now I have tried MIO and I really enjoy it, especially since it gets my kids to drink more water! I just don't feel like giving my one Coke Zero up just yet. I don't drink coffee, never have never will, so this really is my one vice that I feel I can live with!
  • michelleepotter
    michelleepotter Posts: 800 Member
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    Is it harder to give up diet soda than regular soda? I never drank diet, but I (mostly) gave up regular soda a couple of months ago, and I had no trouble with it at all. I only drink water now, except for date nights, when I'll have whiskey and Coke. I was thinking of switching to diet Coke on date nights, but this thread is making me reconsider...
  • thomassd1969
    thomassd1969 Posts: 564 Member
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    I so know how you feel! I would get a 32 oz diet pepsi in the morning before work, have it gone before I got to work (45 mins) then get a 20 oz in the morning, drink diet at lunch, afternoon break, supper and with my popcorn at night. I was prob drinking on average 100-150 oz a day. I stopped after I read an article about comparing chemicals in diet soda to the chemicals they embomb bodies with in Oct 2011. I had withdrawls, thought I had the flu, went to the doctor and it was caffine/chemical withdrawl. He said its no different than a drug addiction. He suggested taking a couple days off, take excedrin(it has a low dose of caffine in it) and lots of plain water. I havent drank anything but water and skim milk since. I refuse to even take a sip of it again.
  • wildhehr2
    wildhehr2 Posts: 122 Member
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    I had my last dt dew at 11pm on Dec.31, 2011. Haven't had any soda this year. For the first two weeks I had a migraine and shakes, plus MAJOR irritability. It did get better though. I'm doing this to win a bet (I'll probably go a full year without soda...just to prove that 'I can quit whenever I want to'). It hasn't helped with weight loss or tummy fat, but my skin looks terrific. Just hang in there.
  • kate_sunflower
    kate_sunflower Posts: 152 Member
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    I love all these stories of people who have quit! They're all so motivating and wonderful!
  • cremeetsucre
    cremeetsucre Posts: 12
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    I am definitely addicted to diet soda...and don't want nor plan to quit anytime soon....
  • CollisionofNova
    CollisionofNova Posts: 98
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    I gave up soda (with the exception of a gingerale when I go out, about once a month). I found that the best thing was to have a water bottle with me at all times. I do mean at all times. I walk around the house with it and if I forget it in a different room, I go back and get it.

    I also picked up some Zevia soda, just to satisfy that "I want something sweet and bubbly" craving.

    Good luck!
  • edenderry123
    edenderry123 Posts: 11
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    Hi,

    I have been drinking on average 7 x 330ml cans of diet coke every day for the last ten years or so. Three days ago I decided to give it up. I really had no idea about the withdrawals and on the first day I could just about keep my eyes open I was so tired, had a banging headache all day and felt very shakey and had blurred vision. I didn't put two and two together until day two and I realised then what was wrong with me. I decided I couldn't do another day of withdrawals so allowed myself one can. I'm on day four now and am still having just one can per day. I intend to have none over this weekend (I'll not be at work so will cope with withdrawals better!). Reading these post has put my mind at ease as I really thought I was the only one who consumed so much diet coke.
  • lynettestrang
    lynettestrang Posts: 1
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    I was 4-6 can coke zero a day...I quit 3 months ago and have gained about 5 lbs and feel fatigues in the afternoon..I don't know if its coincidence and something else is to blame? In any case the withdrawl was horrendous and I'm glad I quit...jus wondering if anyone else had this experience?

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