Stopping Diet Soda Tomorrow....Help Me Succeed!

Justice2012

Well after years of drinking diet sodas, I have come to the conclusion that I HAVE to STOP!!! Enough is enough....I am desperate to lose weight...so desperate that I am ready to change. I have been drinking it for a long time. I've tried over and over. Tried cutting back a bit, did not work. Tried having only a can a day, that did not work. I tried carbonated water with lemon etc...still nothing is helping me to stop. So this is pure self motivation and will (and maybe a few prayers too). There is no time like this time. I HAVE TO DO THIS. Cutting back on it doesn't work because I don't have self-control to ONLY drink a little. So here goes nothing....keep me in your thoughts and if you have anything advice I would love to hear it.

P.S. Who would have thought that a little can of diet soda has soooooooooooo much control over me and my weight.

tsh0ck

don't want to come off as insensitive or snarky but ... diet soda has next to no calories. so ... what's the problem, exactly?

mmarin81

Try sparkling water. Not sure where you are from but if you have Target or wal-mart in your area both of them have really good sparkling water. Its like seltzer but much better and comes in flavors. Thats what I switched to. Use to drink alot of juice and ice tea which was a ton of sugar. So i changed to that because I can not live on just water alone.

liog

I drank Bigelow Raspberry tea for a couple of weeks to help with the withdrawal and gradually stopped that too. I have a glass of the tea every now and then when I need a boost, but I don't crave it

Celeigh12

I gave it up in February and it didnt change my weight loss at all. I just didn't like how addicted I was to it. And I drank up to 12 a day. So give it up if you feel you need to, but don't be bummed if your weight loss doesn't speed up as a result.

TheFunBun

don't want to come off as insensitive or snarky but ... diet soda has next to no calories. so ... what's the problem, exactly?

Sugar cravings. Sodium. Water retention. Consuming as much artificial sweetener proportionally as what they use to give lab rats cancer. LOL.

I'm with you, girl, I quit diet sodas ... a year ago, or something like that, and it's so nice not really caring about soda. So addictive, they were. I'd have a zillion in a day. I don't even want to know how much salty salty salty I was drinking. It helped with my sweet tooth and now every once in a while I have a Dr. Zevia (stevia soda) and don't really care for any more.

sabram2147

I quit cold turkey about 6 months ago. I was absolutely addicted to Diet Coke. It's horribly difficult! I couldn't even have it in the house. But, like you, after years I said enough is enough! The cravings have passed (worst in the first week or two), and I no longer "need" it. I did get horrific headaches from withdrawal, but those too passed within a few days to a week. (If you've ever been addicted to DC, you know what I'm talking about).

I'm now 6-months DC free ... and I feel fabulous! Your body will thank you when you quit. If you need support, feel free to add me.

Christine1110

It's been 36 day since I have drank anything but water. I love diet Coke, but I know it's bad for me....so I stopped.

If your drinking that fake sugar ....you will still crave sugar. I have stopped eating processed food and lost over 20 pounds in about 6 weeks. I feel wonderful now!!

overit75

Good luck! I stopped drinking it this week and have seen daily decreases on the scale.

BrendaLee

It may have zero calories, but it's not fun to feel controlled by it. It's okay to want a soda, but when you get to the point that you can't go a day without it, that's a good point to try and get a grip on it.

I think I'll give quitting another go, too.

Shelby814

You can do this! I was/am a serious Diet Mountain Dew addict, to the tune of four 44 ouncers + a 6 pack a day. Soda, and yes, even diet soda, is horrible for you. It's bad for your teeth, it's a bladder irritant, it makes you pee out your calcium so it's bad for your bones, causes bloating & can make you retain water. Good for you! It took me about a week & I like you, can't drink just one. I switched to bottled water. I started with some of the carbonated ones to make the transition & now try to avoid more than 1 or 2 of those/day too. Good luck! I'm cheering for yu!

cressievargo

I quit drinking it when I was pregnant...and then just before Christmas started again...and I really wish I hadn't.

It's not about the zero calories - it's about addiction...and it freaking sucks.
I am happy to say I had no DC today...
and that's how you need to do it - one day at a time.

Granted - I did drink coffee ...but it was sweetened with stevia..and still no where near as sweet as DC.

For me, I have found that the more DC I consume, the more I crave the carb loaded sugary CRAP, so it needs to be banished again. Not to mention the cost...over $1 a day for a fountain pop..that's $30+ a month...and seriously - I can think of a lot better things to do with $30.

miranda_mom

I am now off diet soda - it is hard, but if I can do it you can. I used to think I needed the caffeine because I get migraines a lot (and before anyone asks, yes, this makes sense - the caffeine helps speed up the effectiveness of medication) but I have found that I am getting less headaches now. Of course, I am also drinking coffee but not coffee with a lot of calories - I make my own lattes at home for less than 30 cals. a piece. I also drink unsweetened iced tea if I go to restaurants.

tsh0ck

don't want to come off as insensitive or snarky but ... diet soda has next to no calories. so ... what's the problem, exactly?

Sugar cravings. Sodium. Water retention. Consuming as much artificial sweetener proportionally as what they use to give lab rats cancer. LOL.

sugar cravings? in your head. just don't give in. sodium? only 2 percent of your daily suggested limit of 2,300mg per 12 ounce can. water retention? only a 3 to 4 percent difference between caffeinated drinks and water -- and for those used to drinking caffeine, the effect lessens. lab rats getting cancer? yeah. when dosed with copious amounts.

iLikepistachios

ill be praying!

mab33

I quit cold turkey a few months ago. What helps me now? I hate the taste! Tried having one at Easter and couldn't drink it, the taste was so bad.

CyberEd312

don't want to come off as insensitive or snarky but ... diet soda has next to no calories. so ... what's the problem, exactly?

Sugar cravings. Sodium. Water retention. Consuming as much artificial sweetener proportionally as what they use to give lab rats cancer. LOL.

sugar cravings? in your head. just don't give in. sodium? only 2 percent of your daily suggested limit of 2,300mg per 12 ounce can. water retention? only a 3 to 4 percent difference between caffeinated drinks and water -- and for those used to drinking caffeine, the effect lessens. lab rats getting cancer? yeah. when dosed with copious amounts.

Agreed...... I drink 120 oz. of water a day along with my 2 to 3. 24 oz. Bottles of Pepsi Max and don't get craving for sweets or whatnot. And have still managed to lose a few pounds... I can understand quiting regular soda but diet???? To each their own.... Best of Luck.....

clover5

Well I'm not a lab rat - yet.

I stopped drinking diet cola during lent once. (not religious, it was just a good excuse) I did not gain or lose weight as a result of the abstenence. I have to make an effort to drink 4 glasses of water, but had no trouble drinking twice as much diet cola. Diet cola has no nutritional value what-so-ever. Water seems so tasteless. After the extended abstenance from diet cola, I have been able to limit myself to one can. Often I choose unsweetened iced tea as a substitute.

clover5

I quit cold turkey a few months ago. What helps me now? I hate the taste! Tried having one at Easter and couldn't drink it, the taste was so bad.

It does taste pretty bad. When I first started drinking diet cola, I had to, sort of, gag it down.

still_crave_pizza

I agree with Clover5. Once you stop drinking diet soda, and really soda in general, you will completely lose the taste for it. Someone wrote "what's wrong with diet soda, no calories". But it's the chemicals and I've also read that you still crave sweet if you drink diet soda and will probably get your sweet cravings with desserts etc. Plus it's ridiculously expensive and it creates trash to recycle for no reason!! Drink water.

designsbymlg

Lifting up a prayer for you now! You can do it.... but maybe not alone ;-)

TheFunBun

don't want to come off as insensitive or snarky but ... diet soda has next to no calories. so ... what's the problem, exactly?

Sugar cravings. Sodium. Water retention. Consuming as much artificial sweetener proportionally as what they use to give lab rats cancer. LOL.

sugar cravings? in your head. just don't give in. sodium? only 2 percent of your daily suggested limit of 2,300mg per 12 ounce can. water retention? only a 3 to 4 percent difference between caffeinated drinks and water -- and for those used to drinking caffeine, the effect lessens. lab rats getting cancer? yeah. when dosed with copious amounts.

Hey. I used to drink that particular brand of "You are imagining the negative effects of diet soda" kool-aid.

at 12 cans a day, that's a hefty sodium count that interferes with my right to flavor my real foods. at 12 cans a day, plus the added sweeteners in other diet food, you can get pretty well over some of the "recommended" amounts of them. As far as "in your head, don't give in" How about instead I eliminate the craving by instead choosing water. =P

Lets make life harder by drinking something composed of water+chemicals, where all of the studies that say the side effects are minimal have some kind of attachment to the industry.

overit75

don't want to come off as insensitive or snarky but ... diet soda has next to no calories. so ... what's the problem, exactly?

Sugar cravings. Sodium. Water retention. Consuming as much artificial sweetener proportionally as what they use to give lab rats cancer. LOL.

sugar cravings? in your head. just don't give in. sodium? only 2 percent of your daily suggested limit of 2,300mg per 12 ounce can. water retention? only a 3 to 4 percent difference between caffeinated drinks and water -- and for those used to drinking caffeine, the effect lessens. lab rats getting cancer? yeah. when dosed with copious amounts.

Even if the sugar cravings are just in your head, it is causing a trigger to eat sweets. A lot of my weight battle has to do with retraining my thought process about food. I know I feel a lot better not drinking the past few days. So to each their own

Jain

Good luck hun.
I quit my Diet Coke habit about 2 years ago & apart for the very occasional slip, drink nothing but water now. No Coffee not tea (never liked them).
I had very bad headaches for the first few days from the cafeine withdrawal, but after that no problems. And cutting out the DC helped my sleep patterns a huge amount.
Now if I do crack & grab a can it tastes yuck, so I treat it like a drug, just drink it when I need a wakeup shot.

Amanda_Rae_Rae

I was addicted to diet soda before I started eating healthier. I quit cold turkey, and boy did I have BAAAAD caffeine withdrawal. I had a persistent headache that lasted for days and days. But once that pain had stopped, I realized that in the mornings I had pure raw energy. It felt good to not have to rely on a diet soda here or a coffee there. You can do it! Just stick with it and drink plenty of water =]

kate_sunflower

don't want to come off as insensitive or snarky but ... diet soda has next to no calories. so ... what's the problem, exactly?

Sugar cravings. Sodium. Water retention. Consuming as much artificial sweetener proportionally as what they use to give lab rats cancer. LOL.

I'm with you, girl, I quit diet sodas ... a year ago, or something like that, and it's so nice not really caring about soda. So addictive, they were. I'd have a zillion in a day. I don't even want to know how much salty salty salty I was drinking. It helped with my sweet tooth and now every once in a while I have a Dr. Zevia (stevia soda) and don't really care for any more.

AMEN. I was polishing off about 8-10 a day for close to 5 years. It used to help me lose weight way back in the day but then it betrayed me in some way and made me crave sugar like crazy and I started to binge so bad. I quit 2 weeks ago today and will never, ever, ever look back. The withdrawal was brutal but I was an extreme case I have no doubt about that.

Speaking of lab rats, my mom studies nutrition and in one of her courses there was a study where lab rats were offered some sort of artificial sweetener and cocaine and which did they choose? The coke.. the diet one (lol). No wonder my friends called it my "crack"... I know they were joking but deep down I had a seriously addiction and problem with it. I've also cut out all artificial sweeteners as well. If I can do it, you can! Good luck!

mabear74

YOU CAN DO THIS!! I just know you can. I gave up all sodas a few years ago now......When I first stopped, I would put money in jar everytime I wanted one, and after a while I saw how much I was saving and used it to treat myself to something I really wanted but probably wouldn't have gotten otherwise. For me I needed to the visual.

Amanda_Rae_Rae

don't want to come off as insensitive or snarky but ... diet soda has next to no calories. so ... what's the problem, exactly?

Sugar cravings. Sodium. Water retention. Consuming as much artificial sweetener proportionally as what they use to give lab rats cancer. LOL.

sugar cravings? in your head. just don't give in. sodium? only 2 percent of your daily suggested limit of 2,300mg per 12 ounce can. water retention? only a 3 to 4 percent difference between caffeinated drinks and water -- and for those used to drinking caffeine, the effect lessens. lab rats getting cancer? yeah. when dosed with copious amounts.

Even if the sugar cravings are just in your head, it is causing a trigger to eat sweets. A lot of my weight battle has to do with retraining my thought process about food. I know I feel a lot better not drinking the past few days. So to each their own

I think a lot of it has to do with the amount of caffeine in the products. Caffeine can be slighty addictive. Not saying that diet soda will make you gain or lose weight, ( I haven't actually read any scientific PROOF that either are true) but it could lead to other unhealthy habits.

Hmrjmr1

That was the first change I made in my intake, I went from 8-12 Diet Cokes per day to zero sodas; just water and coffee. With no other changes I lost 20 lbs the first month. Do it there are many other beneficial side effects when you stop.

Coyla

Sugar cravings. Sodium. Water retention. Consuming as much artificial sweetener proportionally as what they use to give lab rats cancer. LOL.

Sodium is not the devil. In fact, it's a rather important electrolyte.

Drinking diet soda does not increase sugar cravings. At least, it never does for me. In fact, it does the opposite. It tricks me into thinking I've had enough sugar, so I don't crave anything else.

Isn't the lab rat thing a myth? What they did was drowned lab rats in Sweet & Low, then discovered it was toxic. If they would have done the same with water (using the same levels), the lab rats would have also died.

All things in moderation, folks. It's that simple. You shouldn't be drinking diet soda by the gallon, but having it now and then is fine.

yubafarm

I recommend the Soda Stream soda maker. I make carbonated water with it and add a slice of lemon, lime, mint, orange, grapefruit, whatever I have around, or sometimes drink it plain. Sometimes I add Stevia. Okay I confess and sometimes I add vodka. I have been able to cut way back on diet soda and I don't have to lug bottles of stuff from the store and don't generate as much garbage/recycling.