Quitting Diet Coke

tigerdactyl

I quit a few months ago, so glad that I did. I drink so much more water now, my body is loving it. There are some non-aspartame diet sodas out there sweetened with stevia, I have one of those now and then when I'm craving the carbonation. Club soda with juice is another good way to go.

Serah87

Haven't had diet soda/soda in almost 5 months now!!!!....and I don't miss it at all!!!!

shelbynicole32

After I quit drinking cokes I would have major headaches from the caffine withdrawls, so I drink tea and coffee every now and then to get some caffine to keep the headaches away.

josephinabonetto

I am looking at doing a gradual reduction of Diet Coke and coffee, and I know it's going to be bad.

I already ordered bottles of mineral water to take into my office next week (and keep refilling from the tap throughout the day) and have switched to peppermint tea (caffeine free) in the afternoons. I just haven't fully transitioned to cold turkey yet.

dcsump2

I was thiniing of quitting diet coke too. Just going to have to drink my JD neat from now on.

I did just that RoadDog. Now my pleasure is straight Gentleman Jack over ice.

Starzy696

I did the same...I quit drinking Diet Coke and soda in general. Replaced it with water and now, I hardly ever have soda. Not only do I feel better, but my dentist comment on how my teeth seem healthier!

Zumbagurl64

I drink one can of caffeine free diet coke a day (w/lunch), thats all I care for.....I like it, gonna drink it. I don't think one can/day's gonna hurt me......it trips my trigger, what can I say....especially when I put it in the freezer and it gets slushy.... YUM!

focus4fitness

I was thiniing of quitting diet coke too. Just going to have to drink my JD neat from now on.

What? No ice? :P

jenbroussard71

I stepped down from Coke to Coke Zero at the beginning of the year. Six weeks ago I stopped drinking the Zero. I thought I wanted one about two weeks ago, I popped open a can and could not even drink half of it. I drink water (usually with Mio) and milk. It was a good choice for me...

AmyM150

I long subscribed to the "Aspartame is harmless" theory.

Late 2009 I started getting blisters on my face, then scalp, then mouth and throat. They were painful and embarrassing. I often had fevers from them, and could barely talk or swallow a lot of the time (which led to slurpees and ice cream). I was getting dizzy (vertigo) from blisters creating excess fluid in my ear drums. I couldn't drive because of it, and working was tough. I saw my doctor who gave me some prescriptions, and referred me to a dermatologist. After a few months of biopsies I was diagnosed with a very rare immune disorder called Becets. After being referred to a rheumatologist, they ruled out Becets and were considering Lupus. I was told to stay out of the sun and avoid stress. I was in so much pain I couldn't stand being touched, I had little bald spots because of scars, and my skin looked so awful I couldn't stand being out in public. My nose is still scarred and as soon as I get any sun on it, it turns bright red, as well as a large scarred area of my forehead.

I was told over the course of a year and a half by several doctors that it could not possibly be anything in my environment, it was in my blood.

When I started to eat healthier, soda was one of the last changes I made. I decided to replace diet coke with green tea or water. Within days my blisters began to clear up. I couldn't put my finger on what was fixing it at first, but started to pay close attention to when I got them. It was always after an evening out for dinner with friends (the only time I would allow myself diet coke). I thought it couldn't be possible, but experimented. I wouldn't drink it for three weeks, and then let myself have it once (doing nothing else differently) and I would get blisters again.

I still allow myself to have the occasional one on a night out, but I always deal with the consequences the next day. There is very little doubt that's the cause. I can have regular coke, I can have diet sodas made with Splenda, but nothing with Aspartame. Take it for what it is, my experience. The point of sharing my story isn't even to scare anyone, just to say people are affected by everything differently, and don't expect any one persons reaction or experience to be the same as yours. Take everything you hear with a grain of salt, and pay attention to your own body's signals. Find what makes sense for YOU!

Edit - typing this from my phone. Hopefully I caught all the little mistakes.

marz42

For me it's the fizz. I mostly drink diet dew and diet Pepsi not diet coke, but I was drinking too much and have been cutting back. But ohhh I crave that fizzy taste.

I heard the sweet taste makes you crave sweets and carbs, and my dentist says the acid in it is really bad for the teeth and wears out the enamel, and I've also heard the fizz is bad for bones. But mostly, well there isn't anything *good* in it. I'm not that worried about caffeine itself, I even read that coffee has antioxidants and can help reduce insulin problems and possibly alzheimers. I drink my coffee plain black, so I'm not adding any bad into it. I drink about 1 big cup in the morning most days.

I tried some sparkling fizzy V8 fruit drinks for when I have a mad fizz craving. They taste pretty good, no nutrasweet in it and its got some vitamins and not insane amounts of sugar like most other drink, I think it does have splenda though. I've been experimenting with making ginger tea and may make some home made ginger ale at some point.

mcarter99

I have a Soda Stream and if I'm dying for a soda I can make a lot of interesting concoctions with it, like Italian cream sodas and green tea sodas and sparkling juices. It's more work (and less soda, since it's mixed with other things) than popping open a can so I tend to be fine with just one. If I have a 12-pack of diet cola around, I just keep grabbing them.

I've been a heavy soda drinker for so long I know it has no effect on my tooth enamel but I don't think it does any favors for my heartburn I tend to have when I'm more than 10 lbs. overweight.

SunshineDieter

In Elle magazine, last month, they had a feature titled "Secrets of skinny people", and one 'skinny people' was quoted for saying "Only fat people drink diet coke". Something to do with replacing the fats in it with sugars?

I've managed (since Christmas) to get down to one can of caffeine free a day. I totally admire you, and anybody else, who can give it up completely though. Well done! (:

krisiepoo

Diet Coke = Kris's Crack = the reason for living

I love it so much but truly limit myself to a can or two a day. It's the sodium that I don't want, but dang I love this stuff

Krissy366

I quit soda cold turkey back on March 1st. Hardest thing I've ever done. Between the withdrawal, the cravings and the headaches the first two weeks were HELL. And then it all passed. I'll see it every now and again and want one, but with the exception of one gourmet rootbeer that I split with my husband on vacation I have not had a drop of soda since. You can do it! It will get better.

scott1280

When I went on my diet they told me the only "diet" drink I could have was Vitamin Water Zero because it does NOT have artificial sweeteners. Now, other than water, it's all I drink (and I used to have diet coke flowing in my veins). Might be a good alternative choice for anyone who wants a "sweet" drink, but not the aspertame and other stuff. The "squeezed" flavor is the best - Just like lemonade.

Child369

On the doctor's show they said that the sweetner in Diet Coke was 200 times more addictive than sugar! All the research on it is hard to ignore. Diet Coke is like a drug. I'm a teacher and if the Diet Coke is out of the machine everyone goes crazy! I quit at the beginning of the school year last year and have not had a sip of any pop since then. I've been asked how long am I giving it up for? ...For the rest of my life. I do still have cravings like someone giving up smoking, those perfect times that one would be so perfect and everyone else is drinking it in front of me. Bottom line I'm stronger than Diet Coke and so are you if you want to be.

scaredofcoasters

I cut out all pop and only have it on occasion. If I can help it, I ask for water. For me it was the fizz, so I drink seltzer water and sparkling fruit juice when I need something fizzy. I used to be addicted to Mt. Dew for a while. Screwed up my body something awful. When I cut it from my diet, the headaches and sickness were almost unbearable. Just goes to show what it will do to your body. Water and tea for me now! Nothing else!

HMonsterX

Aspartame has been a godsend for me. Replaced all my tea/coffee sugar with it, and cokes to diet cokes. Made hitting my calorie deficit much easier, and I've never felt better!

Taylor0212

Try green tea! I do the kind with lemon in it so it gives it a little bit of the sweet taste. After a month of not drinking diet coke, my mom lost 10 pounds! And thats not with one bit of exercise or diet changes! The green tea is known to help with cholesterol, gives you a little bit of caffine for energy, and is a good antioxident! It also is thought to help with your metabolism! I take green tea supplements daily and drink one cup in the morning!

overfences

Lots of bad info on the free web. Try snopes.com to debunk some urban legends.

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/aspartame.asp

Aspartame is harmless. Which should be intuitive, since it's been in general use for so long and is FDA approved.

LOL!!

Vioxx was FDA-approved, too.

jenj1313

I'm a huge Diet Dr. Pepper fan, but I dropped my consumption way back last week. Surprisingly, it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I was pretty tired, but not too grumpy.

I just stopped buying 6 packs for home. I used to bring two 20 oz bottles to work every day... one for mid-morning, one for mid-afternoon. If I want one now, I have to make myself go buy it, which isn't easy at work. Have only had 1 in the last 10 days.

And I'm with you... that stuff is addicting.

I know that it's FDA approved and technically we don't know if it's harmful or not, but I to eat as few processed foods as I can, so it just doesn't make sense to be drinking artificial sugar, in my mind.

Good luck! Stick with it :-)
Jen

emom3boys

You can do it, and eventually you will feel so much better!! Over a year and a half ago (Christmas 2010) I realized that I was addicted to soda, so I gave it up cold turkey for a year. Once last Christmas came around I didn't want it anymore. I still get the fizzy water type drinks - you know the kind that doesn't have calories, sugar, additives, but only a little fizz. and that takes care of my fizz craving at times. Now it's been almost 18 months and I feel so good! Good luck!

jhgreer

Thanks so much everybody. I have been drinking coffee in the mornings - it's the only way I can stand protein powder so I usually have a cup. I don't think caffeine is my problem...well, not all of it...I think it's the sweet taste and the fizz. I will try the green tea as a couple of you suggested. I really dislike fizzy water but maybe mixed with juice wouldn't be bad.

Thanks again!

Vegan_Chick

I was addicted to diet coke and diet dr. pepper for years. Now I am completely free of the addiction by I have to say, it took me a 2-3 years to get off the stuff. It was hard but so worth it to get away from aspartame. Such an evil chemical. Blue Sky diet is made with stevia which is all natural. Sometimes I will drink one. But very rarely

Vegan_Chick

Lots of bad info on the free web. Try snopes.com to debunk some urban legends.

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/aspartame.asp

Aspartame is harmless. Which should be intuitive, since it's been in general use for so long and is FDA approved.

Just because it is on Snopes, does not mean it is true my friend. The FDA will approve anything for a buck. Look up the history on aspartame and you will be amazed on why it was approved. It should never have been

LilacDreamer

Diet coke contains aspartame. I recently learned exactly what that is. Do a little research you you will never want to drink diet sodas again.

For example:

"...aspartame may cause phenylketonuria...if you have PKU, you could unconsciously impair your mental function by consuming aspartame."

"aspartame can also cause headaches. These headaches are an allergic to aspartame. In addition, this artificial sweetener may trigger the onset of migraines if you are prone to having migraine headaches." (i actually have this migraine problem and it's 100% truth)

"Claims have been made that aspartame is related to health effects ranging from mild problems such as headache, dizziness, digestive symptoms, and changes in mood, to more serious health issues such as Alzheimer disease, birth defects, diabetes, Gulf War syndrome, attention deficit disorders, Parkinson disease, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and seizures. "

This is from 5 minutes of Googling "aspartame". Think about it.

Nowhere does it say Aspartame may cause phenylketonuria. Phenylketonuria is an Inborn Error of metabolism. Diet foods and beverages typical contain PHE (or Phenylalanine) which people with Phenylketonuria have to strictly monitor and limit. Aspartame contains PHE. Please don't talk about what you don't understand. I despise Aspartame but what you stated has no basis in fact.

As someone who was born with an inborn error of metabolism (not PKU, similar to it but much more rare) I think I know what I'm talking about here.

"Phenylalanine occurs naturally in many protein-rich foods, such as milk, eggs and beef. Phenylalanine also is sold as a dietary supplement. And the artificial sweetener aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet), which is added to many medications, diet foods and diet sodas, contains phenylalanine. Because of this, federal regulations require that any food product that contains aspartame bear a warning stating 'Phenylketonurics: Contains phenylalanine.' This warning helps people with PKU and other conditions avoid products that are a source of phenylalanine."