Help!!! I can't kick diet soda!

k8ermarie

Might I suggest trying diluting juice in water? That way it will be sweeter and tastier than plain old water and there are plenty of brands that have no Aspartame in them? I used to be a huge diet coke drinker however I now tend to drink water during the day at work and at night however allow myself a glass of diet coke with my dinner. One thing that I did notice when I have a diet drink now is that I am so bloated so it just goes to show that if you can drink water even with diluting juice in it then that's your best bet!

Very good idea! Will try that. I love Apple/Cranberry Juice! Just don't like to drink my calories! Thanks!

k8ermarie

Yes you can.

I have been off it since 2nd Jan.


I now drink water with a splash of fresh lime juice and ice. It's fantastic!

Sounds great! Thanks for the motivation!

k8ermarie

Have you tried tea with stevia or truvia ? I know it has an aftertaste but you get use to it, trust me, just like you get use to aftertaste of aspartame in diet drinks. I like to brew a mixture of regular tea and my favorite flavored tea ( usually raspberry ), even my hubby will drink it this way with stevia When I want something unhealthy I always think of what it does to my body.
1. Diet sodas contain aspartame, a very toxic substance. Aspartame is considered neurotixin, it kills your brain cells, can contribute to cancer, and is very addictive so I say stay away.
2. Regular sodas are sweetened with HFCS that is also terrible for you. It is one of the main causes of obesity in United States, plus it contains mercury, a very toxic heavy metal.

If you like the fizz in your drinks I suggest la Croix , it has many great flavors. I like Plain La Croix with a splash of cranberry juice and lime ( but be careful with the amount of cranberry juice because of the sugar content, not more than 1 oz ) I love lemon, grapefruit, and coconut flavors. Hope this will help Remember you don't need to drink plain water all the time, there are always healthy options
Hope this can help !

Very insightful comment! I didn't know all of that about sodas. Thanks!

I have never heard of La Croix but will definitely look into it!!!

k8ermarie

I was always the 5-6 a day Dr. Pepper drinker! ALWAYS!!! So switching to diet sodas was the first change I made in my life to be a little healthier 2 years ago but held onto my Sweet Tea habit! I haven't had a reg soda since!! And even if I wanted to I couldn't drink one because they are way to syrupy now!!

In April I got real serious about weight loss and I even gave up SWEET TEA!!!! Haven't had any sugary drink since. Now, these seem like good things. However, I don't drink anything other than diet soda and only when I need it after a really hard workout, WATER. I don't drink milk, juice, beer, etc. So I maybe get a glass of water per day that I workout. I hate this. I have tried to kick diet sodas. I tried to drink water with Mi0. I feel like the diet sodas being in my life is adding too much Sodium and I don't want to end up having issues since I only put fluids containing Aspartame in my system. My boss even provides Coke Zero for us at work!

Please help with ideas for kicking the soda habit! I enjoy water...just not plain. And since Sweet Tea was my thing, I can't stand Unsweet.

I feel like this is holding me back in my weight loss and I truly want to kick it or knock it down to 1 a day. It's not good to have diet soda as my only fluid intake. I know this!

Thanks in advance for all your comments, criticism and advice!

Just slowly decrease the number of diet sodas, and get used to drinking water AND coffee/tea. Diet soda has caffeine, so if you just try and replace it with water it won't work. Both coffee and tea have been shown to have health benefits. However, they're acquired tastes, so they might take some getting used to. But soon you'll like them.

Thanks for you advice! I do notice that when I try to cut out caffeine completely, I get a headache. So I def don't want to do that. I like coffee drinks like Starbucks Fraps but have stayed away from them due to high sugar/cals. I would prob enjoy reg coffee with creamer and lo cal sweetener, but I never found the way I like it. Would have to be experimental and I wish I could enjoy unsweet tea. I do like Flavored tea. (peach, raspberry)

Thanks again!

k8ermarie

I have a serious Diet Sun Drop addiction. If you're not from the South...you may not know what this is...but it's basically liquid gold. I've tried to kick this little habit...and just can't seem to. I have cut down though...and just drink one a day...and drink water and Vitamin Water the rest of the day. It's just so skinkin good!!!

I am from Texas!!! So I have. Isn't this the drink where the guys dances to, "Too much booty in the pants?" LOL! Never tried it! Not tried the Vitamin Waters yet either. Thanks!

k8ermarie

girl, i hear you. i have had SUCH a hard time giving up my diet coke. but the facts are simple- it was hindering my weight loss. now, i allow myself 1 diet soda a week, as a treat. and it's usually on a sunday. during the week i drink a lot of sparkling water with different things mixed in-- mint, lemons, cucumbers, etc. la croix sparkling cans are also great because it's drinking out of a can which makes me feel like i'm drinking pop. but honestly, it just comes down to you just STOPPING. you know you need/want to. so set the can down!!

Thanks for the comparable understanding! I never thought of cucumbers in my water...but I am a veggie fanatic and that sounds awesome!

k8ermarie

I have no idea if its in your budget - but my sodastream has saved my sanity. I fizz up water and then squeeze some fruit in there. . Or /something/ - I don't know, I haven't touched actual 'pop' in forever and I used go constantly guzzle diet coke. They even have flavors for water and you can look at some stuff in store. I used that stuff after pop and then slowly got myself off of that to just fizzy water with fruit in it.

I haven't thought about that but my radio station promotes this thing all the time. Will have to look into it. Thanks!

k8ermarie

I had the exact same problem. My mom started buying Diet Pepsi for me by the caseload when I was 8 or 9 years old. I had a 5 or 6 can a day habit until I was about 26. I would go through terrible withdrawals whenever I would try to stop drinking it, so I never did. Coffee and other caffeinated drinks didn't help.

Only one think could stop my coke habit, and now I drink it religiously: Carbonated Water. Like woah. I prefer Poland Springs Sparkling Water in Lime, but Trader Joes has a good one, too. Don't drink any that has sugar or sweeteners in them.

Good luck!

Thanks much for the product suggestions!!! Taking notes!

k8ermarie

I was up to about a 2-liter of Caffiene free Diet Pepsi a day before I started here on MFP back in January. I am down to drinking 10-12 cups of plain water a day & maybe a glass of my diet pepsi a day.. I used the wylers pink lemonade flavor pouches in the beginning to help me get used to water.. I feel so much better since cutting way back.. I drink plain water now & there are days I don't have any diet pepsi.. I used to be thirsty all the time & am not now... You do get used to the water after awhile.. I use a kozy cooler thing from the freezer to keep my water bottles in & that helps me alot.. Some of my friends drink it room temp, but I prefer ice cold.. Good luck...

Thanks for sharing how you did it! I def agree that I like water ice cold!

k8ermarie

Try Seltzer water. It takes a bit of time to get used to it, but it provides the bubbles that you maybe looking for when drinking, but without all the chemicals. Flavored seltzers are hit and miss, but black cherry is my favorite. My advice is to not get the generic store brand either, spend the extra $$$ on name brands, they seem to be bubblier and taste better. I drink the occasional diet pepsi/coke when out to dinner, but most of the time it's seltzer.

Is Seltzer water the same as Sparkling water? Thanks for the suggestion and honesty on quality of drinks.

k8ermarie

Don't buy sodas for your home but allow yourself to have a soda when you go out. This way you have what you enjoy but in moderation so your body doesn't feel like it is being deprived. The first day or two that you quit soda, you will most likely get bad headaches but just keep powering through and you won't have to deal with the withdrawal for very long.

Thanks for the honesty and motivation! I know I will get a headache. It happens even the first day!

Springer007

Mio. Look it up. They even have tea flavor.

In short its a little bottle that you just put a single squirt into your water. Makes all the diff in the world. Several flavors, a couple of which are teas.

k8ermarie

i have a SERIOUS diet dr pepper addiction. like i can down a sonic route 44 in 15 minutes. and then fill it up. twice.

here's what i tell myself: for every one i drink, i have to have two glasses of water (or one bottle). now, i like water, but sometimes this isn't easy. if i really don't want the water, i chug it. grab a straw and down that puppy. i've been filling up a nalgene bottle with water (32 ounces!) and throwing in some lime wedges. i put it in the fridge overnight so it's super cold when i drink it and i can drink like half the thing in a few gulps.

honestly, some days i end up throwing out some of my ddp can because i drank so much more water that i didn't need anything else.

i think a big part of it for me is also coupling ddp with a snack which i know is terrible. something salty with my delicious cold drink. it's a terrible habit, but i have told myself to cut down rather than stop all together. i gotta have some pleasures.

I completely understand this. I, too, am addicted to Diet Dr. Pepper. And I am a firm believer in diet sodas being more addictive than regular sodas. I also make myself drink 16 oz of water to every 12 oz can I drink. And you're right, you spend so much time drinking the water you actually don't feel like you need the soda. I prefer to drink a soda with meals, but that's probably psychological that I pair the two so they both mess with my reward system.

The best advice I can give the poster is to just limit it. I know you aren't going to want to give it up, but the best thing you can do is enforce it. It's like beginning a diet. You don't want to give up horrible foods and it's a big challenge to do it, but if you do your body will stop craving them as much later down the road.

Thanks!

k8ermarie

something that I could not do is go cold turkey with it... you will need to gradual with it... I had to do this as I was getting "headaches" from the lack of caffeine.

Also, when you go shopping.. don't buy any! If it's out of sight, it starts to become out of mind.

For sure. I definitely relate to the headaches and that worries me because I don't want that. I agree that I should make this gradual. Thanks for your input.

CyberEd312

I've lost 310 lbs. drinking atleast 2 to 3 diet pepsi's a day and don't plan on stopping anytime soon... I get in 120-130oz a water a day on top of that so I consider it a wash... Best of Luck to you.......

k8ermarie

Your idea to get off diet soda is a really good one. I gave it up "cold turkey" several months ago and the best advantage for me is that I don't crave sweets like I used to! What a benefit!! One thing I do make for myself is sun tea made out of Good Earth Original Sweet and Spicy Herbal Tea Blend. It does not have any sugar or sweetener in it but if you make it strong it really does taste sweet. It helps me get my liquid quota for the day. Good luck with your effort. It will be worth it and SO much better for your body!

This sounds good. "One thing I do make for myself is sun tea made out of Good Earth Original Sweet and Spicy Herbal Tea Blend." Thanks for the motivational comment and suggestion!

k8ermarie

Try cutting down on diet soda by drinking 1 less every day (or couple of days) and replacing it with something else. If you drink 6 a day, drink 5 a day + a glass of flavored water...then 4 a day + 2 glasses of water and so on. I find it easier to get rid of something from my diet if I phase it out and replace it with something healthy, as opposed to just stopping it all at once. Good luck! :drinker:

Great suggestion. Thanks!

k8ermarie

First of all, try cutting back, rather than going cold turkey. Try some of the healthier sodas out there (out of curiosity, I tried Zevia--a zero-calorie soda sweetened with stevia--cola and it was pretty good; I haven't tried their Dr. Pepper analog yet, though). You also might try making your own soda with seltzer and Mio.

Good luck!

Haven't tried either of those. Thanks for the ideas!

ninerbuff

You don't HAVE to kick it if you really DON'T want to. There is no scientific evidence to show that having 1-2 diet sodas a day will keep you from being healthy.
Now if you WANT to kick the habit, the simplest way is not to have it around you. You can't drink it if you don't have access.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

k8ermarie

I believe it is an addiction and should be treated as such. It's not all that different IMHO than quitting smoking or other known addictive substances. I was a diet soda addict and for me the only way to quit was to go cold turkey. I read something over a year ago on the subject and it said something along the lines of it would take 45 days to break the addiction and the first 25 days would be the toughest. So I just decided to do it and it was hard. Especially the first few weeks and then it started to get a little easier. I've been off the stuff for over a year now and haven't really craved soda after that 45 days. Other people say just drink a little less and step down over time and I had tried that but I'd always eventually end up back where I started. So for me at least the only way I could do it was to quit cold turkey and then just gut it out, it's very hard and you'll need support from friends/family as it may impact your mood and you may get headaches from the withdrawal (I did) but if you can stick to it for 25 days it will get easier and in 45 days you will break it. Good luck.

Thanks for sharing the personal victory experience with me. It's a good motivator!

krystyleee

I say one a day for diet soda isn't bad. I use to love soda. I have one maybe once a week now. Especially in the summer sometimes I just want an ice cold Coke or Root beer or something fizzy to settle my crave. I had to ween myself off. BUT diet soda that is low in sugar and 0 calories I don't think you need to be too concerned, but I would kick it to one a day.

Suggestions?:
-Drink it with a straw so you dont drink as much as one time
-Get bottles instead of cans (if you don't already), and don't drink it all at once. Drink 1/4 of it, put it back in the fridge for a few hours. Drink on it throughout the day.
-Drink water before you want to drink it. Then, your no longer thirsty and you won't drink as much because after the thirsty feeling is gone really, you just want the taste.
-If you do to a restaurant, don't keep refilling diet coke. Get one, and then ask for water after that!

Hope this helps!

Great Response!! I am definitely gonna take note of your suggestions! Thanks a lot!

You're welcome!

k8ermarie

Don't buy sodas for your home but allow yourself to have a soda when you go out. This way you have what you enjoy but in moderation so your body doesn't feel like it is being deprived. The first day or two that you quit soda, you will most likely get bad headaches but just keep powering through and you won't have to deal with the withdrawal for very long.

This is how i cut my soda addiction down to nothing. I didn't tell myself I couldn't have it but rather that I could only have it at special ocassion or when dining out (which I rarely do). As for drinking more H2O. I use the crystal light or other brand mix ins. I bought a reuseable, dishwasher safe water bottle. My goal is to drink 3 of them a day. I put a different flavor in each time. The calories are negligable 0-15 per serving. The flavored teas are my favorite.

Awesome! Sounds good. Thanks!

twinmom14ek

A question for all those that quit the soda habit and haven't addressed the caffeine withdrawal aspect--did you switch to other caffeinated drinks (coffee/tea), or just go cold turkey? I personally have gotten such bad withdrawal symptoms that I threw up for the better part of a day and a half on vacation until I realized what what was going on and started chugging a diet coke. An hour later, I was a new person. While I'm with those that crave the carbonated goodness, the caffeine is what keeps me coming back...and that's the part that I'm dying to kick.

k8ermarie

I'm a heavy duty tea drinker (probably too much of a good thing). Almost all tea I drink is unsweetened, but I didn't start out that way.

Make a 2 Qt pitcher of iced tea ..... add (maybe) 1/4 C. sugar. Not bad for 64 oz. Every week or two, add 1 Tbl. less sugar ..... keep stepping it down. You will acquire a taste for unsweetened tea.

Flavored tea bags keep it interesting and calorie free.

To brew 2 Qts of iced tea - use 6 individual bags, or 1 "Family Sized" bag plus 2 individual ones. I like to make some of the tea bags flavored.

Thanks. Would be worth a try! When I did drink Sweet Tea...we put 2 cups of sugar in a regular sized pitcher. 0_o

k8ermarie

Red Diamond tea sweetend with Splenda; Zero Calorie Vitamin Water, Fruit 2 O are a few of my "go to options" when regular water isn't what I want...however you have to make up your mind to change it...just like any addiction nothing anyone says can make a bit of difference until you set your mind to it. You do need more plain water.....just for your health if nothing else.

Thank you for the list of suggestions and honesty!

k8ermarie

I drink so much but I'm not ready to give that up. Hopefully down the line I will be able to for health reasons but right now I'm just working on getting my food intake under control and exercising.

I agree that it is definitely a difficult task to alter multiple things in your life at once. I hope you will be able to reach that goal! Good luck to you.

SPNLuver83

There isn't that much sodium in diet pop.... i drink a can or 2 a day.

But you can try crystal light to add to your water. Lots of flavors.

k8ermarie

I loved soda, diet or regular, it didn't matter. I asked myself: "why am I drinking this for?". The answer is that soft drink makers hooked me with their marketing, sugar and caffeine... they care 0 about my well being (and 0 about yours) and 100% about money and profits. January one I said no more and it's been 6 months now and I FINALLY don't crave it anymore. I actually almost find it repulsive. Not that I find soda evil or anything but I remember what the good Book says..."the love of money is the root of all evil" Now sit down, stop, and think about it... YOU CAN kick the soda!

Very good!!! Thanks! I like that you asked yourself why?

k8ermarie

Mio. Look it up. They even have tea flavor.

In short its a little bottle that you just put a single squirt into your water. Makes all the diff in the world. Several flavors, a couple of which are teas.

Thanks for the suggestion!

k8ermarie

I've lost 310 lbs. drinking atleast 2 to 3 diet pepsi's a day and don't plan on stopping anytime soon... I get in 120-130oz a water a day on top of that so I consider it a wash... Best of Luck to you.......

Thanks for the honesty! And much congratulations on your weight loss success!!! May it continue!