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

Options
135

Replies

  • k8ermarie
    k8ermarie Posts: 204
    Options
    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
    Springer007 Posts: 84 Member
    Options
    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
    k8ermarie Posts: 204
    Options
    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
    k8ermarie Posts: 204
    Options
    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
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    Options
    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
    k8ermarie Posts: 204
    Options
    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
    k8ermarie Posts: 204
    Options
    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
    k8ermarie Posts: 204
    Options
    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
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,691 Member
    Options
    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
    k8ermarie Posts: 204
    Options
    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
    krystyleee Posts: 219
    Options
    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! :smile:

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

    You're welcome!
  • k8ermarie
    k8ermarie Posts: 204
    Options
    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
    twinmom14ek Posts: 174 Member
    Options
    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
    k8ermarie Posts: 204
    Options
    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
    k8ermarie Posts: 204
    Options
    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
    k8ermarie Posts: 204
    Options
    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
    SPNLuver83 Posts: 2,050 Member
    Options
    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
    k8ermarie Posts: 204
    Options
    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
    k8ermarie Posts: 204
    Options
    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
    k8ermarie Posts: 204
    Options
    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! :)

Categories