Giving up diet fizzy drinks???

JennaM222

I love DIET soda, sugar free RB, you name it.

Never crossed my mind once to give them up for weightloss reasons - but maybe for my teeth

ycbrewster

Yes, gum is a good deterrent.

thelovelyLIZ

I was exclusively a soda drinking until I decided to just drop them all together- both diet and regular. Once I got used to just drinking water, I really didn't miss them.

berlynn_j

My boyfriend, due to stomach issues, can't drink any soda, among other things. So we just don't keep them in the house. Used to drink a TON of it before he moved in. And as others have said, once I got used to drinking water, I stopped missing soda. Even tastes kind of funny now.

mrsavanclan

I can honestly say I as addicted to them. Drinking as many as 8 or 10 in a day was quite the norm. I live in a very hot part of the world so you need to keep up the fluid intake, and my logic was why not 0 calories, I can’t be doing much harm. Then I was diagnosed with a liver problem, a big wakeup call especially as I drink very little alcohol. In my case the pain killers I needed for my back disorder and the soft drinks were killing me. The caramel colouring in the drinks, and the artificial sweeteners were all aiding my body into self destruct so I had to go cold turkey. I started making my own unsweetened iced tea, and adding a very small amount of fruit juice ( the lesser of two evils) Gradually the fruit juice has become less and a slice of lemon is just as nice. I also drink a lot of water both sparkling as well as still. In the beginning it was really, really hard, but became easier as time passed. Once my liver started improving (no medical proof yet but I feel so much better so it must be) things became easier still. It is still early days for me but I have had no fizzy pop for around 10 weeks, and I really no longer miss it. Do you body a favour, quit.

hunterperrin

I just went to Ralph's and they had a special on 20 packs of soda. Buy 5 for the price of 2. How can anyone be expected to resist that deal? xD I did buy all diet drinks though.

5 packs * 20 sodas/pack = 100 sodas

$13 / 100 sodas = $0.13 per soda

emnk5308

I used to drink soda a lot..and Sweet Tea I just stopped =/ and started drinking water. Then I went a long time without any soda, I'd try to go for diet if I wanted the caffeine.. then I started drinking regular soda again...I cut it all out and don't drink any now. I don't want to piss any one off or start a debate.. but I don't think diet soda is good for you. It can cause cravings and the sweetners and chemicals aren't good for you either **I'm NOT trying to piss anyone off, Not saying it will stop weight loss, Don't try to debate me**
If your weight loss stops, I'd try to cut them out and see what happens. You might just need more water.

melonclarinet

I tried for years to cut back only to jump right back into drinking 5-10 a day. My addiction was bad. My addiction was well known; students and parents would bring them to me at events and I even got presents like Diet Coke Christmas tree ornaments. One day about 6 months ago, I just gave it up. It was a terrible transition, I had massive headaches, felt sick, was irritable, etc, but now it's much better. I still crave it from time to time, but haven't caved. I just have this feeling that if I have one, I will go back into the habit.

On a side note- since giving them up, my skin has cleared up and my chronic kidney problems seem to be improved greatly.

amandainez08

I find I feel better/do better without any type of fizzy drink. For one thing, it's hard to find one I like because the sugar substitute leaves a bad aftertaste. But even though it is diet, they do still carry A LOT of sodium, so they still make me feel like poo. I've been off sodas ever since a week or so into my diet change. Now, I don't even crave them, and when I attempt to drink one, the fizziness is too much for me. Water does wonders for your body and makes you feel a lot better. And another thing, you can't even count sodas (even diet) towards your daily water intake because of all the extra ingredients. So you'd be drinking that on top of your eight cups of water a day. Talk about bloated! This is just me, I feel that it's better for me to give up soda all together. So far, it's paid off!

Side note: when my father was diagnosed with diabetes, he dropped the sodas and went straight to drinking water like a fish. So far, he's lost about 23 pounds just with that lifestyle change ALONE! Plus, the artificial sweeteners make your body crave calories since there are no calories to accompany the sweet taste. So there really is nothing "diet" about it. That's just my opinion with the research studies I've read!

afrazier128

I gave them up for tea, water and Crystal Light. It was difficult at first, but I did you the fizzy flavored waters a bit to help in the transition. Now I don't even use those. As another poster said, I don't have the sluggish feeling after drinking tea or water; I also don't crave soda after soda after soda because they really don't satisfy thirst.

Good luck!

CharliB1

I've cut them out, and it's been over a month for me. It wasn't all that difficult for me, but then again I didn't drink them very often, but when I do it's either Dr Pepper or Pepsi..and I only have 1 can

Perhaps it would be easier for you to save a fizzy drink for a "cheat" meal? you may also want to check out this blog: http://muffintop-less.tumblr.com/MTLCintro it has a lot of great tips and ideas. Hope this helped!

-C

Beatlegirl66

I've lost 54.5 pounds since January and I drink a lot of Diet Coke. I drink a couple 44 oz fountain sodas plus at least 2 cans. I feel like I have given up so much that I love and I just don't want to give up the Diet Coke. The thought of giving it up makes me really depressed actually. So I am not going to even attempt it.

FitLink

so what's the big deal with diet fizzy drinks? 0 calories, but lots of crap in them I know. I've heard in the past they are bad but never been convinced. wondering for those of you who have stopped what difference you noticed. I still drink 3-4/day 12oz cans/day myself.

Please define "lots of crap." The vast majority of what is in a diet soft drink is water. Pretty much 97% of it is water. Then there's a tiny amount of sweetener, color and flavor, and sometimes a preservative. For all intents and purposes, diet soda is impure water. What comes out of the tap and what you buy in bottled water is also...impure water. If you enjoy it, drink it.

tamtamzz

I love anything with fizz. My take is that you can do everything in moderation.

There are only two ways I would cut it out completely. If were suffering from health issues and my doctor told me to stop drinking it, or if I was addicted to it. And I mean addicted, full blown 12-step-type addicted. Not, "I'm addicted to soda...teehee."

souzouchan

I moved out on my own, from Nova Scotia, where I grew up, to Toronto about 8 years ago. When I arrived I was poor and couldn't afford pop and that's how I stopped consuming pop on a daily basis. All I drink anymore is water and I love that!

FitLink

I find I feel better/do better without any type of fizzy drink. For one thing, it's hard to find one I like because the sugar substitute leaves a bad aftertaste. But even though it is diet, they do still carry A LOT of sodium, so they still make me feel like poo. I've been off sodas ever since a week or so into my diet change. Now, I don't even crave them, and when I attempt to drink one, the fizziness is too much for me. Water does wonders for your body and makes you feel a lot better. And another thing, you can't even count sodas (even diet) towards your daily water intake because of all the extra ingredients. So you'd be drinking that on top of your eight cups of water a day. Talk about bloated! This is just me, I feel that it's better for me to give up soda all together. So far, it's paid off!

Side note: when my father was diagnosed with diabetes, he dropped the sodas and went straight to drinking water like a fish. So far, he's lost about 23 pounds just with that lifestyle change ALONE! Plus, the artificial sweeteners make your body crave calories since there are no calories to accompany the sweet taste. So there really is nothing "diet" about it. That's just my opinion with the research studies I've read!

Actually, most diet sodas have little sodium and many have no sodium. When they were primarily sweetened with sodium saccarine they had a lot of sodium, but now, not so much. If you don't like the fizziness, that's great for you, but many people really like the fizziness, and it's really just impure water. "Pure" water, for all intents and purposes, doesn't exist. Water is a nearly universal solvent, so any you encounter has stuff dissolved in it. Soda, juice, milk, coffee, tea, and everything else that is just impure water, plus the water in your food--and food is 60% - 80% water--counts toward your daily water intake. This is firmly established in medical science. Everything gets mixed up after you consume it, and that it's mixed before makes no difference what-so-ever. You don't need water on top of the diet soda. Really. Don't believe me, believe the Mayo Clinic.

"Everyone has heard the advice, "Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day." That's about 1.9 liters, which isn't that different from the Institute of Medicine recommendations. Although the "8 by 8" rule isn't supported by hard evidence, it remains popular because it's easy to remember. Just keep in mind that the rule should be reframed as: "Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day," because all fluids count toward the daily total."

"So how much fluid does the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate need? The Institute of Medicine determined that an adequate intake (AI) for men is roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day. The AI for women is 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day."

"Generally if you drink enough fluid so that you rarely feel thirsty and produce 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) or more of colorless or light yellow urine a day, your fluid intake is probably adequate."

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283/
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283/NSECTIONGROUP=2

ocukor1

I used to drink regular sodas most of my life and then I switched to diet soda when I got into my thirties, now I drink only water and occasionaly a diet soda about once a week with my cheat meal The sodas are so much part of our culture that is is hard to completely give them up, but it is a good idea to cut down on it. sodas have been associated with high blood pressure, water retention and killing of good bacterias in the intestants, why taking a risk if there's no need for it? Coffee is a good replacement for sodas, or tea for those who don't like coffee. You just need to know that artificial sweeteners most commonly available out there are the same thing they put in the sodas, so there is really no difference in drinking a heatlhy green tea sweetened with the same thing found in diet soda. I would suggest natural stevia sweetener, but not truvia or purvia.

FitLink

I can honestly say I as addicted to them. Drinking as many as 8 or 10 in a day was quite the norm. I live in a very hot part of the world so you need to keep up the fluid intake, and my logic was why not 0 calories, I can’t be doing much harm. Then I was diagnosed with a liver problem, a big wakeup call especially as I drink very little alcohol. In my case the pain killers I needed for my back disorder and the soft drinks were killing me. The caramel colouring in the drinks, and the artificial sweeteners were all aiding my body into self destruct so I had to go cold turkey. I started making my own unsweetened iced tea, and adding a very small amount of fruit juice ( the lesser of two evils) Gradually the fruit juice has become less and a slice of lemon is just as nice. I also drink a lot of water both sparkling as well as still. In the beginning it was really, really hard, but became easier as time passed. Once my liver started improving (no medical proof yet but I feel so much better so it must be) things became easier still. It is still early days for me but I have had no fizzy pop for around 10 weeks, and I really no longer miss it. Do you body a favour, quit.

The pain medications, if they contain acetaminophen, surely were the culprit in your liver problems. Even low doses of APAP, taken regularly are know to cause liver damage. I'd need to see evidence that the diet soda contributes. I haven't seen any studies to that effect. Can you provide links to them?

FitLink

I used to drink regular sodas most of my life and then I switched to diet soda when I got into my thirties, now I drink only water and occasionaly a diet soda about once a week with my cheat meal The sodas are so much part of our culture that is is hard to completely give them up, but it is a good idea to cut down on it. sodas have been associated with high blood pressure, water retention and killing of good bacterias in the intestants, why taking a risk if there's no need for it? Coffee is a good replacement for sodas, or tea for those who don't like coffee. You just need to know that artificial sweeteners most commonly available out there are the same thing they put in the sodas, so there is really no difference in drinking a heatlhy green tea sweetened with the same thing found in diet soda. I would suggest natural stevia sweetener, but not truvia or purvia.

What studies have associated these things with diet sodas, and is it a correlational link or causal? Can you point me to those studies that associated diet soda with "high blood pressure, water retention and killing of good bacterias in the intestants," please? I'm not familiar with these studies.

amandainez08

I find I feel better/do better without any type of fizzy drink. For one thing, it's hard to find one I like because the sugar substitute leaves a bad aftertaste. But even though it is diet, they do still carry A LOT of sodium, so they still make me feel like poo. I've been off sodas ever since a week or so into my diet change. Now, I don't even crave them, and when I attempt to drink one, the fizziness is too much for me. Water does wonders for your body and makes you feel a lot better. And another thing, you can't even count sodas (even diet) towards your daily water intake because of all the extra ingredients. So you'd be drinking that on top of your eight cups of water a day. Talk about bloated! This is just me, I feel that it's better for me to give up soda all together. So far, it's paid off!

Side note: when my father was diagnosed with diabetes, he dropped the sodas and went straight to drinking water like a fish. So far, he's lost about 23 pounds just with that lifestyle change ALONE! Plus, the artificial sweeteners make your body crave calories since there are no calories to accompany the sweet taste. So there really is nothing "diet" about it. That's just my opinion with the research studies I've read!

Actually, most diet sodas have little sodium and many have no sodium. When they were primarily sweetened with sodium saccarine they had a lot of sodium, but now, not so much. If you don't like the fizziness, that's great for you, but many people really like the fizziness, and it's really just impure water. "Pure" water, for all intents and purposes, doesn't exist. Water is a nearly universal solvent, so any you encounter has stuff dissolved in it. Soda, juice, milk, coffee, tea, and everything else that is just impure water, plus the water in your food--and food is 60% - 80% water--counts toward your daily water intake. This is firmly established in medical science. Everything gets mixed up after you consume it, and that it's mixed before makes no difference what-so-ever. You don't need water on top of the diet soda. Really. Don't believe me, believe the Mayo Clinic.

"Everyone has heard the advice, "Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day." That's about 1.9 liters, which isn't that different from the Institute of Medicine recommendations. Although the "8 by 8" rule isn't supported by hard evidence, it remains popular because it's easy to remember. Just keep in mind that the rule should be reframed as: "Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day," because all fluids count toward the daily total."

"So how much fluid does the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate need? The Institute of Medicine determined that an adequate intake (AI) for men is roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day. The AI for women is 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day."

"Generally if you drink enough fluid so that you rarely feel thirsty and produce 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) or more of colorless or light yellow urine a day, your fluid intake is probably adequate."

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283/
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283/NSECTIONGROUP=2

I've actually read this study. But speaking from a personal point of view, I get more hydrated by drinking water than I do from any type of other drink. And yes, diet sodas do contain a lot of sodium compared with other drinks. It may not be a lot from a daily intake perspective, but compared to teas and water of course, yes it does...for a drink.

On the other hand, your body needs that eight cups of water a day just to be sure you have enough to spare. There was a period of time where I didn't drink but one glass of something during the day, and trust me...it wasn't water. No, I wasn't dehydrated, and I didn't die, but from a physiology prosepctive, I wasn't getting enough for my body, even from my food. The truth is, personally, you don't know how much water you consume through foods anyway. You can't measure it. Another way you can tell is if your urine comes out clear. That means you actually have excess water in your system, therefore you can afford to release some. That only happens if you drink water. Not sodas, not teas, not even by eating fruits, which are mostly water. I think the eight cups a day is more of a "just in case" thing. Your body can absorb it better without all of the sugars and caffienes that most other drinks contain.