Who drinks Coke Zero on the regular? Who has given it up?

sophatt

Hi all

I am a coke zero fiend. I usually drink it everyday and I find that it helps me when I'm trying to lose weight as I like to have a glass with of after a meal to make it more satisfying. It helps me in between meals when I start to get cranky and also when I want to avoid alcohol.

I've given it up over periods of a couple weeks to a month when I've tried to 'eat clean.' But I end up missing it so much and giving in to the sweet, acidic hit I've been hooked for years now!

Does anyone else drink it as much as I do?

Has anyone given it up and noticed health/weight improvements?

Can anyone convince me once and for all not to spend $10 a week on a concoction of chemicals?

Pedal_Pusher

Ha ha if it works for you, use it

caraiselite

sometimes i drink 6 a day. sometimes just 1.
i love the cherry lately.

bsuid72

I gave up soda entirely on June 10th....

DollyMiel

Coke Zero is bomb. c:

If you like it, drink it. I would try and keep it to a minimum (if at least for your poor teeth!) but I'm the last person in the world who will argue against it. It's your body, your life, and your happiness. And your yumminess! haha;;

suwonfish

I like the stuff too and thought it was basically the same as water. Nope, since starting to log my Coke Zero I've noticed my sodium intake is way high

iemcanadian

I drink Diet Coke fairly regularly, not daily but at least a few times a week, and at the time I gave it up I was drinking it most days. I gave it up (and all soda, though I don't really drink regular sodas) for about six weeks and saw no change in weight loss, how I felt, etc. For me at least it didn't seem to make a difference although I try to limit it because I know water is healthier, and have heard that the carbonation can weaken your bones (not sure if this is true).

xMillyLouisex

i drink diet coke every day, i crave it and get a bit aggitated and grumpy when i dont have it lol, i drink it inbetween meals just like u to stop me getting that hungry and just overall love it but it cant be doing us any good.. ive cut down and only drinking a few cans a day and replacing them with lots of water so im quite happy with that because i wasnt drinking much water before.. u dont have to cut down as long as its in moderation, just cut down and replace with water and u wont feel as bad lol..
x

jesshall281

I like the stuff too and thought it was basically the same as water.

:noway:

sophatt

I find that when I don't drink it, I feel the effects of fatigue more. I get my 8 hours per night, but Coke Zero is my coffee.

Increased sodium? Is this serious?

I guess there's the aspartame argument, the phenanlalanine (spelling?) argument too... But I'd like to hear the effects of these chemicals on a real person, compared to a diet without.

It's just so cool, there is nothing else that has a taste without the calories. Water doesn't count! Cherry sounds good

Elleinnz

I drank at least one coke zero every day..... It was the one thing that I was not yet prepare to give up.

Mid June this year I did a 5 day cleanse - which included giving up the coke zero.....

Of all the changes I made in lifestyle over the past 24 months this was by far the hardest thing to give up!
I realized that it was about breaking a habit more than anything else, and I then decided to try and do it for a month - it was the longest month of my life, but at the end I decided to keep going....

It is now 2 months later, and just lately i have realized that I don't thnk about it any longer....

I don't believe it has a negative impact on weight loss, but for me it was just time to get rid of the dodgy chemicals that I was drinking every day....

sophatt

If you notice symptoms without it, could this mean you can be addicted to Coke Zero?

Yeah I try only have a can a day but sometimes I have several glasses and it makes me feel so guilty! Because I know it is a chemical and I'd be better off drinking water...

My appetite rules my reason when it comes to Coke Zero!

divinenanny

I used to drink Pepsi Max by the bucket loads, at least 3 or 4 glasses on a working day, and a bottle a day when I had a day off. Since starting on MFP I want to quit, so I limit myself to one glass at dinner, for as long as my stockpile lasts. I think I have one or two bottles left, and when they are done, I am done. I tried to quit before and found it hard (caffeine-withdrawals) but now I feel fine, and I think I can do it.

geebusuk

If you notice symptoms without it, could this mean you can be addicted to Coke Zero?

Coke zero has caffeine in, which is an addictive drug - albeit an incredibly popular socially acceptable one.

Me, I'm certainly 'addicted' to it. Have "gone cold turkey" in the past; when I was made redundant a while ago I decided that as I now didn't need to be alert at a particular time etc, I should try and stop my 4 a day habit.
Back on around 4 a day at the moment.

Yeah I try only have a can a day but sometimes I have several glasses and it makes me feel so guilty! Because I know it is a chemical and I'd be better off drinking water...

Water is 'a chemical' too .

sophatt

Water is 'a chemical' too .

Touché

SkinnyChemicals

I drink it once every two days. I see no reason to give it up and probably never will.
It really has been a great saviour when I want to binge on something sweet, I just drink Coke Zero.
Though I don't think I'm addicted, I just don't seem to get psychically addicted to caffeine like others do.

mowu

If you like it and it helps you adhere to your diet then by all means have it.

Don't let the fearmongers get to you - Yes some people have some unwanted sideeffect of aspartame, if you don't have any don't jump on the bandwagon unless you really want to (some people are allergic to shellfish or peanuts, that's probably not keeping you from those?)

Personally I enjoy a Coke Zero or two every once in a while for pretty much the reasons you mention in your original post and I don't feel bad about if for one bit.

RunningWithoutAWatch

Soda was the first thing I gave up when I started to lose weight. I used to drink a lot of diet coke. Ironically, this was when I was my heaviest (50 pounds heavier than I am now). It was hard, but I replaced the soda with black coffee and water depending on the purpose.

Jay

ClareOH

I use to drink at least 2litres of coca cola a day!! No wonder the weight piled on without me realising! I was drinking my calorie intake!! When I started dieting, I moved on to 2litres of diet coke, my doctor told me If I really wanted it to have a can of regular coke every now and then instead of the diet variety which kind of worried me... Not enough to actually give it up though.

I have maybe a litre of diet pepsi a day now and I have no wish to give it up soon, although I probably should!

geebusuk

I should note I consider my 'addiction' to be basically my body needing stimulants to feel at normal energy levels; especially after the first one when I start cycling (needing another can when the first has worn off.)

laserturkey

I am a Diet Dr. Pepper fiend, but will sometimes drink Coke Zero if that isn't available. I limit myself to 1 diet soda a day, most of the time.

heytherestephy

I drink Diet Pepsi when I work (3 days a week) because it helps satisfy my craving for something sweet, keeps me full between my dinner and midnight snack and keeps me from eating ALL the cookies lmao. I used to be an "absolutely no soda" person, and was for 2 years but when I started working in fastfood my love of cookies reared it's ugly head again and I gained 10lbs.

dmb2002man

I have given soda as well due to bad it is for the body. So many health concerns that diet is worse than regular and with 1 regular can you are way over your sugar limit for the day. If and when i crave a soda, i go and get a coffee. Coffee isn't great but alot better than soda. I noticed with foods and stuff in general if i didn't buy it at the store and have it around then i wouldn't crave it. I don't even go down the soda isle anymore and also pass by the chip isle.

Piqueaboo

I try to have it no more than twice a week (can)

Sidesteal

Hi all

I am a coke zero fiend. I usually drink it everyday and I find that it helps me when I'm trying to lose weight as I like to have a glass with of after a meal to make it more satisfying. It helps me in between meals when I start to get cranky and also when I want to avoid alcohol.

I've given it up over periods of a couple weeks to a month when I've tried to 'eat clean.' But I end up missing it so much and giving in to the sweet, acidic hit I've been hooked for years now!

Does anyone else drink it as much as I do?

Has anyone given it up and noticed health/weight improvements?

Can anyone convince me once and for all not to spend $10 a week on a concoction of chemicals?

What basis do you have for giving it up, aside from it not fitting into your partitioning of foods into "clean" and "dirty"?

chelledawg14

I am a Coke Zero fan. I used to drink diet coke, but it makes me feel sick because I would go through maybe 4 a day - but my choice was usually in the form of afountain drinks from McDonald's. Then I switched to regular Coke and I LOVE that stuff, but with trying to lose weight, I wasn't willing to waste my calories on it. Then along came my fondness for Coke Zero. I will have a can during the day at work AFTER I drink at least 6 glasses of water and I'll usually treat myself to a glass at home in the evening AFTER I finish at least 2 more glasses of water. I keep a 2 liter bottle of it on my counter at home, that way if I want it I have to go through the hassle of getting a glass and ice cubes out instead of just grabbing a can & sometimes being lazy will stop me from having it. I don't drink it everyday (but almost) and I have no intention of completely giving it up. Regardless of the chemicals in it, I don't eat alot of bad foods, I don't drink alcohol very often and I don't smoke. For me, Coke Zero is my "bad" habit.

magerum

4 a day keeps Coca-cola classic away!

kewlstewieguy

I mainly drink zero calorie stuff the thing is I'm still losing weight but at a slow pace I went from bmi 30.8 to 26.2 all in about a half of year so just keep optimism.

rlmadrid

I honestly don't drink soda on the regular. Never have. I just never liked the carbonation, I find the bubbles hurt.
If you want to give it up, I suggest herbal tea. I drink that stuff all day long!
If you are asking if you should give it up, large amounts probably aren't good for you. As you said, it's chemicals. That and I read recently in a psyc textbook that aspartame can have neurological effects (which would explain the eye twitches I get from diet soda!). I don't think having it in moderation will hurt you though.

vytamindi

Coke Zero is cool, but I LOOOOOOOOOOOVE the cherry zero. It makes me feel like I'm drinking a cherry coke at 5 Guys! You know, without all the calories and guilt.

Maybe 2 a day? I try to keep them down or chase them with a glass of water. If I run out I don't crave them though.

For anyone on low carb, DO NOT go to sonic and get a coke zero with the cherry added in. It's NOT sugar free...

SHBoss1673

I like the stuff too and thought it was basically the same as water. Nope, since starting to log my Coke Zero I've noticed my sodium intake is way high

ahh, a serving of coke zero has 28 mg of sodium, a negligible amount considering it's normal to consume 2000 to 2500 mg per day and remain perfectly healthy. Couple that with the fact that it also provides 28 mg of potassium, which counteracts much of the effects of sodium, I wouldn't consider the sodium content an issue.