Help! Diet Coke Addiction!!

Dencrossgirl

Jillian Michaels had an addiction to diet coke and just wrote about it in a blog, I didn't read it but if you google it you should find it. I used to drink lots of it too, I really don't like it anymore.

auntygill

One a day is not an addiction , enjoy your bottle in the afternoon , we should not have to give everything up that we enjoy.xx

Brunner26_2

http://health.yahoo.net/articles/nutrition/photos/7-side-effects-drinking-diet-soda

From the article:

"Your first bad decision was ordering that Vodka Diet--and you may make the next one sooner than you thought. Cocktails made with diet soda get you drunker, faster, according to a study out of the Royal Adelaide Hospital in Australia. That's because sugar-free mixers allow liquor to enter your bloodstream much quicker than those with sugar, leaving you with a bigger buzz."

Sounds like a reason to drink MORE diet soda!

HSingMomto7Kids

Not sure if anyone already answered what I am about to say but they have those water that are like orange, lemon etc.. They even fizz like soda.

Vragis

I swapped mine out for iced tea, because I still wanted the caffeine. If you must have a soda, cut back on the number of them and go with one sweetened with cane sugar (which is better for you than diet) AND cut it half and half with club soda. You've then just cut half the calories in an instant and it will still taste great. Alternately, if you just like the carbonation, do club soda with a squeeze of lime. Plus, when you have to start counting the calories from sugar, you're less likely to reach for that can.

My wife and I both gave up diet soda (and we were nuts for Diet Coke) last year and don't miss it. In fact, I rarely drink soda anymore. We have a Sodastream for carbonating our own water and just drink the straight club soda. The other benefit of a Sodastream is that your club soda doesn't have added salt like the canned stuff.

It is a worthy thing to give up that diet soda. Even one a day is terrible for you:

http://health.yahoo.net/articles/nutrition/photos/7-side-effects-drinking-diet-soda#0

MrsTattie

I have a full glass of Diet Coke in front of me and I was just browsing the message board for 5 mins! Hysterical. Personally I don't really like water unless I am exercising and I also do not like tea. Coffee needs so much sugar for it to be palatable to me. I don't really see it as a problem apart from cost. Enjoy - just remember the "diet" bit doesn't mean anything! Oh BTW - next time you are in a shop have a look at the back of a can of Coke Zero and Diet Coke - the clever marketing people have us believe they are 2 different drinks (one for guys and one for girls!) but they are exactly the same!

jensweighingin

I'm down to 2 a day. And I absolutely love my 2. I enjoy them, they make me happy and in the world of worse stuff I could be putting into my body, I'm ok with that!

dbutorac

I have the same problem. I quit for a while & then go back to it. I try to always drink a glass of water before I have one, so I feel real full & it cuts down on my consumption.

Brunner26_2

I have a full glass of Diet Coke in front of me and I was just browsing the message board for 5 mins! Hysterical. Personally I don't really like water unless I am exercising and I also do not like tea. Coffee needs so much sugar for it to be palatable to me. I don't really see it as a problem apart from cost. Enjoy - just remember the "diet" bit doesn't mean anything! Oh BTW - next time you are in a shop have a look at the back of a can of Coke Zero and Diet Coke - the clever marketing people have us believe they are 2 different drinks (one for guys and one for girls!) but they are exactly the same!

I drink both, they taste different. I could tell you which is which in a blind taste test.

jocar125

I, too, was an addict. Then I read an article on some of the ingrediants and how much they can harm your body (i.e. kidneys) And also they do a good job of keeping the weight on. I just decided they didn't taste that good.

QBMontana

My husband works in hospital certifying bio-safety cabinets and last week he was in the cafeteria getting a diet coke when the cashier told him her father was a mortician. He had told her that when he has to work in the brains of dead people that drank alot of Diet Coke the brain is like a mucus mush. I too was addicted. I drank 4 - 32 oz. McDonalds Coke Zero a day, or more. I decided to give it up and just went cold turkey after 25+ years of this. My brain must be really mushy. What I was putting together in my head was that every friend or family member I knew that had drank them the way I did was ending up with MS, Fibromyalgia, or some type of nuropathy in the legs and feet. My legs and feet were beginning to hurt too and I didn't want perminant damage. After I went off them I haven't noticed a change in how I feel, my energy, or my brains ability. Maybe it takes more time. I turned to lemonade with sugar and gained 30 pounds in a month. It seems that when ever I make a drastic change like this my body really rebels. So for now, I have dropped the lemonade and am just drinking water and only water. Yes, it's boring but I can't see age 60 in my head at the rate I'm going (I'm only 53). Time for a good game change! I am smart and intellegent and not using it.

ashleigh8993

I also have a diet coke addiction!! It is the most fantastic drink on the face of the planet in my opinion. I did however realize that I needed to cut back my consumption. I try to drink coffee in the morning, then water or unsweetened tea (I started off with two packets of equal in my tea, cut back to one, and now just drink it with lemon) and then I treat myself to diet coke when we go out to eat or with dinner only. If at home I only have one glass, and if we are out to eat I will get one refill if needed but then switch to water. I only buy it for home when I have company coming or if my boyfriend asks me to get it. I have noticed by not regularly stocking it he has lost a few pounds as well just from having to drink water, milk, or juice instead (I buy 100% juice not from concentrate). As for the diet coke, I probably only drink it about 1x a week now as compared to 2x a day+. I can't say the cravings have really gone away because just typing about it makes me want one! haha but I can say that it's not as hard to cut back as I thought it would be. Also, drinking lots of water helps you feel fuller longer so I'm snacking less than before. It's a win-win.

brjustice2000

I was addicted to Diet Mountain Dew. Most diet sodas have aspartame which is bad for you and makes you hold onto fat. Start by getting off of it gradually. Trying to quit cold turkey results in horrible days with horrible headaches. If you crave soda, check out diet Cheerwine which doesn't have aspartame or sodium. The best thing is to force yourself to drink water. You can start with one meal such as breakfast and drink only water; I drink 24 ounces of water with breakfast. It works because I've lost almost 37 lbs since March. Keep telling yourself that you can do it. It all comes down to you being in control instead of the chemicals in the soda controlling you. Best of luck.

pixtotts

i cant help much with the replacing it but i will say this... i have just had to have a tooth removed not because of poor dental hygiene (though that didnt help) but my diet... Fizzy drinks killed my teeth. Ditching them isnt only good for your weight but good for your teeth too
x

jtslim42

I LOVE mineral water! It is nice to have the carbonation every now and again.

EccentricDad

Yes, I'm addicted to Diet Coke, I gotta have it, while at work I crave it every afternoon ... usually after lunch ... it's just so good, sweet, filling, bubbly ... i'm staring at my bottle right now!!! I've tried to quit .. really ... i've even done well for a few days ... but i can't just quit and not have a replacement .... any suggestions MFP friends ... what can i replace diet coke with?

:drinker:

You can replace it with a blog post about how your day is going. Not a Facebook update as that normally results in unnecessary drama and not a Twitter tweet because it's just not enough characters. But if you keep track of your emotional state of mind, you will be able to get the same relief expressing how you feel that you do when you're drinking that toxic, sugar substitute laden, and over-caffeinated beverage. I hope that you see that this is an emotional relationship you have with it and not a food craving relationship; but until you make the connection, I wish you luck. :flowerforyou:

krisiepoo

Get some sparkling water, I'm addicted to the carbonation.

I drink Green Tea in the afternoon. Gives me the extra boost of energy I need and is good for you.

Tank_Girl

I drink fentimans botanical cola it tastes like cola used to taste and now I cant drink mainstream colas as they taste nasty
Its expensive which means I only buy it like once a month as a treat

mohicat

I was on 8 cans a day until a virus knocked me off my feet and my taste buds went awol. I then began to enjoy sipping water all day - much better for you.

If you really want to come off it carry a bottle of water with you EVERYWHERE and constantly sip away - much better for your teeth and body, but honestly - ONE CAN A DAY!!!! Everyone needs a luxury! Treat yourself :-)

sharon180

I, like you and so many others, struggle with addiction to soft drinks - the caffeine, the fun flavor, the fizz, the convenience, the growing up drinking them, the constant advertising bombardment for them. For me it was a 40-year habit of 2 to 6 fountain or bottled drinks a day.

For me it is being mindful that 1) sodas started out as occasional treats and medicinal drinks and are not food staples as they seem to be used as now, 2) they cause tooth decay, heartburn, digestive problems, bloating, headaches, weight gain, insomnia, hyperness, and dehydration), 3) they are possibly a contributor to diabetes, fibroid tumors, and high blood pressure, 4) Diet Coke can cause kidney stones (my dietician recently told me that very motivating fact!), memory loss, irritabiltiy, and dizziness, 5) Soft drink s(in aluminum cans especially) can contribute to Alzheimers' Disease. That's what I've heard from two medical sources and my Dad consumed Pepsi in cans all of his life and died of Alzheimers in his late Sixties). I myself have experienced all of those problems except fortunately diabete, kidney stones, and ALzheiemers - not yet anyway. Thank goodness I don't smoke or drink alcohol! Diet Cokes only made me hungry and wanting more of them, they did not help with any permanent weight loss. You have the fortunate opportunity to be mindful and motivated at a much earlier age then I and to go ahead and make that challenging but very do-able transition off of them. The rewards are worth the initial challenge of replacing them: pounds lost, health regained, health problems prevented, money not spent on them.

I found transitional steps rather than cold turkey or straight replacement worked well - both mentally and physiologically . A good transition that worked for me was Step 1: Only one, maybe two, a day diet coke and/or coke or mixed diet coke/coke with lots of ice (makes the drink less harsh too) consumed before 4 pm (cut out the caffeine by then and you'll likely sleep better), eliminate the straight bottled drinks. Step 2: No Coke/Diet Coke. Mainly bottled Liption Diet Citrus Green Tea. You'll still get the flavor, fizz, caffeine, and artifical sweentener, and 0 calories but you won't get the harshness of Diet Coke. Maybe some regular tea. Step 3: No green tea or black tea or any drink with artificial sweetners and dangerous fizz. Transition to half sweet half unsweetened green or black tea. Step 4: Decaffeinated Tea. More Water. It took me about two months. I'm actually about 80% on Step 3 still and 20% on Step 4. Supplementary Tips: Turn off the TV or change the channel when the commericials come on - any commercials - to prevent the temptation. Avoid "food events" that will have these and other "bad" food there - unless you'd miss the socilazing - in that case bring your own drink. Keep a bottle of water at your desk instead of a soft drink. It has been so worth the planning and "catching myself" effort. I feel better - the dizziness, bloating, headaches, and incredible irritabilty are gone.

I know this was long-winded but all this information and personal experience shared I hope wil motivate you to be mindful to make this wonderful change. Good luck. Let me know how it goes.