Coke addiction?

racataca

So I have a coke addiction, not even gonna lie. Not the white stuff, but one just as terrifying - Diet. Coke.

I think I was weaned onto a bottle of Diet Coke, and I can't actually remember a day when Diet Coke wasn't a staple in my house. To defend myself, I was born in '85 so I don't think anyone was thinking about aspartame at the time.

When I was 16, in the marching band at high school, and forced to attend band camp to learn our high step formations, I drank only Diet Coke over the course of a four day, physically exhausting period of time. And when I say only, I mean only. So I did, - I drank 24 of them. Partly as a dare, partly because my friends found my consumption to be hilarious, partly because I would have been happy with an IV drip of Diet Coke at that point in my life. Any surprise that the last day, I got laid out on the grass by the most horrific abdominal pains I have thus far experienced in my 27 years on earth? No, probably not.

I joined the Peace Corps after college and got sent to a country that had Diet Coke (or Coca Cola Light, rather...even tastier), but to a site that didn't have electricity or potable water, much less a way of refrigerating my sweet, sweet nectar. I STILL managed to maintain an addiction. I don't even recall how, but I think I moved on to regular, glass-bottle, made-with-real-sugar Coke during that period of time. Regardless, by the time I got back to the states I was back at my 6 can-a-day habit.

Needless to say, when I decided to get healthy, I also decided to try and nip this once and for all. I am not a juice fan, drink coffee and tea like it's my job but those aren't all day beverages in my eyes, and water's fine but where's the excitement? I thought I was relegated to a boring-beverage-existence until I discovered

LA CROIX COCONUT WATER

LITERALLY. The best thing I have ever consumed, beverage wise. When I say Coconut Water, I don't mean water out of a coconut. That is laden with calories, although it's also tasty and healthy. This stuff is WATER and NATURAL FLAVOR and that is it; no aspartame or splenda or whatever-the-hell, no corn syrup, no ~other ingredients. Just water and natural flavor, and it even boasts the mouth-scrubbing, taste-destroying carbonation that I love so dearly about Diet Coke.

I still allow myself a soda every once in a while (I've moved on to Diet Dr Pepper now...where was THIS in my childhood???), but I must must MUST sing the praises of La Croix to every soda addict such as myself. And no, I'm not getting paid - I just love it that much.

Do you guys have any miracle products that take the place of products-of-the-past?

PaprikaPrincess

Reformed diet crack addict. I went cold turkey after last new year. I went from 6 a day down to maybe one a week. I started drinking flavored seltzer this summer. I like Seagrams brand but it seems to be feast or famine with the selecton. I like the bubbles! No artificial flavors or sweeteners. A real sugar sweetened coke is a treat once in a blue moon.

wellbert

yep. Diet dr.pepper instead of regular dr.pepper.

Drinking a 44 right now.

mafoote

Zevia makes a really good product, lots of different flavors, including cola and ginger root beer. Flavored with Stevia and zero calories. All natural. It's about 4 times the price of Diet Coke though.

Juliejustsaying

WHAT? you actually gave up the Nectar of the GODS??? Yeah, I don't think I could...now I only drink one or two a day..but please...don't ask me to stop. My Dr told me once after a stress test that I needed to give up Diet Coke...I told him I'd rather give up food. And yes, I'm serious....

My name is Julie, and I'm a diet cokaholic. If loving it is wrong I don't want to be right.

bufger

Quite honestly I used to have a massive Diet Coke and pure orange juice addition. I actually used to think pure orange juice wasnt that bad for you and i could drink 1l in a day!

Now i've managed to really get into drinking water. I find i drink more of it if its in a sports bottle and now its become habit to have a sip on it, i rarely even notice im doing it.

I still allow myself a can of diet coke on occasion. Normally 2 or 3 per week which is a major improvement for me.

natalie2355

I was in the same boat... then at the beginning of this month I was drinking (just) diet coke at a wedding... and I threw it up out of no where. It made me sick!!! I used to drink at least a 44oz every day. Since then I just can't drink it.. Ive tried twice and it has lost it's taste I miss it, but i guess it is for the better!

Nikiki

I drink Zevia or La Croix instead of pop, I can't do normal diet (splenda makes me bloated and crampy, aspartame makes me dizzy, headachey and foggy brained)

Luckily I actually enjoy normal water (I'm frequently teased at work for the "ketchup bottle" I carry around-which is a purple brita filter water bottle that apparently looks like a ketchup bottle. I keep it full constantly at work)

oatmeal with "stuff" in it has cured my addiction to sugary cereals, I haven't bought a single box of count chocula this year!! and by "stuff" for example today's has egg, coconut oil, chia seeds, almond milk, banana, walnuts, dates, raisins, cinnamon and... I think thats all . 350 calories (including my coffee with almond milk) and 10 grams of protein, 8 grams of fiber and both mono & poly unsaturated fats to keep me full and happy till snack time.

Lets see what else... oh! coffee with almond milk, I sprinkle cinnamon into the grounds before brewing and add regular almond milk. I used to add like half a cup of flavored creamer when I wasn't going to Starbucks (where I worked for a long time). At Starbucks my drink of choice varied frequently but was pretty much always 500+ calories (curse you tasty caramel sauce!!) I slowly weaned myself off at my sister's suggestion by mixing creamer with almond milk and using less and less of the creamer. Once in a blue moon I'll grab a bottle of creamer (Aldi's pumpkin spice is pretty awesome) but I use barely a splash now and usually none at all.

Also crazy thing-once you get used to the substitution the regular doesn't taste nearly as good as you remember. I remember when those Baily's creamers came out and I'd go through a bottle in 2-3 days, I bought one about a month ago and wound up taking it to work for them to use because it was just gross.