Any other Diet Coke / Pepsi addicts here?

Have you continued to drink or cut down and still lost weight?

As for me, I am currently down about 10lbs and drink about 5 cans a day (1 per meal and 2 at night). In the past, I have dropped 40lbs while drinking it religiously..

I know water is better for me and have been told that if I need the carbonation to try and drink seltzer, mineral or "Perrier" type waters and add lemon, lime or other MIO flavorings to it but its not the same and I cant drink it.

I do drink plain bottled water some days. (thee or four 16 ounce bottles per day).

Is there a cure or technique to cut down more?

Replies

  • AckieJ
    AckieJ Posts: 199 Member
    I used to drink Coke religiously. I'd wake up drinking a can. Take that can on my hour drive in to work. Then open one when I got to work and throughout the day. I would drink one at meal times, and then a few more at night before bed. I even used to open a bottle either a 1liter or 2liter and drink in the middle of the night. I stopped completely for a few months cold turkey and after a week or so caffeine withdraw headaches it wasn't that big of deal. Since then I try to get caffeine free drinks and lately I'm down to 2 maybe 3 cans a day. If I'm lucky I'll do a day or so without any Cokes, Diets, or Caffeine Free drinks.

    I think you just need to train you mind. I cringed at the thought of drinking just water. But I find the flavored powders with really cold water quenches my thirst better than any can of soda.

    Just a thought. Good luck! Perhaps try find a bottled juice or something. Yea, I've heard the carbonated drinks might get my mind off sodas but have yet to try them.
  • n0ob
    n0ob Posts: 2,390 Member
    Still drink them, down 70 so far this year.
  • ManEnMotion
    ManEnMotion Posts: 73 Member
    I drink between 1 and 3 diet cokes, diet pepsi or diet spites a day. Lost 55 lbs in 2 months. One of the few bad habits I still have
  • djames92
    djames92 Posts: 990 Member
    sparkling ice :p
  • lorettaasmith
    lorettaasmith Posts: 418 Member
    I drink 2 a day...I admit I am an addict, but I will take that addiction over some that worse, in my book. I still drink my 8 glasses of water, so it's all good!
  • SomeoneSomeplace
    SomeoneSomeplace Posts: 1,094 Member
    100 percent Diet Coke addict here and Pepsi doesn't count it is NOT the same!

    Lately I've been upping my water intake from nothing for days and maybe 5 cups in an entire week...to AT LEAST 4 cups of water a day PLUS another cup for every Diet Coke (or coffee) I drink. I've found I'm down to 1 or 2 cans a day and I'm way less bloated now. On days I manage not to drink any Diet Coke for whatever reason my stomach is a lot flatter. But I don't think it's any kind of legitimate weight. Just makes you retain water. I also switched to caffeine free.

    ALSO I've noticed I am hungrier when I drink a lot of Diet Coke. It will never be completely cut out from my diet but cutting back a lot has helped me with bloating =)
  • Still drink them, down 70 so far this year.

    WOW! Nice job and thanks for the answer.
  • mwillis8002
    mwillis8002 Posts: 70 Member
    I am totally addicted to diet coke! I love the taste and crave it. I agree with someone, when I don't drink it I'm less bloated and eat less sugar foods or sweets. Something about the sweetner in it triggers my brain to want to munch more, and no matter how many I have I'm still thirsty. I realized that what my body was really craving was water.

    A trick I use is the 64 oz rule. I have 2 32oz bottles I fill up with water, usually I add crystal light, and I have to drink both before I can drink any diet cokes. The days I stick to that I drink less d.c., feel less bloated, and snack less. When I don't I tend to eat more crap. If water is hard to drink I will fill up a large cup with ice and water and use a straw. For whatever reason that seems to help at home rather than reaching for the dc. My goal is to give it up completely for the new year, but it's one of my last vices I have to give up...just a bit scared to let it go.

    Oh and I agree diet Pepsi, not even on my radar.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    I drink it like it's going out of fashion...... water bores the *kitten* out of me, so I get all my fluid needs through coffee, tea and diet coke/coke zero. I'm not sure why people get their knickers in a twist about it. It's fine!
  • tomcat941
    tomcat941 Posts: 47 Member
    I am obsessed with diet coke, and pepsi zero, and all that stuff. I drink it non stop, to the point that i'm surprised i still have teeth lol. I am okay with diluted blackcurrent, and i drink that when i'm execising, but otherwise i do prefer diet coke. I can't drink plain water, it makes me want to gag. But, it doesn't seem to hydrate me as much as the diluted blackcurrent, but i don't drink it for hydrating. It taste nice, and it's also addictice, so it's hard not to drinn it, but otherwise it ahs never affected my weight loss (although endless bingeing has lol)
  • Sprite Zero for the win!
  • icimani
    icimani Posts: 1,454 Member
    yeah yeah yeah - water is better, blah blah blah,
    And I know there's some talk of the artificial sweetener making you crave sweets. I doesn't seem to for me so I don't worry about it.

    Sometimes I have problems sleeping so I've cut down because of the caffeine but I still drink 3-4/day. I don't like coffee at all, so I get my morning caffeine with Diet Pepsi. I usually don't have it after about 3pm.

    There's nothing like an ice cold diet coke or diet pepsi over ice first thing in the morning! Ahhhhh!
  • skinnyforhi
    skinnyforhi Posts: 340 Member
    Yep--more than 5 cans a day for well over a decade. I quit cold turkey and after 2 weeks I realized I didn't miss it one bit. I can't lose weight while I am consuming artificial sweeteners but others have stated it isn't a problem for them. I think everyone is different.
  • mdcoug
    mdcoug Posts: 397 Member
    Love my Diet Coke. I used to drink a lot more than I do now. I've gotten to the point where, usually, if I drink one after 3pm, it does a number on my stomach. Same thing with coffee. So I'll have my can (or two) with lunch, and that's it.
  • heather_huggins
    heather_huggins Posts: 194 Member
    i looooooove diet coke and pepsi. i drink at least one a day, but i still make sure to get my water in ( i try to drink at least 10 cups) i did cut down a lot on pop so that i could lose the weight easier. it does make me bloat if i drink any more than one a day, so i stick to just one.
  • mafoote
    mafoote Posts: 10 Member
    I love Diet Coke in a weird way. But since I've cleaned up my act so much on the nutrition and fitness front, I decided to cut down Diet Coke as well. I still drink it once or twice a week (down from every day) but other days I've switched to Zevia - no calorie, all natural soda. Lots of flavors, my favorites being Cola and Ginger Root Beer. I'm not saying they taste as good, they don't, but they are close and they satisfy this Diet Coke addict's cravings. And my nutritionist approves. It's more expensive too, but my wife looks for sales and it ends up not being that bad.

    Here's the website: http://www.zevia.com/flavors

    Hope it helps you guys!

    I love MFP!
  • MissAnjy
    MissAnjy Posts: 2,480 Member
    Love Diet Pepsi, drink it every day :)
  • JenKillough
    JenKillough Posts: 474 Member
    Have you continued to drink or cut down and still lost weight?


    Is there a cure or technique to cut down more?

    Can you point me to the peer reviewed study showing how diet drinks cause weight gain or prevent weight loss? Thanks.

    And... the technique is to just stop drinking it, substituting some other liquid.
  • Celeigh12
    Celeigh12 Posts: 763 Member
    I used to drink 10-12 diet Cokes a day. I stopped when I started to worry about the effects of that much citric acid on my teeth. Plus I was like a drug addict in need of a fix when I ran out. It wasn't pretty.

    So I stopped cold turkey in February. It didn't change the rate of my loss or any food cravings. I feel better mentally not being a slave to my addiction, but I miss them. If I thought I could handle drinking them in moderation, I would. But I don't think I can do that now.
  • ktc33
    ktc33 Posts: 249 Member
    I love diet coke. I will drink a couple 20 oz bottles on some days, but then there are some days I don't have any. Either way I try to get at least 8 glasses of water in daily.
  • angelique_redhead
    angelique_redhead Posts: 782 Member
    I love my Diet Mountain Dew but I'm just fine drinking coffee or tea. I just don't like the taste as well. I drink at least 8 glasses of water a day and usually more.
  • TheArmadillo
    TheArmadillo Posts: 299 Member
    I drink pepsi max several times a day (I don't log all of it). I have lost 82lb. I don't think it has affected my weightloss and I have no intention of giving up/cutting down :tongue:
    Before losing weight I drank full fat coke at the quantities I drink the diet stuff now and it was one of the reasons I put on so much weight so I stick to diet versions now.
    I very rarely drink tea (couple times a month) and never coffee, this is my form of caffeine.
    I also drink no added sugar squash instead of water. Again no intention in stopping.
  • AckieJ
    AckieJ Posts: 199 Member
    Phew thought i was the only one.
  • jenericstewart
    jenericstewart Posts: 10 Member
    Years ago, I'd drink a six pack easily. I quit a long time ago after getting really sick and hearing all of the negatives.

    Enter dieting... I can't quite get addicted to them again. i wish I could since it'd make dieting more tolerable. I drink approximately 5 cans per week. I certainly don't guzzle it anymore. I can't see why i was so enamored with it, for so many years. :)
  • bgelliott
    bgelliott Posts: 610 Member
    wow...lots of soda being drank everywhere...lol
    I was never a huge soda drinker but if I did drink it, it was never diet...I don't like diet anything.
    My poison was 2 vodka drinks at night once the kids went to bed.

    When I decided I wanted to lose weight, I cut out all of it. Now I only drink water (about 1 gallon a day) and 2 cups of coffee a day. I do not miss the alcohol one bit and occasionally if I crave a soda, I dump it after 1 small sip because it does not taste as good as I remember.
  • Madholm
    Madholm Posts: 167
    Switch to the coke that comes in a bag and watch the pounds fall off.
  • pandoraw
    pandoraw Posts: 143 Member
    I drink 2 to 3 cups a day of diet coke. I have lost 53 lbs in the last 9 months. I used to drink a lot more, but now i drink lots of water.