Diet Coke addict!

Options
2

Replies

  • Koholint
    Koholint Posts: 104 Member
    Options
    jjuullzz:

    Honestly, I don't claim to know anything about Type 1 diabetes, but when I drank diet soda constantly, it made me hungry- constantly. Your body still registers the diet soda as tasting sweet, and releases more insulin. Your body's anticipating sugar that doesn't arrive, so you get stuck with more insulin in your blood stream than needed, which can lead to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance may lead to Type 2 diabetes. It doesn't look like a whole lot of difference to me than drinking regular soda.
  • summersbest
    summersbest Posts: 194 Member
    Options
    I used to be addicted to Diet Coke too. I would sometimes drink two or three cans a day. I didn't quite cold turkey but made the decision to stop buying it to keep at home and only drank it when I went out for lunch or dinner. Instead, I started drinking Crystal Light at home as I don't like the taste of plain water. Some may say this is no better since both contain artificial sweetners but at least it got rid of the caffeine. I had surgery in the fall and cannot have carbonated drinks anymore but still have the craving for diet coke almost seven months later though it isn't nearly as bad as in the beginning.

    My advice is to try and find some alternative drinks and just have one as a treat now and again. Good luck.
  • magjoseline
    magjoseline Posts: 4
    Options
    hmm try ICE water maybe that can help you. Try that for a week and see if you can get addicted to a healthy way. :)
  • sportzmom23
    sportzmom23 Posts: 103 Member
    Options
    Personally, I say it's what you are comfortable with as far as can you drink it... I cut back because I drank way to much for me to feel comfortable with it. I know it affects some people's ability to diet, the aspartame or. Whatever is in it now affects people differently... I cut back two ways, I always keep a jug of unsweetened tea in the fridge, this helps w the caffeine withdrawal if you are one affected; and I bought the smaller cans. More expensive, but if I have the 20 or 16 ounce bottles I finish them, same w a 12 ounce can. So I went smaller, and when the urge hit, drank water or ice tea first.

    Good luck, like anything else it isn't easy, and there is a small part of my mind that says it has no calories, I dot smoke, drink excessively, so what's the harm...for me, the harm is setting that example that soda is ok for my kids..,
  • alychil820
    alychil820 Posts: 219 Member
    Options
    Just stop drinking it.

    I was a diet coke addict, too, and I just quit cold turkey. It sucked for a week, but after that I no longer crave it - and when I do, I tell myself no. For me, when I have quit soda before, the moment I give in, I break.

    It's all about willpower, and you have that.
  • escloflowneCHANGED
    escloflowneCHANGED Posts: 3,038 Member
    Options
    Why do you need to stop drinking it!? I don't understand, lets say it actually has 5 calories per can and you drink 5-10 per day...that 50 calories is irrelevant in the long run, you won't gain or lose weight getting rid of or drinking more diet coke...
  • Alex_is_Hawks
    Alex_is_Hawks Posts: 3,499 Member
    Options
    I just stopped drinking it.

    you have to make the decision and then stick to it.

    I'm not saying it's EASY....cause as all addicts know, it's not. But making up your mind is that easy....it really is.

    however to be honest, I have a whole laundry list of things I would rather be addicted to than Diet Coke...

    so it really wasn't a struggle for me.
  • EatClean_WashUrNuts
    EatClean_WashUrNuts Posts: 1,590 Member
    Options
    If you cut it cleaner...wait, wrong coke...


    Just give it up.
  • ATHFat2Fit
    ATHFat2Fit Posts: 62
    Options
    Ok - my first post on the MFP boards and I choose a topic near and dear to my heart. I've never smoked but I think quitting Diet Coke can be about as hard as I imagine quitting smoking being for people, and I'm one of those people. Or as some folks say... quitting is easy, I've done it a million times! I actually have given it up for periods of time but somehow always find my way back to it after a while. As for how bad it is or is not for you.... I don't know, I think there are too many weird chemicals in it for people to think it's healthy at all but I'm also sure there are far worse things I eat on a daily basis but to answer your question about how to quit, I quit two different ways.
    1. Cold Turkey
    2. Gradually
    When I quit gradually I just figured out how many I was drinking per day and started working my way down from there. As an example on week one I drank 4 per day. Then week two I would drink 3 per day. On week three I'd drink 2 per day. One week four I'd drink 1 per day and then the 5th week I was at zero.

    Both ways worked for me (cold turkey and gradually) however I'm also now currently drinking it again.... so like I said earlier... quitting it is easy, I've done it a million times! For me the hardest part was giving up the caffeine as I'm not a coffee drinker.

    Anyway I'm rambling but good luck in whichever route you choose. Let me know if I can help with anything.
  • charlesnapolitano
    charlesnapolitano Posts: 302 Member
    Options
    do some research on aspartame which is in all diet sodas...I promise you..you will stop drinking diet anything
  • lisa799
    lisa799 Posts: 79 Member
    Options
    I love soda and want to drink it all day long...I used to drink a TON of diet soda. For me, I understand that artificial sweeteners aren't healthy and I don't want to consume all the sugar from a regular soda, so my goal is to drink <1 diet soda per day. That keeps me from going nutty without overdoing it. The more I cut back, the easier it got and now I can go a few days without one!
  • Nexir
    Nexir Posts: 17 Member
    Options
    The same... I drink at least one tin per day and I am extremely nervous when I haven't Diet Coke... It's annoying :( Good Luck with your journey! <3
  • StacieHof
    StacieHof Posts: 97 Member
    Options
    I love soda and want to drink it all day long...I used to drink a TON of diet soda. For me, I understand that artificial sweeteners aren't healthy and I don't want to consume all the sugar from a regular soda, so my goal is to drink <1 diet soda per day. That keeps me from going nutty without overdoing it. The more I cut back, the easier it got and now I can go a few days without one!

    Try this... I also love to have soda once in a while especially with some foods.

    Liquid Stevia added to sparkling water is awesome without the diet soda side effects (they even have Cola flavor). My favorite are the Kal and Sweet Leaf brand's in many flavors...Caramel Cream, Vanilla Cream, Hazelnut, Almond, Chocolate, Grape, Orange Cream, Cola and many more! I love the Caramel Cream in my morning latte (my Starbucks Caramel Macchiato). There is also a Zevia (Stevia sweetened) brand soda it's a little pricy and has sugar alcohol in it but I buy it on occasion.
  • HotSouthernMess
    HotSouthernMess Posts: 474 Member
    Options
    I gave it up for lent this year. Really wanted one last week but couldn't bring myself to "break lent" so I just drank water and moved on. It was hard at first but I feel better when I am drinking water all day and not soda. I still have my coffee in the mornings so I don't have caffeine headaches but crave it occasionally. I think once in a while it is ok though. I also sleep better at night now. Do what works for you...if you can't give it up cold turkey then do it gradually. in the long run, 1 a day probably won't hurt...but everyone has their own opinion about this too.
  • TLWallperson
    TLWallperson Posts: 125
    Options
    Thanks to everyone for their awesome tips and encouragement.
    I think the best way for me will be to just cold turkey it. Probably never be able to drink it again either. With some things that's just the way it goes...which is why I don't ever, ever, ever buy ho-ho's or ding-dong's or girl scout samoa cookies...lol
    Anyway thanks again. And for all those who are struggling with the same, I hope you get there.
  • jeansuza
    jeansuza Posts: 148 Member
    Options
    I have very early memories of me having free access to and drinking colas every day. Up to last year, exactly one week before joining MFP ( that was in early May) I used to drink 2 litres of diet Pepsi a day. I was really addicted. I decided to quit because I hated that image of me always having a glass, a bottle or a can in hand and needing it all the time! One day, I just stopped. I replaced it with water, Perrier (I love the grapefruit variety), herbal tea and coffee.
    I still crave it at times but I am so proud of projecting a healthier image, leaner, faster and addiction-free! It's a liberation!

    Furthermore, I've had a small problem with urine leaks for some years but within a couple of weeks (not a long time at all), all my problems stopped! Colas apparently irritate the bladder. Getting no more spots in my panties is an added motivation not to fall back in old tracks...
  • WAHMto5
    WAHMto5 Posts: 375 Member
    Options
    I used to be a Diet Coke freak as well;) I slowly weaned myself from it over about 6 months and now don't even really crave any pop. I maybe will have1 a week now and won't even finish it!
  • stacek4
    stacek4 Posts: 30 Member
    Options
    Definitely recommend the flavored seltzer waters. Once I stopped drinking soda, I realized it wasn't the flavors that I was missing necessarily, but more so the carbonation. Water is great, but sometimes your body just wants a different texture.
  • dahlia_r
    dahlia_r Posts: 4
    Options
    I too LOVE Diet Coke. I have not bought it for the home in almost 4 months. At work I drink 3 cans a week and on the other days, I have Perrier. So far, so good!
  • antdogs
    antdogs Posts: 191 Member
    Options
    i had a problem too with soda.. i just went from regular Pepsi to coke zero to seltzer.. to 0 soda at all it takes time then it goes away!

Categories