Help! Diet Coke Addiction!!

Great choice on quitting it cold turkey! If you're looking for a fizzy taste, maybe sparkling water with a squeeze of fresh orange, lemon or lime? Also, tea is a good replacement for the caffeine. I would say coffee too, as long as it's organic since coffee is a heavily sprayed crop. If you don't drink either of those, maybe try an all-natural energy booster like e-boost. Whatever you decide, good luck and keep remembering that once you're past this, you're body will thank you and you'll have a ton more energy.



For those saying "I don't see why it's a problem." Here is the main reason I don't drink soda:

Diet coke (or any kind of soda for that matter) has a bunch of artificial sweeteners and colors that not only cause cancer, but also throw your entire biochemistry (metabolism) out of whack. If you're skeptical, please look it up as there are tons of studies on it. If you don't care about possibly getting cancer or having problems losing weight, carry on with the soda.

Why is having one diet coke a day problematic? I'd say carry on as you are.

yes. ^^^^

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

I had to go cold turkey. I had a habit of drinking regular soda, then switching to diet, drinking 2x as much, then having no willpower and switching back to regular. Haven't had a soda in 2 years and I don't miss it one bit...

Why is having one diet coke a day problematic? I'd say carry on as you are.

I was thinking the exact same thing

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

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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

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:

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

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.