Diet Pepsi addiction

laurannjeffrey
laurannjeffrey Posts: 9
in Health and Weight Loss
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to dump my diet pepsi addiction? In my 43 years, I have kicked to bad habits. I quit bitting my nails after 29 years of chewing them off to the nubs (eww). And the biggest one of all. After 27 years, I quit smoking! I have been smoke free for 2 years and 3 months. But NOW, I am addicted to diet pepsi and I want, need to quit....help!
I already drink a lot of lemon water and raspberry tea, but I crave diet pepsi atleast once a day, if not more.:drinker:

Replies

  • beachlover317
    beachlover317 Posts: 2,848 Member
    First CONGRATULATIONS! Quitting smoking is extremely hard. I just quit in Jan. of this year. I never bit my nails - but my sister did! I gave up my 30 year addiction to DP in March. I did it by swapping a glass of very lightly sweetened tea for the DP. This helped because I did not g et the headaches you can get from caffeine withdrawal. AFter a few days of that, I went to all water and have not looked back. I don't even crave it anymore, which the way I drank it, is hard to believe! It really helped jumpstart my weight loss. I held on to a LOT of the sodium. Good luck and I hope you can kick the last habit. Compared to cigs? This will be a piece of cake! Ooops! Too high calorie???
  • MotivatedMom2012
    MotivatedMom2012 Posts: 44
    Instead of thinking "how do I stop drinking cola" focus on drinking half an ounce of water for every pound of fat you weigh. For some that can be an incredible amount of water (but the amount you are SUPPOSED to get does depend on how much you weigh, not just 8 cups for some people). If you are focused on drinking that water, make it a game for yourself...I drank 10 cups yesterday ok time to beat that. It will make it more fun.

    The more water you are drinking the less you will WANT anything else. You'll be too darn full of water! LOL

    Cola - sugar, aspartame (for diet drinks) ARE addictive. It triggers the same hormones in your brain as a typical drug addiction. Once you cut down and cut it out, you will experience head aches, and maybe even mood swings! But you quit smoking and it's said cigarettes are one of the most addictive things in the world ~ so I know you can do it :)
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,993 Member
    It's my addiction and there's no reason for me to quit it since there hasn't been any adverse effects from drinking it. Love my Diet Pepsi! In fact, I'm having one now!

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • biglad21
    biglad21 Posts: 9
    My situation is almost identical went of fegs lost a couple of pounds but still have that addiction only mine is diet coke =)

    ps. low calorie juice not a bad thing
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,422 Member
    A couple a day aren't going to hurt you.
  • TimothyPhoenix
    TimothyPhoenix Posts: 79 Member
    Is Diet soda really that bad for a person?

    When I started my diet a few months ago I was coming off of drinking 3 or 4 cans of regular soda a day, and probably 2 gallons of iced tea a week. One of the biggest challenges for me was to just quit those things and I did. I need to get soda out of my system completely to make it work so I stayed away from diet soda as well. I'd say for the last two months or so I have about 4 or 5 cans of diet soda per WEEK, and it hasn't caused me to slip back to regular soda.

    So, back to the original question, what's wrong with a few diet sodas a week?
  • ClarkAddison
    ClarkAddison Posts: 86 Member
    I had the same issue with Diet Coke. I've boosted my water intake. I put MIO in my water so that helps. I still have one now and then but not nearly the 3 or 4 a day I used to.
  • dusheck
    dusheck Posts: 2 Member
    I keep reading that soda are associated with increased weight--even diet sodas.

    Here's a pretty article that discusses some of the issues involved.
    http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/03/01/diet.soda.health/index.html
  • kariinbliss
    kariinbliss Posts: 26
    I have one can of DP a day, and drink water the rest of the time. That is what has worked for me, couldn't take the caffeine withdrawal headaches. Some people have to go cold turkey or it doesn't work. I guess just figure out what works for you and go for it! I am trying to replace it with cascade ice sparkling water... but not sure if that's a good idea or not.
  • veganmum
    veganmum Posts: 2 Member
    I had a diet coke addiction (it was bad!) and I gave up cold turkey. I had done this before but for some reason i was determined this time. It would be like quitting smoking was for you, in that you'll do it when you want to. I found cold turkey was the only way, and I did it by eliminating diet coke and coffee at the same time. For the people commenting that it's not bad for your health - you need to do more research!!! Apart from it being unhealthy for you, it contains zero nutrition, so why not replace it with something that does? I drink a lot of water, I juice at home and if I really feel the need for something sweet to drink I have a soda water with a lime wedge in it. The following link is useful for explaining why diet drinks make you fat! Good luck! :)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpoAtwVyzZI
  • uwdawg07
    uwdawg07 Posts: 372 Member
    I quit cold turkey from diet soda. The first week or so was bad, but after that, I didn't even crave the stuff!
  • fun_b
    fun_b Posts: 199 Member
    I have the same problem. A few years ago I used to be terrible and have at least two a day. These days I have improved my habits and can go through a week or so without having it. But then as soon as I have one, I need to have one everyday. But if I miss a day, I seem to get back into the habit of not having it.
  • seekingstrengthX2
    seekingstrengthX2 Posts: 771
    I don't really consider craving a pop once a day an addiction. Enjoy your drink. There's nothing wrong with it.
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
    I used to sit in my chair in front of the TV with a 2 liter bottle of diet soda next to my chair every night.
    I joked about being a bubbleholic.
    At some point I started switching to just lemon water. It was not a conscious effort. Before I knew it I wasn't drinking soda much any more. I rarely buy it now. Mostly for the kids. It has saved a bunch of money over time as well.
    Lemon water is my beverage choice a home now. Helps me keep my water intake up too.
  • kathyms13
    kathyms13 Posts: 497 Member
    I don't really consider craving a pop once a day an addiction. Enjoy your drink. There's nothing wrong with it.

    exactly i totaly agree. diet drinks are fine there will always some idiot that says dont have this or dont have that, whats a diet drink gonna do ...... nothing
  • Jenny_Rose77
    Jenny_Rose77 Posts: 418 Member
    I have/had (once an addict, always an addict?) a serious Diet Coke addiction. I'm currently off the stuff. I'm pregnant, and it is not recommended during pregnancy. Doctors also don't recommend it if you are trying to conceive. Without getting into all the science and articles that have been written, it seems to me that if it's no good for baby, it can't be all that great for you either.

    I like the fizzy sensation, so I've replaced Diet Coke with plain seltzer. I adore the stuff.
  • Kitty_Kat_meow
    Kitty_Kat_meow Posts: 38
    Well done for kicking so many bad habits, I'd let yourself have the pepsi for now as it's probably acting as a replacement for other things such as smoking or higher fat products like chocolate, just wean yourself off slowly, I'd suggest buying a bottle (small) of pepsi for each day of the week, then cut down to say 5 a week and make sure you don't buy anymore then you're limiting the amount you have in your home so can't be too tempted and at least if you go the shops to buy more you've had the walk to help counteract the drink :)
  • kathyms13
    kathyms13 Posts: 497 Member
    there is so much rubbish about what to not eat when your pregnant, one true story when i was expecting my oldest 43 years ago i had cravings for andrews liver salts boy did they keep me running .
  • drescn
    drescn Posts: 1
    I had a harder time getting diet pepsi out my life than cigarettes, too. If you only have one or two a day, though, you probably don't have the kind of physical addiction I had. What I did was to switch to sparkling water and juice (as much juice as I wanted to make it taste great at first - and then cut that back over time). It took me a couple of month to wean myself from the juice to plain sparkling water (or with a little lemon or even a splash of juice for a treat) but what I realized is that I really LOVE carbonation. I especially loved it with cigarettes (but that is another story). But if it is the carbonation you crave - you might invest in a home carbonating system like SodaStream. I can't tell you how happy and healthy mine makes me feel. Good luck and congratulations! You are on the path now!
  • ronaldmcyd
    ronaldmcyd Posts: 54 Member
    I suggest cutting out all sugar and artificial sugar. your cravings will be gone in two weeks tops:smooched:
  • Yogi261288
    Yogi261288 Posts: 13
    I am Pepsi Max addict. I used to polish off 2 x 2 litre bottles in a day.... I found keeping a huge bottle of sparkling water near by to be a good trick. Plus do your best not to buy any on the weekly shop! Instead look for a nice posh cordial to go with the sparkling water and you will end up phasing it out without even noticing.
  • kathyms13
    kathyms13 Posts: 497 Member
    i am looking at a bottle of pepsi max as i speak, per 250 ml 1 cal trace sugar no fat no saturates no salt, so weres the problem with it.
  • seekingstrengthX2
    seekingstrengthX2 Posts: 771
    I continued to drink diet pepsi while pregnant. My son, now 5, is missing one limb and has this odd eye twitch, but I dont think its related.
    :laugh:



    Kidding, of course.....feeling silly today.
  • mad923
    mad923 Posts: 42 Member
    I've cut back on my daily intake of Pepsi Max (the ginseng! the caffeine!) from 2-3 to 1.
    I often find that during the late afternoon when I'm at the office, I just crave it.
    Could be fatigue, boredom, a dip in blood glucose...
    So glad it's Honeycrisp apple season - that helps a bit.

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