Diet coke alternative

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I'm pretty much addicted to diet coke. I drink 2-3 cans per day and keep hearing how horrible it is for a person. Does anyone have any good alternatives? I need a little caffeine throughout the day as well!

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  • squashmelon9
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    I agree with you but I have cut back to one a day. The rest of the time I drink bottled poland spring water. Although they say the plastic bottles are no good for you either.
  • ♥seoid♥
    ♥seoid♥ Posts: 476
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    2-3 cans is not an addiction....it's 9 a.m. and I've had 3 already. i drink pepsi one with splenda....not sure if it's any better, but it doesn't have aspartame in it.

    most people on here will tell you to drink water, but i for one, can't do that. good luck.
  • trainguy917
    trainguy917 Posts: 366 Member
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    How about iced tea? I like mine unsweetened, but am aware that's not a usual preference. My wife has me using xylitol to sweeten drinks and food when I use anything. We get it at a health food store and it costs a flippin' fortune, but they claim it's healthy (your body is supposed to metabolize it differently than regular table sugar, though I don't know if it's true) and you don't need almost any to get stuff plenty sweet.
  • mvl1014
    mvl1014 Posts: 531
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    Green tea?

    @seoid - if you've had 3 of anything except eggs before 9am you might have a problem. lol winkt.gif

    @trainguy - sugar alcohols get converted to sugar pretty quickly once they're in your system. I'd do some research on that, you might not be getting your money's worth.
  • ♥seoid♥
    ♥seoid♥ Posts: 476
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    mvl - LOL and yes, I completely agree. :drinker:
  • Mrs_Demeanor
    Mrs_Demeanor Posts: 8 Member
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    I'm completely addicted to diet coke as well. If I try to go cold turkey, I get headaches. I'm def not down with headaches. So the diet coke addiction stays until I can find something to replace it. I've tried artificially sweetened tea, but unless it has gobs of the real stuff, the southerner in me gags a little with each swallow! :sick:
  • innerhottie
    innerhottie Posts: 163 Member
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    I would suggest tea sweetened with honey and some lemon.
  • valleyp
    valleyp Posts: 49
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    First of all, the issue with artificial sweeteners is that they trick your body into thinking you are getting the real thing and therefor you actually crave more sugar. I realize that dieting is difficult enough without more self-deprivation--I'm in the dieting boat with you--but what your best alternative is, is to eliminate your sugars all together, including the artificial ones. I have read many places that you can curb a sugar craving by eating protein. I've tried it and it really does help. Like any other addiction, it will take a few days to overcome the cravings but soon your body will realize it doesn't need it anymore and you will be free. You may even enjoy and additional weight loss : ) I was once addicted to regular Coke and drank 4-6 of them a day. I was afraid of headaches, too, so I drank ice tea and it did the trick. If you must sweeten it, use Stevia, as it is a natural and safe no calorie sweetener. Sweet Leaf is a good brand.
  • HonestOmnivore
    HonestOmnivore Posts: 1,356 Member
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    I have switched my diet coke to a green chai tea addiction! I don't like straight green tea - it's too bitter or acidic or somthing like that. But Stash (tea company) makes a Green Chai tea that's super smooth and easy to drink! I make it with the hot water from my work's water cooler and I use a packet of sweetener (no creamer). I've used splenda, the pink stuff and sweet-leaf sweeteners and they all work fine.

    1. Drinks well hot, cold, room temp (unlike diet coke which I hate room temp!)

    2. Green chai has all the benefits of regular green tea plus yummy spices! (not as much spice as coffee shop chai).

    3. CHEAP usually less than 20 cents a teabag ($3 for a box of 20 bags at my local grocery - even less from Amazon!)

    4. Has caffeine, just not as much as regular tea or diet coke. My doctor is anti caffeine but OK with me getting it from this tea (maybe she doesn't know I drink 8-10 servings a day?:laugh: )

    5. TASTES GREAT (seriously LOVE it)

    Here is what I drink -
    http://www.amazon.com/Stash-Premium-Green-20-Count-Boxes/dp/B000CQE42M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=grocery&qid=1269184597&sr=1-1

    (edited for spelling!)
  • morris12
    morris12 Posts: 1
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    Try club soda especially if you like the carbonation effect. Zero calories. Mix it with those single serve Crystal light and make your own soda with no calories. Or use fresh squeezed lemon or limes in the club soda. Again no calories but you still have that soda feel.

    As for the caffiene, I can not help you there. Replacing one addiction with another such as coffee or caffeinated tea is not doing you justice. Limit your intake of the caffienated drinks slowly reducing from 3 down to 2 then to 1 and hopefully none. Goodluck
  • nsking83
    nsking83 Posts: 145
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    I'm with you! I LOVE LOVE LOVE diet coke........i don't have one every day, but I definitely have some form of caffeine (coffee is usually my other weapon of choice). I know that aspartame is supposed to be "lethal" :sick: , but I rationalize that hey......there are worse things to be addicted to! :laugh:
  • FitbitConnor
    FitbitConnor Posts: 143 Member
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    I'm with you on the caffeine addiction at least i was until last week, i was drinking at LEAST on the the odd day 1litres but most between 2-3 litres and sometimes 4. its horrible to admit but i lived off of the stuff, what makes it worse is that i used to drink 2litres of water everyday at work but that was replaced by the evil diet coke. Last saturday i decided i had to stop and quit I felt horrible with the headaches etc for a couple of days but by tuesday was feeling way better and now im sleeping MUCH better and i dont miss it at all, I had a 500ml bottle today as i had a very late night last night but thats it and it'll be at least another week before i have another :0) You will feel HORRIBLE most likely for a day or two if that its really worth it! plus you'll be better hydrated and able to exercise much better and you wont suffer the caffeine crash or fatigue DO IT! lol
  • ajimenez
    ajimenez Posts: 16 Member
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    Okay, so we need to fess up: It's not the Diet Coke we're addicted to, it's the caffeine!
    Word of warning: Caffeine bonds with calcium and takes it out of your body. Please take Calcium Supplements if you are drinking caffeine regularly (whether Diet Coke, tea, Pepsi, coffee, whatever!).
    I would recommend to try to eliminate all addictions if possible, even if that means having to go through withdrawal (headaches)... But, hey, who am I to talk? I am addicted to food. Can't quit that cold-turkey!
  • karenjoy
    karenjoy Posts: 1,840 Member
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    I would suggest you try squash, but I am guessing you are in the States and for some mad reason that I can't fathom you don't have it there. You guys should all be asking your supermarkets how come you don't sell this stuff!

    It is added to water and comes in all sorts of flavours, from orange to blackcurrant, apple, lemon, barley, mango and passion fruit you name in and it comes in it. It is available in sugar free varieties and tastes great and makes water very nice indeed. It is something that everyone in the UK is very familiar with, it's what I gave to my kids when they were little (I did not allow them to have any fizzy drinks at home, by the way that is what we call pop or soda of any flavour in the UK)

    I don't know how best to describe it, but you don't have anything like it that side of the pond. I know as when I was there with my kids each time we went looking for something for them to drink in the store, we could not find anything in the least bit like it OR anything healthy to drink other than OJ.

    I have to ask what US parents give their kids other than water? Did we miss out on something that we could have used?
  • imagymrat
    imagymrat Posts: 862 Member
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    I've switched to diet decaffeinated diet coke, slowly but surely weaning myself off. I don't notice a taste difference btw diet and the diet decaf
  • PinkDog
    PinkDog Posts: 68 Member
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    Here's an AWESOME drink I love -- Green Tea, Hot steamed Milk (or fatfree cream is even better), splenda and a drop of vanilla extract. ITs called a LONDON FOG. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
  • dmhat6278
    dmhat6278 Posts: 25 Member
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    Hey, thanks for all of the great ideas! It sounds like I'm not the only "Diet Coke addict" out there. I'm going to decrease to one can a day and try to eventually replace it with some of the ideas here. Then I'll get rid of the stuff all together. I know my body will thank me for it!! Thanks again, everyone!
  • Carleybby
    Carleybby Posts: 158
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    Oh man, if only you knew my boyfriend.

    He's a medium ! A medium... he used to be over 250 lbs...
    But he drinks ... 3 + personal bottles a day, pepsi... when he's not working...
    I think he had 5 bottles? and two energy drinks? >.>

    Also might I add he can eat ice cream all day long.

    Not gain a lb, lucky guy.