how did you get rid of diet soda?

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Replies

  • LaurnWhit
    LaurnWhit Posts: 261 Member
    Bump!
  • James_1954
    James_1954 Posts: 187 Member
    I think how you quit diet soda depends on why you want to quit diet soda. I think most people either object to the artificial sweetener, or they object to the caffeine. In my case, I've quit more than once, and first because I wanted to get rid of caffeine, next time because I didn't want the sweetener. Currently, I think moderate caffeine is OK, but the sweetener, isn't, so I took up drinking black coffee, two cups per day. My first cup tasted bad to me, so I had to kind of struggle through it, but I quickly started liking it. Since I took up coffee, I find I'm also drinking MUCH more water than I did previously, so that's good, too. I haven't tried all the sources of coffee out there yet, but so far, I think McDonald's regular, normal-type coffee is both good and fairly cheap.

    On the other hand, if it's the caffeine you want to drop, you could try caffeine-free diet sodas. I've never used them, but I'm sure lots of people do.

    Finally, if it's both the caffeine AND the sweetener ... well, water's a good deal. (That's how I quit when I thought caffeine was a bad thing for me.) For the first day or two, you might experience caffeine-withdrawal headaches and a sort of fuzzy. out-of-focus feeling, but that passes quickly, and the headache's why they make acetaminophen.

    Best of luck to you!
  • bootsiejayne
    bootsiejayne Posts: 151 Member
    I gave it up for Lent.
  • mrsappleblossom77
    mrsappleblossom77 Posts: 48 Member
    I used to drink 7 cans of regular Coke a day. I gradually weaned myself down to 5 then 3 now I am down to one first thing in the morning. (I don't like coffee so it's my caffeine fix) The calories were killing me! At first I rotated from drinking a can of coke then a glass of sweet tea (which is same calories as a coke!) then I found Fruit2o, fruit flavored bottled water. It's clear like water, but tastes like a fruit drink. My goal is to eventually wean myself to plain water. Walmart also has liter bottles of sparking flavored water. The lemon one tastes like Diet Sprite to me. I have one glass of that sometimes if I need a fizzy fix.
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
    I left it at the store.
  • michelle7673
    michelle7673 Posts: 370 Member
    I gave it up for Lent too!
  • elainecroft
    elainecroft Posts: 595 Member
    For me, it was more about the process than the soda itself. I love the feeling of opening soda and having a can to drink out of. So I switched to seltzer water. I like Blue Sky lime in particular - I drink 3-4 a day, instead of soda.
  • kathleen0211
    kathleen0211 Posts: 11 Member
    I'm in the process of kicking the habit. Sparkling water is helping a ton.
  • Energizer06
    Energizer06 Posts: 311 Member
    Cold Turkey baby! If you don't have it in the house...you can't drink it. I only drink water and a 1/4 soymilk (in my coffee). Get rid of all the carbonated junk. Only makes you want something sweet.
  • edmarymom
    edmarymom Posts: 19 Member
    Just stop buying it! Give yourself about 30 days and you won't even miss it. It's junk and not good for you. Doesn't mean I don't have one a couple of times a year, but I rarely even finish it. You'll save money and improve your health. You can do it. look at all of us that have. And I quit about 4 years ago, after drininkg about a 12 pack of Diet Coke a day for several years. I've even learned to like milk!:love:
  • NicoWoodruff
    NicoWoodruff Posts: 369 Member
    Diet soda is even more yucky than the real thing.. after awhile off them they become unappealing. I grew up drinking lots of the stuff, now it never crosses my mind.

    My tip; what helped me get off them back when was - flavored seltzer water, check the health food store if your regular grocer doesn't have it. (Oddly it's hard to find in the southern US, maybe because it's more of a NY Deli type thing.) You could have a store order it for you if nothing else, there are generic brands, Scottish ones, and French flavored seltzer waters too.

    The Scottish orange flavor and French raspberry ones are my favorites. If you find them not sweet enough at first try stirring in some simple syrup like the stuff you can get to sweeten coffee at a coffee shop. Then cut back on the sweet over time until you need it less or not at all.
  • 366to266
    366to266 Posts: 473 Member
    Do you have fruit "tea" in your country? AKA fruit infusions.

    I have blackcurrant ones and strawberry, and there are many others. No carbs, no calories and no caffeine.

    Put two bags into a half pint of boiling water and leave to infuse for a good half hour.

    Top up to the pint with sparkling water.

    Voila -- a fizzy, sweet, fruity drink for zero calories or carbs.
  • lawtechie
    lawtechie Posts: 708 Member
    When you tried and failed , how long did you try? How much are you drinking per day? I used to have over 40 oz of Diet Coke per day, and even more at the movies. Over a month or so, cut back to where it was just 1-12oz every other day and then 1-12 oz per week (unless at movies). Now I'm to the point where I'll just drink it at the movies and you know what... I Don't really care for the taste. I'll drink water like no tomorrow -- over 150 oz some days.

    If you're eating healthy and watching the other sweets, I think cutting back over time and then drinking so little will help ween you off the taste. and drink more water.
  • Leslietheriot
    Leslietheriot Posts: 303 Member
    I gave up Coke Zero ONLY because of the studies that I have ready about Aspartame. The digestive issues that it causes and the other health related issues were enough for me to quit. Now I only drink water and black coffee. It was hard but soooo worth it.
  • Textmessage
    Textmessage Posts: 387 Member
    Personally, I just quit soda altogether. I was drinking so much of it on a daily basis, I felt that removing it was better for my health overall.

    Maybe I'll have some again one day, as a treat or something, but for now I'd rather just have water.
  • sgtbrown
    sgtbrown Posts: 58 Member
    I am a Caffeine Free Diet Pepsi addict. I am going to try the water with fruit juice approach. My last 2-liter is in the fridge. When it's gone.....it's gone. Several people have told me that the artificial sweeteners are treated just like sugar in your body. Lots of recent press on this. Not worth the risk.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    Lost a few pounds drinking it everyday and don't plan to quit anytime soon.. Have 2 or 3 a day along with my 120+ oz. of water..... Best of Luck.......
  • SueFromRI
    SueFromRI Posts: 206 Member
    I switched to caffeine free diet Pepsi. When I went out to eat I would order a water with lemon. So that cut down my soda intake to about 10 a day. I was careful not to have caffeine soda once I broke the addiction. I substituted Diet Sierra Mist / Sprite when I could, or even root beer. Then diet Coke and diet Pepsi started tasting funny. I bought a Brita filter water bottle and started drinking from that. It took a year of actively trying to break the habit, but I have been soda free for over 6 months.
  • Do you have fruit "tea" in your country? AKA fruit infusions.

    I have blackcurrant ones and strawberry, and there are many others. No carbs, no calories and no caffeine.

    Put two bags into a half pint of boiling water and leave to infuse for a good half hour.

    Top up to the pint with sparkling water.

    Voila -- a fizzy, sweet, fruity drink for zero calories or carbs.

    This is exaclty what I did when I quit diet fizzy.

    My fave is blood orange with cranberry by twinnings. Lots of ice and fresh mint!
  • I have come to suspect that diet soda is formulated to be quite addictive. I found that cold turkey was the best. Once I kept it out of the house and just said no, it became easy. It only takes one for me to cause me to crave more and more. I now drink a lot of green tea, of which there are different flavours, and it's healthy too. Good luck!
  • Ice tea with lemon juice has always been my drink (no sweetener). I also have coffee, but only once (in the morning). Also, water with lemon juice. Occasionally (for a meal) I'll make myself juice, or a smoothie. Also, considering that you can successfully clean your toilet bowl with any colas, and the fact that medical science has found out that diet sodas cause depression, and is possibly a contributing factor to Alzheimer's, if you're a heavy diet soda drinker, you may want to detox at a juice bar for a week (after a doctor's appointment, and his OK to do it).
  • DOElston
    DOElston Posts: 102
    Sparking water with lemon got me over my soda habit. The bubbles really helped! :)
  • wow, thankyou everyone for all the love and replies!!!! I'm cutting to one glass a day from tomorrow!
  • Cold Turkey baby! If you don't have it in the house...you can't drink it. I only drink water and a 1/4 soymilk (in my coffee). Get rid of all the carbonated junk. Only makes you want something sweet.

    I agree, I crave something 'sweet' so do I eat something sweet then?
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
    The first thing I did was to start ordering water whenever I eat out. I've done it so much now that it's a habit and I don't even think twice about it. Also, I know some people fear it, but I started drinking diet, generic koolaid instead. It tastes good, has no calories (or very few) and now when I drink soda, the carbonation kind of bothers my stomach so I don't even want it. In the summer I make my own fruit flavored water with fresh, crushed fruit, ice and water. It's pretty good.
  • When you tried and failed , how long did you try? How much are you drinking per day? I used to have over 40 oz of Diet Coke per day, and even more at the movies. Over a month or so, cut back to where it was just 1-12oz every other day and then 1-12 oz per week (unless at movies). Now I'm to the point where I'll just drink it at the movies and you know what... I Don't really care for the taste. I'll drink water like no tomorrow -- over 150 oz some days.

    If you're eating healthy and watching the other sweets, I think cutting back over time and then drinking so little will help ween you off the taste. and drink more water.

    I tried for three weeks and then gave up.
    Second time, for 1 month but did have lemonade ,ade from lemons, splenda and sparkling water.
    So defeats the purpose!
  • TheRunningGuppy
    TheRunningGuppy Posts: 651 Member
    I went cold turkey. But I wasn't a big drinker of it in the first place, so I haven't found it hard not to be drinking it. I grew up in a home where any kind of soda was rare, but my husband grew up having it on hand all the time. So he still drinks it, in moderation, but I have not had any in a month and it isn't bothering me at all. I have the occasional glass of crystal light if I'm wanting something besides water, coffee or milk.
    Good luck with weaning yourself off it!
  • Thanks again everyone. Lets see how I deal with this now.
    It certainly gives me hope seeing that I'm not the only one here!
  • clarkeje1
    clarkeje1 Posts: 1,641 Member
    I just stopped drinking it. At work we have a water cooler(one that actually keeps the water ice cold) So I just continuously refill my water bottle while I am working so I don't get thristy. I keep water in the refridgerator at home and I only drink that. I do not buy soda at ALL.

    THIS

    I just had to get used to it. Now I crave water and don't want anything else!
  • lbesaw
    lbesaw Posts: 267 Member
    It can take some time. I kicked that monkey on my back at least 12 years ago. I might have 2 sodas a year--maybe. I switched to unsweetened black and green iced tea as my go to beverage. I don't want to drink my calories and I find it very satisfying. I try to drink only calorie free drinks and try to avoid artificial sweeteners so I opt for coffee/tea/water and 100% juices when I need something to drink. Good luck---