Ween off of Diet Soda or Quit Cold Turkey?
kitcatsheart
Posts: 32 Member
I'm a huuuuggggeeee Diet Soda drinker, like I could finish a 6 pack of the bottles in one 12 hour work shift. Should I just quit cold turkey or should I try to lower my intake. I don't drink coffee because I have a heart arrhythmia So I've relied on Diet Soda to keep my pep in my step when everything gets crazy in the ER. I'm usually a pretty happy person but to be honest giving up some of my favorite mood stabilizers (chocolate, Milk shakes, french fries) has given me a bit of a tude at work lol and now my diet soda whyyyyyyyyyy lol anyway any suggestions?
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Replies
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I don't see why you should stop drinking it if you enjoy it - although finishing a 6 pack of bottles doesn't sound too good! Just cut down and enjoy it in moderation.0
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I'd recommend cutting down slowly.
I was a diet-soda fiend as well - 3 or 4 cans a day was my usual intake. I started by limiting myself to 1 can in the morning and one in the afternoon.
The thing about diet sodas is that they're loaded with sodium - which (in my case) wrecks my blood pressure.0 -
I'm mostly concerned because I've read that diet soda can lead to sweet cravings and make temptation harder. but that sounds like a good plan cut down to 2 cans a day then see how I feel from there
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Definitely don't quit cold turkey!!! The headaches that can give you are awful! I used to drink regular soda then diet (because my dentist told me to quit regular since I was getting cavities from it!), got the flu for a week and couldn't drink any pop, when I got better I switched to caffeine free diet soda, got all kinds of crap for years about why I didn't just drink water cause' what's the point?! Finally decided they were all right and stopped drinking pop all together. It wasn't hard to quit the caffeine free diet cold turkey because the caffeine really is what gets you, I think I'm going on 3 years of no soda and I don't miss it at all. I can't even drink it now, just too sweet and nasty tasting! It's amazing what you can get used to! I wouldn't stop completely but I would cut back 6 a day is really bad for you. Maybe eliminate 1 a day for a couple weeks then reduce it another one. I would take it slow though, your body will not like it but will be better for it in the long run! Good luck!0
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I'd recommend cutting down slowly.
I was a diet-soda fiend as well - 3 or 4 cans a day was my usual intake. I started by limiting myself to 1 can in the morning and one in the afternoon.
The thing about diet sodas is that they're loaded with sodium - which (in my case) wrecks my blood pressure.
which kind are you drinking? My coke zero has 40 mg of sodium. In a day, I'm allowed 2500. 40/2500=0.016 or 1.6% of my day.
SO......I'm not seeing the sodium numbers to match your claim.0 -
I'd be more concerned with the chocolate, milk shakes and french fries as "mood stabilizers".
ETA: Why would you give up any of these things? If they fit into your macros then enjoy them in moderation. Moderation being the key word.0 -
I did it cold turkey 2 1/2 weeks ago, now I keep a water bottle with me constantly. I drink one travel mug of coffee every morning and have not missed the extra caffeine from the soda. I gave up soda to help limit the amount of useless chemicals I was throwing in my body.0
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I drink a ton of diet soda. hasnt hurt my diet in the least.0
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Just quit. Its done then. Hodgie x0
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Quitting caffeine cold turkey gives me a headache that can last for a week, so I've learned other ways to do it (sadly, I've quit many times and started back up, so I have a lot of practice). The least painful method for me works as follows: wait to drink any until the tiniest tiniest bit of a headache comes, and then drink enough to kill the headache. Then wait for the next twinge, and drink again, hopefully a bit less. In between, I drink TONS of water, probably double my normal intake. The water is crucial, as is not waiting past the point of no headache return on the caffeine. Can you drink tea? If so, that can work to increase water intake and you can dilute it more and more to cut the caffeine. With my caffeine intake, the tapering method takes me about 4 days to stop (it might take longer if you are drinking 6+ per day), and then another few days to feel FREE!
Good luck!! Getting rid of my mood stabilizers has been tough (I still eat a bit of chocolate, as dark as I can stand it).0 -
I'd be more concerned with the chocolate, milk shakes and french fries as "mood stabilizers".
ETA: Why would you give up any of these things? If they fit into your macros then enjoy them in moderation. Moderation being the key word.
I was only kidding lol trying to make light, it's a running joke with people I work with. Working ER can be crazy, especially when everyone you work with is female except one person who is part time lol. So sometimes we'll be like OOO so and so is getting moody we're gonna need reeses cups stat. It's all in fun lol0 -
I too was a HUGE drinker of Diet Pepsi. I could drink a 64 oz. bottle a day and have done so for many years. This past Christmas I told myself that I needed to quit. It's not so much the sodium in a soda but all the other artificial ingredients. I just stopped buying it and I started drinking unsweetened ice tea with a packet of Sweet-n-low. This helped with the caffeine. After about a month of not drinking it at all, I started to drink it one night a week while playing cards. Now I don't really miss it and if I really feel like I need the taste of one I will buy 1 small bottle and drink it. Again, I did it mostly because of all the artificial ingredients. Now the challenge is to ween myself off of the Sweet-n-low. LOL! I've always been better with the cold turkey move. Anyway, it's all about what works best for you! Good luck!0
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I was a big diet pepsi drinker. The way I got off them was to start using Mio water flavors. That way, I was still getting some kind of taste rather than just drinking water. Started just drinking diet pepsi with meals, and mio water the rest of the time. Then I replaced, over time, one meal at a time with mio water. When I got off the diet soda, I started only using mio water at meals, and regular water the rest of the time. Then started replacing one meal at a time, again gradually over time, with regular water instead of mio water. Now I drink nothing but water, and the occasional iced tea sweetened with stevia.0
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Now the challenge is to ween myself off of the Sweet-n-low. LOL!
Steveia. All natural, calorie free sweetener.0 -
I say cold turkey ... I stopped a 6 Mt Dew a day habit cold turkey. It sux at 1st, but then it's over. Now I drink water with every meal .....0
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I went cold turkey with regular coke. I haven't had any in over 2 months. I don't even crave it anymore.0
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I suggest just cutting back, I attempted quitting coffee and soda at the same time, and had horrible caffeine withdrawls, i dont recommend it0
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Honestly, it's whatever works best for your personality.
If I'm going to do something, I can't do baby steps. All or nothing. Same with quitting smoking, I tried the gum and smoking less but it was always *there* and I couldn't stop. So I went cold turkey and voila!0 -
diet soda has aspartame. definitely cutting it out completely is going to do you way better than limiting your intake.0
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Cold turkey. Tapering off just gives you time to make reasons to keep drinking it.0
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They can pry the Coke Zero out of my cold dead fingers!! I drink 1-2 cans a day and have never noticed any more sweet cravings or other issues.
However if you are trying to reduce caffiene and don't drink coffee, 6 of these a day seems excessive. I'd try to mix in some decaf stuff, iced green tea, soda water with a twist, etc...0 -
I was a big Coco Cola Classic drinker and for me having limited amounts to ween myself off, just didn't work. I had to drop them completely.. but now I feel so much better! Good luck0
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Cold turkey. It is too easy to just say "oh I will only have one more" then you are right back where you started. Does your work have a Kruig? If so, try brewing green tea over ice - it is way better cold and not too much caffeine. You could add a little of (natural) stevia if you need it sweeter - or honey. Good luck - I'm cutting out the diet coke too 0
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I think it was dr. oz that did a segment on diet cola and belly fat ? I never recommend taking out all the foods you like from a diet. You are setting yourself up to fail. If you like chocolate. Eat some periodically. Just make sure to account for it!
Diet soda gives you NOTHING! other than a buzz. The aspertane is horrible for you also. it is the one thing I would recommend to stop drinking. I wouldn't stop drinking it all at once though! You will run into withdrawls and headaches. Makes sure to keep your warter intake high!
Good luck!0 -
Sweet things make me want more sweet things. Substitute something else - I like fruit flavored herbal teas. 0 calories.0
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My husband is a HUGE soda drinker too and I was just able to get him to switch to Diet regularly. He has started drinking Crystal Lite Ice Tea to help with him cutting back...but, it isnt cold turkey. You'll have to remember, quiting cold turkey is like quiting a drug cold turkey...the soda has caffiene in it so, you have to see what the lack there of would do to you (i.e. headaches, etc).
In all seriousness, I would bring back the chocolate a little bit and cut the diet soda, if for nothing else to help with the caffiene. Dark Chocolate has antioxidants in it so, it would be a little better.
GOOD LUCK...I definitely know what you mean!! :-)0 -
Last year, I decided to get rid of the pepsi in my life. I went with cold turkey, but whatever you think your body can handle is how you should do it. The sugar crash was the hardest part. Once the last can was gone in my fridge I told myself I couldn't buy 6-12-24 pack of anything and now the only time I even think about drinking it is when I am out to dinner. A little indulgence is okay as long as it is balanced with the rest of your diet.0
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I used to guzzle diet "anything carbonated". I was addicted! I actually hated the taste of water...Before I quit, I could not recall the last time I drank actual water from a glass.
I quit pretty quickly, by actually forcing myself to drink regular water instead of pop. Just don't buy it!
Now I find myself craving water when I'm thirsty! Complete turn-around!
I stopped drinking diet, even though it was diet, because I noticed it led myself to binges. I really do think that it can lead to overeating, because of the sweetness. I don't know for sure, but I noticed it with myself!0 -
You'll need to do what works for you. I was a heavy soda drinker, both diet and regular. What worked for me was to only allow myself a can if I was craving it for more than an hour and I had drank at least 8-16 oz of water during that time. I went from 6-8 can/day to 1 per day the first week, to one every day or two the next to none the third week. The last time I had a soda was Thanksgiving and it didn't taste that good and the carbonation was harsh feeling. The other thing that helped was chewing mint gum because no soda tastes good with mint.
I've also read suggestions of drinking green tea if you need a pep-me-up. If it's the carbonation you're craving, try seltzer water, some are flavored or I've heard of buying plain and adding sliced fruit.0 -
I allow myself one a day, it's my treat. If you really want to quit you'd better slowly ween because you will have migraines from hades!0
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