Any other Diet Coke addicts able to kick the habit?

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krmat
krmat Posts: 6 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi All,

So I am officially a Diet Coke addict. I use it as my sweet alternative so I don't completely kill my calories with sweets. I am trying to wean myself off of it because I know about the health negatives of it. I also know that the artificial sweetener may cause more severe carb/sugar cravings.

So, I want to know if there are any former addicts that have some tips to help me out. I've tried several times these past few weeks to stop and was unsuccessful. Any help would be appreciated!
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Replies

  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
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    I still drink diet coke... I love it, so why give it up?
  • Jamiebee24
    Jamiebee24 Posts: 296 Member
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    I love diet coke---but have cut back a ton. I used to drink 3 cans a day on average!! But, now, I have one a day---sometimes none. I don't let myself drink it unless I have drank my water for the day---so you could start there.
  • dawn_eichert
    dawn_eichert Posts: 487 Member
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    I am an absolute Diet Coke addict and frankly proud of it. However, since I started this journey two months ago, I have significantly weaned myself. I started slow. I used to be a 10 can a day girl. I started switching out a couple for water with crystal light. I know this still has the fake sugar. After a couple of weeks, I was able to get down to where I have two cans a day and the rest is water. Once I got used to it, I quick using the crystal light as much and now I only use it in my water maybe once or twice a day but for me my water has to be really cold to drink plain.

    The things you need to watch out for is headaches and crabbiness. That was why I did it slow. A few years ago I tried to quit cold turkey due to medical advice and it was horrible. I finally went back to my Diet Coke because I couldn't stand the headaches and no one could be around me. If you wean yourself slowly, your body will adjust as you go.

    Good Luck.
  • GTOgirl1969
    GTOgirl1969 Posts: 2,527 Member
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    Not a Diet Coke addict here (I actually can't stand it :sick:) but I am a confirmed Diet Mountain Dew addict. I used to drink two or more cans/bottles per day, but I cut way back when I got a kidney infection. Now I allow myself one 8oz. glass of it per day, with a meal (and I always chase it with a glass of water).
  • 3babybeans
    3babybeans Posts: 8,268 Member
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    I was a diet coke addict years ago. I was drinking somewhere between 6-8 a day and now I have maybe one a week when I eat church lunch with my parents.

    You can do it! Just remember, if you don't buy it, you won't drink it! :flowerforyou:
  • lobster888
    lobster888 Posts: 861 Member
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    I had a really hard time quittng and it surprised me. But... I hate to tell you this...it took me over 6 months to really quit. I haven't had a diet drink of any kind for over four years. But when I was trying to quit I would give up and give in. The head aches were the worse and justt the craving itself. Also, I could go days without one and then think oh it's ok to have just one...then I would drink two or three. I would convince myself that it was ok and that I was healthy and diet drinks weren't really that bad and everything else to talk myself into letting me drink one. But I really wanted a lifestyle change and I knew diet drinks were not a part of that. So I finally quit. It's kinda of funny that I really was addicted to them. But I am diet drink free today!!!! So, good luck.
  • TheKitsune6
    TheKitsune6 Posts: 5,798 Member
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    I wouldn't even recommend giving it up. The biggest concern I have is the caffeine but frankly if you drink one 8oz glass of water (on TOP of the minimum 8 per day already recommended) for every can you have you should be fine.

    Edit: Of course now that I think about it, it does do some stuff to your teeth if you drink too much. Just soda in general does that. I stopped buying it to have at home and only use it as a treat if I go out or if a friend offers it. It's not really weight loss related, I just suddenly started caring more about my teeth now that I go to the dentist regularly :)
  • knittygirl52
    knittygirl52 Posts: 432 Member
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    For me it's Diet Pepsi, and I also have cut back considerably. I only allow myself to drink it in the evening when I am watching TV. That way the sweet fizziness keeps me for going for the REALLY bad stuff. During the day I stick to water, tea and coffee. I hope at some point to be able to wean myself off entirely, but for now that's where I am.
  • imagymrat
    imagymrat Posts: 862 Member
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    Wish I could help you, it's my one downfall, I switched to diet decaf coke, and only have one a day...but it's a tough one!
  • Skinman
    Skinman Posts: 24
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    I use to use it for rum and diet cokes till I watched "Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World". Now I try to not eat or drink anything with Aspertame. I switched to drinks that use Splenda till that is found to be bad for me.
  • cardswimmom
    cardswimmom Posts: 71
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    I was a huge addict but haven't even had a sip since January. The first 2 weeks were pretty bad-headaches, grumpy, tired...but I gradually began to feel better and was losing weight in the process (working out, eating healthy, lots of water) so that kept me motivated. I think it would have been so much worse if I had prolonged the process by weaning slowly. I will say that Diet Coke is the one thing that I gave up that I still miss every day (even more than sugar, white flour, processed foods, etc.)! Now I think I would feel like a failure if I started drinking it again, there is nothing in it that my body needs!:smile:
  • redefiningmyself
    redefiningmyself Posts: 476 Member
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    I used to LOVE diet coke, but successfully cut it out for over 2 years. I did it because of the health concerns, and I am trying to eat cleaner and healthier.
    The first time I tried to quit I went cold turkey and that didn't work as I ended up with a pounding headache and crabbiness that lasted for days, so I caved.

    The second time I got much smarter about it. First I cut out all Diet coke except 1 in the afternoon - which is the one I loved the most. After a couple weeks of that, I switched to the mini half cans for a couple of weeks. Then to a can around every other day.
    During this time I also psyched myself up for the headache and crabbiness, knowing it would only last a week or so.
    For that I just white-knuckled through the withdrawal, but it wasn't as bad as the first attempt to quit. = phew.

    Also, I have to say that the withdrawal was a HUGE wake up call. I used to think that diet coke wasn't so bad, but I truly don't believe that now. What the heck was it doing to my body when I was drinking it if the withdrawals from it were so bad?

    Nowadays I don't think of it as a forbidden drink - but I weigh it against the struggle to quit and the withdrawal in order to decide if I really want one. The answer is always no. But sometimes if I really really want one, I will have a sip of my husbands first, and I usually find that the sip is all I really wanted. After that I don't feel like a whole glass. For some reason it just doesn't taste as good as it used to.

    Good luck with quitting. you can do it! :)
  • kendra1976
    kendra1976 Posts: 90 Member
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    Diet coke addict here too.. I used to drink 2-3 a day. I am now down to 1 a day. I am only allowed 1 in the morning. I do not buy it and have it available at home either.

    It sucked at first, but I am feeling much better now. The first couple of days did suck, but I did it very slowly though.

    good luck!
  • austinl45
    austinl45 Posts: 6 Member
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    I'm with you - today is my first day without the one a day I have allowed myself. I did it before and somehow went back to drinking them. I found that I slept like a baby when I gave them up the first time... I'm trying again.
  • krmat
    krmat Posts: 6 Member
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    Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I think I will try to not keep it in the house. Problem is, my husband is also an addict and has NO desire to kick it! I'm drinking like 3-4 a day right now. It's been especially satisfying since it's been a hot summer where I'm at. My cold, refreshing Diet Cokes can't be beat!

    Well, I will try to wean down from my 3-4 a day and then go from there. Thanks again to all!
  • Shawna35
    Shawna35 Posts: 65
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    I used to LOVE regular Coke or Dr. Pepper. Then I switched to diet as a way to wean myself off of it. It worked. I never really liked the diet taste.... I still miss Coke though, but it's gotten so much easier. I say if you can do without it, then of course it's better for you. Good luck!
  • krmat
    krmat Posts: 6 Member
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    I've never heard of "Sweet Misery". I'll have to check it out! I might regret watching it. Ignorance is bliss. Thanks, again!
  • jlizgar
    jlizgar Posts: 104
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    I was a regular coke addict and I quite cold turkey.... I had tried to do it several times in the past and the longest I ever made it was barely a week, but it was all in my mindset this time around...I finally decided that I was serious about loosing weight and taking better care of myself and I knew that the coke had to go. I could have tried to wean myself but I knew that the longer I continued to drink it, the longer it was going to take me so I just stopped drinking it.
    It wasnt near as bad as I thought it was going to be, the beginning was the worst and then I just didnt crave it anymore, I dont crave it at all now.
    My advice is just to stop drinking it, I know its hard to give up something you have drank for many years, something that taste good to you and something you enjoy....but you have got to ask yourself what is most important to you....is it more important to be as healthy as you can be and to give up unhealthy addictions or is it more important to you to have your treat from time to time? Its up to YOU and no one else!
  • jlizgar
    jlizgar Posts: 104
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    Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I think I will try to not keep it in the house. Problem is, my husband is also an addict and has NO desire to kick it! I'm drinking like 3-4 a day right now. It's been especially satisfying since it's been a hot summer where I'm at. My cold, refreshing Diet Cokes can't be beat!

    Well, I will try to wean down from my 3-4 a day and then go from there. Thanks again to all!

    My hubby still drinks coke & pepsi a lot, but like I said before, I just decided for ME that in order to reach the goals I finally decided NEEDED to be met, that I would have to stop drinking it.
    Its all mind over matter :)
  • jvmay1703
    jvmay1703 Posts: 42 Member
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    I posted a thread about quitting the regular coke. That was 7/20. I have now been off coke for one month! I have done this before for three months so I know I can do it. Coke is just so good and so available!!!! I have been drinking crystal light with bottled water and at home, thanks to suggestions here. One problem! .....I thought it was caffiene free and the kind I fell in love with the energy strawberry kind has caffiene in it. Ugh....so, at least I am not drinking cokes though. It gets easier, just decide not to drink it and make sure you take those little packets with you so you have something else to drink besides coke. Good luck!

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