How do I give up diet coke??

13

Replies

  • twentyxthree
    twentyxthree Posts: 9
    In the words of Bob Newhart, "Just stop it"

    I'm curious why you're starting WW. MFP takes out the step of converting to points and is free!

    I'm joining weight watchers again because I did it about 3 years ago and I actually lost 20 lbs... then I stopped. I have been on and off MFP since and I gained the 20 lbs back. That's just my story, obviously there are other factors, but I felt like I did better with points than just straight calorie counting.

    Thank you for all of your words of wisdom and advice! It's much appreciated!
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    Don't buy it. Voila.
  • angieroo2
    angieroo2 Posts: 970 Member
    Stop drinking it. Don't buy it. Don't keep it in your house. Don't keep cash for soda machines. You'll have headaches a few days and it will be over.

    This is my suggestion.
  • skinnyjeans07
    skinnyjeans07 Posts: 1
    Yes! I kicked the diet coke habit. I buy cans of flavored seltzer. I add a packet of true lemon or true lime to the can of seltzer. I hate water so I drink seltzer all the time. No sodium no calories the carbonation reminds me os the diet coke. There is also a soda flavored with stevia that you can try. I found it way too sweet. You would have to google it I can't remember the brand name. It was really expensive though. My vote seltzer!
  • tedrickp
    tedrickp Posts: 1,229 Member
    I wouldn't even bother - I'd simply focus my will power (which may actually be a limited resource) on more important things health wise like keeping heavy lifting, or hitting macro/micro nutrients.
  • Smuterella
    Smuterella Posts: 1,623 Member
    I really don't understand how it is possible to drink that much fizzy stuff, I know I'd get terrible indigestion. Don't get me wrong, I love a carbonated drink but often I buy a can, have a few sips and I'm done.

    Though, being a Brit, I probably make up for that with the 4 cups of tea I drink a day.
  • mamacremers
    mamacremers Posts: 183 Member
    It took my dentist yelling at me for drinking it to stop. I still drink it when I go out to eat, but I don't keep it in the house. Maybe go down to one a day for a week or two and then none. If you have the self control to eat only at restaurants, then let yourself, like I do. If you drink iced coffee, work yourself into drinking regular coffee. You can do it. And that way, you can still get that caffeine that you're probably more addicted to than the Diet Coke. Good Luck!
  • Bingleebong
    Bingleebong Posts: 3 Member
    I used to think I couldn't stop drinking diet coke and one day did a 9 day liquids only colon cleanse.
    It didn't do anything for my colon but it got me to stop getting cravings for ice cream, fries, and yes... The diet soda :) I guess you just have to get passed the week or so it takes for your body to realize you don't need it. The first day on the cleanse I was dying to get some sweets but halfway through I didn't have a problem. Maybe you should give it a try.
  • thrld
    thrld Posts: 610 Member
    Make changes to your soda routine -- doesn't matter how, just as long as you ar breaking your habit and reducing (even if it is a small reduction) your intake. Some ways to change your soda habit:

    * Don't refrigerate it. It's a lot easier to resist when it's warm.
    * Buy smaller sizes - if you drink 20oz bottles, switch to 12 oz bottles - if you drink 12 oz cans, switch to those mini-cans. Buy the 1 liter bottle instead of the 1.5 liter.
    * Drink a 12-oz glass of water before you have a soda.
    * Don't drink soda after 3pm.

    Once you break your habit, work towards to reducing/eliminating soda completely.
  • 0110Charlotte
    0110Charlotte Posts: 26 Member
    If its the taste you crave, maybe try going to the coke without caffeine and sugar. This way, you still get the taste while just dealing with the caffeine headaches, then gradually phase it out. For example, if you drink it twice a day, replace one with water for a while. Once you are used to that, swap out the other one too. Good luck!
  • A_Fit_Mom
    A_Fit_Mom Posts: 602 Member
    I use to drink about 4 or so cans of coke zero a day. So I just traded one at a time with a water..till I was down to no cokes. It has been months now without a soft drink. I didn't have any withdrawals..it was pretty easy.
  • Sarah12113
    Sarah12113 Posts: 3
    Firstly I recommend that you DO give up diet coke ASAP. Its not easy, so for all those know just said stop drinking it you are idiots. This is a serious addiction.....not something to be flippant about.
    I have been addicted to diet coke for 25 years......I have been gaining weight for 25 years. In the last 3 years I have experienced some very strange health issues....lots of headaches, dizziness, a general fogginess, slurred speech, forgetfulness, unable to finish sentences and small seizures....more recently numbness in my arms, hands, legs and feet......I put a lot of this down to the beginning of menopause....THEN about six weeks ago I experienced a symptom I just could not ignore. When I woke up in the night I could not open my right eye.....no residue...not infection in that eye whatsoever....my brain would send the command to open eyes...left would respond, and open....right eye would not...I thought I was having a stroke....I did all the normal stroke checks and it was apparent that this was not a stroke....it happened every night from then on...sometimes once a night...up to three times a night. On the fifth day I am considering going to a neurologist....but googled this symptom first....found out through a lot of reading that this could be a side effect of aspartame poisoning...this was the evidence I needed....I HAD to go cold turkey to save myself.....After just 3 weeks of giving up diet coke these symptoms vanished....headaches, fogginess, forgetfulness, small seizures, slurred speech, all numbness...I still have difficulty finishing sentences...but the frequency has changed. The eye incident has happened just 3 times in three weeks and I am hoping that these symptoms also subside as the aspartame that is stored in my fat slowly diminishes. I recognize that I have a long journey ahead...but I AM LOSING WEIGHT.....but advised to not lose it too quickly as the aspartame will be released into my system too quickly.....If you have gained weight since being addicted to coke...give it up...use other caffeine drinks like tea and coffee..(no artificial sweeteners though!!!) I hope this helps you.....please change your life and give up diet coke and anything with aspartame ...where ever it is hiding.....
  • bagge72
    bagge72 Posts: 1,377 Member
    I can't believe you are still alive after 10+ years of drinking it, since we all know how bad it is for you.
  • bagge72
    bagge72 Posts: 1,377 Member
    To start with, stop buying it.

    Coke eats corrosion off batteries & scum out of toilets. Imagine what that does to your teeth.

    Always the worst argument, considering what water does to things too.
  • bagge72
    bagge72 Posts: 1,377 Member
    Firstly I recommend that you DO give up diet coke ASAP. Its not easy, so for all those know just said stop drinking it you are idiots. This is a serious addiction.....not something to be flippant about.
    I have been addicted to diet coke for 25 years......I have been gaining weight for 25 years. In the last 3 years I have experienced some very strange health issues....lots of headaches, dizziness, a general fogginess, slurred speech, forgetfulness, unable to finish sentences and small seizures....more recently numbness in my arms, hands, legs and feet......I put a lot of this down to the beginning of menopause....THEN about six weeks ago I experienced a symptom I just could not ignore. When I woke up in the night I could not open my right eye.....no residue...not infection in that eye whatsoever....my brain would send the command to open eyes...left would respond, and open....right eye would not...I thought I was having a stroke....I did all the normal stroke checks and it was apparent that this was not a stroke....it happened every night from then on...sometimes once a night...up to three times a night. On the fifth day I am considering going to a neurologist....but googled this symptom first....found out through a lot of reading that this could be a side effect of aspartame poisoning...this was the evidence I needed....I HAD to go cold turkey to save myself.....After just 3 weeks of giving up diet coke these symptoms vanished....headaches, fogginess, forgetfulness, small seizures, slurred speech, all numbness...I still have difficulty finishing sentences...but the frequency has changed. The eye incident has happened just 3 times in three weeks and I am hoping that these symptoms also subside as the aspartame that is stored in my fat slowly diminishes. I recognize that I have a long journey ahead...but I AM LOSING WEIGHT.....but advised to not lose it too quickly as the aspartame will be released into my system too quickly.....If you have gained weight since being addicted to coke...give it up...use other caffeine drinks like tea and coffee..(no artificial sweeteners though!!!) I hope this helps you.....please change your life and give up diet coke and anything with aspartame ...where ever it is hiding.....

    Nice wakes up with stroke symptoms, uses google instead of going to a doctor after several weeks and blames it on aspartame.

    Just realized I'm commenting on an old thread :ohwell:
  • belgerian
    belgerian Posts: 1,059 Member
    I drank it bunches like almost a 12 pack a day diet pop anyways for me I just decided I could not just drink one a day or two so I just quit buying it first 2-3 days were the worst after that its a cake walk I hope. Have not relapsed yet on diet pop. been about 2 months for me maybe had some about a month ago when I went to movies but now its mainly water everynow and then a tea or a monster low cal energy drink but thats it.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Firstly I recommend that you DO give up diet coke ASAP. Its not easy, so for all those know just said stop drinking it you are idiots. This is a serious addiction.....not something to be flippant about.

    The addiction is the caffeine, not the carbonated water or syrup or artificial sweetener. And it's NOT serious, especially when compared to the withdrawal from alcohol or tobacco.

    http://www.caffeineinformer.com/caffeine-withdrawal-symptoms-top-ten
  • changing4life
    changing4life Posts: 193 Member
    Just do it. I quit 2 years ago and have never looked back. Drink a ton more water now than I ever did. And if you need the fizzy, i just drink a plain seltzer right out of the can.
  • heatherxmichelle
    heatherxmichelle Posts: 9
    I hear you, my friend. I was addicted to diet pepsi.
    I just buy all kinds of yummy coffees from the store, and make a big pot every morning. My favorite right now is the Gevalia chocolate mocha.
    I'd stear clear of the iced coffees. They're loaded with sugar, and terrible for you.
  • KelGen02
    KelGen02 Posts: 668 Member
    Hi, my name is Kelly and I am a Diet Coke Addict.... I would drink 2-3 liters a day, diet coke for breakfast, lunch, dinner, in between meals just because I had to have it. Yes the diet part is fine for your weight loss the fake sugar on the other hand is really really bad for you. The aspartame is what causes the addiction. Not mention it has been said it causes cancer so on that note... I have been diet coke free since August. I did have a lapse over the holidays and well let me tell you the first week back off of it again was hell... Now i know why addicts can't get off the crack, the detoxing is horrible. I did it cold turkey... the headaches are horrific in the first week. I spoke with my doctor and she told me to eat a piece of dark chocolate each day to help with the caffeine headache. The headache will go away after a week but the cravings are what are the hardest part. I drink 1/2 my weigh in water each day so I am constantly drinking and I will have a glass of seltzer to compensate for the need for carbonation. Now I don't know if it's the lack of diet coke or the fact that i am drinking so much water but since i gave up the diet coke i sleep soo much better and my skin looks better. I have tried to avoid anything that is processed or has preservatives from my diet so that could be the reason for the better sleeping habits and skin tone.

    Good luck my friend !:drinker:
  • mrshudson813
    mrshudson813 Posts: 128 Member
    I quit cold turkey. I tried cutting back but it didn't work. I had to quit all together.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    Firstly I recommend that you DO give up diet coke ASAP. Its not easy, so for all those know just said stop drinking it you are idiots. This is a serious addiction.....not something to be flippant about.
    I have been addicted to diet coke for 25 years......I have been gaining weight for 25 years. In the last 3 years I have experienced some very strange health issues....lots of headaches, dizziness, a general fogginess, slurred speech, forgetfulness, unable to finish sentences and small seizures....more recently numbness in my arms, hands, legs and feet......I put a lot of this down to the beginning of menopause....THEN about six weeks ago I experienced a symptom I just could not ignore. When I woke up in the night I could not open my right eye.....no residue...not infection in that eye whatsoever....my brain would send the command to open eyes...left would respond, and open....right eye would not...I thought I was having a stroke....I did all the normal stroke checks and it was apparent that this was not a stroke....it happened every night from then on...sometimes once a night...up to three times a night. On the fifth day I am considering going to a neurologist....but googled this symptom first....found out through a lot of reading that this could be a side effect of aspartame poisoning...this was the evidence I needed....I HAD to go cold turkey to save myself.....After just 3 weeks of giving up diet coke these symptoms vanished....headaches, fogginess, forgetfulness, small seizures, slurred speech, all numbness...I still have difficulty finishing sentences...but the frequency has changed. The eye incident has happened just 3 times in three weeks and I am hoping that these symptoms also subside as the aspartame that is stored in my fat slowly diminishes. I recognize that I have a long journey ahead...but I AM LOSING WEIGHT.....but advised to not lose it too quickly as the aspartame will be released into my system too quickly.....If you have gained weight since being addicted to coke...give it up...use other caffeine drinks like tea and coffee..(no artificial sweeteners though!!!) I hope this helps you.....please change your life and give up diet coke and anything with aspartame ...where ever it is hiding.....

    Nice wakes up with stroke symptoms, uses google instead of going to a doctor after several weeks and blames it on aspartame.

    Just realized I'm commenting on an old thread :ohwell:

    Yes, but the post you quoted was recent. I'm also stunned at the notion of using google instead of a neurologist. Maybe their mental capacity was impaired by the 'stroke' or whatever it was?
  • miavitabellla
    miavitabellla Posts: 6
    I personally cannot stand the taste of Diet Coke, so that was easy. lol just kidding. Nah, I used to drink regular Classic Coke and that would be ALL I would drink. I'd wake up in the morning, I'd have a Coke. At every meal, I'd have a Coke. Whenever I was thirsty, I'd have a Coke. If I was eating at a restaurant, I'd have a Coke. If I woke up in the middle of the night, I'd have a Coke. Yeah, its bad. The only thing that has stopped me from drinking Coke is drinking more water. The more water I drink the less I want Coke. I don't even crave it anymore and I haven't been on my new "diet" for that long. The only exception is when I eat popcorn as a snack then I will have a Coke, that is my treat to myself, which doesn't happen often now. The thought of having popcorn and water disgusts me. lol When I do have a Coke I never finish it. I will drink half or less of what I have whether its in a can, glass, or paper cup. I will force myself to immediately pour the rest of it down the drain so I will not drink it. This is working for me so far. I don't know if this helps or not.
  • Sarah12113
    Sarah12113 Posts: 3
    For all of those that take my warnings seriously.....please read this

    http://www.naturalnews.com/008952.html

    For all those people that have made silly and dismissive comments I guess the same happened to people that made the link between tobacco and lung cancer......

    If you want to research this stuff the scientific results have been made public.....this is just my warning for you that giving up diet coke may help you stay alive and be healthier.....it has worked for me....no more seizures.....so researching this online helped!

    It has also been proved that aspartame is addictive and very hard to give up
    I can provide the link.....to scientific research.....
  • chatogal
    chatogal Posts: 436 Member
    Why do you want to give it up? If it's diet it isn't going to help your weight loss and if you are used to the caffeine and you want to quit then you probably want to wean off or go through a couple days of banging headaches.

    because those artificial sweeteners in diet soda are death in a can, that's why!

    I beg your pardon??...any research to back up that statement??
  • Runner5AbelTownship
    Runner5AbelTownship Posts: 243 Member
    Classic First World Problem.
  • imarlett
    imarlett Posts: 228 Member
    I did it gradually. I stopped buying it for drinking at home (that saves a lot of money). I only ordered it when I went out to eat. After a while, I started ordering water or hot tea. It took a few months but I'm off all sodas completely. I buy items to flavor my water like powdered Propel or Crystal Light.
  • blackmax78
    blackmax78 Posts: 28 Member
    http://www.mayoclinic.org/artificial-sweeteners/art-20046936

    http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/08/09/artificial-sweeteners-worse-than-sugar.aspx
  • Sarah12113
    Sarah12113 Posts: 3
    Chatogal you need to click on these links and read the research out there.....aspartame is the single worse thing out there for weight loss and for your health generally.....google aspartame disease......and good luck
  • 19TaraLynn84
    19TaraLynn84 Posts: 739 Member
    Former Diet Mt. Dew addict here! I just quit cold turkey. I tried weaning myself off of them slowly, but it never worked for me. I just stopped buying them. After about 4 days of feeling like absolute crap, I was fine.

    Also, if you find that you still crave the carbonation, sparkling waters are perfect.



    Annnnnnnnd I just realized this was posted several months ago. I hope the OP has conquered her addiction by now.

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