A question for people who have stopped drinking diet drinks

Lately I've really gotten into fruit-infused water. Not "flavored water" that you buy. Real water with slices of lemon, lime, orange in it. Let it infuse overnight in the fridge.

I've also started drinking Perrier for when I'm really jonesing for the fizz.

That sounds great! We had fruit-infused water at a restaurant once and I remember how good it was!

I'm really curious, as I've never been a soda fan, and I never liked the taste of diet drinks. What is it, exactly, about diet coke that people find so addictive? Because I've seen so many threads on here about people who really struggle to give it up. Is it the taste? The fizzyness? The satisfying pshhhtt when you open the can? Are there physical withdrawals from the caffeine? What's the scoop?

I can't give you scientific info here, only my personal experience. I had always drank cokes and years ago switched to diet coke. And I just developed a love for it. It became a habit to drink it if I was eating because I wanted more than water. I loved the taste, the way the carbonation felt, and the caffeine. When I tried to stop, I starting researching out diet drink addictions. I read information on the dangers of artificial sweeteners, but also the addictive aspects of them. I read that your body actually registers the fake stuff as sweeter than sugar, even though the taste was different. I, speaking for myself only, believe that had a lot to do with it. I love sweets.

As far as withdrawals from caffeine, I didn't stop drinking caffeine. I have tried and had headaches. I cut my usage back because of issues sleeping and I had headaches for a while but it evened out. I'm sure there are more physical symptoms. I replaced cokes with coffee in the am only. I do still have tea and cokes sometimes, even diet cokes, but not daily. There is a documentary called Hungry for Change that explains some info. It's a documentary and like many can be extreme, but I enjoyed it.

But at the end of the day, for me, it was just another bad habit that I needed to change.

I'm really curious, as I've never been a soda fan, and I never liked the taste of diet drinks. What is it, exactly, about diet coke that people find so addictive? Because I've seen so many threads on here about people who really struggle to give it up. Is it the taste? The fizzyness? The satisfying pshhhtt when you open the can? Are there physical withdrawals from the caffeine? What's the scoop?

For me, it felt like a physical addiction, and was as difficult to quit as cigarettes (but easier to "stay quit"). There wasn't anything about the way it tasted, felt, or sounded; it was an actual, physical craving.

When you first start drinking it, it tastes terribly odd and pretty bad. You get used to it quickly, though, and then regular soda tastes like syrup.

When I was stopping them, I countered with more coffee and hot tea (for caffeine). Also, replacing some of them with caffeine free diet soda helps whittle down that dependency.

The thing that made me stop drinking them was actually reading the side effects on some of the sweeteners they use, Google 'Aspartame', and if that doesn't help you stop drinking them, nothing will.

Personally, I had really bad headaches for the first few days after I totally stopped drinking them.
I rarely drink anything other than water these days, I have had a couple (2, 3 at the most) of cans since, and I can't say I particularly enjoyed them. The cold, fizzyness was nice but the taste not so much, I get fed up of water some times, but I'm certainly not craving for coke.

I agree with the person who said you won't have so much 'gas', that's totally one of the things I've noticed.. That, and clearer skin (which I always thought was a myth) !

way back when, I stopped drinking diet soda and over about 2 months I lost over 30 pounds, just doing that and nothing else. Plus the diet is hard on your kidneys and liver. Good luck, its not easy, but it is do able...

I was a Diet Dr. Pepper addict. Seriously, it was bad.
I went and bought some sugar free peach tea to add to my water and just started drinking those. Once I weened myself off of the Diet Dr. Peppers, I could feel a difference, but when I went from peach tea to water because I didn't like the calories in them was when I really felt it.
If I drink even ONE Diet Dr. Pepper now, I can feel it, and it's not a good feeling.

I never used to drink too much soda (1 can a day at lunch, or when we went out to eat), but when I did I used to drink regular soda. I looked at it as a nice treat I could afford myself since I didn't drink it too often, not to mention I wasn't thrilled with the taste of diet sodas. Now that I have started on my weight loss journey I have pretty much cut it out all together. I mainly drink water with or without a crystal lite powder added. What I wanted to point out though was that if you are missing the fizzy part of the soda Seagrams (and most likely others) makes a sparkling seltzer water with fruit flavors that is a nice change and gives me an option when I am in a "soda mood'. It is a bit hard to find but if you can you may want to give it a shot. I am partial to the orange citrus flavor.

I never really had THAT bad of a problem with diet soda, but I very, very rarely drink it anymore now because once I started getting healthier, I noticed how disgusting it makes me feel when I do drink it. It makes my stomach hurt and I feel bloated and "blah." Maybe give it up for a week or so, then have one just to see how your body responds. Really focus on how it makes your body feel afterward. That may be good motivation for you! It's not hard for me to pass up now because I would do pretty much anything to avoid the feeling it gives me.

An interesting little thing I found online:

http://caloriecount.about.com/forums/motivation/water-vs-coke-off

I try to tell myself not to drink the "poison" lol

If you believe all of that, I have a bridge you may be interested in purchasing.

I was an avid 3-4 regular sodas a day kind of girl. I have since quit. In fact, I do not drink any carbonated beverages anymore. I tried going with the whole "no caffeine" thing too but I ended up with such a migraine that I ended up in the ER. Anyway, since I have stopped the whole soda thing, my feet and ankles no longer swell, I no longer feel bloated and I no longer have acid reflux or heartburn nearly as much as I did before. I used to get heartburn anywhere from 2-3 different times a day at least 4 days a week. Now, I get it maybe once a week but just from something that I ate too late. I have also lost 12 pounds since the end of soda drinking. That in itself was a good enough reason for me. I used to like the taste of diet soda however, majority of diet sodas contain aspartame and I get severe migraines from it.

I drink water, tea and coffee. It wasn't hard to switch when I changed my focus on drinking other beverages. Coffee and tea especially fill me in such a way that I don't need soda. Also after being off the soda so long it's uncomfortable to drink such a bubbly beverage. It just doesn't go down smooth anymore.

I went cold turkey to water only. I might use lemon in it. I highly recommend you to start counting the days. The higher the number the harder to cheat. Yes, for a while I thought I was an AS member.

I drink water with Mio. And at least one diet pepsi a day. I don't personally think it's a big deal, and it's not hindering this new lifestyle of mine, so I'm going to continue to enjoy my diet pepsi with dinner.

I really want to stop drinking diet coke, but it's just so hard to do! I've been drinking it regularly for the last 20+ years and usually have 3-4 cans a day. I'm looking for motivation to stop drinking it altogether - those chemicals can't be good for me and I hate being so addicted to a drink!

So, my question is what effect on health/weight loss has stopping drinking diet drinks had for you? How do you feel you have benefited?

I discovered I was having very bad physical reactions from not only aspartame but also splenda. I had to stop for my health. Feeling better trumps the sweetener high.
I haven't noticed a weight difference.

However, Whole foods has several different types of soda made with Stevia. They taste almost identical to diet sodas.
They're more expensive, so I can't pound them down, but when I really want a soda, they're great.

I used to be a heavy diet coke drinker, up to 6 cans a day as I was a night worker and thought I needed it to stay awake. Then, one week we hadn't gotten to the store and I had the worse headache that wouldn't quit. Turned out I was detoxing from all the caffeine. Decided then and there that I would decaffinate myself and switched to decaffeinated diet soda. Then I realized how much of my food budget went to soda and started weaning myself off that in favor of water. Now, I may drink 2 or 3 cans a week. As for the health benefits, I am sure there are many, the lack of carbonation , the aspartame or splenda that I am no longer consuming, and of course the no caffeine. It didn't affect my weight or stop sugar cravings.