Cutting out diet soda

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whisperwhitley
whisperwhitley Posts: 61
in Food and Nutrition
I have been drinking diet soda for many years, and would like to cut it out. I know the acid in it can harm my teeth and my body in general ( it bloats me horribly) Last year I managed to stop drinking diet soda for four months. Then for reasons I don't remember I went back to drinking it. Now I want to slowly wean myself off of it. Is this a good idea? honestly I'm probably addicted and fear I will be moody without it. I usually drink diet soda and diet juice when I don't drink coffee. I honestly hate water, and the flavored waters are good but I'm just not a water person..though I know I need to drink more of it. Has anyone ever quit diet soda? how did you do it? I'm thinking of drinking only one soda a day until my case is gone, then not buying anymore.

Replies

  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Weaning yourself off slowly is a good idea. And drinking coffee may help with caffeine withdrawal.
  • whisperwhitley
    whisperwhitley Posts: 61
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    If I drink tea more often, does that have effect on teeth health? I'm really curious. I love tea.
  • dds5910
    dds5910 Posts: 11 Member
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    Tea will stain your teeth and is actually worse for your kidneys! Found this out the hard way after going through 2 surgeries with my husband for kidney stones. They both have caffeine, which is the real problem. But like you, I'm addicted and because I don't have too many other vices, and I'm trying to lose weight, I'm not ready to give them up.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    If I drink tea more often, does that have effect on teeth health? I'm really curious. I love tea.

    It's doubtful, but I suppose it's possible. It could depend on many things, including how much tea do you drink now, how strong, what kind of tea, the rest of your diet, etc.
  • sassypants0923
    sassypants0923 Posts: 7,188 Member
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    I'm currently weining myself off of caffeine (coffee and soda)... it sucks. I have heart burn so bad all the time, so after incessant googling I found it's probably coffee and caffeine. It's really helped, but I hate it.
    I drink 1 cup of weak coffe and 1 diet rite now (haha, I know, weird, but it doesn't have caffeine). Water, water, water... boring.
  • JimieLou
    JimieLou Posts: 273 Member
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    I used to be a diet dr pepper junkie (2 to 3 20oz bottles a day). Then one day I decided I was gonna be done. I quit cold turkey and haven't had a diet soda in over 6 months. I honestly don't miss it anymore. The first week was hard but after that I found myself determined not to give in. I love my ice water and drink ice tea also.
    I found it was easier for myself to just quit cold turkey than to wean myself off. It was once I took away the temptation or the ability to have one that I didn't want one.
    An added bonus is a LOT more money in my pocket too!
  • Amoreislove
    Amoreislove Posts: 10 Member
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    From a young age I've had at least one soda a day. When I started gaining a lot of weight, I became health conscious and decided that I wanted to be a healthier person. I HATED water. It was absolutely disgusting to me...the only time I drank water was when I brushed my teeth at night-like one sip that's it. But all that has changed. When I left the gassy drinks, I felt so much better. I thought I couldn't live without it but the truth is, we condition ourselves into thinking we need something we actually don't. Gassy drinks is one of the most unhealthy choices you can make, and by cutting out soda you're also cutting out, what, like at least 300 cals? This is what I always tell myself when I'm off track: You're stomach is not a trash can, so don't treat it that way- after all we only have ONE body, we ought to take care of ourselves. <3 Now I love drinking water...and if I want to have something a little different I'll have some freshly squeezed orange juice. I admit that it does takes time, but it was worth it. Just start with half a glass of water with lemon a day if it's that difficult for you. And maybe just one soda every week. Later on when you taste that soda again you wont believe you ever liked it.*
  • garlicaholic
    garlicaholic Posts: 3
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    I'm going to try & reduce my soda drinking again soon.Originally I was drinking a case of mountain dew every 2-3 days.Limited myself to one a day to have with dinner & switched to a&w root beer.Did that for about a year.Now I drink coffee 80% of the time,some tea,pop(2 2ltrs min to 4 2ltrsmax a week),& maybe 16oz water a week.Went from to much pop to to much coffee lol.I'm like you,can't stand drinking plain water.

    You can quit cold turkey or just have 1 a day with a meal.When I eat is when I crave for a pop.I think i'm going to try more herbal teas.I tried ginger & lemon tea few days ago& liked it.Chamomile tea works pretty good on when I have trouble sleeping.I'm so use to drinking coffee that I think it will be harder to stop than pop.
    After finding out that excess caffiene overtime can cause deficiency in many vitamins & minerals I decided I beter do something about my coffee habit soon.
    http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/vitamins-minerals/the-effect-of-caffeine-on-vitamin-absorption.html

    I know their is "caffeine free" coffee but 98% of brands are done with a process that leaves harmful chemical rresidue in the coffee & the FDA could care less about it.The safe process is pretty expensive & hard to find the brands.So thats why I always stuck with regular coffee.

    Sorry if I went off topic & didn't help any.One thing that has helped me alot from drinking so much soda is making a lemon/pineapple juice mixture.I don't add sugar,I just use 4-5 lemons to a can of pineple juice concentrate.May sound odd but I like it alot.You may want to use 2-3 lemons at first if you try it,has more balanced flavor like that.
  • mmipanda
    mmipanda Posts: 351 Member
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    I have been drinking diet soda for many years, and would like to cut it out. I know the acid in it can harm my teeth and my body in general ( it bloats me horribly) Last year I managed to stop drinking diet soda for four months. Then for reasons I don't remember I went back to drinking it. Now I want to slowly wean myself off of it. Is this a good idea? honestly I'm probably addicted and fear I will be moody without it. I usually drink diet soda and diet juice when I don't drink coffee. I honestly hate water, and the flavored waters are good but I'm just not a water person..though I know I need to drink more of it. Has anyone ever quit diet soda? how did you do it? I'm thinking of drinking only one soda a day until my case is gone, then not buying anymore.

    If it makes you feel bloaty and crappy then its definitely worth getting rid of!

    It makes my stomach hurt, which feels like hunger pangs. So when I realised that was happening, it was really easy to cut out of my diet. But I've never been a huge soda-drinker anyway, maybe a few cans a week. Didn't even miss it!


    I hated water too, but what I found helpful was ordering water with my meals at restauants & cafes. It saved me loads of money because water is free, and I got into a habit of drinking it with meals.
  • whisperwhitley
    whisperwhitley Posts: 61
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    When I was a kid I drank tons of soda, and my parents didn't know that soda was so unhealthy so they never stopped me. I haven't drank regular sugary soda in 6 years. But Diet soda I drink everyday. I just need a substitute to take its place or I will go through withdrawal. I drink diet V8 juice which is so delicious but people tell me diet juice is bad too ugh. I just cant win :( I don't want to only drink boring water. When I drink water it takes me hours to finish one cup so I buy bottles and they still take awhile to drink but not as long. *sigh* guess I'll need to do it soon! I refuse to give up coffee though lol.
  • sloth3toes
    sloth3toes Posts: 2,212 Member
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    I used to be a diet dr pepper junkie (2 to 3 20oz bottles a day). Then one day I decided I was gonna be done. I quit cold turkey and haven't had a diet soda in over 6 months. I honestly don't miss it anymore. The first week was hard but after that I found myself determined not to give in. I love my ice water and drink ice tea also.
    I found it was easier for myself to just quit cold turkey than to wean myself off. It was once I took away the temptation or the ability to have one that I didn't want one.
    An added bonus is a LOT more money in my pocket too!

    Haha.... me too.... my name is Sloth, and I'm a DDP addict. Been 'clean' about 6 months or so, myself. There's really only 2 ways to ditch an addiction. Ween yourself off it, or quit cold turkey. Neither way is gonna be easy. I prefer to quit things cold turkey... Limiting things I'm addicted to, just makes it worse for me. When I quit the DDP, I had headaches, and felt quite spaced out and confused for awhile. I also had joint pain, and I had to Google it, to see that was also caused by caffeine withdrawal. The thing is... it's not a heroin addiction... you don't go through massive physical pain when you quit. You just endure it, knowing it'll all go away.

    So, for the OP.... if you can cut down slowly, then quit, great. If not... just quit, and ride it out. I agree the replacement alternatives all kind of suck. I don't really drink anything constantly, now.... I don't even drink enough water. :sad:
  • MissAnjy
    MissAnjy Posts: 2,480 Member
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    I have been drinking diet pop for YEARS! Always said I would never give it up etc...

    My doctor last week said that he is opposed to pop both regular AND diet and told me to try no pop for a month and see how changed I feel. I'm on day 6 of not drinking pop and I feel fine. My body actually feels more "clean" when I drink water.

    I'm also not a fan of water, but I've taught myself to like it.

    I'm fine with it now and have been drinking it for days.

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