Diet Coke Alternative

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  • ShanShan722
    ShanShan722 Posts: 25
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    I love Zevia! Drinking a root beer right now, they also have diet cola. http://www.zevia.com/
  • liznotyet
    liznotyet Posts: 402 Member
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    I was a 25 year diet coke/pepsi addict so I feel your frustration . It ain't easy getting off that stuff. I made several weak attempts until I kicked it last year. When it's hot, it's easy to drink ice water or iced tea (unsweetened) as a substitute so I made the transition last summer. Lemon slices can put a bit of flavor to your water and there are also those flavored water packs but some have artificial sweeteners so read the packages.

    I like the VitaRain Zero from Costco (41 cents each) versus the name brand Vitamin Water Zero that are twice as much. I limit myself to one a day and they are a lightly sweet alternative to drinking iced tea and water. I've only had one Diet Coke this year and if you told me I'd someday be able to walk away from the wild cravings for diet pop, I'd have laughed hysterically. I found that my food cravings went way down once I stopped drinking soda. Once you are off soda, you'll find that your taste adjusts to the less sweet stuff and it becomes much easier with time. Now I'm a green tea fanatic and have at least two cups of hot tea a day.

    Same experience for me. I really like iced coffee now too - watered down with or without milk but no sweetener.
  • xplosion80
    xplosion80 Posts: 51 Member
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    I used to have 4 cans each day.
    Reduced it to 3, 2 and then 1 can a day.

    Then 6 days, 5 days and gradually, I am having coke only on weekends and a can or 2.
    Hoping to stop completely.

    Chewing gums helped me to come over the cravings.
  • rak173
    rak173 Posts: 105 Member
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    I would try out some flavored sparkling water. Not sure if it is truly a healthier option.
  • KaysKidz
    KaysKidz Posts: 208 Member
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    http://healthyliving.msn.com/health-wellness/7-side-effects-of-drinking-diet-soda

    Up until a month ago, I was consuming up to 32oz of coke zero/diet coke 3-4 days a week. I quit, not because of the article, but because I wanted, no...I needed to get healthier. I have tried drinking a diet pop 2x since quitting and no longer like the taste. Water is my new friend. I will drink unsweet tea if I am eating out. I do use 1 packet of artificial sweetner as I am prediabetic. A month ago, that wouldn't have been sweet enough. Now, it is perfect. Cutting back on sugar and salt has made me rediscover the taste of food and it is wonderful! Plus I have lost over 11 pounds!
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
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    I used to have 4 cans each day.
    Reduced it to 3, 2 and then 1 can a day.

    Then 6 days, 5 days and gradually, I am having coke only on weekends and a can or 2.
    Hoping to stop completely.

    Chewing gums helped me to come over the cravings.
    So, you traded one artificial sweetener vehicle for another? OK. I'm sure that'll go over well with the anti-soda crowd. Are you planning on weaning yourself off that too?
  • cpdiminish
    cpdiminish Posts: 84
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    I'd skip anything that has high-fructose corn syrup. Just as bad as asparthame in my book.

    I'd skip the vitamin waters too because of all of the artificial colorings. Your body is going to see those as toxins and will want to store those toxins away - in fat cells.

    For something sweet, I'd look into sparkling fruit juices. There are some really tasty ones out there, and others that aren't so hot so I'd try more than one before giving up.

    If it is just the fizz that you like, mineral water might do the trick. Perhaps an acquired taste, but hardly any calories and has some minerals.

    But no matter what, any carbonated beverage is going to be bad for your teeth because carbonation makes drinks acidic. Don't brush your teeth for half an hour after consumption because the enamel will be softer. Or drink some plain water right after to rinse your mouth free of the acidity.

    I have also made my own ginger ale using honey and mineral water, but the mineral taste does interfere a little. Making your own ginger drinks, hot tea or cold beverage really is as simple as mincing/dicing up some ginger and dropping it in in a tea ball. Ginger does have some possible drug interactions so you may want to look those up before making a pot. Those taking blood thinners, pain killers, certain high blood pressure meds, and diabetics should definitely look them up first.
  • la_te_ra_lus
    la_te_ra_lus Posts: 243 Member
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    Vanilla coke zero.... soo good i have two a day... My quarterly blood work says everything is good..
  • kikilareggae
    kikilareggae Posts: 289 Member
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    I am one who drank some type of soda every day and loved it! Then I developed really bad heartburn- from soda, according to my doctor. Now I drink a soda once every few days and feels loads better- not just the heartburn has improved, my workouts are easier. I feel like I don't get as winded. Diet soda really is worse for you and if you can get off drinking it, the better. I cycle thru different flavors of Crystal Light or the generic brand form. There are so many flavors to choose from! Chocolate milk is good after a workout, I hear. Good luck! :)
  • asdowe13
    asdowe13 Posts: 1,951 Member
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    Hopefully I'm getting this in there before anybody mentions that diet soda is horrible for you because sodium.

    It contains about 12 to 60 mg per 12 ounce can, or the equivalent of about 1/4 to 1 single egg white.

    What's wrong with sodium??
  • Fullsterkur_woman
    Fullsterkur_woman Posts: 2,712 Member
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    Hopefully I'm getting this in there before anybody mentions that diet soda is horrible for you because sodium.

    It contains about 12 to 60 mg per 12 ounce can, or the equivalent of about 1/4 to 1 single egg white.

    What's wrong with sodium??
    In the amounts contained in diet soda, nothing. That's exactly my point. People get on this topic and start spouting about how it bloats you because sodium, so I wanted to point out that the amounts contained in diet soda are not contributing to major bloat.
  • jld0411
    jld0411 Posts: 29 Member
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    Hi Carrie! I totally feel you. I was a Coke Zero addict myself. I went through boot camp a couple of years ago. The mantra? No bread, no pasta, no dairy, no soda. NO SODA? Are you kidding me? I figured if I was paying that much money, I was going to follow the rules.

    They gave us a diet plan to go along with the program, and one of the approved drinks was club soda, a couple of wedges of lime/lemon/orange/grapefruit (pick your poison) squeezed in, and just a little Stevia if you like it sweeter. Personally I can't STAND Stevia, so I skipped it, but this helped me so much to get off the diet soda. You're doing the water part right - but I completely understand wanting to switch it up. This worked great for me. Two years later I'm still largely soda free. I'll have maybe one per month, but when I do, it just doesn't taste the same and I don't want it again for a long time.
  • bethcondon
    bethcondon Posts: 12 Member
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    I also LOVE diet coke, but have been trying to switch it out with flavored carbonated water. A lot of times it's the fizziness that I'm craving, and I agree that plain water can be boring after a while. Trader Joe's has a really good all-natural raspberry-lime carbonated water. I keep a liter bottle of it at my desk and have it with my lunch. I still have Diet Coke sometimes, but it really does cause me to crave other junk food, especially salty snacks, and/or chocolate.
  • fitness_faeiry
    fitness_faeiry Posts: 354 Member
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    Hi, my name's Carrie and I'm addicted to Diet Coke. With everything I've read about it I know how bad it is for you and am trying desperately to cut it out. I drink a LOT of water at my desk all day long. But during meals I like to change it up a bit. I used to get Diet Coke with my lunch but now I'm trying to find a good alternative. I enjoy Vitamin Water but not sure it that is a good alternative either. Suggestions????

    Pepsi Max. It tastes better
  • alyjb1121
    alyjb1121 Posts: 186 Member
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    Do a quick Google search and you will find SEVERAL articles about the dangers of diet pop. Including anything from bloating, increase in appetite to diabetes and kidney problems. Granted, I'm sure my 2-3 cans a day aren't THAT harmful but if I'm going to adopt a healthy lifestyle I want to do it right. One or two occasionally isn't bad....but 2-3 a day could possibly be


    I gave up DIET everything due to the aspartame which is bad for me because i take an SSRI. So no diet coke, no diet pepsi, no coke zero.

    The two options I live with when water or tea just won't cut it [which is like once every three weeks in the last 70+ days] are PEPSI NEXT- only 100 cals per bottle, less carbs, less sugar, still has caffiene and no aspartame- and Diet Rite, diet rite has zero everything but also no aspartame and no caffiene either.
  • alyjb1121
    alyjb1121 Posts: 186 Member
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    What is bad with Diet Coke in moderation?? I am not a Coke person, I prefer Diet Pepsi but that being said I drink 2-3 a day and still get in my 100+ oz., of water... The Aspartame fear mongering will commence with in the next 2 or 3 post so I will just say the dosage you would have to consume before it becomes an issue is Way More than you or I could ever think of drinking... I stand firmly in the camp of there is no reason to cut it out.... Best of Luck.....

    haha I definitely just was guilty of the aspartame post before I read your [and all the other posts] and i know it isn't important to everyone but as someone who takes an SSRI to increase the productivity of my poor suffereing neurotransmitters, i refuse to consume something that attacks them even more, especially while paying cost for the SSRIs.

    To each their own battles I guess :flowerforyou:
    I still say I loooooove Pepsi next
  • jennk5309
    jennk5309 Posts: 206 Member
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    I'm sure a few a week won't kill you, but these are the alternatives I drink in addition to my few a week....

    Iced tea with lemon and stevia (I use generic Truvia)
    Zevia, though I don't like it nearly as much as Diet Coke
    Vitamin Water Zero, sweetened with stevia
    Lipton cold brew raspberry or peach tea with stevia
    Or....
    a regular soda every once in a while!

    I try to avoid Sucralose (Splenda) because if I have too much it makes me agitated and anxious. I looked it up because after a sugar-free coffee syrup binge in lattes for a few weeks, I was crazy anxious and linked it to my consumption of the syrups. It seems our bodies can only process so much sucralose, and anything beyond that amount (don't remember how much) builds up and is a neurotoxin. Their safety study results are based on occasional consumption, not daily use. So I do sometimes still use it, but only every once in a while.

    My philosophy is cut back, not cut out.
  • dmike03
    dmike03 Posts: 14 Member
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    I agree with others that I don't diet coke is harmful in moderation. I personally drink 1 can a day of cherry coke zero ( I love that stuff) But another thing I've found is walmart sells carbonated water with fruit flavoring in it. I know it has aspartame in it like diet coke, but it is something different to add a little variety sometimes.
  • fedup30
    fedup30 Posts: 141 Member
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    Although it has not been "proven" to be harmful for your health, or hinder weight-loss, it is bad for your teeth. I have an addiction to diet soda as well, and I have cut it down to 2-3 diet sodas per week. I try not to drink anything other than water, but if I want flavor, I drink crystal light (very rarely). I do feel better when I don't drink it. I used to drink 2-3 every day. (sometimes MORE!) I like my teeth, so I am cutting back for my pearly whites :happy:
  • LVCeltGirl
    LVCeltGirl Posts: 473
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    I'm an "in moderation" person myself and love my daily Coke Zero (I prefer it to Diet Coke and I'm not a Pepsi fan). I've cut back to no more than 40 oz of Coke Zero daily and usually can keep it down to 20 oz. I've done this by setting a limit on how much water I have to drink daily (1 gallon is my daily goal) and if plain water gets too boring, then I have the flavor drops or fruit to infuse (lately it's just been lemon juice but it's something) in the water. I also love tea and have gotten used to just drinking iced tea with lemon (I live in Vegas and hot tea is not often an option).

    If you like Vitamin Water, then drink that. I'd suggest cutting it with plain water. This is so you can change your taste buds to accept less sweet with meals and closer to plain water just to allow for the choice of not changing it up.

    Little changes like that helps cut down the soda.

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