SODA - Biggest addiction
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Yes! It's so hard. I think we need to not buy it and practice self control.0
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Search diet soda. Been discussed to death about 15 times. You get to see the discussion without the personal interest0
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Yea, cause correcting misinformation is such a terrible thing...lol. She can make whatever decision she wants and that's completely fine for me, but why not give her all the information possible so she can make an informed decision. I guess you ladies would just rather live in the dark.
I'm sorry, I didn't see where you gave any definitive proof that it isn't unhealthy. The point I was trying to make is that there's no proof to confirm either theory.
There's definitive proof that aspartame isn't unhealthy just based on what it is. It's a combination of two amino acids found in most sources of proteins, and found in much much higher amounts than what you see in diet soda. Also, if something is inconclusive, saying you should avoid it makes no sense. It's nearly impossible to prove that something doesn't cause cancer based on the very nature of cancer itself, so saying that we should avoid anything unless we KNOW it doesn't cause cancer is severely flawed logic.
Studies may suggest that aspartame doesn't cause cancer, but are there any in depth studies about any other side effects? What about the other *kitten* that is in sodas? The caramel coloring that is added has been largely debated to be a potential risk, as well. I'm not saying she should avoid it, I simply posed that maybe she should cut it out if she's having these concerns. Certainly you can't argue against water being a better alternative.
OP. good luck with whatever you decide. If you're like me and your main source of caffeine is from soda, expect some symptoms of withdrawal. I don't drink tea or coffee, so my withdrawal headaches were outrageous. Excedrin Migraine was my only saving grace at the time (has 65 mg of caffeine in a dose).
To be honest, I don't even drink diet soda because I can't stand the taste. I think it's disgusting. I will drink regular soda on some occasions but mostly I just drink water. I am just annoyed with the fear mongering when it comes to diet sodas. People want to look for small, specific things to blame when it comes to weight loss and health. You cannot blame artificial sweeteners, sugar, dietary fat, saturated fat, dietary cholesterol, etc as the reason people are unhealthy and or obese. People are obese because they consume more calories than they burn most days of their lives. People are unhealthy mainly because they are overweight. Most common health problems can be attributed to the fact that the body's systems are strained due to being overweight and obese. It bothers me when people look for a scapegoat instead of addressing the real problem. Don't blame a macronutrient, a subset of a macronutrient, a certain ingredient, etc for health problems and obesity. Sorry for the essay.
Here, here.
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OP, since you have so much weight to lose, and willpower can be hard to come by, why don't you use that willpower first to just lower your total calorie intake? Switching from regular to all diet soda will save you calories. Find other ways to make it easier to stick to your calorie goal. When you get to the point where your calorie goal is just the easy every-day way you eat, THEN focus on stuff that you may want to remove for health reasons. If you "give up" too much all at once, you are setting yourself up for failure. And losing the weight will already make you healthier. Good luck!0
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Drink coffee vs soda if you have so much of a problem with it0
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I've never been a "regular soda" (sugared pop) drinker, but I do love Diet Coke. The only personally beneficial reason for me to cut it out or even cut back is the cost. So, I drink a lot of artificially sweetened home-brewed coffee, which is barely any expense at all, and if I had to choose, I definitely prefer coffee anyway.
My husband doesn't like coffee so he still drinks a lot of diet soda, but our soda expense has been cut nearly in half simply because I love money and coffee a lot more than pop.
I think as far as health goes, there are a lot more dire things and consumption habits you could be focused on. Cutting out regular soda - not because it is soda but because of the calories it contains - is a good start.
IMO, any worrying about diet soda when your health issue is your weight is just a handy distraction that is keeping you from dealing with your real issues.
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I'm sure you've heard this before, but have you tried flavored seltzer water? It doesn't have the sugar or caffeine, but maybe you could supplement those with coffee and fruit and then cut them out as you adjust. Worth a try anyway, then you can see what works! At least the sugars would be real sugars as opposed to corn syrup or another empty sugar! Good luck!
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This thread keeps popping up in my notifications and now I want a ginger ale. I have none.
>:(0 -
I went cold turkey in May 2008, and have only had a couple of sips since then - one on purpose to see if I still liked the taste of Diet Pepsi (I don't) and once or twice by accident, picking up someone else's cup by mistake.
Pepsi was my favorite drink for years, but when I decided to lose weight back in 2000, I cut it out completely for about a year. Then I trained myself to drink Diet Pepsi because I have a major sweet tooth and that was a way to get a sweet treat without the calories. Drank that for several years. In November 2007, a multitude of factors (stress, minor car wreck, overseas flight) resulted in a sprained neck and all sorts of back/neck/shoulder issues. A few months later, my doctor and I identified Diet Pepsi as a hindrance to my recovery. The chemicals in the soda, along with the aspartame, acted as inflammatories, attacking my muscles and nerves. Inflammation was, and still is, a major source of my back and neck problems.
Believe me, after being stuck in bed for days, being in such pain that you leave work in tears, hoping you'll make it home before the pain becomes so bad you can't drive, you'd go cold turkey on something that exacerbated that pain as well! It took almost 2 years to recover from that incident and subsequent regressions/reinjuries, but the memory of the pain is enough to keep me from going back to soda, diet or otherwise. I've also cut out all artificial sweeteners and am working on reducing my processed sugar intake to further manage inflammation.0 -
Kevalicious99 wrote: »Oh .. it also causes people to get overweight, just drink water.
How does a drink with virtually no calories cause people to get overweight?
Why did this not happen to me? When I started trying to lose weight I switched from regular soda to diet soda and successfully lost at expected rate.
Am I a special snowflake?
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melifornia wrote: »I went cold turkey in May 2008, and have only had a couple of sips since then - one on purpose to see if I still liked the taste of Diet Pepsi (I don't) and once or twice by accident, picking up someone else's cup by mistake.
Pepsi was my favorite drink for years, but when I decided to lose weight back in 2000, I cut it out completely for about a year. Then I trained myself to drink Diet Pepsi because I have a major sweet tooth and that was a way to get a sweet treat without the calories. Drank that for several years. In November 2007, a multitude of factors (stress, minor car wreck, overseas flight) resulted in a sprained neck and all sorts of back/neck/shoulder issues. A few months later, my doctor and I identified Diet Pepsi as a hindrance to my recovery. The chemicals in the soda, along with the aspartame, acted as inflammatories, attacking my muscles and nerves. Inflammation was, and still is, a major source of my back and neck problems.
Believe me, after being stuck in bed for days, being in such pain that you leave work in tears, hoping you'll make it home before the pain becomes so bad you can't drive, you'd go cold turkey on something that exacerbated that pain as well! It took almost 2 years to recover from that incident and subsequent regressions/reinjuries, but the memory of the pain is enough to keep me from going back to soda, diet or otherwise. I've also cut out all artificial sweeteners and am working on reducing my processed sugar intake to further manage inflammation.
But this doesn't happen to most people and there is no mention by OP of anything like this - why should OP or anyone else quit something that does them no harm ( unless they just want to, for other reasons such as saving money)
That's like saying everyone should quit eating peanuts because other people have an anaphylactic reaction to it.
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I used to drink Coke every single night at work. Like 3 bottles. One day I just cold turkeyed it and started drinking bottled water instead. That was 10 years ago and I've never had anything except water since. And the occasional ultra skim milk when I have cereal.0
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I agree that fizzy drinks are bad for you. Whether that is right or wrong who knows yet. SO why don't you weigh yourself tomorrow (Monday morning first thing) and then cut out all fizzy drinks for one week. Carry a bottle of water around with you 24 hours a day so that you just drink that. That way even if you go out and you WANT to order a coke you will reach into your bag for your change....and see the water bottle. Then weigh yourself in a week on the Monday at the same time and see if it made a difference for you =-)
If you want to lose water weight to motivate yourself wrap yourself in some cling film and get yourself in a sauna. That will motivate you. CARRY THAT WATER IN THERE THOUGH!
Don't let people bring you down. There is mixed reviews on diet or full fat fizzy drinks. Just do what works best for you.0 -
Hi guys!
This thread has been cleaned up a little. Please remember to stay on topic in a thread, and debate cordially.0 -
This phrase came up in another thread - apparently in some places regular soda is colloquially referred to as 'full fat' soda ( or fizzy drink or soft drink, whatever term is used for what Americans call soda)
- People know it doesn't have fat in it, is just a figure of speech.
- The same way skim milk is sometimes called skinny milk.
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T00GlaM0r0US wrote: »They say it's just as bad for you as regular soda; as in retaining water etc.
First off, no it's not, secondly, why do you care about retaining water, fat loss is what is important, not weight loss.
She already said she didn't want to drink diet. You don't think it is bad as regular but I'm sure she doesn't want to drink aspartame all day.0 -
Its hard!! But you have to start somewhere..0
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I have the same issue but its with Pepsi only. I can drink other kinds of pop (but not diet) and could not care less when I have another but I can't do that with Pepsi. I had my last one on July 20th and I still crave it sometimes. Aspartame gives me wicked headaches and is sickeningly sweet so those are two reasons I avoid it. I don't drink tea, coffee, milk, smoothies, hot chocolate or much of anything it was always Pepsi and water so now its just plain old water blah. And I do not like flavored water either.
So I can understand your cravings, I did it cold turkey because I am not able to just have one once in a awhile. I've tried that and within a week its back to 2 litres plus a day. You can do it, it's hard but it does get better and just keep talking to yourself hat yes you can do it.0 -
Seems to me that drinking anything in giant quantity is probably not a good idea, especially from a mental standpoint. Since you are trying to be healthier why not start by cutting back on regular soda, transitioning to diet soda and then maybe limiting yourself to a couple a day. Replace some of your "drinking" with water, iced tea, hot tea etc. No one needs to be "addicted" to a two liter bottle of soda but life's too short to pass on a good fountain soda!0
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Here is a recent article from CNN on how diet soda confuses the body
http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/health/2014/12/03/diet-soda-confuses-body-be-a-champ-orig-nws.cnn&iref=allsearch&video_referrer=http://www.cnn.com/search/?query=diet+soda&x=0&y=0&primaryType=mixed&sortBy=relevance&intl=false
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I used to drink a lot of soda, then swithched to diet but it was even worse because since there were no calories, I'd drink 5-6 cans a day and still wasn't satisfied because it wasn't the same. Then I asked my husband not to bring soda home (he drinks it at work). I switched to really cold carbonated water. Sometimes I would add flavoring to it, but mostly not. I rarely drink soda now, but when I do, it's in a very tall glass with lots of ice to have an illusion of increased volume. No straw!! Very cold ice tea also works as an alternative.
I hope you find the way to enjoy it in moderation.
Anoher suggestion: try to create pleasant rituals around a more healthy choice, like tea. I am in the process of creating a habit for a nightly large cup of delicious tea. I cozy up on a couch under a fluffy comforter and drink my tea while my nails dry, for example. I try different teas and learn different ways to make them. I sometimes have a piece of milk chocolate with it or add honey etc.
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I lost 126 lbs while drinking diet soda. It's not like you need to give it up. Try having a diet soda with each meal, and making it water the rest of the time. I enjoy the flavored waters, such as Fruit 2-0. They have no calories. Flavored seltzers are good, too, and have no calories. As long as you don't drink sugary drinks, you will still lose.
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T00GlaM0r0US wrote: »I loove the taste of soda, diet or regular and especially when it is ice cold.
I have stopped drinking soda in the past, but after a few months I say "one wont hurt" and then I am back to where I was before.
I know cutting it out would help me tremendously, but I would rather drink soda than eat lolol.
Anyone else struggle(d) with this?? How did you overcome the addiction
THANKS
Here's my tip - Tea. Start with a black tea, sweeten to your liking with milk and sugar (or honey if you prefer). Slowly wean yourself off of the sugar and milk. Take your time. Maybe cut half a teaspoon every month or two and start to switch to a milder tea like green or white tea.
The lighter teas won't be as bitter and won't need as much sweetening. Eventually, you'll be drinking those lighter teas (which are the more beneficial teas) without any additives, and you'll be able to drink as much as you want!
I drink tea almost exclusively now. I only really interrupt it with certain whole juices, particularly during the winter season when illnesses tend to go around. Once in a blue moon, I'll spring for a sweet drink, but rarely do I want another because I'm not as use to the sweetness and one is usually more than enough.
Also - try dark chocolate. As you acquire a taste for those purer teas, you'll find that the little bitterness in darker chocolates won't bother you. It's a nice way to get a sweet fix while still keeping relatively healthy. Dark Chocolate should have far less sugar and milk (though be careful because chocolate DOES need SOME fat from some source). Research has suggested that the health benefits of chocolate increase as your intake increases, so as long as you're willing to work off the calories, eat away!
(NOTE: Also, you'll likely eat less chocolate if you eat dark chocolate as you'll get far more of that delicious cacao per bite than you're used to!)0 -
I struggle with the same issue. I focus on the reason I reach for a soda. I want one when I'm tired, I want one when I am anxious, When I am eating certain foods (popcorn w/ butter etc.) I realize I am usually reaching for it the effects caffeine has on me. I don't want a drug (caffeine) to rule how I feel throughout the day. I want to have energy because I am well hydrated from water and have the proper nutrients in my body.0
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Here is a recent article from CNN on how diet soda confuses the body
http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/health/2014/12/03/diet-soda-confuses-body-be-a-champ-orig-nws.cnn&iref=allsearch&video_referrer=http://www.cnn.com/search/?query=diet+soda&x=0&y=0&primaryType=mixed&sortBy=relevance&intl=false
Just to be clear, this a "news" report, using cartoons, created by a news organization notorious for sensationalizing and getting stuff wrong, narrated by an ex-football player.
The scientific/medical community has been trying for decades to prove that artificial sweeteners are bad for you, and have been unable to do it.
There is a ton of research and evidence that carrying extra weight can cause, contribute to, and worsen all sorts of health problems. So if you need to lose weight, and drinking diet soda helps you to get your calories in line, worry about the possible, vague, and unproven dangers of diet soda once you have all the other stuff in check. Moderation is a great way to increase your chances of success.0 -
Have you tried drinking carbonated water like La Croix? I know some people get addicted to the carbonation... La Croix is available in different fruit flavors and it's pretty good.0
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T00GlaM0r0US wrote: »Anyone else struggle(d) with this?? How did you overcome the addiction
If your main goal is to quit soda (including diet), you've gotten some good advice. The first question, however, has to be why you drink it. I drink it (a) for caffeine, and (b) because I enjoy it and like to have a drink available at all times, so for me what worked was replacing it with a variety of things, mostly extra coffee (since I wasn't bothered about caffeine and like coffee black), tea and iced tea, and water. I didn't find that I missed soda that much, which also made me fine with drinking it on occasion if I really want one (or something analogous, like diet ginger ale or those flavored waters). What I personally don't do is forget about the variety of other beverages available (like water or tea) and, especially, waste calories on soda. For some it might be worth the calories, but for me it never would be--if I didn't like diet, I wouldn't ever drink it.
And that brings me to the second question, which is whether you really need to quit diet soda. IMO, if you want to, do. I experiment with quitting stuff from time to time for a variety of reasons (for example, I don't think coffee is bad for me, but I don't want to feel dependent on it, so I give it up for periods to confirm that I am not). However, other indications in your posts have suggested that you think it's an important thing to do for losing weight and it's not. I've lost lots of weight while drinking diet soda off and on, and it's made zero difference, and perhaps even made it easier, since it was one less thing to feel deprived of and an easy no calorie thing to eat/drink if I wanted something at a time I knew I wasn't really hungry.
It seems to be true that just switching to diet alone typically won't result in weight loss (not because cutting calories doesn't work, but because people compensate for the decrease in calories in some other way). But that's very different from saying--as people seemed to be suggesting--that diet will continue to count toward your overall calories as if you were drinking regular. My personal thought is that unless there is some reason that quitting soda seems helpful to you (motivating or some such) there's no reason to bother with it at the beginning of a diet/lifestyle change. What you need to do is get your calories in check and start losing weight in a way that seems sustainable, like something you can do for a long time (and with a few more calories, forever). As you go on, it will get easier and you may want to make additional changes. There is no reason that you have to do everything at once, though, and I personally might not bother with changes that don't actually affect your calories if you are thinking they will be difficult for you to sustain and could result in your "falling off the wagon" in a way that is counterproductive to your success overall.
So the main question is what you are trying to accomplish.
Anyway, good luck!0 -
When I first gave up soda about a year and a half ago, I tried at first to cut down slowly and only limit myself to one or two a day. (I was previously drinking about a 2 liter every day!) I had a hard time though because when I'd have my one or two, I would always somehow find a way to justify having more. For me, it was best to just go cold turkey; however, I really think it depends on the person and what works best for you!
I will say though that my weight loss really skyrocketed once I stopped drinking my calories, so keep trying to do this!
Good luck!0
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