Trying to quit diet soda habit

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skinnygirldc
skinnygirldc Posts: 30 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Any advice? I don't really care for iced tea or sparkling water but I crave that ice cold soda can. Mmmmm. How long will it take to lose that craving? I'd love some tips.
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Replies

  • _John_
    _John_ Posts: 8,642 Member
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    can be the shmuck that suggest just working regular into your macros? Because I want to be that guy in this thread.

  • Alyssa_Is_LosingIt
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt Posts: 4,696 Member
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    What's wrong with having a can of diet soda? Can you just do one a day? It's not going to affect your weight loss either way, but if you feel like you should cut down, then do it. Diet soda in moderation will not hurt you. If you don't suffer from an increase in appetite or any other side effects, why do you feel the need to cut it out completely?
  • Mycophilia
    Mycophilia Posts: 1,225 Member
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    Why not just enjoy your diet soda? I know I am.
  • Azexas
    Azexas Posts: 4,334 Member
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    If you like diet soda and wish to continue drinking it, there is nothing wrong with that. Moderation is key.

    However, if you truly want to cut it out (watch your caffeine intake, you may get headaches if you go cold turkey) what about using mio in seltzer water? Still get the bubbly of soda.
  • skinnygirldc
    skinnygirldc Posts: 30 Member
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    I think cutting back to one soda a day would be great. Right now I'm drinking three cans, which is kinda excessive. My reasons are partly health-related (aspartame), but also cost, and setting a positive example for my young kids.
  • Azexas
    Azexas Posts: 4,334 Member
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    I can totally understand cost. That adds up a bit.

    But about Aspartame, you may want to check this thread out: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1308408/why-aspartame-isnt-scary/p1
  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,254 Member
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    I've started drinking diet decaf iced tea instead. I still drink some diet soda, just much less often. I don't care about the artificial sweeteners, I like them. But The carbonation in diet sodas bloats me and the phosphorous leeches calcium from you bones, which for me as an older woman with osteoporosis running in the family is my main concern. The phosphorous is also very bad for your tooth enamel.

    You could also try Crystal Light. I like the lemonade especially.
  • Alyssa_Is_LosingIt
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt Posts: 4,696 Member
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    skinnygirldc wrote: »
    I think cutting back to one soda a day would be great. Right now I'm drinking three cans, which is kinda excessive. My reasons are partly health-related (aspartame), but also cost, and setting a positive example for my young kids.

    No reason to worry about aspartame. There are no real health effects associated with it (apart from people with PKU, or people whose migraines are triggered by it). It's probably the single most-studied food additive out there. Not to mention it's made up of two naturally occurring amino acids that we take in every day anyway. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1308408/why-aspartame-isnt-scary/p1

    Yeah, diet soda is expensive. I usually don't buy it for my house unless there is a big sale on it at my Publix or I just really want it. I save it for when I'm eating out, or occasionally buy it in the checkout line at the grocery store. Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper and Diet Mug Root Beer are my favorites. :smile:
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
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    Fear-mongering is so annoying. Ice cold Diet Coke Zero is not going to hurt me.
  • skinnygirldc
    skinnygirldc Posts: 30 Member
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    I'm not seriously worried about the aspartame, but I have other health reasons to cut back:
    - It erodes tooth enamel and has yellowed my teeth
    - It interferes with calcium absorption
    - It causes me to drink less water and get kinda dehydrated

    I think one diet soda per day would be a realistic goal for me. Any other tips on cutting back?
  • FatOldManMN
    FatOldManMN Posts: 1,116 Member
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    It will rot your stomach
  • Alyssa_Is_LosingIt
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt Posts: 4,696 Member
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    FatOldManMN wrote: »
    It will rot your stomach

    Yeah, mine is just a gangrenous hole in my abdomen right now.

    What does that even mean?
  • Alyssa_Is_LosingIt
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt Posts: 4,696 Member
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    skinnygirldc wrote: »
    I'm not seriously worried about the aspartame, but I have other health reasons to cut back:
    - It erodes tooth enamel and has yellowed my teeth
    - It interferes with calcium absorption
    - It causes me to drink less water and get kinda dehydrated

    I think one diet soda per day would be a realistic goal for me. Any other tips on cutting back?

    As troutsy mentioned upthread, maybe try Mio or another flavor enhancer in seltzer water? Try drinking tea (unsweetened) and flavored waters. I don't particular like using fruit to flavor my water (eww, chunks), but that's always an option.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Iced tea is great. Brew your own. There are lots of flavored tea bags out there. Lipton Pyramid Bavarian Berry...yum. I don't use sweetener. That may be an acquired taste, but start with a little sugar and step it down if you have to.
  • amgreenwell
    amgreenwell Posts: 1,268 Member
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    From experience, it is hard to quit... it is actually addictive. So, just take your time cutting it out and eventually you won't want one. Also, read up on asperatame and you won't put another diet anything in your body.
  • Azexas
    Azexas Posts: 4,334 Member
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    FatOldManMN wrote: »
    It will rot your stomach

    I was wondering where that huge hole in my abdomen came from. :|

    OP: If you are drinking 3 cans a day, drop down to 2 cans a day for a week and then drop down again to 1 can. That may prevent some of the caffeine headaches. ( This is what I did with my coffee)

  • jessicapk
    jessicapk Posts: 574 Member
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    I agree with Troutsy. Taper off how much you're drinking until you're at one can or a half a can a day (yeah, it feels stupid to toss a half a can but it won't bother you after a while). The main reasons I quit were dental, hydration, and the caffeine reliance. If I didn't have caffeine in the morning, I would have a raging headache by mid-day. I started using tea to taper off my caffeine and then swapped to an herbal / black tea blend. Now, if I don't have that morning caffeine, I can still live a normal life. So, more than anything else, it was simple reliance that bothered me. That and my teeth. And, on that note, Mio, Crystal Light, and other water enhancers also are very acidic and can also stain your teeth. If you rinse after drinking them, you should be fine but it's just not worth it to me any more. I can find water any where, for free in most cases, and it has no side effects of any kind.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    amgreenwell wrote: »
    From experience, it is hard to quit... it is actually addictive. So, just take your time cutting it out and eventually you won't want one. Also, read up on asperatame and you won't put another diet anything in your body.

    Here's a good place to start.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1308408/why-aspartame-isnt-scary/p1
  • UnicornAmanda
    UnicornAmanda Posts: 294 Member
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    I was a soda fiend... I was concerned with high fructose corn syrup in regular soda and aspartame in diets. I switched to maine root beer which is fair trade and doesn't have any of those chemicals...
  • Azexas
    Azexas Posts: 4,334 Member
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    RGv2 wrote: »
    amgreenwell wrote: »
    From experience, it is hard to quit... it is actually addictive. So, just take your time cutting it out and eventually you won't want one. Also, read up on asperatame and you won't put another diet anything in your body.

    Here's a good place to start.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1308408/why-aspartame-isnt-scary/p1

    Want to play the game of how many times can we post this link in this thread? :D

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