New Years Resolution: no more diet drinks

krist3ng
krist3ng Posts: 259 Member
in Food and Nutrition
After reading up on Donald Trump’s soda habits in the news, I realized I drink waaaaay more diet soda than advisable. I could drink a 2-liter bottle in a day. I delight in going to 7-11 and getting enormous Double Gulps. It’s a huge addiction. I also drink tons of Crystal Light. So it’s my resolution this year to quit drinking beverages with artificial sweeteners.

Does anyone have experience with drastically cutting down? Is there some magical solution to this other than just drinking plain water all day? I know I have trouble staying hydrated if it’s not delicious.

I want to go cold turkey by Jan 1, but easing into it might be helpful.
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Replies

  • Wynterbourne
    Wynterbourne Posts: 2,225 Member
    If you want to cut down, cut down, but there's nothing wrong with diet soda so don't cut down just because you think it should be avoided.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1308408/why-aspartame-isnt-scary
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    No way. I drink tons of the stuff.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Trying to cut out something I like has never worked well, and by well, I mean permanently. Motivation to do things is complex, but I think you really have to dislike someone in order to use the fact that they do it, as an effective deterrent. I couldn't even use "health scare" or "hot body" to motivate me to lose weight. Demonizing (and that includes calling it an addiction), only makes me want it more. I need a reason I find reasonable(!) and rational. For me, eating or drinking anything besides water, black coffee and unsweetened tea between meals, unless it's a special occasion, weakens my boundaries.

    (I have never been especially attracted to soda, but overconsumed other things.)

    I drink water because I need to stay hydrated, not because it's fun. An easy routine for me is to drink two cups when I get up in the morning, and then one glass before each meal and/or before I brush my teeth. (I've been loosening up quite a bit. I used to make sure I really had at least 8 cups each day.)
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    edited December 2017
    If your current drinks contain caffeine then "going cold-turkey" would be a mistake and possibly give you dreadful headaches. Tapering down over time would avoid that.

    "Is there some magical solution to this other than just drinking plain water all day? I know I have trouble staying hydrated if it’s not delicious."
    Moderation instead of exclusion?
    Substitution? But beware the calories in whatever you drink instead. (I drink a lot of unsweetened tea and tap water.)

    Must admit not really seeing the need or benefit to cutting out drinks you enjoy, have low calories and hydrate you.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Diet soda made me crave sweets more... not sure why it's always done that for some reason.
  • Calichusetts
    Calichusetts Posts: 100 Member
    Diet ginger ale is a great sub and gateway to seltzer
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    What are your specific concerns with the diet sodas and artificial sweeteners? Or is the motivation more to not emulate Donald Trump's habits?
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  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited December 2017
    It's got caffeine, so if you want to cut down, think about cutting down, not going cold turkey. If you want to quit abruptly, it will be easier if you add in some other source of caffeine for a while. I stopped drinking it entirely for a while, but was drinking coffee, so I just subbed water for the soda. I've quit coffee cold turkey and if you've been drinking a lot of caffeine you can get headaches for a few days. I never thought it was all that bad, but tapering down will be easier given the amounts you say you consume.

    You could also just put rules around your consumption -- only between certain hours or only if I drink an equal amount of water or some such. I don't think there's anything wrong with diet soda, but if you are trying to save money or wean off of a habit of drinking it to excess or instead of anything else, I don't think cutting it way back is a bad thing to do at all.

    (Nicksweetheart's point about will power is why I did not try to cut back on coffee -- which I like black and is my thing I tend to drink to excess -- the first year I was losing weight. But that might not apply to you.)
  • AngryViking1970
    AngryViking1970 Posts: 2,847 Member
    Yeah, I'm good with zero calorie sodas and such. You can have my Fresca when you pry it from cold dead hands.
  • jsminer827
    jsminer827 Posts: 62 Member
    I know that most would tell you that drinking diet sodas is perfectly fine... it really comes down to you. I know, for me, that drinking diet soda or diet anything... the artificial sweeteners lead to my sweet tooth convincing me that I need more sweet stuff which is a definite contributor to how I ended up 100 pounds overweight. I've gotten 75 of it off, but the thought of bringing it back, makes me think the last 25 would stay out of reach. I have learned to love seltzer - the lack of sugar/sweet resulted in a long time for me to come around to liking it, but it feeds the need for a bubbly alternative to plain water.
  • whitpauly
    whitpauly Posts: 1,483 Member
    I find that diet soda helps my sugar cravings but we're all different and I could see it triggering for others,I do like that it helps me feel full of I sip it with a meal but I only drink it once or twice a week a a treat
  • beaglady
    beaglady Posts: 1,362 Member
    I don't have any advice for you. For myself, diet soda is a perfect calorie-free substitute for a sweet snack. Diet root beer or Dr. Pepper especially seem to satisfy my sweet tooth and help me avoid eating sweets as an afternoon snack. Seltzer is a great option for thirst quenching especially during hot weather.
  • FireOpalCO
    FireOpalCO Posts: 641 Member
    Try Dasani sparkling water, they aren't sweetened. Coke Freestyle machines have the Lime flavor and you can buy the other flavors in cans at the grocery store. I'm partial to the Tropical Pineapple. I dislike La Croix so was pleasantly surprised when I tried the Dasani and like it a lot.


    I've also found buying cans/glass bottles of what I want to drink also helps with portion control.
  • krist3ng
    krist3ng Posts: 259 Member
    edited December 2017
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Trying to cut out something I like has never worked well, and by well, I mean permanently. Motivation to do things is complex, but I think you really have to dislike someone in order to use the fact that they do it, as an effective deterrent. I couldn't even use "health scare" or "hot body" to motivate me to lose weight. Demonizing (and that includes calling it an addiction), only makes me want it more. I need a reason I find reasonable(!) and rational. For me, eating or drinking anything besides water, black coffee and unsweetened tea between meals, unless it's a special occasion, weakens my boundaries.

    (I have never been especially attracted to soda, but overconsumed other things.)

    I drink water because I need to stay hydrated, not because it's fun. An easy routine for me is to drink two cups when I get up in the morning, and then one glass before each meal and/or before I brush my teeth. (I've been loosening up quite a bit. I used to make sure I really had at least 8 cups each day.)


    Haha I wrote my post at like 4 am and should have mentioned that Donald Trump drinking lots of Diet Coke led to many scary articles about dementia/diabetes risks being 3x higher for regular diet soda drinkers. Although I also wouldn’t want to emulate any of Trump’s habits, lol.

    I see what you mean about moderation vs total abstinence. But I know myself and I usually need some sort of a “rule” to follow, so maybe my strategy can be to cut it completely for 2 months and then just have it on special occasions.

    Interesting thoughts on motivation. Personally, I like the feeling of challenge that I get from drastic changes, but at the same time drastic is harder to stick with long term.
  • krist3ng
    krist3ng Posts: 259 Member
    AngryViking1970 wrote: »
    Yeah, I'm good with zero calorie sodas and such. You can have my Fresca when you pry it from cold dead hands.

    I love Fresca so damn much..... Fresca, Diet Dr. Pepper, and Diet Coke are my holy trinity....
  • krist3ng
    krist3ng Posts: 259 Member
    FireOpalCO wrote: »
    Try Dasani sparkling water, they aren't sweetened. Coke Freestyle machines have the Lime flavor and you can buy the other flavors in cans at the grocery store. I'm partial to the Tropical Pineapple. I dislike La Croix so was pleasantly surprised when I tried the Dasani and like it a lot.


    I've also found buying cans/glass bottles of what I want to drink also helps with portion control.

    I didn’t know that about the coke machines— I will check that out!!!

    Haha unfortunately I love the feeling of cracking open a can of soda too much... whenever I buy those 12-packs of soda I just drink them all in a row :disappointed:

    (Not a huge lacroix fan either but I might come around on it)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited December 2017
    AngryViking1970 wrote: »
    Yeah, I'm good with zero calorie sodas and such. You can have my Fresca when you pry it from cold dead hands.

    @AngryViking1970

    Oooooo...another Fresca person. I've found that we are rather rare...I like the black cherry citrus the best...

    ETA: OP, you might have better luck establishing times when you can have your diet soda rather than trying to completely eliminate something you enjoy.

    I used to be a big regular soda guy...anywhere from 3-6 cans or more per day. I weened myself down and gave myself times when I could have one to where eventually I was having one with lunch a couple times per week and then eventually I just stopped drinking them.

    I didn't get into diet soda for awhile because I never like most of the stuff I tried until I found Fresca...I don't drink a lot, but I do have one with lunch a few days per week and in the evening with some vodka if I want a cocktail.
  • Lizakabibbis
    Lizakabibbis Posts: 370 Member
    It's so hard! I cut out soda/crystal light/MIO blah blah blah over 18 months ago. Now, I have one glass of diet sweet tea a day. It still has artificial sweetener but I figure one glass a day is better than my crazy soda/sugary drink obsession.

    But to the person that mentioned Fresca - UGH I'm so mad at you. I LOVE Fresca and haven't thought about it in years.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    What a bizarre reason to cut out something.

    They do make infusion water bottles where you can add your own fruit/veggies/herbs to flavor your water. But I don't see an anti-Trump diet resolution being very successful.
  • QueenBee2018
    QueenBee2018 Posts: 196 Member
    For me diet drinks make me crave sweet things. I would also get a headache within 10 minutes of drinking Diet Coke--I loved that stuff. Despite the headaches for negative feedback it took me 6 months to finally quit drinking it. Now I drink Lacroix on occasion and lots of water and unsweet tea. Don't miss it.
  • Wynterbourne
    Wynterbourne Posts: 2,225 Member
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Ready2Rock206 wrote: »
    What a bizarre reason to cut out something.

    They do make infusion water bottles where you can add your own fruit/veggies/herbs to flavor your water. But I don't see an anti-Trump diet resolution being very successful.

    I don't know. It makes a lot of people (myself included) lose their appetite.

    Same. Diet soda (caffeinated) has never made me crave anything, let alone sweets. I can drink it when I get nibblely and be fine for a while longer. I realize it's not that way for everyone. But, thankfully, for me, diet soda doesn't equal sweets cravings.
  • Good_Morning_Glory
    Good_Morning_Glory Posts: 226 Member
    Idk. I like diet pop, I like WINNING and I can’t understand what this has to do with the President.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    Wynterbourne wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Ready2Rock206 wrote: »
    What a bizarre reason to cut out something.

    They do make infusion water bottles where you can add your own fruit/veggies/herbs to flavor your water. But I don't see an anti-Trump diet resolution being very successful.

    I don't know. It makes a lot of people (myself included) lose their appetite.

    Same. Diet soda (caffeinated) has never made me crave anything, let alone sweets. I can drink it when I get nibblely and be fine for a while longer. I realize it's not that way for everyone. But, thankfully, for me, diet soda doesn't equal sweets cravings.

    LOL I meant that Trump might make people lose their appetite!

    Diet soda for me is neutral. It quenches my thirst but has no impact on hunger or cravings. As a zero calorie beverage it fits nicely between coffee, lots of water, and a glass or two of wine.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    krist3ng wrote: »
    FireOpalCO wrote: »
    Try Dasani sparkling water, they aren't sweetened. Coke Freestyle machines have the Lime flavor and you can buy the other flavors in cans at the grocery store. I'm partial to the Tropical Pineapple. I dislike La Croix so was pleasantly surprised when I tried the Dasani and like it a lot.


    I've also found buying cans/glass bottles of what I want to drink also helps with portion control.

    I didn’t know that about the coke machines— I will check that out!!!

    Haha unfortunately I love the feeling of cracking open a can of soda too much... whenever I buy those 12-packs of soda I just drink them all in a row :disappointed:

    (Not a huge lacroix fan either but I might come around on it)

    If you are drinking a 12 pack a day, that is definitely an expensive habit. There is no reason to cut it out entirely, but if you want to challenge yourself, why not set up some rules to get it under control? Like if you just had a soda, you must drink a glass of water before having another? Or only put 3 cans in the fridge before you go to bed and leave the rest warm. Or you only drink them at home. Or you never drink them at home. :)

    If the bubbles are the important part, sparkling water might help as an occasional sub as well. If sweetness is part of the pull, I find unsweetened mint tea a good choice, the mint makes it sweet without any sweetener.
  • RAinWA
    RAinWA Posts: 1,980 Member
    Ok, now you guys have me craving diet cherry Dr. Pepper.

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