still diet coke free....

UGH, i feel you. i haven't had a cigarrette in about 6 days, and a soda in twice as long.

bump

I tried many times to kick my diet coke habit but it took salmonella poisoning (not from diet coke ) to get me over it. It has been 6 years and still diet coke free! I wish you the best of luck and sincerely hope that you are able to do it without the help of food poisoning!

Good for you and I actually believe regular coke is better than diet coke.

I stopped smoking 10 years ago...no let me rephrase that I choose not to have a cigarette anymore...10 years ago. A young friend of mine told me I smelt like his Grampa who smoked the same brand of cigarettes and that was the push I needed. Who needs to hear something like that!!! As for diet coke I had one today the first all week, I find when I am being really good on my food plan then I do not crave diet coke..possibly because of all the water that I consume (16 glasses/day).
Good luck to you and much success on your journey to good health.

I have cut back to 1 diet coke a day. Boy is it hard. Good luck

We need DCA (Diet cokes anonymous) It is very addicting like I have not had one in a week and then tonight my friend was drinking one and I really thought I might attack him for it I feel like an addict haha damn soda anyways I have been regular coke free for 4 years now!

Good job! I did the same several months ago. I cheated yesterday and had one at the movie and OMG I am feeling it today. Let's just say doing the jumping jacks in the 30 Day Shred was a tad painful tonight! If you miss the fiz I recommend La Croix as it is natural and has not artificial sweeteners.

Oh and when I go out now I ask for seltzer water with a lime. My husband started getting it and he said it's great!

CONGRATS! I gave up Soda, carbonated beverages, and artificial sweeteners in 2005. I look back at pictures from that time -- I was drinking a 6-pack or two-liter a day! -- and I was so bloated!

why give up dc?

There is mounting evidence that artificial sweeteners actually contribute to weight gain! If I understand correctly, it goes something like this: When we consume substances with a particular molecular pattern (like the family of various sugars), our bodies expect a certain caloric load, i.e. amount of energy, to come with it. When we take in the artificial sweeteners that have their structure altered so that they still taste sweet, but don't have the calories, our bodies get confused. In response, two things happen. 1) we crave MORE of the artificial substance because our bodies are trying to get the expected calories, and 2) when we do have the "real thing" more of that caloric energy is stored as fat because our bodies' setting for that has changed.

This theory is not entirely proven, but it is interesting to ponder. Here are some links:
http://health.msn.com/healthy-living/the-4-best-and-3-worst-sweeteners-to-have-in-your-kitchen?imageindex=1
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/artificial-sweeteners/MY00073

In addition to the artificial sweeteners in Diet Colas, there is the issue of carbonation. The Wikipedia article on "Soft drinks" cites studies that correlate the carbonation in soft drinks with loss of bone density. Another link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diet_soda

Anyway, it just seems better to avoid the stuff and just drink water and tea! For more flavor, put in a squeeze of citrus. Yum. :happy:

why did you give up diet coke just out of curiosity? I drink 2-3 a day and am wondering if its hindering my weight loss. It has 0 calories and no sugar so its not affecting my insulin levels. I'm being serious here because I asked my doc about it a few months ago and he said research has shown it has no bearing on weight loss. Regular sodas loaded with sugar are a different story. I know aspertame is not good for you... but neither is the sun so if its my only vice...why quit?

Good for you! If anyone is wondering why someone would kick the habit, in addition to the artificial sweeteners some people would prefer to give up, the phosphoric acid in diet sodas is especially bad for women. It contributes to osteoporosis. I quit a few years ago and have never looked back. The occasional sip I've taken of a diet soda now and then tastes horrible.

I have cut back to one a day. And traded my DC for Sprite Zero. My goal is to cut out Diet completely, but gradually.

Everyone is going to have different opinions on this but for some people, it is a matter of overall health, not just physical appearance. I don't think pounds will melt off just by quitting. If you google health effects diet soda, you can find a ton of info. Again, if it's working for you, great, but these are reasons why some people try to cut it out of their diets.
http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/4-health-side-effects-of-diet-soda.html

You are doing so well~ I know it is hard but you are already on the path to more healthy habits! keep up the good work!

Does everyone notice a big difference as far as weight loss?? I'm still losing weight and drinking diet coke religiously. I guess if I cut out the diet coke the pounds would melt off. Stories, advice, thoughts?

Thats the question i was trying to ask too. With no calories and no sugar, how will cutting help me lose weight? Caffeine before a workout is supposed to help with your workout.

You're right, the empty sugar cals of regular sodas (and a lot of juices too) are less conducive to weight loss goals. The research into "Do diet sodas make us fat?" is not conclusive. Several of the articles I re-read last night so I could include links in my earlier response indicated that the evidence shows "correlation" NOT "causation" (cause). There are other factors potentially at play here, including (and this is mentioned in a couple of the articles), that many folks drinking "diet soda" are NOT making real changes in lifestyle / dietary habit to support weight loss.

What does this all mean? Drinking diet soda is useless if you're still eating half a package of cookies in one sitting! (Like I used to do. Ugh.) In your case, Biker Mike, as a person active on MFP, you are most likely making changes to support healthy eating and getting to a healthy weight, so I bet the effect of "one vice" like diet soda is not going to break you.

I personally quit ALL sodas when I discovered that Splenda gives me migraines. I "instantly" dropped a clothing size just from not being all bloated off the carbonation! (and the migranes stopped instantly too.) That got me started on a larger mission to try to eliminate nearly all "artificial" things from my diet and just eat Food. My definition of "Food" is something that came off a tree, out of the ground, or has a mother. Things that ARE one-word ingredients: apple. almond. milk. chicken.

Here are a couple quotes that I have collected along these lines:
"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." (Michael Pollan)
"If God / Nature made it, you can eat it. I don't know about you, but I don't have a Cheetos tree in my backyard!" (paraphrased Jillian Michaels)

So that's my little soap-box about diet soda! Haha!

edit to add: I've read the same things about a little caffeine before a workout. That does seem to help! I am getting mine from Tea and chocolate! haha :happy: