Diet Coke Addiction

I thought about posting this in nutrition but since there is no value in diet coke, I thought better of it.

I sincerely believe I am addicted to diet coke. I also am quite sure it is a major contributing factor to eating bad foods. I've read about the conection between artificial sweetners and the brain craving actual sweets and that may be part of it but also, it's one of my comfort food companions. Pizza, spaghetti, any form of junk food, pretty much anything with a high GI must be eaten with diet coke. There are days when 100% of my hydration comes from diet coke. I also think it's making my skin look icky, just tired.

I have started drinking more water and everyday I try not to drink diet coke, though I always end up with a killer headache and cave. I've tried tea to compensate for the caffiene, no luck. I don't like coffee.

Have any of you had this experience? Any tips on how to break this habit?

TIA
Amy

cold turkey and aspirin.....quit the soda, take aspirin for the withdrawal,,,,,you will be totally amazed how much better you feel and how much more energy you will have when you quit giving that crap to your body....it takes 4-7 days to get over it and then it gets better..
good luck
Dave

LOL<> darn it! Thanks, I was hoping some little known herbal tea would kick it or something. Or even a gradual process, but once I have some, it's over for the day....that's all I drink.

I do believe it's a true addiction. I feel like total crap right now, with my wonderful water bottle half full in front of me. If I were to go downstairs to the vending machine and get a diet coke, I would feel better as soon as I took a sip. I've been known to get very irritable and shaky while trying to quit and as soon as I have some, all is right in the world again. I instantly calm down, my body feels more at ease, my head will start to feel better...it's terrible!

Oh well, a few advil a day will still be less expenisve than all that soda!

as someone said..(.Emi?) embrace the feeling...it is a good thing even though it hurts temporarily,,,,plus your skin gets clearer! its all good

I agree! Stop cold turkey! I used to drink water with a crystal light packet every morning. I would feel horrible when I didn't have one. After reading an article about diet sodas as well as crystal light containing Aspartame and that it can cause you to be addicted among other things I decided to stop cold turkey. I felt horrible for about a week but it passed. Good luck!

I was that way with Pepsi and I agree with Dave. I had to just quit it cold turkey on the day of this journey (Jan5th). I knew I would not quit if I just kept saying "oh I'll only have a small glass or just a sip" So, when that day rolled around I was done! I had horrible headaches for a few days but just kept pushing through. It has now been 3 months since I've had a soda!! I took a sip the other day because I was coughing and had no water....IT WAS HORRIBLE!! The taste of the soda literally made me gag because I had not had it in so long!! You can do it! Yeah, it will be hard but since when is doing something good for yourself ever easy? Has this weight loss been easy? Have you not sweated, cried from pain, worked your *kitten* off, and still pushed through? OF COURSE YOU HAVE!!!

Im another that has to agree with Dave..with me being a diet pepsi addict (6-8 a day) I believe it has to be cold turkey. I quit altogether the day I started on here (3 weeks ago). Someone told me that sodas promote belly fat!!!!! YUK!!!! so I gave them up and replaced them with water. I know that if I have just one...I will want one more..so I stick with the water. There are so many changes going on with counting calories, trying to make better food choices, lots of exercise, loads of water...that if I had any withdrawl symptoms I didn't notice. Ive lost 9 lbs so far and if the quitting the soda had any help in that , don't know...but I do feel alot better for it.

Yep, stop cold turkey. I used to LOVE Diet Coke (especially the one w/ Lime). But I found out that aspartame was a huge migraine trigger for me. That was enough reason for me to give it up. I gave it up over 3 years ago now and do NOT miss it. I do drink coffee (black) and green tea, but that's it. (oh, and at least gallon of water a day) I tried a sip of DC a while back and it tasted horrible to me. :sick:

I have a friend that was severely addicted to Diet Coke, she drank pretty much no other liquids. She had some health complications and finally gave it up too. She couldn't believe how much better she felt and she lost weight too!

Now if only I could convince my brother... he's another Diet Coke addict! :noway:

some of the painkillers have caffeine in them, I think excedrin does. If you use it, it will help the most, but I agree, if it is becoming a problem, you gotta get rid of it altogether. :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

I had to respond to this. I have what I
consider a real Diet Coke addiction, in that
if I want it, nothing stops me from getting one. How sad is that? Ten years ago I quit
a 2 pack a day cigarette habit but this is worse.
I'm not sure why but it is. I have cut down,
from 2 2 liters a day to one glass. Don't think that wasn't brutal. I hate that I've let this become something I lost control over but it is.
If I don't have it in the house, and I'm out driving around, I stop wherever there is a fountain so I can control the ice!

It's not funny though. I know it's horrible
for my health and that it is a diuretic thereby making me have to drink even more water which is what I should be drinking in the first place. The headaches don't bother me by going cold turkey because I know they are temporary (the blood vessels no longer constricted) but for whatever reason, even if I've succeeded I always find myself going back to it. So it's something I'm still struggling with.

I consider an addiction as anything we don't need to exist, but will do anything to have. For me,
it's Diet Coke.

I know a lot of people have suggested cold turkey, but if that doesn't work for you, here's something else you could try. When my mom quit drinking diet Coke, she bought the little cans (6oz, I think). When she could feel the headache start to come on, she would have one mini-can, but only if the headache started. Each day she would drink less and less of the little can of diet Coke to get rid of the headache. It took her about a week, but eventually the headaches quit, and she didn't drink anymore.

However, if you really can't control your intake once you get started, this might not work.

My response might not be a good one but I have been thinking of giving up my aspertame habit for a long time. I have had times where I drink "diet" everything all day or at least a little bit of Crystal light in a water bottle to just flavor it a bit.

What I am thinking of doing and wondering if anyone else out there has tried it is stevia.

They even have a soda called Zevia.

What do you all think?

I thought about posting this in nutrition but since there is no value in diet coke, I thought better of it.

I sincerely believe I am addicted to diet coke. I also am quite sure it is a major contributing factor to eating bad foods. I've read about the conection between artificial sweetners and the brain craving actual sweets and that may be part of it but also, it's one of my comfort food companions. Pizza, spaghetti, any form of junk food, pretty much anything with a high GI must be eaten with diet coke. There are days when 100% of my hydration comes from diet coke. I also think it's making my skin look icky, just tired.

I have started drinking more water and everyday I try not to drink diet coke, though I always end up with a killer headache and cave. I've tried tea to compensate for the caffiene, no luck. I don't like coffee.

Have any of you had this experience? Any tips on how to break this habit?

TIA
Amy

cold turkey and aspirin.....quit the soda, take aspirin for the withdrawal,,,,,you will be totally amazed how much better you feel and how much more energy you will have when you quit giving that crap to your body....it takes 4-7 days to get over it and then it gets better..
good luck
Dave

Yep! Tis true! I am a recently reformed Diet Coke-aholic. I don't touch the stuff now (or any other artificial sweetener) and I cannot believe the difference in how I feel and energy level. I pretty much drink only water and green tea. You can do it! :drinker: