HELP! I'm Addicted to Cherry Coke!

Yep. Just suck it up and do it.

Try buying fresh cherries in the produce dept and cutting and pitting them and adding them to a diet coke. I love soda as well, and that works for me when I have a cherry coke craving. You get used to the taste of the diet over regular over time. But I LOVE a good diet coke with fresh cherries!

I have 3 words for you....



Cherry Coke Zero

And ignore all the research that indicates diet soda is probably horribly bad for you? It's much better to just get over the addicition to drinking sweets.

What research? I have yet to see a single study that proves causation. You can argue that it's not good for you, but don't try to say science proves it isn't.

Epidemiology also said that dietary fat was the cause of obesity and that the cholesterol in eggs will kill you and a whole host of other crap.

There isn't a single long term RCT in humans that examines this issue. So while I agree that epidemiology does not prove causation, it's the only evidence that we have. Furthermore, RCT's in animals do support that artificial sweeteners are extremely bad for you. Furthermore, the epidemiology is very strong. For example, a study published online on Jan. 27, 2012 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found a 43% increase in the rates of heart attacks and other vascular events in diet soda drinkers. While it's true that there could possibly be confounders, it's pretty unlikely that diet soda is totally benign.

And in regard to your comparison to the BS epidemiology that said eggs and saturated fat were bad, I would have to disagree. The epidemiology studies looking at end points in sat fat and egg eaters never showed anything close to a 43% increase in heart attacks. Furthermore, unlike eggs and saturated fat, there is absolutely NO REASON to drink diet soda. So why poison yourself?

There isn't a single long term RCT in humans that examines this issue. So while I agree that epidemiology does not prove causation, it's the only evidence that we have. Furthermore, RCT's in animals do support that artificial sweeteners are extremely bad for you. Furthermore, the epidemiology is very strong. For example, a study published online on Jan. 27, 2012 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found a 43% increase in the rates of heart attacks and other vascular events in diet soda drinkers. While it's true that there could possibly be confounders, it's pretty unlikely that diet soda is totally benign.

And in regard to your comparison to the BS epidemiology that said eggs and saturated fat were bad, I would have to disagree. The epidemiology studies looking at end points in sat fat and egg eaters never showed anything close to a 43% increase in heart attacks. Furthermore, unlike eggs and saturated fat, there is absolutely NO REASON to drink diet soda. So why poison yourself?

That is a fair point, and I understood that you were acknowledging the fact that it was a correlation and not causationthat was discovered, I just don't know that it was clear to others. If I recall correctly, the animal studies I've seen were done on mice, and there's a very big leap from mice to humans. I don't know what the exact increase in frequency was, but it was enough to make them suggest limiting the quantities, as they suggested limiting dietary fat intake. I would agree whole heartedly that water is better for you, but I sincerely think that the damage you sustain from drinking diet soda evens out statistically to be comparable to many other risks we take in our daily lives. From driving, to having a couple beers after work, to holding a stressful job/career, to talking on cell phones or peering into the microwave or any of those other things folks say give you cancer.

To answer your question specifically, I 'poison' myself because it makes dieting easier. I'm very overweight, and realistically speaking the fact that diet soda is helping me lose weight and the health benefit therein makes it worthwhile. I'll have a few cans a day because it's something with taste that still helps me hit my calorie target. It's the same way I'll eat my tuna with nonfat cheese, skim sour cream, 0 calorie ranch, 0 calorie hot sauce, pickles, banana peppers, and mustard. I could use more nutrient dense and non-processed foods, but those things are low calorie and fit into my macros. The fact that I can have a <1000 calorie meal that will keep me FULL for 4 hours, and satiated for over 8 means it's easier for me to lose weight. The benefits from that are far greater than the unproven risks of heart attack or growing a third testicle or spontaseously combusting.

RE: stats & epidemiology

The above commnet might actually be supporting that epidemiology needs to be looked at closely as to the group that is being studied. For example, are overweight people a higher user group of diet soda? If so, would it not make sense that there would be an increase in heart attacks, etc, in that group?

Did they compare, instead, say, 120-140 pound 5'-3' to 5'-6' women, and otherwise healthy. What was the higher incidence of heart attacks in that group (ie healthy including their weight)?

Stats are a tricky business. I had a boss once who told me, regarding a health product we sold, "Tell me what you need and I will find a study that says it".

Very true, but my belief is that diet soda stimulated weight gain (and hence the health issues that come with it) both by giving you a sweet tooth and messing with your body's natural mechanisms that control appetite. This opinion is based off of personal experience, not a RCT. The epidemiology on humans and RCT studies on animals support this opinion as well. Perhaps in 15 years we'll know the real answer. In the mean time, I'll be avoiding diet soda.

Well I won't disagree that diet soda can be enjoyable. So if you like it and that's why you drink it, then it can make some sense. However, I strongly urge you to rethink whether or not it's going to help you lose weight in the long run. I used to drink 1-2 diet soda's every day and thought that was healthy. But I also always craved sweets and carbs, all the time. Diet soda helped satiate that craving for a bit, but the craving would soon return. When I eventually cut out diet soda, I found that after a few months those cravings for sugar and chips became few and far between.

When you change the way you eat, you pallete will eventually change as well and catch up. But if you keep stimulating your pallete with super sweet chemicals and artificial foods, those cravings will never go away. Ditch the non-fat alternatives and zero calorie garbage. People have been getting fat off of skim milk and all those "miracle foods" for the past several decades. The best thing you can do for your long term health is just to get used to eating real food. Fruits, veggies, lean meat, WHOLE fat diary, nuts, etc. Stop snacking on chips, snack packs, pretzels, and any other kind of fake food. If that's your diet, you'll do well in the long run.

This is a very valid point. Perhaps the one best made because, regardless of the physiological effects of diet soda, implicates a potential psychological component. I have found that I can handle it while cutting weight. If and when I get low enough and transition to maintenance or a bulk cycle, I will of course need to reevaluate my diet to determine what works best. At this current point in time I don't crave 'oreos' or 'zebra cakes' or 'chips'...I just crave 'more food'. Since I'm resisting temptation anyway, it doesn't really matter to me which particular food group it falls under.

Very true, but my belief is that diet soda stimulated weight gain (and hence the health issues that come with it) both by giving you a sweet tooth and messing with your body's natural mechanisms that control appetite. This opinion is based off of personal experience, not a RCT. The epidemiology on humans and RCT studies on animals support this opinion as well. Perhaps in 15 years we'll know the real answer. In the mean time, I'll be avoiding diet soda.

And it is clear we will have to agree to disagree on this subject. Good luck in reaching and surpassing your own health and fitness goals. It was a nice change having a debate on this topic with someone who could formulate an argument more coherent than 'OH NOEZ...IF YOU DR1NKS TEH DIET COLA YUOR HART WILL EZPLODE!!!!! IT'S SCIENCE!!!!!'

You said it right. "Addiction"
Its a very serious problem because not only is it an addiction, but the more you drink the empty calories, the more hungrier you feel, which results in overeating. If we could seriously look at it as if it was poison we were drinking everyday, toxins that are harmful for our overall health, and get into the right state of mind so our focus is getting rid of all of toxins and waste. I lived for diet Dr. Pepper, thinking it was "0" calories, not realizing that what I was drinking was the result of my weight gain. It took a few weeks to finally give it up. But now I feel great!! Good Luck!

I was never huge on pop, but every so often you need that carbonation! If I really really want a pop, I'll make sure its a fountain soda and ill do 3/4 coke zero or diet coke, and top the rest off with cherry coke. That way you've got the flavor but not all the calories. Another option is sparkling water like LaCroix or Mendota Springs. They have tons of flavors (coconut, peach pear, cran-raspberry, lime, lemon, etc...) Best part is, there are no sweeteners, artificial or otherwise, it is calorie free and it counts toward your water intake.

Otherwise, if you truly can't give it up, just make sure you figure in the extra calories for that day and either budget accordingly or fit in an extra workout.

Good luck!!

Very true. I usually do half coke zero and top off with the cherry coke. This helps a lot. 3/4 would be even better, though. I'm sure they make a diet version. If you sub out the diet version for just one week (it will be hard), your taste buds will adjust, and the regular one won't be good to you anymore (too sweet).