[kaybelle9]

Hello everyone!

I've lost quite a bit of weight before, and now after baby, I'm attempting to lose again. I have found that with both weight loss attempts, I have the WORST time giving up diet soda... specifically Diet Coke.

I have read all about diet sodas, artificial sweeteners, etc. and how they can make you body crave sugar... What I'm curious to know is if there is anyone else that has had a hard time giving up Diet Coke or any diet soda. If you have given it up, did you notice any difference mentally? physically? Did it take you a long time to kick the habit? If you have not given it up, were you still able to lose the weight you wanted? Do you think it took you longer than if you had given it up?

I've run into LOADS of people that joke, "I'm so addicted to Diet Coke!"

I'm not to sure it's funny anymore. I think I might really have a Diet Coke problem!

[Palestrina]

Hello, my name is Wannabeskinny and I'm a sodaholic. I've been soda free for 1.5 years.

Congratulations, you've overcome your biggest obstacle in ridding yourself or diet soda: the idea that it doesn't help you NOT gain weight! You're well on your way to kicking this nasty habit.

YES I found a huge difference not only in my physical body but also in my mental health after giving it up. The best way I can explain it is that it felt like the cobwebs were being pulled away from my mind. I didn't realize that I was mentally living in a fog. I definitely felt more alert (even without all that extra caffeine!).

I will warn you though that artificial sweeteners have done your body no good up until this point. When I quit diet soda I developed a mean and angry sweet tooth. I hope the same does not happen to you but nobody was around to warn me of that so I'm just saying... heads up so you can deal with it if that arises.

Once you bring your body chemistry back into balance (not craving soda and not craving sweets) you'll look back and realize that there is no better feeling in the world than to be rid of soda.

If you like the fizziness I would suggest switching to seltzer - it has helped me tremendously because I still crave the fizz. Just add a little lemon and once you get used to the non-flavor you'll like it. I have converted many friends who are soda lovers to seltzer and they're all the better for it.

[TamiL]

I am totally addicted to Diet Coke and have been for many years. I can easily put away 2 or 3 2 liters a day. It does not hinder my weight loss any.

[Onederchic]

Since age 13/14 (I'm 38 now), I was addicted to diet cokes. I was drinking a 12 pack a day. 4 months ago, I dropped it to 2 20oz a week and now I have 1 20oz a week and I am fine with it. I didn't get nuts or anything when I cut them drastically. I just drank water and told myself it was all okay and hey, it really was

Good luck with your goals

[crcossel]

You know I am not addicted, but I do drink it on special occasions. But I was Just listening to a Jillian Micheals podcast on this subject. You can down load it free on the KFI website and it is the one from 5/31.

Mostly I've really started to realize that is not just the caffeine (I drink coffee every day) it is all the chemicals in it. There is not 1 good ingredient. Its like your kids making something with beakers and tubes in chemistry class and then asking you to drink it.

[Thighs Be Gone]

Before I began my path to health, I was drinking probably 3 or 4 huge glasses every day. I do love diet coke. I allow myself to drink it now on Friday night--which is pizza night at my house.

I think aside from the possible health implications of sweetner, I naturally couple D coke with a plethora of horrible foods--Ruffles, pizza, pork skins, fried cheese, etc.

[JulieJ08]

I really like the flavored seltzers as a substitute (orange, lime, lemon) - not the kind with artificial sweeteners. They have no sweeteners at all. At first I found them quite bitter. Now they actually seem a bit sweet to me. They give me the fizzy without the sweet, artificial or otherwise, and the less sugar I have, the more I find I really enjoy bitter tastes.

[UniquelyNormal]

I was a total addict. It's soooo good

It didn't effect me in terms of weight loss but after I quit I felt so much better. I didn't get energy spikes & lulls and I slept better too. Even though I had a policy of no soda after 6pm I still felt a sleep change.

[gardenerjoy]

I quit diet soda for awhile a year or so ago and gradually let it slip back in, while gradually letting pounds slip back on. It seems to me that it's easier to lose weight without diet soda than with it. So, I'm working on giving it up again.

I really miss the fizziness and something cold to drink when I first get up, since that's when I drink my first Diet Coke. The best substitute I found was about 2 ounces of any kind of fruit juice mixed with club soda. Of course, I can only do that once a day or I'll have a problem with too much juice. I'll have to try just a little lemon and see if that works for me.

For the rest of the day, drinking water or herbal iced tea works fine as a substitute.

I find it much easier to give up by pushing myself to drink more other things than by trying to drink less soda. That is, instead of telling myself that I'm going to only drink one can of soda in the afternoon, I tell myself that I'm going to drink 4 glasses of water and 1 glass of herbal iced tea. By the time I get all that in, the number of cans of soda magically reduces itself.

Oh, and that reminds me of something else that helped. I prefer the environmental impact of 2-liter bottles, but it's easier to keep a limit on my soda drinking if I use cans, so I switched. Hopefully, soon, I won't be drinking any diet soda which will also reduce the environmental impact of my beverage drinking.

[Elladorine]

Originally Posted by Wannabeskinny

YES I found a huge difference not only in my physical body but also in my mental health after giving it up. The best way I can explain it is that it felt like the cobwebs were being pulled away from my mind. I didn't realize that I was mentally living in a fog. I definitely felt more alert (even without all that extra caffeine!).

I went through this myself. I thought I was doing myself a world of good by giving up the real stuff for the diet, but didn't make the connection of how the artificial sweeteners messed with me at first.

I felt like I was in a hazy cloud all the time. I couldn't concentrate and had all sorts of emotional outbursts. I figured it was due to allergies, the new environment I was in (I had moved to a new climate), or an old contacts prescription, but when I started getting the severe migraines . . . well, I eventually made a connection there after feeling great one day then suddenly feeling knocked down the moment I drank some bottled diet tea. And when I quit drinking and eating anything with aspartame, I got my clarity and headache-free days back.

Unfortunately, I let myself slip back to regular soda. I've since quit soda altogether now, and I think I'm much better off drinking water or tea.

[Palestrina]

Originally Posted by Sirenity

I went through this myself. I thought I was doing myself a world of good by giving up the real stuff for the diet, but didn't make the connection of how the artificial sweeteners messed with me at first.

I felt like I was in a hazy cloud all the time. I couldn't concentrate and had all sorts of emotional outbursts. I figured it was due to allergies, the new environment I was in (I had moved to a new climate), or an old contacts prescription, but when I started getting the severe migraines . . . well, I eventually made a connection there after feeling great one day then suddenly feeling knocked down the moment I drank some bottled diet tea. And when I quit drinking and eating anything with aspartame, I got my clarity and headache-free days back.

Unfortunately, I let myself slip back to regular soda. I've since quit soda altogether now, and I think I'm much better off drinking water or tea.

That's a lot to go through! I'm so glad you've pulled through it and are on a much healthier beverage track. It's amazing how many chemicals are in those things. I admit I allow myself a diet pepsi every once in a while but when I have it now I no longer enjoy it as much as I used to. I'm having it less and less.

I gained weight when I switched to diet soda. I never had a sweet tooth when I was addicted to regular soda but soon after I made the switch I started craving all sorts of cakes, donuts, pastries, even toast with jam! I guess by tricking my body with chemicals instead of sugar caused it to backfire on me. Oh so many of us go through this without ever realizing what it's doing to us!!!