I have brought myself down to maybe one a week (Diet Coke) that is. I enjoy my treat and don't miss it terribly. This is going from eight to ten a day. I have been off of it for about six months now and I am glad that I did it. The first few days were tough though.

It's been 1 1/2 years now since I gave up all soda. I do not miss it one bit. Even when I have tried to drink it just a taste it was no longer good to me at all. I am amazed I was able to go on with life without missing it ,the biggest hurdles was being out and just wanting something with some flavor. I have opted for a very occasional 1/2 sweet 1/2 unsweetened tea but mostly it's water for me. But result is I only buy soda for my kids as a extra special treat when it used to be a MUST HAVE like milk. They have grown used to it but there friends have made comments. One of my daughters best friends jokes the Jenny Craig must live here because I don't buy crap food she is used to.

I am accountable, I am here. Monday is weigh day, so I plan on staying on plan the weekend.

You'll be so glad you did! There is no need to drink calories. Giving up soda was the start of my journey 5 months ago, and I am so extremely pleased with it. I was an avid drinker of mountain dew and cherry coke. Avid as in 8 mt dew's a day when I'd work 16 hour shifts and days off 3 or 4 cherry cokes. The first week was a bit difficult. But, after that not so much. I tried cherry coke again 3 weeks after and it was gross now it's even worse. My taste buds are very appreciative of anything mildly sweet these days. The pop seriously is disgusting. It's like drinking syrup with straight sugar. Good luck and stick it out, you'll be glad you did!

Personally I'm an occasional diet coke drinker. I drink it when it's there or if it's available. I don't crave it or really think about it either way otherwise. It DOES help me though when I'm craving sweets or have that endless hungry feeling even though I just ate because it's sweet and the gas fills my stomach.

That being said, congratulations on the decision to give up the DC. It's not like it's beneficial or nutritious in any way, so it's unnecessary and since you feel convicted against it, I think you're definitely doing the right thing for yourself and I applaud you for that. Stay strong!

Thanks everyone for the support! Now that it's been a few days I can really feel the difference. I don't have that starving hungry feeling anymore (especially at night) and we're saving money in the process too. It's made it a lot easier to stay on plan so here's hoping I see some results from it soon!

Good luck to those who are going through the same thing now! Also, thanks to those who shared their own stories too. it's great to hear it can be done. I've managed to give up diet coke before when I was pregnant but that was always with the idea in mind that it wouldn't be permanent. Now I need to do it for real.

I quit Coke three weeks ago. I have slipped up twice - once I shared some from McDonalds with my BF, and then last night I bought a small bottle. When I drank it last night I didn't enjoy it like I used to.

The thing that helped me quit was Perrier - Grapefruit flavor. It gives me the bubbles and the slightly sour taste that I am always craving. But I notice after a while without Coke I didn't really even need the Perrier anymore either.

It's tough I know, so congrats!

~BreathingSpace~

I love that you're already seeing results, Running! Another benefit of not drinking soda - one that's not visible - is that you will be doing your bones a gigantic favor. The phosphorus (I think) in the carbonation process actually eats away at your bones, making them weaker. Less carbonation = stronger bones. Woohoo!

a wonderful and strong choice, Running! Good Job! I just gave up coffee about a month ago. I didn't PLAN to give up coffee, but I cut out my really bad flavored creamer and started drinking it with no sugar and 1% milk. At first I'd just nurse it along, but then came the day where I'd pour a cup, drink a few sips, and then it would just sit there and go cold. So one day, I stopped pouring it all together.

As someone who drank 3 - 5 cups A DAY, I never thought I'd be able to do it. Bonus that it helped me get my water consumption up to at least 10 glasses a day. I think you can totally do it!! Netflix as motivation does wonders to help!

Good Luck,

-Kiki

You might get a pleasant surprise on your next bloodwork- my doctor told me to quit drinking coffee (which was very difficult for me, as I love coffee) because my cholesterol was too high. Apparently in some people coffee causes high cholesterol. You may see a benefit in that your cholesterol will drop, as well.

I want to give up soda but its hard and I don't do diet I drink the real stuff and those calories can really add up..everyday I say no soda today but I always end up with one before the day is over with

Congrats on giving up Soda. I'm on Day 10 and while the first few days were hard due to the lack of caffine, I already feel better. I used to drink 3-4 12 oz cans of diet coke a day -.- so much

I spent nearly a year without artificial sweeteners, caffeine or carbonated beverages (except for the occasional unsweetened mineral water).

A friend had half-convinced me that aspartame had "caused" my fibromyalgia, so I gave up soda and artificial sweeteners for almost a year.

I didn't really notice any difference in my symptoms one way or the other.

I was still having problems with fatigue (the most debilitating symptom of my fibro), so I asked my doctor about medications. I was given provigil for "special occasion" use, but for every day my doctor suggested caffeine, just not within six hours of bedtime.

I explained that I hated coffee, and didn't like unsweetened tea, and asked if diet soda would be ok. My doctor said that I had been off artificial sweeteners long enough that if I did have a problem with them, I should notice right away.

So I reintroduced Diet Mountain Dew Code Red back into my life (for medicinal purposes, LOL). I didn't notice any ill effects, so I don't really worry about it.

I also started researching all of the supposed "links" between artificial sweeteners and health problems, and found that the scariest claims just weren't substantiated by the research. The information was either false or misleading (for example aspartame does break down into methanol and formaldehyde - but so do many natural foods - and in greater concentrations than aspartame). I think it was a graduate school biology professor I had, who said that a banana breaks down into far more formaldehyde and methane than a can of diet soda.

But you know, you hear about the horror stories long enough, and you start to believe they might be true (even if you know most of them aren't).

I don't use aspartame as much as Splenda, and I try to keep my amounts modest, because I do believe that the more sweets a person eats, the more they want. So, I've cut back on quantities dramatically, but I don't stress over what I do choose to include.

Diet sodas and sugar free jello pudding mix are sanity savers for me. I can't control myself with "real" sugar. Even fruit can trigger a binge, but the fake sugars satisfy the craving without triggering a binge.

I mix sugar free jello pudding mix into greek yogurt, and it tastes and feels like I'm eating cheesecake (cheesecake really was my only dessert downfall. I've never been a huge fan of desserts except cheesecake. My sugar downfall was hidden sugars - sugars in savory dishes like sweet and sour chicken or barbecue sauces).


I do try to drink fewer carbonated beverages, because I don't have very strong dental enamel, but my dentist said I don't have to give up carbonated beverages entirely, I just have to give up "sipping on them all day." He said to use a straw, and to rinse my mouth out after I've had a soda.

So far, that's been working well.

I'm more or less back on the wagon here, only because the way I've been told to eat doesn't allow for the extra calories in the Coke. That said, I have only had 2 cans all week, which is a major improvement from how I was. I've switched mostly to Diet Coke, and even then I'm having 1 can.

Slowly but surely.

I'm all about Canada Dry Diet Ginger Ale these days LOL When I have a fizzy drink (on a Saturday usually) that's my new go-to. I always think the horror stories about diet sodas, etc., are because that person drank a 2L bottle of the stuff a day for 10 years LOL A can or two a week isn't going to do anything??