Just wondering because I am a diet coke junkie. I could easily drink a 6 pk/day! I feel that sometimes a diet coke absolutely would cure my desire for something to eat and get me thru this. But not totally sure why diet coke is banned from IP. Is it the artificial sweetener? And if it is...then why?

Diet coke is loaded with phosphates and sodium, plus it's sweetened with aspartame. All very bad for your body and not good for your diet. Some studies have suggested that people who drink diet soda are actually prone to gaining MORE weight than those who don't:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_1...soda-drinkers/

If you are having trouble drinking straight water, try using Mio or the Crystal Light flavors that are sweetened with sucralose/splenda.

My problem is that I LOVE the cola flavor. I know that should be the least of my problems, but it is what it is!

My coach basically said not to do it. If I'm desperate for a caffeine fix, I have iced black coffee or an iced tea unsweetened. I got used to it.

My husband has the same issue -- loves soda. Our coach suggested he use sparkling water with Sweet Leaf Sweet Drops in Root Beer or Cola flavor (these are stevia products). These have done the trick!

Oh My!!!! I have never heard of that product. Where can you buy it? And how does he make it? I am excited now! i would not drink a ton of it, but if it tasted OK I could have a "diet coke" when I really really needed one! Thank you!

Another thing is... I was a Pepsi Max addict before starting this diet. Your tastes will change! After a month on the diet, I let myself have a treat. I couldn't finish it...it tasted like syrup to me. All diet sodas now, even the lighter/clear ones that are okay on occasion taste too too sweet.

So if you can avoid it for a while, that would be good. You might not even crave it after a while.

I love soda, too. Given the choice of any "cheat," I think I would opt for a Diet Coke, not kidding. However, I do have to admit that there is something addictive about soda, diet or not, for me. The more I have, the more I want to have. I am trying to break that cycle for myself in all things regarding food and drink. I want to consume for health and, eventually, for pleasure, but not for habit/addiction. Since that is my goal here, I chose to stop soda altogether. It is, so far, still my biggest challenge in that I miss it the most. That said, I love that I am no longer drinking it. I feel better, not bloated, not as "compulsive" about it, and, I know this is corny, I feel free.

When I did IP the first time with a coach, she said one Dt Coke a day would be fine as she's not going to ask me to give up everything. She didn't notice any difference when she added it back to her IP diet BUT I have read (I believe it was scorbett (?)) that IP is an alkaline diet and pop is acidic. It used to be my beverage of choice at 10am to help me get to lunch but I decided to go cold turkey to keep as "clean" as possible. I find that I don't really miss it and have found some new Mio flavours to use instead or I drink a hot mint tea to get me over the hump.

Also, and I'll probably get yelled at by saying this. I read in a detailed info sheet about IP I found online that drinking diet cola will NOT hamper weight loss, but because it's so acidic, it is a no-no on the diet.

I will say this... When I follow the diet 100% and keep very alkaline, I FEEL better all over. When I add more acidic foods/drinks I start to feel "off".

My feeling is, and I've heard it before, you get out of this diet what you put in.

We get it at our local organic market (Whole Foods probably has it too) and you can get it online: http://www.buywisdom.com/. He just adds a squirt or two to a glass of perrier -- so easy and it's good. Personally I like the vanilla cream flavor in coffee or perrier (tastes like a cream soda to me).

I totally agree with Leanne, I was addicted to Diet Coke when I started IP, I literally drank over a six pack a day (EASY). I made the commitment to IP and switched to black coffee in the morning and had NO Diet Coke for the first 23 weeks on this program. about 2 weeks ago, I took a drink of Diet Coke and really noticed that it no longer tasted the same to me...and not in a good way. After that moment, I find that I just don't miss it anymore...and it sure does save me a grip of $$$. My habit was an expensive one. LOL

Good luck with whatever path you choose.

i was a junkie to when I started...drank almost 12 a day.(for over 10 yrs)..only had 2 since i started 4 weeks ago...it is doable....they are very very bad for you, on top of what everyone said they also keep your body from absorbing vitamins....

For over 20 years I think I planned my life around diet soda! Three months before starting IP I switched to one 8 oz can a day. That made it much easier to give it up and I will celebrate one year the middle of April. I have not a soda....not a sip during the year. Anyone remember Tab from the early 80's? I was a huge addict! I doubt that I'll ever return to drinking soda. I did find that a little help from caffeine in a pill form was helpful, but I didn't do more than 3 or 4 times. Good luck!

I am finding all of your comments on this thread very helpful! It is so nice to know that I am not alone in loving diet coke. I drank if for years and was so proud of myself for drinking 0 calorie pop! Now I am thinking that it was not good for me all these years and I now know better! I am going to do my very, very,very best to stay clear of it. I have not had a drop since Monday, so I am going to just keep it that way. Thanks all of you!