Giving Up Diet Soda Pop
Today is the day I’m going to do something I haven’t done since 1980 at least. I’m going to go the whole day with no colas or diet soda pops. In college I was a cocaholic. Of course I’m speaking of Coca-cola here. At age 30 I switched to Diet Pepsi, four years ago I became concerned that 4 cans a day w/caffeine and aspartame was too many, so I switched to Diet Rite. Diet Rite is caffeine free and sweetened with Splenda. I’ve got a 3 can or so habit with Diet Rite, I love the stuff!! But it’s at the point where if I don’t have the pop I don’t even want the meal.
Thinking back through the last few decades I realize that I’ve had cola every single day since the time I spent a month overseas in 1981. If nothing else I need to stop for that alone. That’s just weird right? But here are a few other reasons I’m going to attempt to go popless:
I believe insulin is a huge factor in weight gain and recent studies show that even though diet pop is zero calories your body still responds to the sweet of a cola with an insulin spike.
I think the carbonation or fizz isn’t always good for the tummy.
Long term research hasn’t been done yet on how consuming 3 or more cans of diet pop w/artificial sweetners may affect your body.
I’m trying to be all whole food, organicish, and local. I’m trying to read all my ingredients. I don’t thing colas fit in this plan.
Water’s cheaper.
I’m digging Truvia, real sugar, and fruits for my sweet fix. I am committed to enjoying a real piece of chocolate cake once in a while as opposed to pacifying myself each day with the diet drink.
The cashier at my Kroger gave up pop entirely and lost 20 pounds without doing anything else. OMG!!! Not that I think that’s going to happen but… okay I’m totally fantasizing that’s going to happen.
That phrase “if you want to get what you’ve never had you’ve got to do what you’ve never done” is running through my head. I want to drop weight. I’ve never given up diet soda pop. Maybe it will help me.
I think this is going to be difficult but as my husband said if I gave you million dollars to give it up could you? I’m all yeah huh! He’s not giving me a million bucks but it underlines how ridiculous it is for me to say it’s too hard. It is too hard but if I was stranded on a desserted island with Tom Hanks and Jeff Probst I’d be just fine so…
I’d like to do this until Easter but let’s just get through today. Anyone out there got a diet cola story to tell or who can offer some support?
**Disclaimer***I’m not a doctor and I know many people who’ve lost 100 pounds or more while drinking diet soda pop. So please understand this is just me finding out whether it’s affecting me or not.
Here are a few links on the subject.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/149772/page/1
http://www.ehow.com/how_2242021_give-up-soda-pop.html
Heh. I’ve been working on my soda habit for a while now, actually.
I’ve heard all the horrible things about diet soda (really, people who hate diet soda scream pretty loud from their soap boxes, don’t they?) and all, but for me, it wasn’t about the chemicals or what my body things it might be doing. It was pure and simple; cost.
Soda used to be cheap. It’s like glass, which is just sand and heat. Shouldn’t cost much, right? Soda is just syrup and water, and there’s no reason why it should cost $7 for a 12 pack. Seriously.
And I had a bad, bad habit. Generally speaking, I’d go through 2-5 12-packs per week. That adds up the grocery bills pretty fast.
Now, I think it’s unrealistic to ban soda forever, so my basic rule is that I only drink soda when I’m out (or getting take-away). I know for some people, that may not be a good rule, since lots of people eat out more regularly than I do. For me, it generally results in 1-2 sodas per week, which, for me, is livable.
Despite the fact that I knocked off the soda around the beginning of January (so, that’s been, what, about 2 months?) I can’t say whether or not my weight’s changed because of IT. Yes, I finally kicked through a plateau that’d been bugging me, but I also kicked up my workouts… hard to say.
But mostly… I don’t miss it. And the drop in my grocery bills has definitely been worth it. Good luck.
I’ve also been trying for some time now to kick my Diet Coke habit. For the last few years or so, I’ve had 2-12 oz. cans everyday. Not long ago I was diagnosed with IBS, and was instructed to limit caffeine, artificial sweeteners – anything that could possibly irritate my tummy. I thought I would cry…. Diet Coke had been a staple in my diet for as long as I can remember!
Today I make Diet Coke “a treat” – I’ll usually have a can or two a week, but find that after months, I no longer crave it the way I used to. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy the heck out of it when I have it – but it’s not a craving any more. All in all, I feel better too – less headaches and belly aches to be sure.
The biggest thing I struggle with now is artificial sweeteners in general. They definitely irritate my IBS sometimes, but it’s so difficult to find low-point snacks, puddings, yogurts, etc. that DON’T have some sort of artificial sweetener in it. It’s tough to stick to my 21 WW points a day without giving in to artificial sweeteners!
I discovered stevia about a year ago, before it was FDA-approved, and have used it regularly for my tea every morning. At least it’s natural, a plant derivative, not chemical. I long for the day when there are more products with stevia!
For a time I was drinking 6 or so Diet Cokes a day. While I ‘m not a doctor either, I wouldn’t be surprised if the nasty chemicals in Diet Coke had something to do with virulent strain of rheumatoid arthritis I have now. Since going to a completely whole foods, plant-based diet and organic as much as possible, my health has improved and I’ve lost 30 pounds.
Thanks for a great post to start the dialogue about the scourge of soda.
Beverages are growing into one of my “issues” again. I can’t seem to say no to the sweet tea. So if you’ll do it, so will I – no more sweet tea. Starting…in an hour after I finish this glass.
Pinky swear
I gave up soda last year for Lent. The first few days were hard, but as I didn’t drink it, it became easier. If you like flavored water, I would suggest that. I went to BJ’s and bought a case of flavored water. It make the idea of drinking water palatable. I’ve never been a water person. And iced tea. Ahhh…I drank a LOT of iced tea. And warm too for that matter, Feb and Mar are cold!
This past summer I had a week where stress made me sooo sick that I nothing I ate or drank made me feel better. The only thing that worked was cold plain water. Ever since then, I drink more plain water than anything else. I do not wish that kind of stress on you, but I think the flavored water/iced tea combo will get you through Lent.
Good luck!
Just don’t drink soda. Seriously, I haven’t had any in 15 years (i am 28)
Not that hard.
A couple of summers ago, we were at a waterpark and it was soo hot. we were very thirsty and pop just did not even sound good. We decided to get a lemonade and it tasted so refreshing! Ever since then, pop just seems so syrupy, sweet and fake! Well, last summer came the sweet tea from Mcdonald’s…I LOVE it! I got on the internet and googled a southern sweet tea recipe. I make it with less than 1/2C sugar in a pitcher and add tons of ice to my glass. seriously, the real sugar does not come with the cravings. Recently, I bought 2 packs of diet pop. When I have a can I have to have another sweet CHASER! Plus, 3 lbs have crept back on!
My only real advice is to get some sort of water filter. Tap water is gross!! I don’t even give it to my cat. Keep it in the frig. It is much easier to drink cold.
stick with your plan! Soon, it will seem so easy! (Plus it is cheaper.) And by you setting the example, not buying it at all for your household, everyone should be able to give it up on a daily basis.
Thank you everyone, so much. I had no problem with day one but today’s now day two. I’m biting my nails. I love the suggestions for replacements and your stories of giving up the soda pop. Keep them coming!
(This is Rebecca btw.)
this is one of my biggest problem areas. (well, aside from chocolate!)
I would LOVE to kick this habit but I am WEAK!!
I can’t wait to hear about your success and tips on how you did it.
I am totally guilty of being addicted to soda! I actually gave it up the other day. And I’ve limited myself to two soda’s a week (lent has 6 ‘feast’ days) However, I’m not sure I’ll use them. I’ve gotten out of the habit of having soda and I hope to see a difference on the scale!
Another reason to give up: Once my mom was drinking out of a can of Dr.Pepper at a swim team. Little did she know, a bee had flown into her can. It stung her on the tongue and she was miserable. So stop drinking out of soda cans cause you can’t see through them.
On another note, some people like seltzer water in a can as a soda substitute.
Mon I am tring to give up things and walk more and all that but my diet pop? what do you replace it with?
You know, I think I’m going to give up diet coke. I’m totally addicted to it. Seriously addicted. I’d say I drink a case a day. I’ve lost a lot of weight already, through exercising and cutting back on the junk food. I thought I needed to give up diet coke, but I put it off, figuring if that was the only vice I had, that it could be worse. Now however, the price of diet coke has skyrocketed in the last few months, and drinking a case a day is really adding up on the grocery bill. And I know it’s not good for me either.
I don’t think I can do it cold turkey, I think if I do, I’ll be miserable. I’m thinking cutting it in half every day until I don’t drink any. And maybe drinking tea instead, to curb the caffeine withdrawal that’s going to happen. I really think plain tea is probably much better than drinking diet coke, even with the caffeine in it, at least it’s natural and not full of chemicals.
So, I’ll see if this helps me lose weight any, and if it does, if I can do this, I’ll come back and post and let you know. This is seriously crazy, I hope I can do this!
I was at one time a six-pack a day diet coke drinker. Then I developed heart palpitations and had to give up all caffeine. Of course as soon as they got that under control with medication, I started drinking the stuff again. But now I limit my diet coke intake to two cans a day, max. I don’t drink coffee, so the diet coke is my caffeine, I keep telling myself. I’ve been contemplating giving it up again. After all, I lived without it for 2 months and it didn’t kill me. Maybe now’s the time. Thanks for this post!
A pal urged me to look at this site, brill post, interesting read… keep up the nice work!
I gave up my Diet Coke about 8 days ago. It’s the hardest thing I have ever had to do and I quit smoking 7 months ago that was easier. So far I gave up snacks and fast food, but nothing much. I am disabled and can’t exercise to easy, but stretch and walk a little. So in 8 days I am down 6.4 lbs and I am convinced that it was mostly due to giving up the Diet Coke.