Diet Soda Addiction...Anyone?

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lbb (Liz)
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Diet Soda Addiction...Anyone?

Post by lbb (Liz) » Sat May 29, 2010 4:35 am

So I have been "No-S"ing awhile. I'm getting over life-long bad habits with food and it feels so so good!
But, I do have a serious addiction to Diet Soda. I seriously drink it all day, but I also drink lots of water.
I crave diet soda all day and it "gets me thru" from one meal to the next.
Does anyone relate or have pointers?
Thanks, LBB
http://no-s-momma.blogspot.com/
Liz

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BrightAngel
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Post by BrightAngel » Sat May 29, 2010 12:10 pm

Personally, I don't view Diet Soda as a bad thing.
I see it as just another non-caloric liquid, similiar to water or tea.
Sometimes when I'm Thirsty, I drink it.
I could choose to drink something else that I like less,
but I see no real reason to do so.
I don't think it's addictive, but simply a small pleasure within my day.
Sometimes I think dieters get totally obsessive about what they feel they need to restrict.
I don't feel a need to take all low-calorie food-joy out of my life.
BrightAngel - (Dr. Collins)
See: DietHobby. com

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sophiasapientia
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Post by sophiasapientia » Sat May 29, 2010 12:43 pm

I have a bit of a diet soda addiction. I don't drink it non-stop but I do have some most days. (I generally buy 1 or 2 2 liter bottles a week for my DH and myself and, between the two of us, we probably go through a bottle a week plus any diet soda we drink when eating out.)

Personally, I do not put diet soda on par with water or unsweetened ice tea because, IMO, it contains some pretty nasty chemicals and the verdict is out on how it impacts long-term health. However, I do enjoy it, it hasn't hindered my weight loss and I haven't been overly motivated to cut it out at this point. One step at a time ... :wink:
Restarted No S (3rd times a charm!) January 2010 at 145 lbs

RJLupin
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Post by RJLupin » Sat May 29, 2010 1:13 pm

I drink lots of diet soda. I used to worry about it, but not so much now. I figure, I quit smoking (years ago) so I'm allowed one vice. And, it gets me through between meals with not snacking.

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BrightAngel
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Post by BrightAngel » Sat May 29, 2010 1:45 pm

sophiasapientia wrote:Personally, I do not put diet soda on par with water or unsweetened ice tea
because, IMO, it contains some pretty nasty chemicals
and the verdict is out on how it impacts long-term health.
Well, if one believes the Health Claims in the online hype,
the municipal tap water that I drink and make tea with
also has similiar problems. :roll:

Fortunately, I don't need perfection,
and dealing with my actual food intake is problem enough for me.
BrightAngel - (Dr. Collins)
See: DietHobby. com

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sophiasapientia
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Post by sophiasapientia » Sat May 29, 2010 2:11 pm

Fortunately, I don't need perfection,
and dealing with my actual food intake is problem enough for me.
Good for you ... I'm just stating my opinion, for myself. With the exception of my own immediate family, what other people eat and drink really isn't my business and is a personal choice. :)
Restarted No S (3rd times a charm!) January 2010 at 145 lbs

Starla
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Post by Starla » Sat May 29, 2010 2:57 pm

Raising my hand on the Diet Coke addiction. I'm drinking one right now! Seriously, I've found it easier to give up chocolate (on weekdays) than Diet Coke. I'm all or nothing with this stuff - if I allow myself one a day, it's a sure bet (as I've proven over and over) that in a month I'll be downing 3-4 each day.

I do periodically give it up, sometimes for months at a time. What I've found works best is to tell myself I can have as much DC as I want - I just have to have a water in between each one. And after a while two waters between each Diet Coke, and so on.

It also helps when I'm consistent with exercise. I want WATER during and after a workout.

I guess I'd classify myself as someone who wishes she drank only water, but isn't ready to give up that "ice cold Diet Coke burning its way down my esophagus" thrill.

BeingGreen
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Post by BeingGreen » Sat May 29, 2010 3:41 pm

You are all right on! I have tried giving up diet soda but it made No S about ten times more challenging than it had to be. I make such an effort to eat healthful foods at every single meal (including S days) that the questionable things I've heard about diet soda seem small in comparison. I drink one 12 oz can a day as a rule, and occasionally I have two!

And as for you Starla,
I guess I'd classify myself as someone who wishes she drank only water, but isn't ready to give up that "ice cold Diet Coke burning its way down my esophagus" thrill.

I couldn't believe how accurately you describe my experience many days at 3:00pm!

lbb (Liz)
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Post by lbb (Liz) » Sat May 29, 2010 4:00 pm

thanks for all the input.
not like i want to "justify" my diet soda addiction, but let's be honest...we're all tackling other food issues right now, that once I get those down, maybe i can tackle this issue.
for now, i'm just grateful other stuff is going better.
like staria said, it's easier for me to give up chocolate over DC anyday of the week!
oh well. we can't all be perfect, eh?
LBB
http://no-s-momma.blogspot.com/
Liz

OT
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Post by OT » Mon May 31, 2010 7:28 pm

I know how you feel-I used to be a 3 pack a day sugar-free gum addict!And I loved diet sodas as well! Then I went cold turkey and gave up completely for a few months-I definitely felt better for it.All my sweet cravings went away and I started to appreciate the natural flavours and aromas of different foods a lot more.Now I actually find that sparkling/seltzer water with a bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice actually tastes better than any diet soda.

There is so much conflicting research as to how artificial sweeteners affect various metabolic processes in the body. I think it's just down to the individual really. As an experiment,why don't you just try cutting all sweeteners out completely for a few weeks to see how it makes you feel? I personally find that drinking diet soda increases my appetite in the long run,makes me crave salty foods, gives me really bad skin,makes my teeth feel horrible and generally makes me feel yucky.So I stay away from it. I allow myself the odd diet coke or some chewing gum on S Days if I really want some.

lbb (Liz)
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thanks!

Post by lbb (Liz) » Mon May 31, 2010 7:40 pm

Wow. Thanks for your reply. You know, I, too, am such a chewing gum addict too. It would be nice to just rid myself of all of it and see how I feel.
I'm going to try this, but will have to get the 12-pack of DC in my garage gone first...too tempting.
I do know I am addicted to always having a "taste" in my mouth...whether it's gum or DC. I know it's the right thing to do!
Thanks for your ideas. This is very motivating...
Liz

paulawylma
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getting off the habit

Post by paulawylma » Wed Jun 02, 2010 10:58 am

I never like diet sodas but I no longer drink any soda. I used to drink several full sugar sodas and day--up to over a litter on S days. But a funny thing happend. As I had stopped drinking pop on weekends and avoiding all sweets on N Days, I discovered that I automatically drank less pop on S days. The last pop I drank was a couple of weekends ago. I brought a can of my favorite Coke Classic, I drank half of it and decided that I didn't like it anymore--and much to my own supprised poured the rest down the sink. Once you stop drinking pop, you lose your taste for excessive sweets. Note this doesn't stop me from wanting and enjoying sweets that have flavor in addtion to the sweet taste. Soft drinks often don't really have any flavor except for the sweet taste.

In the book, Reinhard is ambivalent about diet drinks, but lists them as a sweet on the list, right above full sugar soft drinks and at the bottom of approved drinks. Diet soda has the sweet taste which keeps you from going through the process I described above. I believe that they keep you craving sweets which makes it tougher to do no S. I'd recommend treating them as sweets. To get through the N Days, substitute an approved drinks, such as tea and coffee with any sugar or artifical sweetener, or any 100% fruit juice. You can also make your own pop by mixing 1/2 cup of orange juice or similar 100% juice with 1/2 c of any carbonated water (seltzer water or sparkling water) or 1/4 c or grape juice (or similar juice, grape has stronger flavor than orange) with 3/4 c sparkling water (or seltzer). These homemade pop are No N complicant as long as they contain only 100% jusice and water. Of course, if you are diabetic or have some other medical condition, check with your doctor first. Good Luck.

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Nichole
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Post by Nichole » Wed Jun 02, 2010 12:02 pm

Paula: A similar thing has happened to me. I quit regular soda a long time ago - hfcs and calories galore. So then I would drink diet - only a couple a week after work to give me a caffeine kick. But I haven't been drinking it... It's so carbonated and contains aspertame and lots of things I can't pronounce, which I try to avoid. We have caffeine-free for pregnant me in the house, but it just sits there. I've totally given up soda and a couple times I thought I'd like to have a glass, but ended up throwing it all away. It makes me feel kind of bloated.

The funny thing is, we have a Coca-Cola themed kitchen because I love Coca-Cola stuff and the nostalgic 50s stuff! ha! I feel like a poser.
"Anyone can cook." ~ Chef Gusteau, Ratatouille

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mimi
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Post by mimi » Wed Jun 02, 2010 12:30 pm

Like so many other things, I'm sure there are bad-for-you ingredients in diet sodas, so even though I drink them, I try not to overdue them - all things in moderation, right?!

Mimi :D
Discovered NoS: April 16, 2007
Restarted once again: July 14, 2011
Quitting is not an option...
If you start to slip, tie a knot and hang on!
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oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Wed Jun 02, 2010 4:28 pm

I see you've had a lot of input, but I'll jump in anyway.

Not to be a pooh-pooher, but I'd first examine the idea of being addicted to diet Coke. We throw around the term addiction a lot. Maybe your are addicted, but I suggest you think of it more as a habit. You have a strong habit of drinking diet Coke. If there is anything No S has taught us, habit is strong, but it is also able to be shaped. Start thinking about altering this habit, if you decide you want to.

Reinhard has said the New Year's resolutions are usually a bad idea because they are not thought out. Better to think in shorter terms, first of all. Reduce consumption for a month?

Also, you have to look at your motivation. If you really really believe there are significant health risks, it should make it easier. The cold hard facts of bingeing definitely helped me get with the program and greatly reduce it on No S. I'm still playing roulette on the weekends but I have a plan for that, too.

I used to have a very strong diet Coke habit--for decades. Now I have only a few a year. I started to take some of the health scares seriously, especially one that found that carbonated cola drinks increase the risk of osteoporosis in women in later life. Of course I know there are other things that are in play, but I chose to attack Coke. I didn't go cold turkey. I still occasionally use artificial sweeteners and often use stevia, but I don't have any other sweets on N days and it is not a problem.

So, yes, it can feel like an addiction and it can seem it would be impossible to stop drinking it, but it just depends on how important it is to you. And you can always change your mind.
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bluebunny27
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Post by bluebunny27 » Thu Jun 03, 2010 7:06 am

Apparently it's not good to drink Diet Soda all the time. It makes you 'hungrier' in the long run because you get used to the sweet taste, etc. So it could make it harder to resist other sweet temptations ??

I don't have Diet Soda very often but it happens ... maybe once or twice a week I would have a tall glass, that's it. I don't really miss it anyway, I drink plenty of water instead. Sometimes I use diet cola when I have to eat or drink something that tastes bad, I have a lil' sip of diet cola to mask the bad taste, heh.

Something new I started a few weeks ago is I now drink refrigerated water all the time .. water that has been in the fridge so it's colder, more refreshing and satisfying and apparently it even burns a few calories too because your body has to warm up the water in your belly, convenient. Also I read it's a good idea to drink refrigerated water before a work out, cools you down from the inside so you can perform better when you are training - - maybe it's psychological but since I've been drinking colder water just before working out it seems to help a lil' bit ...
;-)

Cheers !

Marc ;-)

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Nov. 1st. 2008 : 280 Pounds
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DaveMc
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Post by DaveMc » Thu Jun 03, 2010 12:43 pm

I haven't given up diet soda, myself, and I think it's probably not tremendously harmful in moderate quantities -- but then, you seem to be concerned that you're consuming immoderate quantities. (I drink about the equivalent of a can a day, and when I tell my doctor about this, she tends to say, "Meh, not a problem".) Opinions vary about whether it's a concern, but the very fact that you're asking about it suggests that, at some level, *you* are concerned. Maybe that means that you are drinking more than you feel is actually moderate?

This question makes me wonder: What would be the "everyday systems" approach to this? I guess the nearest analogy to another system would be the "glass ceiling" one, which is basically picking a level of alcohol consumption and limiting your intake to that. (Complete abstinence is a special case where that level is set to zero, but the argument is that this is unnecessarily restrictive, and that you can set your level to some non-zero number of drinks, as long as you rigorously enforce that.) So by that analogy, maybe you could try picking some level of diet soda consumption that you'd consider moderate, and enforce that as a limit on yourself? Maybe set up a HabitCal for it, and give yourself a green for that number of sodas or less, red if you go over?

As I say, I don't think you need to give it up entirely, but if you're describing your consumption as "constant", and it's concerning you, maybe there are simple things you could do to cut down a bit without giving it up entirely.

EDIT: I forgot to ask what you mean by "a while" when you say you've been doing NoS for a while? If you haven't been at it for very long, I'd recommend not worrying about the diet soda thing *at all* until you get your N day and S day habits solidly under control. Trying to give up diet soda on top of that, especially if it's a huge part of your current day, is too likely to be too much to take on at once. If you're relatively new to NoS, maybe concentrate on the food stuff first, and leave optimizing your drinks for a later stage.

lbb (Liz)
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Post by lbb (Liz) » Fri Jun 04, 2010 4:06 am

Thanks for your advice, all!
What I'm taking from all of it:
WHY? Why do I drink this? Yes. It IS concerning as it is NOT moderate (to the point where it's embarassing).
It is a HABIT, over an ADDICTION. I seriously just have it constantly by my side.
It doesn't help that husband is the same.
I DO think it leads me to my sweet tooth.
I need to stop rationalising ("Well, I don't drink alcohol or smoke, this can be my vice...").
I WILL try the "glass ceiling" approach. I think I will let myself have 2 cans/day for now. That way I will truly treasure them and enjoy them.
I am tracking my "NO S" 21-day progress on a blog, and will now add my progress in the Diet Soda arena.
Water Water Water. I like water, but also like Crystal Lite. It must go back to always having something sweet in my mouth.
Getting over this could really help my sweet tooth, keep me from over-doing it sometimes...
Thanks, everyone!
I'll keep you posted (for my sake/accountability, not that you care!)...
Liz

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mimi
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Post by mimi » Fri Jun 04, 2010 10:56 am

But, yes, we do care! And through all of our posting and discussions, we learn from one another. So, keep us posted and let us know how it's working for you!

Mimi :D
Discovered NoS: April 16, 2007
Restarted once again: July 14, 2011
Quitting is not an option...
If you start to slip, tie a knot and hang on!
Remember that good enough is... good enough.
Strive for progress, not perfection!

Graham
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Post by Graham » Fri Jun 04, 2010 11:31 am

I made a nice beverage discovery yesterday: Perrier water with added lemon juice. It is the best-tasting next-to-zero-calorie drink I've come across and the bubbles help distract me from any feeling of hunger - you might like to try that as an alternative to diet soda

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Post by Clarica » Fri Jun 04, 2010 5:04 pm

diet coke and some sugar-free gums (trident I think) contain Phenylalanine, which is an amino acid which, I have been told, is a precursor to the production of dopamines in the body. which are the chemicals that make you feel good. If you find yourself craving these things, you might want to get an amino acid supplement into your diet.

There's a lot of info at wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenylalanine

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