Diet Soda Pop Addiction Help

[MNDisneyFan]

I've been visiting the W.I.S.H. boards in spirit - but have never posted in this section. On May 6, 2008, I joined WW - and am now a lifetime member - having lost 62.2 pounds at last weigh in. I'm 6'5, and am now at 200 pounds (yep, I'm a guy)

Anyway, I've been able to conquer so much in the last 6 months, from secret eating and not being able to control my eating - to absolutely being in love with the WW program. I truly have changed my lifestyle and I never take it for granted for even one day how much I appreciate my new self.

BUT - the one thing I can't seem to give up for anything is my DIET SODA POP addiction!

Has anyone else ever been through this? I feel like I have so much strength for any other type of eating, but can't handle even a day without my vice. I have tried water, carbonated water, etc, but I still get a twinkle in my eye when I go to get a diet pop.

Would appreciate ANY help from anyone else - you are all the best

 

[bouncycat]

I love my diet soda too. Not sure what ww says about the diet soda, tha alli book says i can have it, so I drink my daily intake of water, and then reach for my diet soda, it's just pure heaven to me, and it's a reward for finishing my water! Good luck!!

 

[::Snow_White::]

First of all congratulations on the weight loss!

Headaches were the worst when I gave up soda but I just started drinking less and less before I quit altogether and had to push through the headaches, which did go away after a couple weeks. It's easier to start small.
I've been soda free since June and I replace it with a lot of water and lipton green tea mix (My favorite) along with milk and juice. Maybe if you find keep looking for some other drink you love then it'll be easier to quit.

Good Luck!

 

[MickeyMagic]

I gave up my diet soda over a year and a half ago. It wasn't easy, but I managed to do it with pure determination. Diet Mountain Dew was my addiction. I drank it first thing in the morning, all day long and last thing at night.

I just decided to give it up cold turkey. Headaches were bad for the first few days and not so bad the following few days. I was pretty lethargic, but just kept going... hour by hour, day by day. I replaced my Dew almost solely with water.

Having quit smoking some years ago, I used that same mentality on quitting the Dew. I knew each day would get easier and eventually I would be free!

 

[MickeyMagic]

MNDisneyFan - I also meant to say CONGRATULATIONS on your weight loss! What a fantastic acheivement. I am sure you can draw on your strengths from your weight loss journey to get you through the challenge of giving up diet soda. Hello and good luck from a fellow-Minnesotan!

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

Congratulations on your accomplishment!

I WISH I could give you the answer. I've found it easier to cut down/out my soda pops b/c of docs advice. I've actually developed a liking for water. I just started drinking it all the time and now it is the only thing that really quenches my thirst.

I don't know though, every now and then I am jonesing for a carbonated something. WISHing you luck getting through this one. Let us know how you do it. I know you will make it happen!

 

[FireDancer]

Congratulations on your progress so far. I can relay to you my adventure in changing 2 of my drinking habits, pop (or soda) and coffee with sugar…lots and lots of sugar.

For me, quitting pop was not all that difficult. I started drinking water and after a couple of months I didn’t even crave pop. I wasn’t that big of a pop drinker anyway but now if I have any pop my stomach just rebels.

Now, coffee on the other hand was totally my vice. I started drinking it in college and was addicted. It wasn’t the coffee that was the problem, it was the waterfall of sugar I poured into it to drink it.

The strategy I came up with was this. First, I switched from normal sugar to sugar cubes because it was easier to regulate the servings. I did one month of 2 sugar cubes, then one month of 1 sugar cube. Then I bit the bullet and did no sugar. I told myself I would go one month sugar free no matter how much I hated it. If after one month I still couldn’t stand it I would say good try and go back to 1 cube.

At first it was very difficult and the coffee was bitter but by the end of the month I was used to it and now, 4 years later, I only drink black coffee.

It might not be as easy an example to get off of the diet pop but maybe you could give yourself a ratio of water to diet pop. Start off by telling yourself that you will not have a can of pop until you drink 3 glasses of water or 100% juice. Then switch to 5 to 1. Then 10 to 1. Maybe you’d get so used to the water or juice that you will either cut out the soda or at least mitigate how much you drink because it takes you a while to get those 10 glasses of water down.

Good luck in your quest.

 

[MNDisneyFan]

Hey everyone - thank you so much for your awesome replies and suggestions. I am definitely going to try to tackle this - and your ideas were so great! I'll let you know my progress.

Thanks also for the congratulations - you are all the best

 

[pjlla]

I totally feel your pain. DH and I were total Diet Coke addicts (although his addiction is definitely worse than mine). And it wasn't even the caffeine because we only drink CF. It was just the taste and habit. But more than the weight issue, I have done some reading and I KNOW just how terrible aspartame is for you. So it was easier to give up than I thought. I gave it up cold turkey this past January (on the same day I started Weight Watchers.... again.... ). And I haven't looked back. I mainly drink water or seltzer now... but mostly water since I am trying to cut back on the grocery budget. I will occasionally have a DC if we are out somewhere that doesn't offer seltzer, since I am spoiled by my great drinking water at home and find most other water icky.

THere has also been some talk about the diet sodas making it harder to take off and/or keep off weight. So that should definitely factor into your thinking.

When I do drink DC now, all I can think of is how I am poisoning my brain with the aspartame and it makes it VERY unpalatable! And my kids are not allowed to touch diet soda.

You have tackled something very difficult with the weight loss, so obviously you have the drive, determination, and willpower to do something good for yourself, so I am SURE you will find the strength to give up the diet soda (or at the very least, cut it down drastically). Maybe you could do some reading about the dangers of aspartame.... you will lose your taste for the soda quickly (look for the book "Sweet Poison"... it is the only title I can remember at the moment). Good luck...................P