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Confessions of a Former Diet Coke Addict

By: Nancy Howard : 12/16/2009 4:06:14 PM : 595 comments : 26,063 Views

There were lots of foods and drinks that came quite easy for me to give up when I started this journey, with one exception--DIET COKE. I had always been a big fan of diet drinks from way back in the days when TAB and Fresca were considered the quintessential diet drinks. But that all changed in July 1982 when Diet Coke hit the stores shelves-- from that point on, I was hooked.

I was not a big coffee drinker in college. Keep in mind I grew up in the pre-Starbucks, pre-coffee house age. Coffee was coffee. Of course you could choose between decaf and regular coffee, and if you wanted to add a hint of cinnamon or hazelnut, you could indulge in a little smidgen of flavored non-dairy creamer. So in order to meet my caffeine requirements for studying I would drink my beloved Diet Coke.

I would have a Diet Coke early in the morning and throughout the day. I would occasionally drink water, but once again, bottled water was not the norm in vending machines at the time. When I became pregnant in 1987 I did give it up. There was something about not knowing how aspartame would affect my pregnancy. Sadly though on the way home from the hospital I had my husband stop by our local McDonald's to pick up a Diet Coke.

For the next 20 plus years, not a single day went by without me nursing a Diet Coke. My addiction was so bad that my local convenience store workers knew me by name. In fact it wasn't uncommon for me to go in and buy a Double Big Gulp the minute I was done with my workout at the gym in the morning. Now you may be wondering why I didn't buy it by the can. Well, for some reason the can was not the same as the fountain. If I had my choice I always would choose the fountain version over the can version any day. Was there really a difference? I have no clue, but if an establishment did not have the fountain version, that would be the only time I would pass up my drink of choice.

When I started my journey almost 5 years ago, giving up candy, cookies, chips and all the other tempting foods was quite easy, but my Diet Coke well, let's just say that took me a lot longer to give up. But on January 1, 2009 I decided it was time to let go of my Diet Coke habit--a habit that had me drinking well over 100 ounces of diet soda in a single day. I had read the research stating that those who imbibed in diet sodas would crave sweets more so than those who did not drink them. I am not too sure if I fell in that category, but I knew that if I was really going to embrace healthy living, for me, the Diet Coke had to go.

It has been 11 months since I had my last sip. I went cold turkey and I haven't regretted a day since. I did suffer from headaches during the first few weeks, but by the end of January I was holding my own. I now drink water and unsweetened ice tea occasionally. Not only do I save $3 a day, but I feel so empowered by not allowing a food or drink to control me. I realized I am more in control than I ever gave myself credit.

Since you started your journey, has there been one food or drink that you have not been able to give up, but would like to? Would you go cold turkey or would you slowly wean yourself off?

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Comments (Scroll to end to leave a comment)

HMCCLEERY 1/25/2010 9:41:42 AM	I gave up Diet Coke one week ago. There have been moments that I really wanted to stop and get a DC but I have held strong. I don't want my kids to grow up watching their mom be addicted to a soda pop.	545
SHRINKADINK 1/25/2010 8:27:34 AM	I've found that dieting and Diet Coke don't mesh. When I give up pop, I find that I crave less and eat healthier.	544
CPOKEYRUN 1/24/2010 11:35:20 PM	I used to be totally addicted to DC too (in the cup with ice, not the can for me too!) but I finally have mostly given it up...and am now instead addicted to Fresca! Some days I would get through the entire day and realize I had had nothing to drink but diet soda, not a drop of water. And even though I wasn't getting calories from it, I am sure it can't be healthy to be drinking a can-o-chemicals all the time. But, since starting SP, I have cut back to 2 diet sodas per day, and it really hadn't been so bad.	543
LISA05121 1/24/2010 10:04:17 PM	I was addicted to my daily 2 cups of coffe, and then changed over to Diet Pepsi..(loved my fountain pop 2x a day).(and I wondered why I couldn't come close to my water intake) I'm very pleased to say I have one cup of coffee a day, and rarely ever have a Diet Pepsi, and it was a lot easier then I ever thought!. But I'm STILL having a challenge to get in half your body weight in ounces.of water..(80 oz) What works for you out there to get you water intake????	542
HANBARBARA 1/24/2010 6:47:38 PM	I know this won't be the popular point of view- I have enough other eating habits that are very, very unhealthy. Diet coke, as a fountain drink, with a straw (like the author I don't care for the stuff in a can) is a luxury I enjoy. I'm putting the diet coke habit to the end.	541
REABARUAL 1/24/2010 2:27:29 PM	I used to drink diet Coke, Pepsi, Sprite etc. quite often. I hardly ever drink it any more- only once in a great while. I don't miss it at all- I have gotten to where I love water, and it is soooo much better for you. :-)	540
GREATGRANNY55 1/24/2010 1:46:10 PM	I gave up caffeine about 20 years ago due to some health issues. I don't miss it at all. I wish more restaurants would service a diet caffeine free beverage (C.F. Diet Coke or Sprite Zero).	539
NANCY741 1/24/2010 11:42:01 AM	I have read about the effects of diet drinks for a long time, as the research has indicated many different slants. While many are contradicting each other, none of them has said that this is a healthy habit. I have sometimes been able to stop for a few weeks/months but have always gone back to drinking some each day.	538
CLCONNER 1/24/2010 11:03:15 AM	I gave up soda 3 months ago, lost 10 pounds so far.. it's amazing ,feeling much better about myself... clc	537
FORMYBABYJD 1/24/2010 2:09:42 AM	It's been 3 weeks Diet Coke free for me! I too am hopelessly addicted to it... What makes things just that much harder is that my husband and I own a pizzeria, so there it is, staring at me everyday... But I will stay strong!	536
VETTY155 1/23/2010 7:31:14 PM	Oh I can close my eyes and imagine the taste of a Diet Pepsi (or DC would do if there was no DP). When I joined SP in November, one of my goals was not to drink any more pop. I was easier for me to give up my daily Tim Horton's Hot Chocolate than the DP. It took a lot of will power but I managed to beat the DP addiction and other than the occaisional ginger ale, I never drink pop.	535
QUI42ROBEY 1/23/2010 3:19:13 PM	my addiction had to do solely with starbucks. :( that place was so deadly for me. i had a tall caramel frappucino everyday! when i say those words now, i get really embarrassed. at the time it felt normal. it felt like a great burst of energy for my classes and work. i decided to quit cold turkey and i really wish i would've done it gradually. i had the worst headaches, similar to the blog, and i had a serious case of insomnia. my usually bedtime of 10 changed to 3am. i think the severity of my addiction is what caused me to have such a withdrawal issue. now, i feel much better, and am able to start my diet regimen correctly. i knew i wouldn't be able to do this program without getting rid of the frappucinos. now, water is my best friend. :)	534
RHONDAVIS 1/23/2010 1:53:34 PM	My husband and I too are Diet Coke aholics! Can't start the day without a drink of diet coke. My husband, much like in the blog gets at LEAST 3-4 64oz fountain drinks a day at our local Speedway (yes, they all know him too!), I on the otherhand, am doing much better. I try to only have 1 a day, and usually at lunch so the caffeine doesn't keep me up. I had to give up caffeine last year because of my blood pressure and while it's ok, there is a slight difference. My hubby jokingly states that with the fountain...he's getting his water intake as well. While he exercises 4-5 days a week and is in otherwise healthy shape, I try not to yell at him too much. He will drink a bottle of water when working out or gatorade when playing ball (spring thru fall). Neither of us are coffee drinkers (I might get the rare cappachino now and then and I love milk) we have no other drinking vices. I can tell a difference in how my body craves things now that I am drinking at least 80 oz of water a day.	533
GOINGLEAN2 1/23/2010 1:27:05 PM	Guess I don't see what's so bad about diet coke - and yes, I am addicted. But, really, does it matter? I enjoy it. I see no reason to give it up. Over the past 3 years I lost over 30 pounds - only really trying to for a couple of those months each year. I agree that I need to learn to drink water, and it is a current goal of mine. But, I guess I just don't see what all the hoopla is about drinking diet soda. It has not hinered my weight loss, nor does my serious coffee addiction. Why would I ensure months of headaches to give up something I enjoy? I read about it causing sugar cravings? How do they know that? I find I don't have many sugar cravings - perhaps because I eat a high protein diet. Is there a link anywhere to info that may educate me enough to change my bad habits?	532
JINGOS 1/23/2010 10:54:48 AM	hmmm.... maybe just carbonated water with some splenda... would that be bad?	531
LJFORSBERG 1/23/2010 10:04:11 AM	Dt. Soda is all I used to drink (breakfast, lunch, dunner, plus snacks). Now I only indulge in Dt. Soda when I've had at least my 8 glasses of water for the day. Usually only 1/2 a can will satisfy me now. What a huge change!	530
BUSY-BUTTERFLY 1/23/2010 12:50:57 AM	Mcdonald's sweet tea and diet coke or any other pop. I gave it up cold turkey and do not regret it. It was so hard. Plus, I have cut down on my carbs. (sweets and junk) I felt sick for days! It has been months before Thanksgiving.	529
-KATY- 1/22/2010 7:57:13 PM	I was a complete Diet Dr. Pepper addict! On top of that, I would drink at least 2 16oz coffees every morning. I would go for days without drinking anything else, no water, just Diet Dr. Pepper and coffee. This was the first blog I read when I started Spark and I decided to quit pop and caffeine. Tomorrow will be two weeks caffeine free! I have also not had one sip of a pop, which is unbelievable. I have had a few 6 oz cups of decaf coffee (which I know have a small amount of caffeine) but that is it. I really only drink water and I feel so much better. This blog was such an inspiration. If I can quit pop, which I have loved my whole life, anyone can!	528
C1ND3R3LLA 1/22/2010 6:37:35 PM	It looks like SOOO many people are addicted to Diet Coke! I am also an addict. When I pick up my first diet coke in the morning I call it "getting my fix". That in itself should be an obvious stop sign. Unfortunately, when I try to quit, I end up ordering a diet coke just out of habbit. Hopefully I can quit soon.	527
JWALLD 1/22/2010 12:41:40 PM	My issue isn't diet pop. It's chips....sigh.	526
50PLUSBABY 1/22/2010 10:18:06 AM	i had no idea there are so may people who love diet drinks. I tried them and everytime had bad stomach ache so I never drink them. I count myself lucky as they seem to get you hooked up. I like regular coke but I can go for months without it and it does not bother me. Tea is my beverage and I have gone to unsweeted tea. Hoping that one day we all will be healthy and not fighting the control of food.	525
BEE4TOAFTER 1/21/2010 11:14:29 PM	I know how hard this is, I am also trying to quit the diet sodas. So far I am down to half of one a day, but can't seem to cut that out. Is drinking crystal light any better? I get tired of drinking water, but am getting 8 - 9 glasses in, then I get to have my 1/2 a diet coke. Thanks for being an inspiration to get to zero.	524
CHARVERN74 1/21/2010 9:30:16 PM	i have to drink a&w root beer diet at night when i wake up sometimes 3 or 4 times per night would love to go cold turkey but i am so hooked. it used to be diet coke or pepsi .tried water but just isn't the same i drink it cold or warm doesn't matter. didn't know this was bad for you since it is diet thougth it was a freebie why is it not good to drink?	523
MOTIVATEDSANDY 1/21/2010 12:15:33 PM	The same was true for me, but I only like the fountain Diet Coke. It was great when McDonald's had them on $1 menu, but after that, the cost went up. This is one of my goals, so far, (4 days) so good!	522
TEEBEE44 1/21/2010 11:05:35 AM	I had a similar issue with Diet Pepsi (or Diet Coke would do too!). When I started this program I made a rule for myself that I wouldn't be able to have one until I drank my 8 glasses of water first. Soon I found that I didn't even want the Diet Pepsi anymore and when I do decide to have one I never finish it because it just doesn't taste good anymore!	521
CDOLPHIN3 1/21/2010 9:49:47 AM	Wow! Thanks for the wake-up call on diet soda. For me it is Diet Dr. Pepper and fountain colas. I too am not sure why fountain tastes better to me. Don't like drinking straight from a can. I have had recent problems with my back and my chiropractor asked me how many diet sodas do I consume each day! I couldn't believe what he told me next...it is contributing to your back issues! There is a chemical in Splenda that is bad for our bodies. Well, that convinced me and I have been weaning myself. Down to maybe one a day, and I am replacing it with good ol' water. Thanks SparkPeople for keeping us in the "know!"	520
REDJO40 1/21/2010 9:20:38 AM	Mine is Diet Dr. Pepper Cherry. It is my treat when I grocery shop. Now I'm trying a new fruit each time I go to the grocery store, until I can forego the Diet Dr. Pepper.	519
LYNNET 1/21/2010 9:09:17 AM	I'm a Diet Pepsi addict. I have successfully cut back to 1 or 2 cans a day but I've never even considered giving it completely. I probably should, it would be much healthier.	518
GOTHICLOLLIPOP 1/21/2010 3:48:16 AM	I grew up drinking diet sodas, mostly diet coke. When I heard that aspartame stimulates your appetite, I actually quit drinking them for a while. When Splenda came out, I switched to sodas with Splenda (took some getting used to). Now that I'm on a diet, I try not to drink as much of those either. One reason is because it keeps me from drinking things that are better for me, another is that I've begun to suspect that it actually can stimulate my appetite as well, perhaps just because of the extreme sweetness (also, it seems like things that are naturally sweet, like fruit, taste better when you haven't been eating artificially sweetened things).	517
DUBSTAHR 1/21/2010 2:55:26 AM	Mine is Cheese.....OMG I love cheese so much. maybe a little too much, I havent given it up but definitely have cut back, I went from having it in EVERY meal to sunday mornings when my husband makes me breakfast :)	516
NURSEBABE09 1/20/2010 9:15:11 PM	It has been 2 weeks since I gave up my diet coke habit. It is so great to read about someone else struggling with the same thing. Water just isn't the same, but I am doing my best. Thanks for the article.	515
JANICE365 1/20/2010 7:37:12 PM	Cola drinker for too many years. I called myself a pepsicolic. Started feeling sick. I blamed it on the cola. A lot of headaches, and getting forgetful to the point affecting my job, and feeling tired all the time for drinking all that hidden sugar. So that is why I stopped drinking pepsi cold turkey. I am feeling much better since I stopped 4 mths ago. Thanks for your story. Really appreciate it. .	514
FIATVOLUNTASTUA 1/20/2010 7:24:07 PM	I've been avoiding anything "diet" since I found out how aspartame is metabolized in the liver. One of its intermediate products is formaldehyde which we used in zoology and histology to "fix" tissues. Considering that this phoney sugar "substitute" is found in so many foods, candies, etc. you really have to be vigilant in reading labels.	513
GRANDMAJUDY6 1/20/2010 5:56:03 PM	I too had some trouble with breaking the habit of diet Coke. I drank quite a bit of it too. Then I found out some things about it and realized that while I was drinking all that sodium my ankles and feet would swell so bad I couldn't put my shoes on and I had no range of motion for my feet. I don't drink soda at all now except an occasional energy drink, which I try not to do too often. I also had a bad time giving up my cappuccino.	512
TAZMANIATWO 1/20/2010 4:47:59 PM	I understand completely. Diet Coke was my staple drink, with mega coffee in the AM. I switch to Decaf Diet Coke, thinking it was better for me. I don't know why, maybe because it's winter & colder, I rarely have a glass of Diet Coke. No withdrawals, headaches or any else. I'm glad I did. Now I have healthier drinks - water & hot tea & only 3 cups, at the most, of coffee in the AM. Feel Healthier!	511
JEKRUNS 1/20/2010 4:38:39 PM	Yes! I am the same girl - my first diet soda love was Fresca, then moved to Tab in college and held out forever until I got hooked on Diet Coke, or more recently Coke Zero. Its been 2 months since I quit cold turkey and I have noticed a HUGE difference in my afternoon food cravings and my general feeling of health. So glad I stopped!	510
ALLBOYS4ME 1/20/2010 4:16:59 PM	Just found this article...interesting that I also quit my almost 20 year DC habit on Dec 5, 2008 at noon. The hard part for me has been the HABIT of grabbing a DC when I am at a restaurant or other place. I also miss that burning feeling of a fresh fountain DC. However, I love that I don't have to visit the restroom as much and I have A LOT fewer headaches now! More power to all of you exDC drinkers ~ Go H2O!	509
RMPOKRZY 1/20/2010 12:39:38 PM	this makes me really want a diet coke. So delicious...yet so bad for me.	508
JANESBROWNDOG 1/20/2010 11:56:48 AM	I can totally agree with this blog! I, too, is/was (trying to stop) a Diet Coke addict! I am not much of a coffee drinker, and Diet coke was the pick me up that was needed in the afternoons. Also, it had to be from the fountain, not from the can! There is a difference, I can tell! My other vice was Diet Mt. Dew, much harder to find in the fountain, but if it was there, I would get it! My goal is to stop drinking Diet Coke and try just water or tea instead.	507
LOSTBETH 1/20/2010 7:09:23 AM	I drink a ton of diet soda - Diet Coke, Diet Sunkist, Diet Dr. Pepper and I know they're not good for me. I'm not quite ready to give them up, but maybe, just maybe, inspired by your article I will at least cut way down. Who know, after that, I just might give them up!	506
CUTIEPIEESH10 1/19/2010 9:44:18 PM	I was a big soda drinker. My favorites were Pepsi and Mt. Dew. I would drink 3-5 cans a day before I started my journey. I had decided to give it up cold turkey. That was harder than expected. I decided to change it to 1 can a week. I am happy to say that I have kept that up and now I am starting to not like the soda anymore so I think I am ready to start giving it up altogether!	505
MONIE39 1/19/2010 9:28:19 PM	Alas, I too feel like I have written this! I am a diet Coke addict!! Now that I have cut back on the carbs and I have adjusted I can pass up burgers and fries, but there is something about a McDonald's diet Coke. I have tried the cold turkey, a slow approach of only 1 can a day and I have even tried those mini cans - 1 a day. Truly I miss it and I have been good until today!! The kids were up through the night and even though I had 7-8 hours it was the interupted type. The kind that leaves your head in the fog the next day!! It was definelty not the kind of day that I could fake it through, so I caved!! I admire your will power and I will think of all the 'badness' in that little can. Hopefull that will help deter me from starting the cycle again!	504
TRAVELSPORT21 1/19/2010 8:31:45 PM	I loved this article! I'm not sure I have ever been an addict, but I do love diet soda, but I know that in order to be healthier I should find other alternatives like herbal tea. Thanks for the boost!	503
DENISEACK 1/19/2010 4:36:51 PM	I have started reading both "The Spark" and the "Abs Diet" book (by David Zinczenko) I typed out some info from the Abs Diet I thought was so interesting about how High Fructose Corn Syrup is making us gain weight without even realizing it. Diet soda is better in the fact of no calories, but what else is in there that no one is telling us how it might affect our bodies?--just like MrsMichael1 said that even employees wouldn't drink the Diet Coke. Hmmm... Here it is "HFCS is a man-made sweetener that's cheaper and sweeter than sugar. Food manufacturers love it because it enhances their profits, so they add it to an unbelievable number of foods. HFCS is really, really, really bad for you. That�s because It�s packed with calories, but your body doesn�t recognize these calories. In fact, HFCS shuts off your body�s natural appetite control switches, so you can eat and eat end eat far beyond what your body would normally be able to handle. You probably know people who can down a 2-liter bottle of soda in a single sitting well, guess what? Before HFCS was invented, humans couldn't do that. Our natural appetite control switches would kick in, detect the sugar we were consuming, and stop. But by shutting off the switches that control appetite, HFCS--a true junk food--is making America fat. By the late 1990s, Americans were consuming about 62 pounds per person every year. That's 228 additional calories per person per day. The problem with HFCS is not the corn syrup; it's the fructose�a sugar that occurs naturally in fruit and honey. Corn syrup is primarily made of glucose, which can be burned as a source of immediate energy; stored in your liver or muscles for later use; or as a last resort, turned into fat. But unlike glucose, fructose isn't metabolized by your body as an immediate source of energy; it's metabolized into fat. While the small amount of fructose you get naturally through fruit and honey won't make you fat, eating HFCS is sort of like setting up an IV that pumps fat directly to your gut. One of the worst offenders is soft drinks: soda consumption has doubled from 25 to 50 gallons per person per year in the past few decades so the amount of HFCS we're getting is unprecedented, and many researchers think there�s a direct link between the huge amount of HFCS we're consuming and the huge numbers we're seeing on the scale. Go back to what you know about carbohydrates. When you eat any carbohydrates�whether it contains glucose or starch�your body releases insulin to regulate your body weight. First, it tries to push the carbs into your muscle cells to be used as energy and facilitates carb storage in the lever for later use. Then it suppresses your appetite, telling your body that you�ve had enough. Finally it stimulates production of another protein, leptin, which m manufactured in your fat cells. In essence, leptin helps regulate how much fat you store and helps increase your metabolism to keep your weight in check. Fructose doesn�t stimulate insulin and therefore doesn�t increase the production of leptin�and that's the most important argument against fructose and HFCS: without insulin and leptin, your body has no shut-off mechanism. Soft drinks are one of the main sources of HFCS, but HFCS can still sneak up on you. Here's where nutritional labels come in handy. If a label says "sugar� or �cane sugar,� the product contains sucrose, which a 50/50 bland of glucose and fructose. If HFCS is listed first or second, look at the chart on the nutrition label to see how much sugar the food contains. If it�s just a gram or two, don�t sweat it. But if you see a food that has 8 or more grams of sugar and HFCS is prominent on the list of ingredients, move along to something else. "	502
TANYAMACDOOGIE 1/19/2010 3:51:36 PM	My only vice in this world is DR. PEPPER. I am now a month and a half off all caffeene. I couldn't stop cold turkey so I still enjoy a root beer or sprite once in a while but have been doing good to keep the water flowing though my veins. I have seen a good difference in stopping with the cafeene. My migranes are less frequent. woo hoo!!	501
ASUPERCOOLCHICK 1/19/2010 1:12:21 PM	Oh I feel so bad, mine is not even a diet drink. I've never been able to enjoy any drink with artificial sugar or aspartame. I've read about more dangers in peoples health who drink diet drinks than the regular ones. My evil is Mountain Dew... Oh its evil! I'm not a coffee drinker and this has always been my downfall. I can give it up for months but some how it lures me back in. I know I will always be battling this demon!!	500
GAETAN620 1/19/2010 12:41:31 PM	I am a Diet soda addict and can control mysel i have never try to quit i use to drink beer since i am sober i drink diet coke.I wouldf like to find that study on diet coke and asparthan.Ihope one day i will able to quit	499
BLUESTOCKING86 1/19/2010 11:45:37 AM	I too am a diet coke addict. It got worse with the addition of coke zero and wild cherry diet coke. I am drinking a lot less these days - I have been sipping the same 20 oz bottle for 2 days - but not totally off.	498
MRSGIXXER 1/19/2010 9:35:35 AM	I completely know where you are coming from. I too am a recovering Diet Coke addict. I was easily going through a case in about 3 or 4 days along with trips to McDonald's for the 32 ounce sodas. I would buy it and drink it there and then refill and take it home, sometimes more than once a day. If I had a headache I knew the cure for it was my MD's DC. I also knew the reason for the headache was the same thing. The first time I quit drinking it was in 1995. I kicked that and chocolate. But 5 years later I began the cycle again. I went for spurts giving it up. I even have my proven no-headache way of "getting off" the stuff. But in June of 2008 I decided again that this was it. No more Diet Coke. And like you have not regretted it since. This time, I won't go back. Not only do I not consume Diet Coke, I am completely caffeine free and have been for over 18 months. It feels good to not need the pick me up in the morning and I feel sorry for my co-workers and friends who do. Great job and thanks for the inspiration. I've added since yesterday no candy or chocolate. I did it before, I can do it again!!!	497
WALKERNOVAK 1/19/2010 9:31:25 AM	I gave up diet drinks about 2 weeks ago, sticking to unsweetened tea and water. It's been easier than I thought it would be. For those who have commented on craving chocolate, the thing that works for me is to put the dark chocolate Dove miniatures in the freezer and when I crave chocolate I have ONE, but it's very satisfying if you let it melt in your mouth. It lasts longer since it's frozen so it seems like you're getting more.	496