Diet Soda Addiction

[Blue_Skirt]

The last time I had a soda (I don’t even think it was a diet version) in summer 2015, it tasted like yellow sweet water with bubbles. Obviously, I had not been drinking any soda prior to summer 2015 for a long time. So, if after such a long time without, something tastes like colored sugar water, it can’t be healthy in my opinion.

I don’t care about sodas at all. We did not grow up with it as young children. We might have had 1 or 2 bottles per week when we were teenagers, that is 1 or 2 bottles (not XL bottles) for a family of 5. We drank water at home, occasionally with a bit of home made sirup. My mother used to say “the tap is full” when we wanted to drink something.

I drink 1 coffee in the morning and the rest of the day I drink plain water and herbal infusions, that I prepare the night before (Google: Susun Weed nourishing herbal infusions).

In winter I might make myself a hot chocolate with some cane sugar, cocoa powder and a plant based “milk”. I sometimes might add a bit of Amaretto liquor. I consider this a desert.

I came down from 8-10 mugs of coffee per day to now 1 coffee per day. The trick for me was to find an alternative. Since I never was a fan of black tea, I started to try out herbal teas, until I found this website and YouTube videos on nourishing herbal infusions. And since I really liked them and there is only so much you can drink in a day, it was easy for me to reduce the coffee over time.

[Batya33]

2 hours ago, Blue_Skirt said:

I came down from 8-10 mugs of coffee per day to now 1 coffee per day. The trick for me was to find an alternative.

In the last few years I went down from 3-4 cups a day to 1-2 and only in the morning.  It was really affecting my stomach (I am 55 and my stomach has become more sensitive to coffee, etc as I've aged).  Good for you!!

[mylolita]

12 hours ago, Tinydance said:

Drew Barrymore is an absolute BABE

If I could double, triple like, I would do that right now Tiny - LOL!

 

She has that, slightly plump, youthful face, and has retained it even into adulthood which is rare. Makes her look intensely cute, and yes, SO BEAUTIFUL! 
 

If I could look like her, you betcha!

 

x

[Batya33]

4 minutes ago, mylolita said:

If I could double, triple like, I would do that right now Tiny - LOL!

 

She has that, slightly plump, youthful face, and has retained it even into adulthood which is rare. Makes her look intensely cute, and yes, SO BEAUTIFUL! 
 

If I could look like her, you betcha!

 

x

My favorite Drew Barrymore scene - with Brittany Murphy RIP.  She asks Brittany to pretend to be her mother who she has to confess to about her pregnancy (I think - Riding In Cars With Boys).  Brittany agrees.  Drew does her shpiel tearfully telling her "mother".  Brittany replies - with a long drawn in breath - you [the w__ore/s__ut term!!! and spews out how awful her daughter is lollll.  

[mylolita]

3 minutes ago, Batya33 said:

My favorite Drew Barrymore scene - with Brittany Murphy RIP.  She asks Brittany to pretend to be her mother who she has to confess to about her pregnancy (I think - Riding In Cars With Boys).  Brittany agrees.  Drew does her shpiel tearfully telling her "mother".  Brittany replies - with a long drawn in breath - you [the w__ore/s__ut term!!! and spews out how awful her daughter is lollll.  

Never seen that one! I love her as the sultry intellect in Donnie Darko! 
 

x

[mylolita]

 

[mylolita]

With this said guys I have been inspired, eaten healthy all day and have broke into my box of herbal tea!

 

🥲

 

No jog yet though! But I did have a coffee this morning! How does anyone kick that habit you have more will power than I! 

 

x

[Jibralta]

5 hours ago, mylolita said:

But I did have a coffee this morning! How does anyone kick that habit you have more will power than I! 

I don't know, but I did it. I think it happened when I was doing an elimination diet 5 or 6 years ago. I thought it was temporary but coffee just never came back.... well, I do have some from time to time. But that is a treat.

[boltnrun]

Caffeine and specifically coffee is a serious addiction! My friend went to the ER with a severe bladder infection. He was told he needed to cut out his three to four coffees a day or risk kidney infections or worse. He lasted about a week or two before he went back to his coffee. He is literally willing to risk getting a life-altering medical condition just to drink coffee. That's an addict for sure! He keeps saying he knows he should stop but it's just so good! 

I had to give up things I love after my colon ruptured open and I nearly died. I'm not willing to die for a food item.

[mylolita]

16 minutes ago, Jibralta said:

I don't know, but I did it. I think it happened when I was doing an elimination diet 5 or 6 years ago. I thought it was temporary but coffee just never came back.... well, I do have some from time to time. But that is a treat.

This is more will power again than me Jib! 
 

I tried cutting caffeine out a week back, 5 days in I was done. Worst headaches ever. This is how you know it’s bad for you! 
 

x

[wealthydior]

Caffeine is seriously and dangerously addictive! I want to drink coffee, energy drinks all the time!

[Wiseman2]

On 4/19/2022 at 6:00 AM, jazz_lover said:

My one weakness is diet soda and I generally have a few cans a day. 

Have flavored water or seltzer. Why diet soda? Weight problems? Worries about tooth decay? Diabetic? 

What is your concern? Developing and fostering a sweet tooth or negative health effects of artificial sweeteners?

Sodas do contribute to obesity and dental problems. Diet sodas perpetuate a sweet tooth and ironically also contribute to obesity.

Most sodas contain enough phosphoric acid to take the paint off cars. That's what they do to your teeth also. Forget "natural" artificial sweeteners, they're just as bad.

[mylolita]

9 hours ago, wealthydior said:

Caffeine is seriously and dangerously addictive! I want to drink coffee, energy drinks all the time!

So true!

 

Just re-discovered organic matcha 🍵 has a small amount of caffeine in it which gives a gentle and slow, longer lasting lift and is very good for you (I think two scoops is the equivalent of eating three very large bags of spinach). Or, something like that. 
 

My friend who owns a health cafe and juice bar got me onto it a few years back, but it’s been left on the shelf by me for along time, I forgot all about it! She made matcha cakes and cookies as well! Matcha latte is - really nice! 

 

Anyway, as a hardcore caffeine addict it’s done the trick for me this morning. To wean off, seems to be the drink for me. Let’s see how we go! I used to drink it a year back and I can’t remember why I ever stopped! Probably whilst I was pregnant and breastfeeding, something like that.

 

I do agree with Wiseman - “natural” sweetness are suspect. A diet soda or full fat soda isn’t gonna kill you though. You could have one a few times a week if you can control yourself. Like having cake or chocolate. No one is ever going to not, ever, for the rest of their lives(!) ever have a piece of chocolate again. You have to live. Life is too short to not enjoy yourself at least some of the time! 
 

x

[Wiseman2]

On 4/19/2022 at 6:00 AM, jazz_lover said:

.I do not drink coffee but being British drink quite a lot of tea! 

Everything in moderation, right? There's health benefits to coffee and tea.  Not soda however:

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/the-health-benefits-of-coffee/

[Batya33]

Just my layperson opinion - I don't think an occasional regular soda -just like an occasional glass of wine -is an issue for typical people (meaning not diabetic, not alcoholic) but especially with regular soda I think it quickly becomes a habit especially if you do take out or order those "value meals" and it's so easy to consume so many empty calories with soda so fast.  I also think the faster someone can get used to plain water (I had to) the better -the substitutes with stevia etc just perpetuate that need for a sweet taste. 

I "converted" my son to plain water over the years as I used to give him heavily diluted juice and it was a pain to tote to the playground etc. Now he's a great water drinker too.  

[Wiseman2]

On 4/21/2022 at 5:53 AM, Blue_Skirt said:

I don’t care about sodas at all. We did not grow up with it as young children. 

Ha! I never really liked soda either.  Never had a sweet tooth either.

But I like my coffee black no sugar . I love the health benefits of real brewed high quality coffee.

  I splurge on Kenya and other sort of exotic coffee. Not a fan of some of the fancy coffee concoctions. 

Actually the first time I tried Kenya coffee was in Kenya.☕

[Batya33]

3 hours ago, Wiseman2 said:

Ha! I never really liked soda either.  Never had a sweet tooth either.

But I like my coffee black no sugar . I love the health benefits of real brewed high quality coffee.

  I splurge on Kenya and other sort of exotic coffee. Not a fan of some of the fancy coffee concoctions. 

Actually the first time I tried Kenya coffee was in Kenya.☕

Love exotic coffee too.  Not sure if exotic but try Cafe Du Monde New Orleans coffee with chicory.  I like plain coffee with a little milk - the concotions are just "hot beverages". So cool about Kenya!

[Seraphim]

I could never get into coffee. My husband and his family are tea drinkers as they are British. I just have milk in my tea. 

[boltnrun]

Coffee hurts my stomach.  It's so acidy.

Those drinks you get at Starbucks et. al. with the whipped cream and chocolate syrup are not "coffee".   They're a sugar and fat laden dessert.  A zillion bad for you calories.

I bought my one diet soda per week at the store yesterday.  That's all I allow myself.  It's a small size, not the big two liter because I don't want to drink that much.  Otherwise I have my tea every morning and water the rest of the day and evening for hydration and healthy digestion.

Tapering down is the best way to kick a habit.

[Batya33]

35 minutes ago, boltnrun said:

Coffee hurts my stomach.  It's so acidy.

Those drinks you get at Starbucks et. al. with the whipped cream and chocolate syrup are not "coffee".   They're a sugar and fat laden dessert.  A zillion bad for you calories.

I bought my one diet soda per week at the store yesterday.  That's all I allow myself.  It's a small size, not the big two liter because I don't want to drink that much.  Otherwise I have my tea every morning and water the rest of the day and evening for hydration and healthy digestion.

Tapering down is the best way to kick a habit.

Yes -coffee has become harder for me over the years on my stomach.  So I am down to just my morning coffee with breakfast. No sugar, a little milk =low calories.  I do ginger tea once in awhile but gotta have coffee in the morning. I don't do the cappucinos, etc -I did a bit more often years ago but it's a dessert and so darn expensive (I buy ground coffee, brewed at home).  No more soda/diet soda.  

[Cherylyn]

I've never been a soda drinker.  I've read somewhere that barcarbonate beverages are bad for your bones and makes your bones more porous.

My SIL (sister-in-law) has always struggled with her heavy weight and after being with her during numerous social occasions over the years, I've observed her unhealthy habits.  She drinks Diet Cokes, has a hearty appetite and a sweet tooth.  She doesn't exercise habitually either.  She doesn't drink enough water and same with my MIL (mother-in-law). 

Personally, I've instilled a complete lifestyle change regarding water hydration, healthy diet and exercise.  I don't feel deprived from declining and eliminating all sorts of beverages and unhealthy food from my diet.  I don't drink, smoke, never done drugs in my life and same with my husband and sons.  We prefer great health for life. 

When you make permanent, positive changes, you'll look and feel great all the time.  It requires a lot of self discipline and it becomes a permanent no-brainer habit.  None of us feel temptation to cheat either because we know how to maintain optimal health.

It's from trial and error and you'll figure out what works for you. 

 

[Wiseman2]

[midnightdeirdre]

You need to watch this video:

 

 

[midnightdeirdre]

Also, I'm sure you've seen the movie Supersize Me. One thing I observed in that film was that Morgan Spurlock was told by the same doctor, "ONLY drink ice water. Do not drink your calories. Only drink water."   ⬅️ He was told that about 3 times. The doctor seemed to imply that if he ONLY drank ice water his health would be saved.

Suffice to say, I hope you're getting the message.  #doNOTdrinkYourCalories #IceWater

[hundal]

I too addicted to Diet Soda, from friend advice started decreasing my intake of soda.