Anonymous wrote:If you need more reasons to quit, diet soda is also terrible for your teeth because it's so acidic..

Diet soda is not uniquely acidic (And it tends to be slightly less acidic than regular sodas.) This article - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4808596/ -- has a table giving the pH of many drinks. In general, the most acidic drinks are

Coffee
Tea, both hot and cold
Carbonated drinks
Alcohol, especially wine
Juice, especially those high in citrus
Sports drinks
Soda and soft drinks (even sugar-free types)

Good luck, OP. I used to drink DC daily, but quit years ago, and I don't actually remember how. I think maybe it a real consideration of the wastefulness - all those cans and bottles.

I limit myself to 1 can a day and have recently moved to the 7.5 oz cans which is enough. I drink coffee so for me diet coke isn't really for the caffeine.

Good luck!

Don't let it in the house. If you don't want to stop entirely but want to cut down, drink it out of the house only.

Thanks for all of the support. Day 2 of no Diet Coke. I’ve been medicating for the headache. Drinking lots of water and some unsweetened ice tea with lemon. It’s been tough but doable.

You can try to sub in flavored seltzer. The bubbles/mouth feel are often part of the addiction.

I'd let yourself have 2 a day. One in the morning, one after lunch. Take advil for the headache and drink boat loads of other drinks.

If you need more reasons to quit, diet soda is also terrible for your teeth because it's so acidic. Drinking artificially sweetened soda gets rid of the sugar, which is also terrible for your teeth, but doesn't get rid of the phosphoric acid that eats away at your enamel (especially because you're drinking it over time so it has longer to sit on your teeth). It can also do a real number on your stomach -- you have an increased risk of gut ulcers and IBS. There are also long-term effects on bone density.

It's hard to know whether going cold turkey or tapering is better for you -- there are advantages and disadvantages either way. Just know that if you fall off the wagon on a particular day, that's not the end! You're not a failure! You always have a chance to make a better decision the next time around, on the same day even. Give yourself some grace to fight this addiction because it is an addiction. The habit is addicting, the caffeine and sweetness is addicting, the bubbles themselves may be addicting.

Consider joining a support group on Facebook, Reddit, whatever. There are lots of other people who have been in your shoes:

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2021/feb/02/the-real-thing-my-battle-to-beat-a-27-year-diet-coke-addiction

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/08/how-experts-say-my-brain-and-body-are-better-after-giving-up-diet-coke.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/11/well/eat/diet-coke-addiction.html

https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/want-to-change-a-habit-how-i-stopped-drinking-over-100-ounces-of-diet-soda-a-day-for-40-years-started-drinking-water-instead.html

There are also apps that help you stay on track in breaking bad habits, like Quitzilla or Days Since or Sobriety Counter. It doesn't matter what your addiction is -- you can use any app that works for you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I drink way too much diet soda and always have, from childhood. It is a terrible habit and I hate it and can never seem to quit. I am trying to start today to cut back majorly. I haven't decided if cold turkey is the goal or something like 1-2 a week.

I was distressed by this article: https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/05/health/diet-and-sugary-drinks-atrial-fibrillation-wellness/index.html

I also want to quit for many other reasons:

-It reduces my water consumption
-Terrible example for my teen daughter
-I eat more when I eat alongside drinking diet coke
-It is expensive and really adds up - prices have really exploded the past few years
-I hate how stores try to force you to buy like 5 six packs at a time
-I feel bad about myself when I drink it

Anyone else want to join and try to keep each other accountable? Tips?

Used to not be able to function wo DC. Kept a warm one next to my bed at night to take as soon as my eyes opened. Just stopped cold turkey. It hurt due a few days and then I was fine.

I replaced w hot black tea for a while and now rarely consume caffeine.

Anonymous wrote:I drink way too much diet soda and always have, from childhood. It is a terrible habit and I hate it and can never seem to quit. I am trying to start today to cut back majorly. I haven't decided if cold turkey is the goal or something like 1-2 a week.

I was distressed by this article: https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/05/health/diet-and-sugary-drinks-atrial-fibrillation-wellness/index.html

I also want to quit for many other reasons:

-It reduces my water consumption
-Terrible example for my teen daughter
-I eat more when I eat alongside drinking diet coke
-It is expensive and really adds up - prices have really exploded the past few years
-I hate how stores try to force you to buy like 5 six packs at a time
-I feel bad about myself when I drink it

Anyone else want to join and try to keep each other accountable? Tips?

Used to not be able to function wo DC. Kept a warm one next to my bed at night to take as soon as my eyes opened. Just stopped cold turkey. It hurt due a few days and then I was fine.

I don’t know how anyone can finish one can of that nasty stuff, much less drink it all day long.

Just quit it cold turkey. Don’t buy any for the house. Replace caffeine with coffee for now. I only drink coke when I’m in a restaurant.

I stopped for 3 years then started again.

Anonymous wrote:Carbonated water helped me quit soda entirely. I just missed the carbonation. I still drink black coffee for the caffeine, though.

Same here. I have a Sodastream because I really like bubbles. When I was trying to quit DC, I learned to make my own flavorings and that helped.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are using the caffeinated Diet Coke, you should probably taper to avoid a headache. Can you calculated how many ounces you drink daily? I would start with cutting back 25%-50% to start. While you are doing this, increase water. Stay at the reduced amount for a few weeks and then, reduce again.

Yes I drink caffeinated. Should have mentioned that as another issue - I get caffeine withdrawal headaches any day I don't drink enough caffeine at this point.

I am increasing water and making sure I get at least one cup of coffee a day to try to reduce the headaches.

I just find it too addictive to taper down, to be honest.

I’m the Pp who has quit before, I’ve also gone off and on caffeine and I highly recommend quitting it cold turkey over trying to taper. Take Advil for 3-5 days. You’ll be fine after a week. Tapering caffeine sounds like torture.

I quit Diet Coke a few times, and then at some point I stopped and never started again! So it’s possible. I drink a ton of plain seltzer though. Maybe try that?