Anonymous wrote:I stopped before I got pregnant because i wanted to be as healthy as possible. It sucked but the benefits are amazing. I was less hungry and lost 5 pounds without trying. And I am not the type to lose weight easily. About a year later I tried some and it tasted awful.

I suggest going cold turkey but allowing yourself a cup of coffee in the morning and early afternoon. Add no artificial sugar or you will negate the benefits of quitting diet soda. They some carbonated waters in similar bottles or cans.

This is exactly what happened to me. Needed to cut down on caffeine when pregnant and didn’t want to ditch my morning coffee, so swapped Diet Coke for La Croix and never went back. Didn’t even feel the urge to. Now that I’m not pregnant, I’ll often have a second coffee in the afternoon for the caffeine boost.

Good luck, OP! I really believe there’s something in DC (vs other diet sodas/drinks) that causes a bad chemical addiction/reaction for some people. FWIW, I also think cold turkey most effective in the short and long terms.

I love Diet Coke but drink it seldom. Pretty much. It’s my “road trip“ drink, I will let myself get one if I go into a convenience store while getting gas or a drive-through, fast food or something like that, but in real life, never drink it. I drink tons of tea (black, green, herbal depends on time of day) and those full the need, having something warm in your hand is a pretty healthy addiction

just quit! it is not that hard.

i quit soda on halloween.

Reporting back - day 4 and no Diet Coke. Headaches seemed to have subsided entirely now. Drinking lots of water and unsweetened tea with lemon.

Op here. Good idea about the tart cherry juice.

I made it through a deli lunch yesterday drinking just water and then a dinner out where I ordered unsweetened ice tea instead of soda. On day 3 now! Headaches are already not as bad.

I went from daily Diet Coke drinker to daily seltzer drinker about 10 years ago. It worked great for me. If you need more pizzazz, try adding a splash of cranberry or tart cherry juice to the seltzer. It’s really good.

Make yourself do it for a couple weeks religiously and you will see your tastes change.

Get addicted to seltzer water instead. I remember thinking it was nasty but now I’m obsessed. I don’t drink too many but now soda just sounds gross to me. I only pick up a soda if I’m at a party and tired (like a kid birthday party)

I stopped before I got pregnant because i wanted to be as healthy as possible. It sucked but the benefits are amazing. I was less hungry and lost 5 pounds without trying. And I am not the type to lose weight easily. About a year later I tried some and it tasted awful.

I suggest going cold turkey but allowing yourself a cup of coffee in the morning and early afternoon. Add no artificial sugar or you will negate the benefits of quitting diet soda. They some carbonated waters in similar bottles or cans.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I drink Diet Coke and other sodas. It’s something I enjoy and I try to drink in moderation. I know that it’s not a health food and I accept that.

I don’t drink alcohol, I don’t smoke, I exercise and eat a healthy diet. Life should be enjoyed and I enjoy a Coke more than coffee or tea.

+ 1,000

How is this in any way relevant? Good for you, I guess?

For some people it is far more addictive and more of a problem.

Anonymous wrote:I drink Diet Coke and other sodas. It’s something I enjoy and I try to drink in moderation. I know that it’s not a health food and I accept that.

I don’t drink alcohol, I don’t smoke, I exercise and eat a healthy diet. Life should be enjoyed and I enjoy a Coke more than coffee or tea.

+ 1,000

I drink Diet Coke and other sodas. It’s something I enjoy and I try to drink in moderation. I know that it’s not a health food and I accept that.

I don’t drink alcohol, I don’t smoke, I exercise and eat a healthy diet. Life should be enjoyed and I enjoy a Coke more than coffee or tea.

I quit cold turkey as well. The headaches were so bad. But after 2 weeks, you should feel better. Drink water and other caffeine sources.

Also ask yourself what is it about Diet Coke that you like? The caffeine? The fizziness? The taste? The ritual of having a can in your hand? Try to replicate what you can in another drink. I still drink coke to get the taste but not regularly.

To the OP: you can do this! I seriously thought I was addicted to Diet Coke and had accepted that I would never give it up. But I did about six years ago and now never ever drink it. Just this week I realized that it is disgusting to think about consuming it and I was so grateful I quit.

I think I first cut out weekday consumption and only had it on the weekends. Then dropped to only at restaurants or when traveling, etc. And then to none at all.

A couple years ago I started occasionally drinking unsweetened sparkling waters and that satisfies the urge to have carbonation or something other than plain water, tea, and coffee.

You can do it!