What is it about diet soda?

[mccb17]

You know how they say that a cow will eat whatever is in front of it, no matter how full they are? And they'll eat until they literally burst?

The amount of diet cola I can consume in a day seems to be limited only by the amount of it within reach. I usually don't drink very much cola, but it was on sale this week, so I stocked up. Or, at least I thought I stocked up.

Also, when I go out for wings or whatever, they have that bottomless cup of soda that they just keep refilling. That's bad news too.

I know some of you guys don't touch the stuff for all kinds of reasons, but I'm not really looking for that kind of debate. I just wonder what's going on here-- it's not like I've just discovered cola at age 37. It's nothing new to me. I'm not even all that thirsty.

There's just something about the cold, fizzy dark stuff. It's pretty much my last vice, and in small doses, a pretty harmless one. The answer in the short term is to just get a small bottle of it once in a while when I feel the urge. But as it is, I can kill a 2-liter bottle without even realizing it.

[Jennyl]

sometimes the more pop I drink, the thirstier it makes me. I have had to switch to water just to quench the thirst that pop doesn't

[Mobear]

I seem to be constantly sipping something If its breakfast, I'm sipping on coffee until I've had 2 huge cups. At other meals or in between meals...its ice water, water flavored with mio, soda of some sort, more coffee, or ice tea. Most of these things are sweetened with different stuff or none (water) so I don't know why I am just constantly sipping on whatever is next to me. Probably its a good thing that I'm not drinking alcohol!!

[krb]

i love diet soda. i LOOOOOOOOOOOvvvvvvvvvvveeeeee diet soda. I love them all... diet sunkist, coke zero, diet coke, diet pepsi, diet sprite, diet seven up, diet cherry seven up, diet dr.pepper, diet mountain dew... i could go on and on. I misssssssssss diet soda. i gave it up almost two weeks ago. it wasn't by choice. i had an out of control kidney infection. that is motivation right there. it's so hard to quit. i want some right now. i'm drinking a lot of tea with truvia right now, it's helping. you say you are like a cow, i'm pretty sure i am like a junkie. oh well.

[Aomiel]

I read somewhere that the flavoring they put in pop is designed to create thirst. Now I just drink water and usually only have one glass with my meals, whereas with pop, I'd drink 2-3 glasses.

[ElizabethLC]

Here's a thought. I used to look forward to diet soda as an "event".. maybe kind of like how cigarettes are for some smokers. Cigarettes can be a break, a chance to get up and go outside, grab a friend for a chat, etc. For me, if I was bored or I got the urge to eat but didn't want to actually eat anything, I would crack a pop. Or I would say "OK, work on stuff for 50 mins, then have a soda." So it was a little event to look forward to.

[Domino]

OMG. I'm a diet coke addict. Your description has me jonesing for a big bottle of the stuff. Cold, dark, fizzy tastiness. Mmm. Unfortunately for me, I don't have any. I had to quit buying diet coke with splenda because it makes me HUNGRY. Ravenous. Aspartame doesn't do that, but it isn't perfect. It doesn't seem to *cause* migraines exactly, but if there's one trying to start, the aspartame sort of acts as a catalyst. So, I've figured out I can have a little aspartame once in a great while. YAY! I might have a diet coke later.

[lynne2u]

I have a couple of thoughts on that, Mike.

First, the sweetener in diet soda is a neurotoxin, some reliable sources say. (Some disagree, but they're generally spokespersons for Montsanto, so I can see why they'd be conflicted about it. Anyway.)

So if the sweetener in diet soda is a neurotoxin, and if (since) toxicity and addiction have a relationship to each other...then particularly if you're already brain-wired for addiction to some other substance (carbs for example) you might be experiencing a cross-addiction (?).

(Sorry if that sentence was awkward as arse, maybe it helps if you say it out loud.)

Second possibility that comes to mind is that the USDA lets companies put non-food chemicals in their food products without declaring them on the label. And companies have been studying chemicals since the 50's that would make products more...compelling...to the person eating them, like the stuff they put in dog food. (Maybe they put it in cow food, too, and that's the reason for the first thing you mentioned?)

So it might be something besides the sweetener, something not even on the label, designed to make people want more and more of the product.

I can tell you only that, of all my many vices, diet soda was the only one that my naturopath had absolutely no sense of humor about. Unsafe at any speed, she said, or words to that effect.

HTH,
Lynne

[JaseT]

I drank the usual diet sodas from Coke & Pepsi companies for years. It was my main liquid intake. Since I switched over to only drinking Zevia (I wanted to stop the artificial sweeteners), I seem to have a much better handle on it. I drink 1 or 2 Zevias in a day, but my water and tea consumption has gone way up. I only sweeten my tea (hot or iced) with Truvia.

Maybe I was addicted to the aspartame and/or sucralose?

[PhloxFlamingo]

We only buy two liters now. It takes us over a week to finish one. It's been a dramatic change for us. Sometimes I just NEED that soda. I know that feeling.

[Texas Girl]

I love them too even though it took me a long time to move from regular to diet. I get the 1/2 Diet Rite (8 oz?) soda that they sell at Kroger and limit it to only one of those a day. If I was in prison and was asked what I wanted for my last meal if would definitely involve a regular coke

[Mssarge]

Good comments, Lynne! It is certainly addictive and some say that the AS triggers much the same response in the body as sugar....my DH was addicted to it and it was one of the reasons (the other was a wheat addiction) for his growing gut which was the cause of his recent demise. The flavor enhancers that Big Food and Big Diet are adding to our food is scary.

Mary in SoCal

[beachmom3]

Oh I can relate! I love Coke Zero. It has to be out of a can though, I'm not a big fan of the 2 liter bottles. I used to drink them with every meal (I know, I know) but I'm drinking a lot more water now and feeling better (not as many headaches!) I do still have a Coke Zero around 3pm each day, it gives me a little pick-me-up. I don't drink coffee so this is my caffeine fix.

[picklepete]

I'm down to 3-4 times a week as an experiment, though it's never given me tangible problems yet. I definitely drink more volume than I would if it were water or iced tea--but I can also down a huge amount of club soda or lemon seltzer so I think it's the carbonation.

If it's not affecting my goals or health, I try not to worry about it overmuch--maybe I'll wean off it after goal weight as a separate project.

[flatferenghi]

Too much of anything is not good, so they say. So many chemicals in it. I used to do a minimum, at least of 2-4 litres(or liters if u prefer) a day, and considerably more on weekends. I only drink diet choc soda, having dropped all the others. (2 20 oz bottles a day. I do get free cans of diet coke with my chinese food, or if $20.00 or more, I can get diet snapple (peach flavor). I try to keep hydrated with a variety of soft beveridges, like caffeine free tea, flavored seltzers, plain water (more of that as the weather warms up)& coffee, which I also keep to a minimum of no more than 2 a day. So if u can wean yourself down from excessive soda, it may be beneficial. I was hoping that my appetite would decrease by drastically cutting down from the soda. In my case, it did not. Best of luck. Love & Profits: FLATFERENGHI

[AllMyPonies]

Maybe it's time to quit soda altogether. I went from diet colas/dr pepper, to diet 7 up or sierra mist, and now I hardly have that at all, it's water with a slice of lemon. Much better for me than all those chemicals!

[mccb17]

Originally Posted by Aomiel

I read somewhere that the flavoring they put in pop is designed to create thirst. Now I just drink water and usually only have one glass with my meals, whereas with pop, I'd drink 2-3 glasses.

My brother told me that they've gradually increased the sodium levels to make drinkers thirstier for more. I'm not so sure... unless the label is a downright lie, the sodium levels are quite low.

I think that I crave the bubbles and the texture more than anything else. There's a lot of food on this diet that is either heavier or greasier, and plain water just doesn't feel like it washes down as well.

Also, I should add that while I've had a growing overuse of diet soda lately, I've given up sodas completely for over two years at a stretch before. I don't think I have an addictive personality.

As a side note, I have cut out Crystal Light iced tea entirely.

[okapi]

Have you tried seltzer water/sparkling water?? I used to think it was gross (and used to be a diet soda addict), but now drink at least a liter of it a day (and only rarely drink diet soda). I even got a SodaStream machine so that I could make it at home and can reuse the bottles.

Some brands and some flavors are better than others. For me there is just something about the carbonation that I crave.

[flatferenghi]

Most of the sodas i used to consume were low Na. the one i drink now is also low Na. Seagrams seltzer (as opposed to club soda)had sodium. so I do not get their brand. Otherwise, seltzer flavored or plain are ideal. FF

[mccb17]

I did pretty well with San Pellegrino for a while, but it gets pricey. Though there was a place nearby that had it pretty cheap by the case...

[vilanteira]

Originally Posted by okapi

Have you tried seltzer water/sparkling water?? I used to think it was gross (and used to be a diet soda addict), but now drink at least a liter of it a day (and only rarely drink diet soda). I even got a SodaStream machine so that I could make it at home and can reuse the bottles.

Some brands and some flavors are better than others. For me there is just something about the carbonation that I crave.

Same here. I only ever drink water aside from coffee every other morning, but sometimes I just need some carbonation and I usually have a case of generic store brand unflavored seltzer in my house for when I need it.

[moonmirror]

I cut out diet soda. I never thought I would: but I started seeing a direct connection between pains in my body and drinking the soda. The pains would come within an hour after consuming it. I wasn't sleeping well. I'd get headaches. I'd get highs and lows. Actually, I liked that part.

Here's the weird thing: my husband would bring home a splenda sweetened cola and I could only drink one. But with Diet Coke I could drink a case. It was totally the aspartame.

I was very addicted: couldn't get enough. I loved the addiction actually because I could kind of live on it! The Diet Coke and Meat diet! It helped me lose weight, it was a really nice crutch.

But for me the side effects weren't worth it. YMMV of course.

[cfine]

If it's the actual taste that you like, you might want to try Zevia. It's sweetened with stevia and doesn't cause those crazy sugar cravings that I get with other sweeteners.

The price alone will cause you to only drink them a few times per week. They are about $1 per can in my area. The root beer is my personal favorite. My daughter loves the grape.

[okapi]

Originally Posted by mccb17

I did pretty well with San Pellegrino for a while, but it gets pricey. Though there was a place nearby that had it pretty cheap by the case...

That is what I consider the "fancy stuff" I do like sparkling mineral waters, but for day to day I go with the regular flavored but unsweetened seltzer waters...like La Croix, Poland Springs, and actually, most of the time I bought the Trader Joe's brand. Much cheaper. Not as complex as mineral water, but delicious and good for hydration...and satisfies the need for carbonation. Now I just use the SodaStream and buy the flavor essences though.

[moonmirror]

Originally Posted by mccb17

My brother told me that they've gradually increased the sodium levels to make drinkers thirstier for more. I'm not so sure... unless the label is a downright lie, the sodium levels are quite low.

I think that I crave the bubbles and the texture more than anything else. There's a lot of food on this diet that is either heavier or greasier, and plain water just doesn't feel like it washes down as well.

Also, I should add that while I've had a growing overuse of diet soda lately, I've given up sodas completely for over two years at a stretch before. I don't think I have an addictive personality.

As a side note, I have cut out Crystal Light iced tea entirely.

I find fruit-flavored mineral water really refreshing, like having a piece of fruit with my heavy meal. I especially like La Croix.

[mccb17]

Originally Posted by moonmirror

I find fruit-flavored mineral water really refreshing, like having a piece of fruit with my heavy meal. I especially like La Croix.

I don't know... I've had a few of those, and I haven't liked them much. Seltzer and sparkling mineral water are pretty good replacements, though.

I still drink a ton of ice water, at least, so it's not my only source of hydration.

[nspeedracer]

always wondered what exactly 'essence' is...

[okapi]

Originally Posted by nspeedracer

always wondered what exactly 'essence' is...

I know...me too...but I try not to think about it too much because it makes the water so much more delicious!