I was the same way with regular coke, 3 - 4 cans a day, easy. It was one of my greatest addictions for sure, I couldn't think without it. Unfortunately my method to stop is difficult, but I quit cold turkey. That was difficult and I failed twice along the way. But eventually I stuck it out. 2 after quitting, I had a coke and hated it (ohh thank god). It has been 2 years now and I don't even consider, to be honest, once I got over the coke mountain my diet became a lot easier to improve and I eat extremely well now.
It's one of the worst products out there, quit now and don't look back.
(I realize cold turkey is the way you don't want to hear, but ...)

Can you substitute something else, herbal iced tea, sparkling water with a little juice, to help you through?

I gave it up several years ago, but I only drank one a day. Someone told me how horrible aspartane is and that did it for me.

You can do it!

Cold turkey is the only way for me. I can't think of any time in my life, except the two times I was pregnant, that I've done without it!!!!!!!!!!! I know I CAN and I WILL.........it just feels yucky!!!!!!

Q Girl, I have been reading about how bad all the "stuff" in Diet Coke is. I got really mad and determined after that:)))))))

I gave up Diet Dr. Pepper and I still crave one every time I'm in the grocery store and I see a cold one in a the fridge by the check out line. What helped me get over my addiction was drinking lots of seltzer water in substitution for the soda. I found it wasn't so much the caffeine I was addicted too but I just like to have carbonation in what I drink (I'm think about buying one of those little hand held things where you can carbonate just about anything).

I'm going cold turkey on Diet Pepsi, beginning today. I told myself that last week in the desert would be the last week of drinking it. Good luck to both of us!

clm

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

I gave up soda a few years ago and quite honestly, it was one of the hardest things EVER! I was a Diet Coke junkie ;) I was pretty useless for a couple of weeks! Lots of headaches and NO energy. After a couple of weeks...all better! Unfortunately, I have gone back to one diet soda daily though (yikes) They are crazy addictive! Good luck! Hang in there. It will get better :)

OMG, I'm glad someone else is going through this!!!!!!! Nothing like a total shock to the body.......recover from an IM AND give up Diet Coke!!!!! I'll be your support group.

Trigirl 22........The headaches were really starting to bug me......glad to know they aren't uncommon.

It's going to be worse when I get back in the pool. For some reason I crave one after a swim!!!!!

I also crave a diet soda after a tough workout. Sometimes I can't get to a gas station fast enough for a diet dew after a long workout.

oy vey...giving up diet coke was hard. As I get older (sigh), caffeine affects me more and more. Afternoon diet coke consumption was affecting my sleep. I too kicked it cold turkey. After a couple of weeks, I was normal. Now, every once in a great while, I get a diet, caffeine-free coke...but I usually don't even finish it...What is the point? I still do coffee in the early morning though.

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Vestri sessio est quoque altus!

You have all just inspired me to give up my nasty habit. While I have cut down in the last little while, I still drink a ton! Now the only question is, is it better to do it now (next week so I can wrap my head around this new plan) or wait until after IMC (yes I know it's a long way off) so that I don't f up my training by being all tired and headachey?

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I know I'm promiscuous, but in a classy way

It's the opposite as I get older...caffeine seems to affect me less and less. I could have a few cans of diet coke/diet dew while laying in bed and it wouldn't affect me one bit....I'd drift off to sleep like nobody's business. Safe to say I'm probably addicted. Oh well.

Give it up now.....it will only help you. I am doing AZ again in the fall and planned to have the diet totally dialed in. I figure I have another week of going through d coke withdrawls then I will be ok!!!!!

wait...wait...this is one of the hardest things you've ever had to do?

you, my friend, have lead a charmed life.

;)

riding up the galibier is hard...finishing at kona is hard...giving up diet coke? not hard.

Keep up the good work!!! I have recently given up regular coke. OK, so I'll likely cave and have one a week maybe.
My husband is the bad influence there, he's got a coke a day habit.
I never did go in for the diet stuff, it tasted too funky to me and then I read up on all the horrors of artificial sweeteners! Read up on some of that stuff via the internet and it may help your motivation! Once you get over the hump you'll be much much happier without that soda habit!
You can do it!

LOL!!!! Fair enough.......it's the hardest thing I ever tried to cut out of my diet!!!!!!!!!!

I was so excited to see your post. Today is Day 1 without it. I saw a Naturopath last Friday and she told me lots of things but right near the top was giving up Diet Coke. I am determined to make changes and get my nutrition in order. My sleep is pretty bad too so this can only help. Not looking forward to the headaches though. So far so good, but it has only been half a day since my last "fix".

there ya go..much better!

;)

I gave up Diet Coke before IMAZ (a year ago I was easily drinking a 6 pack a day), but the last week have let myself eat anything and everything I wanted. This included diet coke. I was awake until 3AM last night because of it. So, I too am giving it up again starting today. I'm already craving it too!

Last time I drank Kombucha tea and I had ZERO cravings for diet coke. It's a fermented tea. I like the taste of the tea, so it was easy to substitute. It's a little expensive, but it was worth it for me. I really like how the tea makes me feel, so now I brew my own at home. You can find the tea at most healthfood stores.

Don't get me wrong... I AM NOT EVER giving up coffee!!!!!!!!!!!! So no worry about the caffeine headaches.

clm

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

I don't think I've ever been 'addicted' like many of you have experienced, but I have cut soda out of my diet. I grew up with parents who ONLY drink diet soda, never ever water (it's bizarre!). I just try to think about how much better water is for me, and that usually does the trick. Every once in awhile I will have an Izze soda for a carbonation craving - but it is just fruit juice and carbonated water. All natural and no caffeine. GOOD LUCK!

I think Kamboucha is an acquired taste. I know how good it is for you so I think I need to give it another try.

The cravings and caffeine withdrawls will go away soon!! I gave up caffeine and soda March 1 - it took a couple of weeks for the cravings to go away, a week or so for the sluggishness to hit, and then a week for that to go away. I have had a couple of caffeine free diet pepsi's in cocktails a couple of times, but the biggest part for me was the caffeine and amount of sugar laden coffee I was drinking. I thought I was good - until I had this crazy Starbucks dream last night and they just wouldn't serve me my coffee... I woke up mad wanting a latte! Pretty sad! But for the most part, by the 2-3 week post give up period, I was good. Hang in there!!

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Harry: "I expected the Rocky Mountains to be a little rockier than this."
Loyd: "I was thinking the same thing. That John Denver's full of shit, man."

I will never stop drinking coffee but I did give up diet soda back in August. I just decided I wanted to try Paleo for Athletes and wanted to clean up my diet. I did lose quite a bit of weight once I dropped the diet soda. This is only my only little hypothesis, but I think artificial sweetener messes up our bodies' ability to recognize high calorie food and moderate intake of that high calorie food. If you allow yourself to indulge your sweet tooth all the time (whether it is artificial or real it is still engaging your sweet receptors, isn't it??) then perhaps your body loses some ability to help you regulate sugar cravings? I don't know..I am just blabbing here! But I feel good that I no longer buy soda at the store. That's enough reason, I guess.
I did, however, have an unexpected craving for a coke yesterday on a 100 miler. Never had a craving for coke before, especially on a ride. I indulged myself and it was gooooooooooddddddd!!!!!!!!!

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Jessica

I Think a REAL coke during a 100 miler is warranted!!!! I sure was slamming them at the aid stations in AZ last week. I have made it through another day, so far, BUT my wicked headache has returned. I have never had headaches like this, this many days in a row.......I'm about ready for it to end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ok, haven't read all responses, but holy cow, you and clm both taking the plunge! right on! i'm fighting the urge to freaking smoke cigarettes (WTF, right?) so please know you are not alone.

haven't read all responses, but i was on here whining like crazy over having to reduce coffee. green tea was by far the best "substitute" to keep my body from a full fledge flip out. green tea with honey will help you not withdrawl so harshly. it has only a touch of caff in it, but add a little honey and this will help take that horrible edge off. i swear by it, and tomorrow plan on drinking more to get me through this weird smoking urge (BTW, i quit over 10 years ago, so double WTF. addictions can be so weird).

anyway, other teas will work similarly if you don't like green tea. sure, many argue green tea has the most benefits, but i've also found lemon or orange tea and honey to cure a sugar craving very well too.

caff withdrawl is no joke. i wish you and clm the best--you can do it. and i just did it, going from at least 3 giant mugs chock full of straight up espresso to 1 mug americano and no sugar. you can do it, you can do it!

and lastly, FWIW, vitamins helped me too. i wouldn't have thought so, but B complex and a whole food vitamin really really helped me balance out my emotions.

good luck!!!! keep us posted, for reals!
joanne

kitty, i agree, the smoking urge is a really tough one. i farted around with cigarettes for years but being clean is so much better!! you can do it!! an aromatherapist suggested clary sage oil. it really really worked for me. they also make cinnamon toothpicks to chew on in case your oral thing is getting to you. they're pretty good, too.

good work ironclm & tab on the diet stuff. never really had an addiction to it but my daughter had one bad.

my thing is high-test beer. the full-bodied hoppy bitter kind. we have one here called Zeus Juice which has 9.8 percent alcohol which is even better'n choklit. Aargh. i have a thing about my *real beer.* unfortunately, every sip is landing on my arse. :(

Well, dreamin~big.......a diet coke addiction is one thing........good full bodied beer another!!!!!!!!! Not willing to give up the beer. Of course I haven't been drinking beer morning, noon and night, just night:)))

Last night was better for me.....I was able to sleep and did not wake up with a splitting headache.

Kitty Cat.....walk away from the cigs. I've thought many times how easy it would be to pick up a pack and get started........but none of us are here for the easy ride. WE are, certainly, in better shape and, definatly, smell better!!!!!!! However, the cop sitting at the bike turn around in AZ was puffing away....on my third loop I seriously considered asking if I could join him!!!!!!!!!!!!

My coach told me he'd fire me if I gave up beer. Just sayin'.......

clm

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

tab, you crack me up. i will never forget what you've said. on the 3rd loop you wanted to join the fuzz for a smoke. LOL, that is hilarious! thanks for sharing. :)

I'll be joining in on this torture as of....right now.

I had been thinking of really cleaning up my diet/nutrition for awhile now and Diet Pepsi is on the list to go.

After a tasty yet horribly bad for you lunch of McDonalds, Pop AND chocolate today, I have sworn off ALL of it till after my next 'big' race on May 25.

So for me, I'll be going through...

1) Diet Pepsi withdrawal - I drink maybe one/day, once in a blue moon, I'll have 2 during the day/evening.
2) Junk Food -all fast foods or bad for you restaurant food (like Creamy Spinach Dip, nachos etc)
3) Chocolate/Sweets/Candy.

What's left??! I rarely drink and when I do, I have 2 coolers and am drunk of my a**.

I've left in Cliff Bloks, Gels and my favorite recovery drink...chocolate milk. Gal's gotta have something to look forward to after a long run right??! :)

So, wish me luck, think I'll need it! And if anyone has some suggestions other then drinking tea, let me know. I don't like tea, selzter or coffee.

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Proud member of the Guru Cartel, EH!

You know Kittycat.....the things that go through your head during an IM!!!!!!!!!

Irongirl.....welcome to the bandwagon. I, too, am trying to clean up my diet. I honestly think my run has been suffering because of it.

I was thinking about how long I've been drinking d coke and realised it's been 20 years or so......THAT is a true blue addiction!!!!!!! No wonder my body was/is going wtf!!!!!!!!!

gawd, are you trying to kill yourself? :)

ok here are some reco's.
-honey lemon water. hot water with lemon juice in it and some tea
-citrus fruits
-apples

do you like ginger candy? like those soft chewy ginger candy things by Reed's? those also help so much.

Ok, you're all a bunch of bastards! :P I guess I'm officially working on cleaning up my diet now. I can't help it... I don't like real food. Gimme processed everything!
I decided that the diet pepsi will go next week so that I can give myself a week to process this change, as I hadn't really planned to do it. The junk food/candy will be a bit of a slower downgrade just so I don't make myself too crazy. The diet pepsi is such a staple in my world that it will be tough enough.
Thanks for the push in the right direction everyone. And thanks a lot for taking away what good I had left in my life hahah

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I know I'm promiscuous, but in a classy way

"So, wish me luck, think I'll need it! And if anyone has some suggestions other then drinking tea, let me know. I don't like tea, selzter or coffee."

I need some suggestions too! Hate tea, quit the coffee, iffy on the seltzer... I have gone to drinking so much water I'm gonna float away! I'm trying to not drink a ton of calories - so the hot chocolate is out, etc. But some times you need something besides water... My daily glass of milk and the occasional glass of o.j. gets thrown in there, but not much else... wait, forgot about the beer and cocktails - but those are getting cut out slowly but surely too!!

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Harry: "I expected the Rocky Mountains to be a little rockier than this."
Loyd: "I was thinking the same thing. That John Denver's full of shit, man."

Pretty much!

The hard part is I am not a tea, coffee, selzter or any drink kind of gal. I like water, juice, milk and Diet Pepsi. Since I'm gradually losing weight, downing OJ and milk all the time aren't the best option!

Should be interesting, to say the least!

Today is the first full day of no pop, sweets or junk food.

Oh, but I will still drink my half a cup of Tim Horton's Cappacino - I get one about 2x/week. It's not a coffee drink, pretty much sugar and god knows what else. I figure that will be next, but not till I get through the next few weeks. I'm not quite that sadistic :)

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Proud member of the Guru Cartel, EH!

Two days down and not so hard. I've been drinking a lot more water and drank a mineral water one day to get that fizzy sensation.

I've also been logging everything I eat into fitday.com and that has also been eye opening. I totally slacked off in the desert (and ate way too much pasta), so it's back on the straight and narrow.

clm

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

I find if I put a splash of juice (cranberry, sometimes apple) or some lime/lemon in the water it makes it more appealing.

Good luck! I never had soda and didn't really like it, until I caught some of the diet coke taste from my fiance. Luckily it's still one of the every now and then things... just gotta keep it that way!

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Miles of Life --- Powered by MarkyV

After reading this thread, I thought about cutting back on my diet coke drinking (1-2 per day) but then picked up a 12-pack at the grocery store this morning. The thought of getting through the huge project deadline without it was scary. Maybe next week.

I need to quit as well, but something I try to offset my addiction is seltzer water. One that I really like is Gerolsteiner and Perrier, but there are some in cans that are pretty good as well. This satisfies me about 90% of what a diet pepsi does and tastes a lot cleaner to me.

Wow, and I thought I had a bad habit drinking about 2 to 4 diet cokes (half liter) a week (which I'm trying to stop).

OK, it's been a week of no sodas at all and I've dropped 9 pounds from last Monday. I came back from Xantusia with seriously puffed up feet (like major airplane feet though I'd not been near one) and feeling like crap. I've been drinking a lot more water and have really only craved a Diet Pepsi twice--both times over the weekend after a hard session on the track and yesterday after the bike race. Instead, Saturday I had a beer and yesterday I had a bottle of bubbly water and a Red Bull.

clm

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

You think 3-4 cans/day is bad? I'm too embarrassed to say how much I drink. 4 cans/day is child's play :)

3 a day was just too much for me. It's been almost two weeks and I feel great!!!!!!!! The headaches are gone and I've been sleeping great!!! who knew????``

Whoa whoa whoa... did you give up regular "soda" (pop! :P) as well, or were you only drinking diet? If you are telling me that you lost 9 pounds by dropping diet pop then I will stop drinking it immediately. I've been struggling with whether I actually want to give it up or not (I only drink it with some meals, but I do love it!), but that would sell me!

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I know I'm promiscuous, but in a classy way

Only diet. I only drink regular in a race. I had been feeling way bloatly since I drank a lot of it last week (and about 6 of them on the drive home from the desert). I was up about 15 pounds over a short period of time and since I'm leaning out in the legs, but was bloated in the gut and feet, I knew something was amiss. My ankles are back, thank goodness.

clm

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

I have been feeling rather bloaty lately too (excellent word, by the way!). Alright, I'm sold. I'm trying it. I had an unfortunate incident (or three) yesterday with chocolate bars, chips and candy so I wasn't able to start right away. I have one can of Diet Pepsi left in my fridge at home. Once it's gone, tonight, that's it!

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I know I'm promiscuous, but in a classy way

I had a terrible incident with a Jamba Juice and a Specialties warm peanutbutter and choc. chip cookie on Saturday night. I was so sick from all the sugar I had a hard time falling asleep. Bloated like a balloon. Cutting way back on sweets for sure!

For a long time I only drank soda when I went out to eat which was only once or twice a month. Then, I recently started drinking one daily in the afternoons. I stopped 2 weeks ago and feel better but now I've started working again and I get a morning and afternoon latte. I'm doomed.

In the spirit of cutting back on the things that are bad for us, I commit 100 calories of less of high quality chocolate at night (far less than usual) and only one double latte in the morning (right now I'm having a triple in the am and a double in the pm.) After a long workout, 3+ hours, I get one regular cold Coke. That's it.

That right there is a lot of calories saved!

Thanks for the inspiration girls!

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Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce

i went pretty close to cold turkey on diet coke, when i realized how bad aspertame is for you. like others have said, it seemed to cause me MORE sugar cravings. I do now drink coffee, but i think that is ok because it is natural, and i don't drink it everyday or a lot at one time. I no longer crave diet coke at all, and it tastes very fake.

I usually, as a rule, don't totally cut anything out from my diet. when i am training hard i get very specfic, odd cravings. for 6 months i wanted a piece of dark chocolate everyday, so i let myself have a small square. i don't think i was getting enough fat at the time, and the chocolate craving showed that. now, i really am not finding myself wanting it at all, but i am desperate for those natural potato chips, so i let myself have one of the small 1-serving bags from time to time. i have been eating lots of salad with chicken, and turkey sandwiches, niether of which have a lot of salt, so i am probably getting less salt, thus craving the chips. this system seems to work for me, because i crave one thing at a time, allow myself a small amount of it, and then go on with my healthy eating for the day. if i try to be TOO strict, i end up throwing it all to the wind and having and entire meal that isn't good for me (translate: nachos)

also, for those giving up junk food type items, i find it helpful to have "treats" in the fridge that i really like, but that are healthy. if you can afford it, buy some strawberries, or a special flavored hummus. you can look forward to those as a treat, without reaching for what you are trying to not eat. i am lucky enough that my boyfriend eats pretty well, and with no kids, i don't have tempting things lying around.

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"What am I on? I'm on my bike busting my ass for six hours a day. What are YOU on?" - Lance Armstrong

Ok, here I am. Day 1 of no Diet Pepsi. I've never found myself craving it, but as we sit here discussing ordering lunch I think about how my lunch just won't be the same without it. Damn you and your deliciousness Diet Pepsi!
On another note... I've also developed a nasty habit of morning Mocha Frappuccino's. Not everyday, but often enough. I'm going to keep them in the mix this week just because of the drop of the pepsi, but they are on their way out too!

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I know I'm promiscuous, but in a classy way

I am at two weeks w/o diet Coke!!!!!!! I have lost 5 lbs!!!!!!! AND my daughter told me(unsolicited) that my stomach looked great!!!!! I think I'm cured:)))))))))

Congratulations! What do you attribute the weight loss to? I don't imagine it's calorie reduction, right? Maybe less fluid weight? Very curious to hear what you think. Way to go!

Determination???? Except for my Frito binge last night, I've pretty much cleaned up my diet. There are several others who have posted on this thread that have experienced similar results..........something about the bodies insulin response to the artificial sweetner is the same as to sugar.

I really need to get leaner to improve my run!

So, giving up the diet coke has caused to to eat cleaner, right? But just dropping diet coke, without making any other dietary changes, wouldn't do much from a weight standpoint, yes? Congratulations again!

I lurk mostly, and am late to this thread, but I was a diet coke junkie. I gave them up in January. I did clean up my diet, it cut my craving for sugar and I have dropped 7 pounds since January.

But like most recovering addicts, I had a dream about "using"! I dreamed I stopped by the Circle K ( a convenience store), bought the biggest size they had and slurped it down. I could hear the slurps in my dream, LOL...

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_______________________

Two weeks in and it hasn't been that hard, but boy yesterday, after the racing at the track, I really wanted one. Didn't have one though. Had a Fat Tire instead! I definitely feel much less bloated and "ugh".

clm

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

Ah, to be back in Texas, where Shiner is cheap, St. Arnold's is the local brewery, and FAT TIRE IS AVAILABLE! Some things are just better west of the Mississippi!

(Yes, I know you're in CA, but Fat Tire reminds me of summers in Houston -- it's 2d base in beer kickball!)

I am giving the no diet coke thing a shot. I am almost through day 1. Anyone want to be my "no diet coke" sponsor and help me through those hard times?

YOu can do it! Have a beer instead. ;-)

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

Damn... I wish I didn't hate beer. That would be a nice substitute haha.
I'm on day 6 right now. Been WAY easier than I ever thought it would be. Meal time is the only time I miss it, but that is passing too. I was lucky enough to not even get one headache through this whole thing. Of course, my body is really angry at me in all sorts of other ways.
GOOD LUCK!

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I know I'm promiscuous, but in a classy way

I'll be your "sponsor":) I am going on three weeks and I feel great. That isn't to say I haven't wanted one.....esp after I swim AND Sunday morn I had a bit of a headache from too much fun Sat night!!!!!!!!! I haven't given in......trust me, if I can do this you can, too!!!!!

Thanks Sponsor! I made it through day 1 successfully!! I am hoping it won't be so bad as I just drank 1.5 cans a day with lunch and dinner with the occasional 20 ounce in the car on long rides. I bought some seltzer water to help me through the first couple of weeks cause like an above poster I just really like fizzy things. So far it has been an ok substitute. I don't really like the taste but the fizziness seems to fulfill my need at meal times. And so far the headaches haven't been to bad but I still have my morning coffee which is likely helping with that. On to day 2!!

I have a feeling that eating out will be my biggest problem!!

I went with Koala Springs (not sure if it's available everywhere). Has the fizz, but also offers a decent flavor without over calorizing <--- nice word, hey? haha. And you can dilute it with some soda water so there's even less calories, but still offers a decent flavor.

DAY 7! :D

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I know I'm promiscuous, but in a classy way

LOL - I saw a cop smoking on the course too and thought the same thing "Screw this, I'm going back to being a smoker."

I smoked 8 years and still miss it all the time.. and occasionally screw up. I wonder if that urge ever goes away?

Nice job with the dc free living, ladies!

I joined the thread because I am giving up coffee. Today is day one. I am spending way too much money and I am calling it "breakfast" way too frequently. Having green tea and an apple for breakfast right now.

Like anything the first few days are the worst!!!!! However......I am craving a d coke today......AND I am super tired!!!!!!! I will not get off the wagon, though:)))

Now, if I could stay away from the Julio's chips...........

I have never been a "professional" smoker, just a drunk smoker. You know, the type that does a couple of shots and then smokes a pack!!!! I DO get how peopled can become addicted and how hard it would be to do without BUT we are better off, right??????

Green tea and an apple?? Good job......my oatmeal didn't last long enough.

I'm wiped from a long training weekend so I'll cave this afternoon and get a latte for a pre-swim pick me up but noooo cookie! Salad and soup for lunch for recovery and nooooo cookie!

A little chocolate tonight though. Just a taste of the good dark stuff. Gotta keep some of it!

Where I'm currently working there are free sodas and it is tough not to go over to the kitchen and grab a DC. But, so far I've resisted.

It is a brand new week!

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Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce

I guess I'll chip in to this... couple years ago I used to drink diet coke, averaged 6 liters a day. Stopped cold turkey, got a few caffeine withdrawal headaches so I drank some tea.

It worked. Haven't touched it or any other soft drink since (although if I'm driving for awhile at night, I'll drink a redbull, but they taste awful).

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All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. ~Gandalf

I was a Diet Coke junkie for sooooo long!! I have always been a little hypoglycemic, so I thought it would help regulate my sugar, but I believe that the artificial sweetener was tricking my brain. I craved more and more sweets all the time! I tried to convince friends and my MD, but no one was interested. Funny now they are doing research on the very subject.

I was also peeing 23 times in 24 hours!! Yes that's right!! I even went to a doctor who did all my labs...nothing. She said that there is a study that shows that Aspartame messes with your chemistry or bladdar or something and to try to switch. So I switched to Splenda and I noticed a huge change in a couple of days!
Now I have an occasional (once a week) Diet Coke with Splenda, but I drink so much more water now! I hardly ever crave sweets like I used to, and I use the bathroom maybe 12 times in 24 hours. I don't know if anyone else has that problem, but now I look for Aspartame in the product and avoid it! Chewing gum can have the same side effects!! It also dropped some mad weight off due to the lack of sweet snacking!

I made it through week 1!! It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. The hardest day was last Friday when we had lunch at Panera. Seeing the drink dispenser made me want a diet coke. I resisted and had a lemonade instead. That one lemonade was also the only drink I substituted for my diet coke that had extra calories and sugar. All other cases I had water or a seltzer water if I wanted bubbles. I haven't seen a significant weight loss or a curve in my sugar cravings but hopefully that will come as the weeks progress.

On to week 2.

Congrats! I'm just coming up on week 2. I hadn't seen a significant weight loss or reduction of sugar cravings in week 1 either, but week 2 seems to have started these. I can't lie... this past week I had more chocolate than normal, but that was more of a choice than a craving thing. I also took in my regular calorie count this week and the scale is slowly but surely showing smaller numbers. Before it used to jump around like crazy, even showing a gain of 2 pounds in a day when I did nothing different. I am seeing, with patience, the benefits.
I still miss it with meals though! hah

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I know I'm promiscuous, but in a classy way

Three full weeks for me. I've only craved Diet Pepsi a couple of times, but didn't drink any. I really wanted one after the bike race yesterday and another time later after a hard ride. I've been trying to drink more water. Less sugar cravings too, but I've been craving chips/salty like crazy. Down 10 pounds (which was mostly artificial/fluid I think) and also no crazy fluctuations (which before would be 3-8 pounds at a time)

clm

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

Cathy: Good for you with the DP. I have to say, when I kicked the Diet Coke (not by choice, was in Central America for 5 weeks and it was hard to find where I was so just inadvertant) I found the sugar cravings decrease but NOW I am a chip junkie! I don't know if it's cuz I'm training so much more but, man, I haven't seen a tortilla chip I didn't like. And a bucket o salsa to go along with it, now yer talking.

And really, I was the queen of the cane before -- those Trader Joe's meringue cookies were my fave, just mainline that sugar right in. Now I can stare at a tub with nary a twinge.

So not sure if the switched craving is no diet soda or age - related (read hormonal) or what.

Anyway thought it was interesting we were experiencing similarities after kicking the diet soda.

Maybe we can next switch from chips to veggies and fruit!!

clm

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

Don't talk crazy talk! :P

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I know I'm promiscuous, but in a classy way

Well, we'll keep the beer!

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

Well, I found I slept better after I gave up my caffeine habit, so I'd argue that doing it sooner rather than later is better.

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"Real winners aren't content with yesterday's victories"

Fair enough... you're a little late on this one though since I gave it up over 2 weeks ago now :)

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I know I'm promiscuous, but in a classy way

Well, I am a month off it!!!!!!! Woo hoo!!!!!! I have been sleeping great and even dreamning. I DO still have my chip habit, though. Oh, and then there's the beer and wine. What's life without a vice, right????????????

That's great! :-)

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"Real winners aren't content with yesterday's victories"

24 hours and counting.

Here is a question though. I was thinking that I could substitute the crystal light or the propel packets into bottled water. But then I started looking at the ingredients of each and found artificial sweeteners in both. Crystal light has aspartame while Propel has splenda. Now I am confused. Is there any real benefit of getting off DC only to go to something else with artificial sweetener? And if I did go with one of the above, which would be less harmful, aspartame or splenda.

I have been brewing iced tea for months and instead of adding sugar, I have been adding splenda. Thought I was doing something good but now I realize I may have just been shotting myself in the foot.

So what it the collective's take on artificial sweeteners? Is there a preference between aspartame and splenda?

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"It takes courage to do it, to be a runner. We all found that out a long time ago. Because it's about more than fatigue. It's about pain, and dealing with it for a long time. And its about resolve." - Quentin Cassidy

Artificial sweetners = bad either way you go. Less research has been done on Splenda, but the more they do the more they find it's just as bad as aspartame. I replaced my Diet Coke/Pepsi with water and water only. Very occasionally I will have just a little bit of "all real" (natural sweeteners only) apple juice - usually no more than about 150mL of that though.

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I know I'm promiscuous, but in a classy way

<<I replaced my Diet Coke/Pepsi with water and water only. <<

Agreed. And coffee, tea, beer and wine.

clm

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

My preference is mint tea. It's calorie-free, caffeine-free, and has no artificial sweeteners.

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"Real winners aren't content with yesterday's victories"