pop

im a real pop drinker, which was very bad when i restricted , i guess it kind of filled the hole guilt free, im now trying to change i have 1 can of diet coke aday partly due to the overload of caffefine which when i was having more it caused my sodium levels to go off in my blood. i still also drink about 1.5 litres of caffefine free coke aday, i know its alot but i cant seem to stop drinking it . id really like to stop a im not sure its healthy and b its costing me alot of money considering a 2litre bottle of caffefine free coke is 1 pound 59p  thats like 9 pound on caffefine free coke a week plus 7 cans of normal an extra 5 pound so thats like 14 quid , i could get loads of food for that much. any ideas ? does anyone else struggle with this ?

I used to drink tons of diet soda, too. After I moved out of my mom's house and it's no longer there, I'm too poor to buy it so that solves that problem :p

I still occasionally have a diet soda, but it makes me bloat when I do :[

Oh, yes, I was quite appalled at how much soda I was downing, not because of the caffeine or sugar on my end, but because the acid is so bad for your teeth.

What I did was I just started substituting iced tea or juice or lemonade for the soda (and that essential morning cup of coffee!).  I still have a can several times a week, but nothing like what I was doing!

For you, tessa, you might consider substituting a healthy shake for some of that soda.

Maybe you could try some fruit and/or veggie juice? 

Also, what I do is, for each serving of diet coke I drink, I make myself drink a serving of water.  So, if I go get a diet coke and drink it, the next thing I drink will be water.

I used to only drink diet coke, nothing else.  Bad for the kidneys! 

I was thinking the juice for you, as it might help with the weight gain, and does provide a few nutrients as well.

i have so been there. i cant tell you exactly what made me stop inhaling the diet pop, but maybe it's just that more food helped fill whatever void i had been trying to fill. i hated that i drank so much of it because i think it messed with my blood sugar levels and pretty much just made me feel like dog.  i have never really liked flat water, but i'm getting more used to it as i force myself to drink more. and my cravings for soda have seriously subsided.  i do sometimes just crave the bubbly, though, so i have san pellegrino or, yes, the occasional pop. i'm trying to eliminate the artificial sweeteners because my body's already clearly arse-backwards and doesnt need to be anymore confused than it already is.  try mixing a bit of 100% fruit juice (something that makes you feel good and healthy) with some seltzer/mineral water/etc.  muy delicioso y bubblioso

quadruple post! i am so sorry...my computer is acting really strange

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thanks everyone for the tips h xx

I used to drink 5-8 cans of diet soda a day as well. For New Years, my resolution was to drink just one can a day. I was doing well with that, and then school started. I was taking an addictions class and our professor encouraged us to try and give up something (an activity, a substance, food, etc) that we loved. I chose to completely give up diet soda. That was in Feburary and since then I have only had one small glass, which was for medical reasons. I know that sounds weird, but I had a colonoscopy and after they were done they asked if I wanted something to drink and I said water and they told me it had to be carbonated. I don't crave it that much, unless it's associated with something- like in certain situations (party, movies, small group, etc), with certain foods (pizza), or inbetween meals. I've learned to like the taste of water and that drinking other things with my meals takes away from the flavor of the food. SO, with all that said, my tip would be to try cutting back to one glass a day. Ween yourself off the caffeine slowly, and once you are off of it, get it ALL out of your house!! That was what worked best for me. If you really want to do something, if you TRUELY want it, you can do it! I know you can, you just have to put your mind to it! Good luck!

thanks megan h x

I can relate to you. I used to drink 3-4 cans of pop faithfully everyday for as long as I could remember. And when I wasn't drinking pop, it was really sugary juice and a black tea with 3 sugars every morning. No water because I "hated" the taste of water. But, to be honest with you,  I do not remember why I even stopped drinking pop. I think it could of been when I discovered I had gotten 2 cavities at the dentist over a year ago. On top of that, it only added to the terrible stomach pains I was already having. Then one day I decided that it was it. I slowly weaned myself from pop. I went from having those 3-4 pops a day, to 1 a day, to 1 a week and then to none at all. I believe the last pop I had was a root beer from a restaurant in June of 2008. Have not had one single pop since. I never had a craving for one again either. I truely thought I would of been a "pop-a-holic" all my life. I also stopped drinking those sugary juices and tea with 3 sugars. All I drink now is water, soy milk and almond milk. If I can do it, you can too!

thanks petite nanner grt advice