sparkling water..... it's a miracle?

i have recently started drinking sparkling water and have noticed a few effects it has on me. first, i don't crave soda anymore. i used to drink a lot of sprite and 7up and now i don't find myself wanting it all as long as i'm drinking the water. second, i find myself drinking a lot more water. i used to have to force myself to finish one bottle a day, and now i'm drinking 2-3 bottles of the sparkling stuff. third, it make me feel full. if i drink the water while i'm eating i found i eat like half the amount i normally would.
has anyone else ever tried adding sparkling water to thier diet? if so, did it have the same effects for you? and is there any danger to drinking it, such as damaging tooth enamel or your stomach?

Yes, I would drink about 4 - 20oz bottles of Mountain Dew. Got myself out by drinking Diet Seirra mist. Problem is after loosing some weight i found out that the soda i was using had salt and the water was staying in my body.  know I just drink water best i can and drink very little Seirra mist.

I used to have an addiction to carbonated drinks and refuse to drink anything that wasn`t fizzy if I had a choice. But I used to be the opposite - would drink a lot less fluids if I just had carbonated ones. Now I enjoy it in moderation, like everything else. I find it best chilled, in summer, with a little squeeze of lemon and maybe a sprinkle of mint - so refreshing!

As for side effects, some people claim any fizzy drinks (even water) in excess worsen your cellulite. No idea if there`s any science to back that up though. An educated assumption would be that the sugar in sodas is the actual culprit, but people incorrectly blame the bubbles.

I am glad you too found how great sparkling water is for you and helping to avoid carbonated pops and sugar cravings.  For me it was more about not being interested in flat water and not drinking enough.  I love sparkling water (no flavor) so much that I drink twice the water now and less champagne which I love.  I even put Pelligrino in a wine glass now and "pretend" its champagne.  As you get more into this you will notice that you will favor a certain brand.  For me I have turned into a water snob.....I love Pelligrino and will have Perrier only if that is all there is.

Original Post by blue2525:

I am glad you too found how great sparkling water is for you and helping to avoid carbonated pops and sugar cravings.  For me it was more about not being interested in flat water and not drinking enough.  I love sparkling water (no flavor) so much that I drink twice the water now and less champagne which I love.  I even put Pelligrino in a wine glass now and "pretend" its champagne.  As you get more into this you will notice that you will favor a certain brand.  For me I have turned into a water snob.....I love Pelligrino and will have Perrier only if that is all there is.

Haha that's funny... For some odd reason, I prefer Pellegrino far more than Perrier. In fact, I get annoyed if they only have Perrier instead of Pellegrino. Have you tried other Pellegrino flavors? I abhor any flavor from Pellegrino.

I also drink seltzer too. Lots of them.

Thanks Fruit_tart.  One of the things I struggle with is social situations when everyone else has a coctail or glass of wine.  I know their heart is in the right place, but they can't seem to stand you not having one too.  Here is a tip: (and if you are in a bar, ask your waitress for this help) Ask or make your "drink" with sparkling water in a cocktail or wine glass and make it look like something else with a fruit slice, slight dash of cherry or orange juice, or some mint leaves!  It will look like you are enjoying a mimosa, screwdriver, or mohito............and no one will hassle you to have a high calorie no value cocktail!

Yeah, when I go out I will sometimes order a vodka tonic as my first drink, then I will ask the waitress to bring sparkling water with lime after that.  They look the same but everyone assumes I am still drinking vodka tonics.  You just have to make sure they don't bring it out in a different glass... (often liquor is in a small glass and water in a large glass) or just say your ordered a double, LOL.

I am a seltzer ADDICT.  The only negative I am aware of is that the introduction of carbon dioxide to water produces carbonic acid, which isn't fantastic for your teeth.

I love mineral water and always keep a couple bottles in the fridge. A tall glass, lots of ice, mineral water and a splash of cranberry juice and it looks and tastes great. Straight up mineral water on ice is super refreshing on a hot day also.

water out of the tap...its a miracle too

 i rarely drink carbonated drinks and if i do its typically beer. maybe about 1 every week or two, unless i am drinking socially.

constantly drinking sugary carbonated beverages is a terrible habit. ugh.

just to clarify, i'm talking about carbonated water with no sugar or anything added. just straight mineral water with bubbles.

I love carbonated water as well. Sometimes I fill a glass with perrier and add just a splash of coke. It does the trick for me. Now I find that drinking coke straight is just too sweet.

Another thing you can do is add some sugar free or regular syrup (like the ones in cofee shops) and add a splash of that to make an Italian Soda. Delicious! The good thing is, when I have some, I can give some to my kids if they ask, since it's very low in calories and has no caffeine either. They love to have a fizzy pink drink too...:)