Raise your hand if you've conquered your Diet Coke addiction

Good job! It just gets easier and eventually tastes yucky.
I quit pop about 4 years ago, Pepsi drinker since I could walk. I drink tons of water now and of course coffee. 😉 I will occasionally have a diet pop, but they are few and far between.

I quit like for a month one time and I did feel soooooo much better.  And! O dropped like 10 lbs without really trying.  Then I started again because I just didn't feel like water one day.  Then there is eating out, if you order something at fast food, what do you get to drink? I don't want to drink all the sugar ones either.  Restaurants, you can at least get a glass of water, but most fast food joints give you a little wee cup of tap water that tastes bleh!  I drink at about 2 of the 16.9 oz bottles a day. I'm trying to psyche myself into quitting again and I will, so this is a great reminder that I need to set a stop date!
I had a boss that they thought he had MS because of the symptoms he had and now figure it was aspartame.

I'm about to start this journey TOMORROW!

I have always been addicted to regular coke but stopped drinking that earlier this year when tested for diabetes and my sugar levels were way too high. I changed to drinking Coke Zero instead.

They are now normal, however I have noticed lately that I have an increase in headaches and general feelings of unwellness. I've been on holidays for the past 2 weeks and have been drinking a lot more than normal. We now have a "new" coke called No Sugar which I have been drinking.
Headaches, a lot of nausea so I am wondering if it is the soft drink.
I have tried to give up before but really need to this time- I hate feeling lethargic all the time.

I don't drink coffee or tea so I will going to plain water. 
Wish me luck!
Oh and I am 54- today so I have also wondered if the coming of menopause might be adding to the problem. 

Corinne

I gave up Diet Coke (and soda in general) when my acid reflux got really bad. I loved Diet Coke! It was tough to say ‘No’ for about a week, then it got easier. I have had a sip or two here and there, but I haven’t really drank it for almost 10 years. And those sips made me realize I have lost my acquired taste for it.

Besides my acid reflux not flaring up now, I don’t feel bloated anymore. My drink of choice now is unsweetened Iced Tea. If they don’t have that, then it is water for me.

I love diet Coke - it was my go to drink for over 30 years...started each day with it and had maybe 2 or 3 per day.

I drank my last one Dec 1, 2016. I quit all soft drinks cold turkey and haven't had one since.

The reason: I wanted to lose weight and improve my health/diet and I met with a nutritionist and she said to give it up. I only drink water and an occasional unsweetened tea now.

I really feel better! There is no nutritional value in it and after reading The Obesity Code, I realized how bad artificial sweeteners are. I will be honest, some days, I really, really want one - especially when seeing others drink them but I like having good health better than I like drinking a Diet Coke.

Good luck to you-I believe quitting cold turkey is the best way to go, but do what works best for you.

I'm not sure I conquered my DC addiction yet because I still miss it! I went cold turkey May 15. I also gave up all artificial sweeteners that day. The one thing I have noticed is that I no longer have out-of-control cravings for all things sweet.

Drank it ages 16-43. All day, everyday. Never any other Liquid. I would say 8 or more cans a day sounds right for me as well. January of 2014 I challenge myself to start drinking water. By fall I had worked myself up to 80 oz. and really had no time to drink dt coke, lol.  I would drink a dt coke occassionally. One day DS suprised me with a super sized dt Coke for breakfast. I found I couldn't, nor did I want to drink it after a few sips. Upon reflection I realized it had been well over a month since I has "treated" myself to one. That was the last sip I've taken. Three years later I really don't miss it. Sometimes, after grocery shopping I'm tempted to grab one in the check out but it isn't that I miss it- but that was always my way to decompress after shopping, which stresses me out.

Prior to quitting I always woke with a pain in my side in the middle of night. Nothing relieved it and I couldn't position myself comfortably because of it. Once I started upping my water intake it seemed to alleviate but it wasn't until I entered the "treat" only phase did it disappear. I finally made the connection when it would return on those days I "treated" myself. And while that seems a minor benefit the pain was so severe it really was a major one.

my tip- learn to love water! Water now gives me that same, "oh that tastes so good" feeling dt coke did and I crave it. Something I never thought possible. I started by carrying bottle water with me everywhere. Then DH bought me a Tervis and it went everywhere with me. It also heloed me tack my intake, When that broke, I upgrade to a faux 30 0z yeti. Now I keep one at home and one at work. The one at home travels with me everywhere except work. It always has water. I try to drink at least 2 a day, ideally I need 3 or more.

I don't think I was ever at eight cans a day, but definitely three or four. I quit maybe ten years ago because I had read about the negative effects of diet soda. No real issues. I would occasionally order one in a restaurant for years after that, but, now, it doesn't even sound good.

I was a Diet Coke fan forever, gave it up about 5 years ago and now it just tastes nasty! I do drink at least 1 cup of coffee each morning now, but other than that strictly water w/lemon or green tea.

You can do it!

This is me too, except replace Diet Coke with Diet Dew.  I kind of miss the convenience of just popping open a soda but I don't really miss soda.  And making my morning cup of tea has become a little moment of zen before starting my day.

I quit soda for a year and didnt feel any different so went back to it. Now I hardly drink it, maybe twice a month. Usually at a restaurant too.

Try sparking water instead and then switch to water. Sometimes, I'll drink lemonade which probably isn't that much better or flavored tea. Take tiny steps and you can do it.

I gave up Diet Pepsi about 20 years ago - I had a lot of bladder issues. Getting off the soda made a huge difference! It was difficult for the first month or so, but now its no issue at all. I have an occasional DP with a meal now and then, but I don't miss it. You really will feel better once you stop drinking Diet coke.

I gave up Diet Coke (in a can only though, Diet Coke on tap always tasted gross to me) several years ago when I gave up HFC and fake sweeteners. I switched to seltzer water and it wasn't so bad at all.
I do wish restaurants would catch on to the trend and sell seltzer water at pop prices, they could easily do it since they are just mixing seltzer with syrup, would even save them 3 cents a cup. My local mini theater does that and I love it. Wish fast food places and other theaters would catch on. Not that I eat out a ton, but when I do I would like seltzer water.

Funny about the timing of this thread - a friend just posted yesterday that she had tried giving up her Diet Coke to see if she felt better without it. She didn't notice any difference at all, and neither did someone else who commented. I think people react differently and what causes problems for some is not necessarily a problem for others.   (But I'm saying this as one who didn't grow up drinking any soda/pop, and still rarely does.)