Monday, July 16, 2012

~BREAKING MY ADDICTION TO DIET SODA~

I'm sure I'm not going to get any soft drink sponsors by typing this OUT-LOUD...

BUT...

I'm going to do it anyway!

It may not seem like a big deal to those of you who have never overindulged in carbonated beverages, but I have...for years and years in fact!!!
  Quite frankly 
I LOVE THE STUFF
(always will)
and
I DRANK WAY TOOOO MUCH OF IT!

I'm not talking about an occasional sip or two...I'm talking about a daily intake of many, many ounces!

Through hard work and endless headaches determination I've finally broken my dependence on Diet Soda,
namely Diet Coke!

Whoot! Whoot! For Moi!

I've ALWAYS loved soda pop and as I grew older would drink it non-stop.  In the late 80's I forced myself to learn-to-like calorie free drinks instead of the sugary stuff, falsely believing it would keep me from gaining weight.  The thirty-year spread was looming over me at the time and with two young children I didn't think the addition of caffeine would hurt.

Well...fast forward twenty years and...well...I don't know...
HUNDREDS of bottles and cans of the
bubbly concoction later
I finally said ENOUGH!

Boy was I in for a ride!!!  I craved diet pop every single day for two straight weeks and it wasn't until the third week of being off of it that I began to feel a bit better.  By the fourth week my headaches were subsiding, my sleep improved and today I feel more focused all the way around!

It's taken me a month to detox my body from my drink of choice of over twenty-five years...

The reason???

Hmmm...three important ones~
(at least to me they are important!).

1.  I hate the taste of the caffeine free stuff and since the added stimulant has been keeping me up at night for years I came to the logical conclusion that SLEEP is better that POP!
(did I say that???)

2. True or not true (lots of debate out there!),
I've come to believe my body doesn't need all the artificial junk...  I'm pretty strong-willed and when I set my mind to do something, well...I do it!

3.  The CO$T!
When a 20 ounce bottle at the corner store hit a whopping
$1.69
earlier this year I said 
FORGET IT!

I figured it up and if I drank just three bottles a week at full price (and I'm confessing it was much more than that!) at the current price of $1.69 x 3 = $5.07 x 52 (weeks) =

******$263.64******

If I double that to six bottles per week (which I know I drank!) the cost per year for just me came to about

******$527.28******

(Are you kidding me?)

I've decided that money can be used on our kitchen remodel.  So aside from the health benefits
I'm going to use the saved cashola to upgrade to the refrigerator of my dreams!  

I'm so smart! :)

Hope your Monday is wonderful!

Love to you...

33 comments:

Victoria said...

That's a wonderful decision you made, kudo's to you for being so strong about it! I don't drink soda but my mother in-law had the diet soda addiction like you...she drank a LOT. She gave it up last year, lost a bunch of weight and was able to give up several of the meds she was on. She now has a small cup of coffee in the mornings for the caffeine but that's it.

Keep it up and a kitchen re-model sounds way more appealing:)

Barb said...

Rebecca, I am so proud of you. I have been begging my husband to stop drinking diet sodas for years....that stuff is toxic.

I rarely drink sodas of any kind. I am blessed by God that I like water. I love a glass of water with chipped ice and a big slice of lemon....delicious!

xoBarb

Anonymous said...

LOL I feel your pain!
I also am trying to get off the stuff. Years ago, I did. Not only headaches, but I had aching joints, too. I had sinus problems
(we lived in AK where it is very dry in winter) and the sodium in it did no good at all...
I admire your will. I am only drinking it when I go somewhere and drink iced tea at home. I drink coffee with 1/2 caffeine and will be moving to decaf tea soon.
Best wishes.
Susan

Eva Agnes said...

Good Luck Rebecca!
I know what it is to be addicted to something like that. It tastes so good and the more you drink the more you crave.
By the way, I love your blog. It is marvelous.
Hugs Eva Agnes

Old Time Cindy said...

Good for you! You will continue to feel better. I read somewhere that if we rid ourselves of sugar and junk food, we will have less wrinkles. Ha, that was enough incentive for me!

Marilyn said...

Three cheers!♥♫

Terra said...

You are doing very well to give up the diet soda, and the money can be spent else where. Hey, $500 a year over a ten year period is $5000, wow.
I don't drink soda or fruit juice, and love water. I keep it in the refrigerator. You are doing great!

Jonell w Harrison said...

Way to go! Yippee for you. We don't do diet soda- in fact we don't do low fat labels etc.NOW MY CONFESSION I have some lbs to lose -BUT when I look in refrigerators and pantries and it is filled w low fat, diet,no caffiene, everything and look around at those pple..IT IS NOT WORKING.

I have several sodas I do love, love but we now buy them seldom, not regular fare..then I ENJOY THAT 'COKE' OR DR PEPPER so much more. It's a now and then treat instead of a daily. WE ALL HAVE TO TRRRRYYY don't we!!

jonell

Lottie said...

Good for you! I feel so much better now that its water and decaf tea.

Shabby chic Sandy said...

I have never drank diet soda. I think it tastes just awful. I enjoy an occasional "real" coke--maybe one every week or two. My addiction is iced tea--I drink it with no sugar or anything..I just love tea. Problem is I drink about a gallon a day. I tried to do the caffeine free, or half and half..but nothing is better than strong sun tea to me. We all have our addictions! Congrats to you for giving up diet coke...as bad as it tastes it just can't be good for you!

THE FARMHOUSE PORCH said...

Don't try the new Dr.Pepper 10 if you like dr. pepper. It is sooo addictive! I try to limit it to one every other day.

Everything in moderation I guess Some things are too tempting for some people to keep around at all. I can't keep chocolate chip cookie dough or doughnuts or pastries around!

♥Linsey

Elizabeth Johnson said...

Good for you! I gave up soft drinks a few years ago and had that bad month you describe. After about a year, I thought I would treat myself one day and have just one. -It tasted awful! Apparently when one is addicted to the chemicals, they fool the palete. But later...yuck! I now have no temptation to even have a sip.
I'd love to get together some time. How fun that would be. My schedule is really full for the next couple of months but early Fall would be a good time. Lets keep in touch.

Dolores said...

I'm addicted to diet Dr. Pepper, I'm 'trying' to drink more tea, but the craving for the bubbly usually wins. I'll keep trying.
I'm proud of you!!!

KatyDidStitches said...

Oh wow...does this hit home! I gave up my "poison of choice" two months ago. Caffeine-free Diet Coke. I was totally addicted. When we were in Scotland a couple of years ago, I realized just how bad it was. None of the B&B's had Diet Coke. They drink tea there. Warm tea. I don't like tea. Especially warm tea. And they don't do ice either. I was literally DREAMING about Diet Coke and ice. Fast forward to this Spring and I finally got tired of feeling awful. So I drastically changed my diet...and the soda had to go. Now, when I want something fizzy, I drink Perrier water with some organic lemon juice and Stevia.

I'm proud of you, Rebecca...for telling that Coke to take a hike!

Unknown said...

I feel your pain. There should be a 12 step program for getting off this stuff and WE have the version without cocaine. (in the `1800's, coca cola contained cocaine.) I can't imagine what that was doing to people!
GOOD FOR YOU!!! Congratulations on getting that carbonated monkey off your back.

Pink Paper Rose said...

Hi Rebecca,
I wish my husband would stop drinking the stuff...He has Juvenile Diabetes, since the age of 4 (he's now 43), he's been drinking diet soda since it first came out. Diet Coke, Diet Dr Pepper and now Diet Mountain Dew YUCK! His health is 100%, no diabetes complications what so ever, but it makes me wonder what all that artificial sweetener does to a body...I don't like diet anything!
Congratualtions!!
Karen

EllenaElizabeth said...

Oh Rebecca I am SO PLEASED you have given up the evil diet softdrink. It is a personal mission of mine to let as many people know as possible the evils of artificial sweeteners. I HATE them with a passion. I'm sure you know the negative side effects but the thing that really upsets me is when it's sneaked into everyday over the counter medications such urinary alkalinizers and laxatives. NOT cool and very disrespectful to the general public. You won't regret giving up the evil drink...LOL Can I suggest if you like fizzy drinks you could try plain mineral water or soda water with a little bit of cordial or ginger syrup? Very tasty and refreshing. PS I think from what I see you have nothing to worry about weight wise.

GARAGE SALE GAL said...

I have another reason to give it up...KIDNEY STONES!!! yup...it's on my don't eat/drink list that I got from the Dr today!!! I haven't had any since Thursday. Diet coke was my friend...no it's WATER!
Deb

Linda said...

Good for you girl! Way to go.

Luv ya!
Linda

Mariette VandenMunckhof-Vedder said...

Dearest Rebecca,

Congrats to you for this initiative! Hope you follow through with it.
I never drank any POP, never. Too sweet for my taste and I always drink water, some Coco-Water nowadays (high potassium) and Organic Soymilk from Trader Joe's with very low sugar in it. Coffee in the morning and tea in the afternoon... That's it!
Wishing you a happy week ahead.
Did you get my email from July 9?
Love to you,

Mariette

NanaDiana said...

Good for you! I gave up Diet Coke about 6 months ago. It was one of the hardest things I have done but I know I needed to do it. I was drinking at least 4 or 5 cans a day. NOT good. Blessings to you- xo Diana

Diana said...

Oh how you are brave. I simply adore diet cherry pepsi. I refuse to give it up but I have really cut down. I used to drink 3 cans a day. Now it's grapefruit juice that I crave. I need to take drastic measures.

Custom Comforts said...

Good for you!!! I've been addicted to regular coke or pepsi for years too. Love the stuff and what else is there when you don't drink coffee, tea or lemonade? I'm giving mine up to, mostly because I feel just plain crappy healthwise and I saw a great video online called "Reboot Your Life". It's a long video, but worth the time to watch and now I'm going to start juicing and drinking water to replace my coke addiction. I'm hoping to have as much success as you have had. It's sure not easy, but I know I have to do this for my health.
Thanks for sharing.
Cindy

Theresa said...

Good for you Rebecca! I don't like the diet stuff and only drink ONE Sprite after I am done with my coffee in the mornings with my breakfast! Have a blessed day dear friend, HUGS!

Oklahoma Granny said...

Congratulations on your accomplishment - and I DO know what an accomplishment it is! About 3 to 4 weeks ago I got up one morning and decided that beginning that day I was going to kick the Diet Dr Pepper habit. I'd been thinking about it a long time and that day just seemed to be the right one. Fortunately I didn't suffer the headaches you did. I'm not sure why but I'm certainly thankful I didn't.

ain't for city gals said...

Just look at all the sodium that is in those diet drinks if nothing else!! Glad I never got started on them...good for you! Stay strong!

Daphne Nicole & Lynda Cade said...

Hi Rebecca, I'm so glad you gave up the diet cokes. I think all soda's are really bad for us. I have cut way down on soda's myself, just have one occasionally.
I'm so glad I never liked the taste of the diet drinks, my husband use to drink them, but I told him I would not buy any more for him and if he brought them home I would throw it out, that's after I found out how bad they are. So he doesn't drink them anymore, thankfully. I also read where there was a lady that was very sick, she had test after test done trying to find out what was wrong with her the doctors finally said she had Lupus, to make a long story short she actually didn't have lupus she had aspartane poising. Again I'm so glad you gave it up! I'm addicted to sugar and I'm trying to get off of it, boy is it hard.
Blessing~~~ Daphne

tibby said...

Did you also know that the gas in it expands once inside the body and makes you fat? I once gave up anything with yeast, baking soda (these also expand inside the body) and pop and in less than a month I lost 3 sizes!!
It's always good to give up any addiction (mine is spanish omelette)
XOXO,
Cristina

sweetvintageofmine said...

My desire is to cut back also....more water please! Good for you!! We can encourage each other this way. From one sweetie to another~~~Roxie

A Southern Rose said...

Good for you! You are going to feel so much better. I use to drink 3 or 4 cokes a day. I'm down to 1 a day. I feel so much better. Sometimes, I even skip the 1 a day. I drinks lots of water now and it has helped me lose weight and also helped my skin.

Great job!
Hugs,
Lee Laurie

Pink Roses and Teacups said...

Good for you Miss Rebecca! Not good stuff at all! It is hard to give up some of our favorites that we crave! Believe me I KNOW!! lol

Hugs,
Debbie

Deanna said...

Dear Becky Sue, You can do iiiiiitttttt!

When I turned 42 I decided to stop drinking diet soda for 42 days in honor of my birthday....after i broke the habit, i realized that 6 weeks had gone by.

I drank diet soda like it was water and when i started to go off of it i nearly licked the pop machines with their giganic moisture bubbles dripping off the side of their giganic pop cans.

That was 15 years ago!!!!!

I was a dr. Pepper junkie and loved coke and pepsi products.

These days,
I only drink 7-up or sprite with a tummy ache and occasionally a root beer from time to time. Praise God.

Stopping drinking the diet soda may help heal you from physical pain. You probably have heard all the talk about the aspartame, etc, being hard on your body especially the kidneys. That stuff (artificial sweeteners)causes mood swings, depression and many problems in the human body. Why such approval from govt. to allow in foods??? It sells....money maker.

Best wishes to you and God bless,
d

ShabbyESP said...

I really admire the determination you have!! Drinking sodas is so very addictive..I know cause I am addicted to Mt Dew. One time I stopped drinking it for 3 weeks and lost 10 pounds. But I just can't seem to stop drinking it, I was down to 1 can a day and now I try to go 3-4 days without drinking it. I really only like the first or two drinks and then I think it is too sweet.
I am going to really attempt at stopping completely I do know how bad "pop" is for you.
I so admire you good for you!!!!
You go girl
Suzann ~xoxo~

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