# Quit coffee, and switched to diet soda



## DeeperUnderstanding (May 19, 2007)

These are two winners in my book. I am sadly overweight (not obese, but overweight), and I feel like the sugar intake of soda (as much as I love it) was causing me to feel tired all the time and gain weight.

Same with coffee. I felt like the crashes weren't worth it.

I've switched to Diet Coke, Coke Zero, and Diet Rite, and I don't feel those effects. I feel wonderful! So much more energetic, and like I don't need to sleep all the time. 

Oh, and definitely less anxious.


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## Robot the Human (Aug 20, 2010)

Very awesome man, I'm glad to hear that. The sugar and sometimes the caffeine makes me feel like blarg too. I feel a lot better since I've quit drinking 4 Dews a day. Those were some dark times...:rain


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## VanDamMan (Nov 2, 2009)

Switch back. 

Diet drinks are absolutely horrible for you. 

Try drinking less coffee and switch over to green tea.


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## Rubisco (Nov 20, 2010)

^ Agree with the above post. Artificial sweeteners are unhealthy (as is HFCS in normal sodas, but that's beside the point).

Coffee and green tea are wonderful sources of many types of antioxidants and other healthy compounds-- I'd look into those


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## ozkr (Dec 2, 2005)

VanDamMan said:


> Diet drinks are absolutely horrible for you.
> 
> Try drinking less coffee and switch over to green tea.


I am ozkr and I endorse this message.

Also, avoid putting artificial sweeteners on your tea or it will defeat the purpose of not drinking diet coke. You can also drink herbal teas such as chamomile if caffeine is an issue.


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## DeeperUnderstanding (May 19, 2007)

Well, I just couldn't stand the anxiety from the caffeine in coffee. I also couldn't stand the sugar rush, because I would crash and burn.

I will reduce my soda intake, but if I have to have a soda now, it'll be diet. I also believe that I'll drink more water, milk, and iced tea.


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## redtogo72 (Jun 7, 2008)

Yeah, take your time. That's good you are taking steps to eating and drinking healthier. You've already making a lot of progress. I've recently gave up most diet drinks. I'll have one every once in a while. I think having it in moderation is the key.

Do you notice that you start snacking when you drink diet drinks? That's one reason I decided to quit drinking them, and also because I didn't want to depend on them daily. Good luck!


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## DeeperUnderstanding (May 19, 2007)

redtogo72 said:


> Yeah, take your time. That's good you are taking steps to eating and drinking healthier. You've already making a lot of progress. I've recently gave up most diet drinks. I'll have one every once in a while. I think having it in moderation is the key.
> 
> Do you notice that you start snacking when you drink diet drinks? That's one reason I decided to quit drinking them, and also because I didn't want to depend on them daily. Good luck!


Nah, I've noticed that I crave more food when I drink sugary drinks. Whenever I drink diet drinks, I crave food less.

I know, I'm weird!


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## Robot the Human (Aug 20, 2010)

It's a step up. I guess going from diet to quitting, if you wanted, would be nice. Diet is one of those "too good to be true" things. Tea is great, but some people don't like it.

It sounds like your weight is your top priority, so I didn't want to discourage you there. I think diet would be harmful if you drank them over a large period of time, and large amounts. I doubt using diet as a go between, would do any harm temporarily.


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## DeeperUnderstanding (May 19, 2007)

Fair enough. I'm going to aim for a soda a day for a week, then nothing but water. 

Here's hoping that I achieve my aims.


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## Emptyheart (Sep 15, 2009)

Diet drinks are crap!
Just because it says diet doesn't mean it's not fattening.
Your better off with neither.
Go with Snapple drinks, they help improve your moods.


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## ozkr (Dec 2, 2005)

Emptyheart said:


> Diet drinks are crap!
> Just because it says diet doesn't mean it's not fattening.
> Your better off with neither.
> Go with Snapple drinks, they help improve your moods.


Aw hell naw!


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

WintersTale said:


> These are two winners in my book. I am sadly overweight (not obese, but overweight), and I feel like the sugar intake of soda (as much as I love it) was causing me to feel tired all the time and gain weight.
> 
> Same with coffee. I felt like the crashes weren't worth it.
> 
> ...


Thats a good decission, sugar really is bad for healthy, aspartame has been found to not cause any significant health risks in humans, so i disagree that its unealthy for you.


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## bazinga (Jun 9, 2010)

congrats.

I have to limit my diet coke intake. 2+ a day and my kidneys hurt daily. No to mention the caffeine rush then crash.


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## LALoner (Dec 3, 2008)

I'm not so convinced that artificial sweeteners are really worse for you than the fructose in the corn syrup in regular soda.


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## IllusionOfHappiness (Sep 6, 2007)

I just finished a green tea, hah. I feel so healthy.

Aside from the fact that I need to start those multivitamins again.


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## mjhea0 (Oct 1, 2009)

VanDamMan said:


> Switch back.
> 
> Diet drinks are absolutely horrible for you.
> 
> Try drinking less coffee and switch over to green tea.


Agreed. Those artificial sweeteners are terrible for you. They are made from neurotoxins, which cause cancer.


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## Duke of Prunes (Jul 20, 2009)

*@mjhea0:*

:lol

Science disagrees.

No studies that I'm aware of (and I've done plenty of research) show any serious toxicity from the most common sweeteners (aspartame, acesulfame K, xylitol, maltitol and sorbitol), while there's endless studies that showing the dangers of high sugar intake.

If you consume loads of sugar alcohols (all of the sweeteners with -itol on the end), the worst that will happen is a bit of cramping, diarrhea and gas in people with IBS, which is down to the fact that they aren't completely absorbed or broken down before they get to the bowel, not because of any toxicity. I believe with sorbitol, it takes over 30 grams a day for a long period of time to do any serious harm. You are not going to be able to consume 30 grams of sorbitol from sweetened foods no matter how hard you try unless you spend all of your money on gum, in which case your jaw would probably fall off before the GI symptoms hurt you.

Aspartame is harmless unless you have phenylketonuria, which you _don't_ because you would either be dead or too brain damaged to operate a keyboard to make that post if you were brought up on a normal diet, which is usually full of phenylalanine. Aspartame breaks down into 2 amino acids that are found in a wide variety of foods, and one of which we can even synthesise in large quantities. One of the amino acids can be neurotoxic in very large quantities, but you will never, ever consume enough aspartame for that to happen. There's also a harmless amount of methanol, less than what you'd find in any alcoholic drink.

Anti-sweetener quackery is one of the worst kinds.










These substances have been on the market for long enough without incident to say without a doubt that they're reasonably safe at worst, and harmless at best. Plenty of other sweeteners have come along since the invention of aspartame that have been found to be toxic, and they've all been taken off the market. There's no conspiracy here.


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

Those diet drinks still have caffeine in them, although it is likley less than coffee. :stu


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## mjhea0 (Oct 1, 2009)

Duke of Prunes said:


> *@mjhea0:*
> 
> :lol
> 
> ...


There are quite a few independent studies done that show problems with aspartame and other artificial sweeteners. The reason you don't hear about them is because they are not industry supported.

http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info:doi/10.1289/ehp.8711

Regardless, sugar intake is bad, artificial or real. I do my best to limit both and try to replace them with natural alternatices like xylitol, stevia, and agave.


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## PickleNose (Jul 11, 2009)

Don't drink tea for your health. Drink it because you love it. As much green tea as I've consumed in the past 5 years or so, I should be the healthiest man around and yet I feel like **** all the time. It makes me feel nice for a few hours but it doesn't seem to have done any of those wonderful things they say it does. Thankfully, I like it anyway.

Get Japanese green tea if you can.


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## DeeperUnderstanding (May 19, 2007)

Okay, I'm changing my views. I don't think it's the caffeine in soda that bothers me, it's the sugar and the high fructose corn syrup. And diet soda isn't any better, because it's the artificial sweeteners that raise hell with my system and make me feel like crap.

I have a fridge full of regular soda now, but I'll save it for when friends come over. Or it'll just go bad, I don't care. I'm switching to water, juice, coffee, and iced tea. Oh, and black coffee, no creamer in there at all, because that adds pounds.


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## Duke of Prunes (Jul 20, 2009)

Imo, stick to water for most of your liquid intake, for fruit just eat it, the pulp/bulk is good. Coffee for allnighters. Green tea is good too, but like 99% of teas, it tastes awful.

I switched to drinking mostly water a couple of years ago and I can't stand the taste of sugary/sweetened drinks any more. There's not much benefit in terms of hydration cause most drinks are really diluted anyway, but your teeth will thank you.

The only things other than water that I'll drink now are cranberry juice (only with meals, though, to minimise the dental impact), coffee and alcohol.

I still say sweeteners are harmless though, but do you even really need to rely on soft drinks?


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## Elizabeth419 (Sep 9, 2010)

With green tea, you can only rely on the ingredients you'd find in a health food store. Wal mart crappy brands are ripoffs, they have no health benefits whatsoever.


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## PickleNose (Jul 11, 2009)

Elizabeth419 said:


> With green tea, you can only rely on the ingredients you'd find in a health food store. Wal mart crappy brands are ripoffs, they have no health benefits whatsoever.


 If you can find a good online vendor for Japanese green tea (and there are at least a few), you'll be getting something that is probably actually superior to anything you'll get in a health food store. It is expensive but if you like green tea, it's worth it.

I agree about the Wal Mart and grocery store brands. Very difficult to get good tea locally. Sometimes they sell it at some obscure ethnic shops but obviously, you have to know where they are first. Ask someone where to get good tea in most stores and they point you to Lipton. Um. No.

In the United States, The Vitamin Shoppe sells OK tea by Rishi but you can still get better tea online.


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## marielabete (Dec 14, 2010)

Coffee itself has no calories whatsoever. It's what you add to the coffee that has the calories. So either drink it black or moderate what you put in it. 

So just as a general rule of thumb, each teaspoon of sugar you add is 15 calories. A teaspoon of creamer is about 10 calories. And milk varies. Just opt for the nonfat (or skim) milk. Or just skip it, lol.

Anyways, best of luck, man!


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