Gave up diet soda: follow up

[Grumpyguy]

About a week and a half ago, I gave up diet soda (aspartame) after several articles suggested that it could cause several of the symptoms I was experiencing.

So far, the morning fog that made getting out of bed nearly impossible, as in I was late for everything, is gone. When the alarm goes off I feel rested and ready to go. Additionally, I seem to have a bit more "drive" or "get up and go" during the day, which makes work much less of a slog.

Joint pain and swelling in my hands and knees, which disappeared two days after I stopped drinking diet pot, is still absent.

And, I've lost 4 pounds. I don't feel as hungry.

So far, I've stuck to water and skim milk.

[Uncle Wig]

Brilliant! Glad to hear it.

[bik]

Thanks for sharing. You inspired me. I was trying to cut down, but not sticking to it.

When I saw your original post, I wondered if cutting out some of that stuff would help some of my leg/knee aches, and I've had several soda-free days since then.

Too early to tell for me about the knee pain, but I know it's the right thing so I'll be sticking with it now.

Thanks!

[GGD]

I didn't see the previous thread. Was the diet soda caffeinated? And did you actually give up caffeine and aspartame at the same time?

[Robert M]

Grumpy,

Excellent! Some tips:

Don't be afraid to drink flavored seltzer. It isn't the same as diet soda. Think of it as soda water with a hint or essence of flavor. No sugar. No carbs. Nothing. Just fizzy water or fizzy water with the essence of a flavor. I gave up regular soda nearly two years ago. I switched to diet soda for about a year and now I've switched entirely to seltzer - plain or with the essence of a flavor.

Sometime I get into the mood for something a bit sweeter than plain seltzer or seltzer with an essence. That's when I break out MIO or 4C water enhancer and throw in a squirt or two. these have sucralose (aka Splenda) in them, not aspartame. I also use the stuff in plain yogurt since flavored yogurt has either sugar or one of the other sugar substitutes, not Splenda or Stevia.

Also, you may want to give one of the milk substitutes a try. I don't do well with skim milk. Taste-wise and feel-wise, it's pretty much milky water to me. So, I stick with 1% milk and unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Blue Diamond Almond Breeze is one of my favorites.

Robert

[Grumpyguy]

GGD wrote:
I didn't see the previous thread. Was the diet soda caffeinated? And did you actually give up caffeine and aspartame at the same time?

I drank Coke zero, which has both caffeine and aspartame. So, it probably is a result of giving up both, I would guess that helped with me feeling better.

The last time I tried to cut out diet soda, I couldn't get past the lack of caffeine and had horrific headaches. This time, I was feeling so poorly, I don't think caffeine withdraw could compete with the lethargy and pain I was feeling.

And, I'm not going to try to prove a causal relationship by reintroducing one or the other, since I'm feeling too good right now

[davester]

Good for you. I never did drink a lot of soda, but I gave it up completely about 20 years ago. After a couple of months I didn't miss it at all. These days I pretty much stick to water, juice and tea, though I have been known to partake of Pellegrino or Orangina soda very occasionally if it's a really hot day.

It surprises me how many adults seem to be completely addicted to these very unhealthy and calorie packed drinks, and how many parents allow their children to drink mass quantities of the nasty stuff. The gigantic soda cups (more like buckets) that are served in movie theaters and fast food places are completely insane. When I was a kid, a 12 oz can was considered to be a large drink.

[Grumpyguy]

Many of the water enhancers gave me acid reflux in the past, so I'm a bit weary of them, but I'll try the seltzer in the future. I've always liked 2%, so that isn't a problem, but I like the almond milk as well....

Robert M wrote:
Grumpy,

Excellent! Some tips:

Don't be afraid to drink flavored seltzer. It isn't the same as diet soda. Think of it as soda water with a hint or essence of flavor. No sugar. No carbs. Nothing. Just fizzy water or fizzy water with the essence of a flavor. I gave up regular soda nearly two years ago. I switched to diet soda for about a year and now I've switched entirely to seltzer - plain or with the essence of a flavor.

Sometime I get into the mood for something a bit sweeter than plain seltzer or seltzer with an essence. That's when I break out MIO or 4C water enhancer and throw in a squirt or two. these have sucralose (aka Splenda) in them, not aspartame. I also use the stuff in plain yogurt since flavored yogurt has either sugar or one of the other sugar substitutes, not Splenda or Stevia.

Also, you may want to give one of the milk substitutes a try. I don't do well with skim milk. Taste-wise and feel-wise, it's pretty much milky water to me. So, I stick with 1% milk and unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Blue Diamond Almond Breeze is one of my favorites.

Robert

[davemchine]

Robert you brought up a topic I was going to post about! I am also in the no-soda camp but sometimes I crave something sweet to drink. I can mix with soda water or I can mix in 3 or 5 gallon soda kegs. I have a beer fridge but I also don't drink beer anymore so it is available for something else. Anywhoo, what additives do you recommend? I welcome all suggestions.

[Robert M]

Dave,

I stick with seltzer (of any kind) and drink it either plain or use MIO or 4C liquid water enhancer in it. I do it can or glass at time.

Although I've tried lots of flavors from all the brands liquid water enhancers - MIO, 4C, Propel, Kool-Aid, Crystal Light - I always go back to MIO Lemonade or 4C lemonade. My favorite is 4C lemonade. Or, if I get in the mood, I mix orange juice with the seltzer. Glass or can at a time. All of the liquid water enhancers are sugar-free, typically sweetened with sucralose.

And, above all, DON'T PUT POWDERED WATER ENHANCERS LIKE CRYSTAL LIGHT IN SELTZER!!!!!! IT GOES KABLOOEY!!!! Trust me on this one. I know from experience and it was a _HUGE_ mess. To say my wife wasn't happy with the results of my grand experiment with Crystal Light and seltzer is an understatement. No doubt, if I do it again, I'll be delegated to the couch for the next six months. If I'm lucky.

Robert