Is it hard to quit drinking Diet Coke?

[JJLaw08 4]

I love diet coke, and this was one of my biggest concerns going in to the surgery. I know that I'm not suppose to drink it after I have the surgery, but I drink like 6 cans of this stuff a day. Is it hard to quit drinking diet coke?

I tried to quit drinking it a few years ago, but after a week of very bad headaches I gave up. I know it's the caffeine, but I've been drinking diet coke for as long as I can remember. I don't really like Splenda tea, but I guess I will have to get use to it.

[Spaz80 0]

Hi Jessica, I feel that I am in the same boat as you. I drink a lot of soda during the day. I'm cutting it out slowly until I don't need it. The headaches are what sucks, but instead of quitting cold turkey just cut it down until you don't even need the one.

[adagray 1]

You can give up the diet coke. I used to drink a lot too and was able to quit it. Just start cutting back... limit yourself to maybe two per day, then one, then none.

Besides it being a band rule to eliminate carbonation, my friends had been bugging me forever to give up (or at least cut back on) the diet coke cause they say it is so bad for you and that artificial sweeteners are bad.

Interestingly enough, in the pre-op education class I took, they said that artificial sweeteners drive cravings for more sugar. And, that there was a study done where they had people give up their diet sodas for full sugar sodas (no other changes) and they LOST WEIGHT! I know it makes no sense because you would think the diet drinks have less calories so have to be better for dieting, but there is something at work there that they don't totally understand.

The dieticians at my surgeon's office recommend cutting back as much as possible on artifical sweeteners and I have found that it really has lowered my cravings for all sweets. Weird!

[Spaz80 0]

Adagray I've been told the same thing. Diet sodas make you crave more sweets and carbs. I'm doing the limiting myself and cutting back. And I've started to do the not drinking before, during, or after a meal. I usually get a glass of Water just in case, but it has just there. The after part is what I find the hardest and I want to chug something but I'm sure it will get easier. Sorry I went off topic.

[phil1336 0]

I know any form of carbonated beverages are discouraged like diet sodas and beer (YIKES), but look at John Daly the PGA Pro Golfer. Still smokes almost 2 packs of cigarettes a day, still sips on a beer or two and guzzles Diet Coke like crazy. Still lost 110 lbs since being banded in Feb 09`. Not saying I`d recommend his compliance but, lots of folks make the band work without being the "perfect"patient.

[sewperfect 0]

There are lote of other benefits to quitting the diet cokes. I noticed that my skin had alot of little blemishes so I decided to quit at the beginning of the year. I have noticed that in 11 days my skin is not as red and my skin is clearer.

[brenpren07 0]

It was hard for me to stop drinking soda I first started by not buying them when I bought fast food. Then once i quit buying fast food I limited what i was buying in the stores u know how u will go in and buy a 12 pk i would only buy a 6 pack becuase i knew i wouldnt feel ike going back to the store for more also i started drinking ginger ale . to me it taste like sprite but its more natural andless sugary then i ruled out sodas and began only drinking ginger ale and that sparkling flavored water from Walmart. its better than stopping cold turkey cause u still got the carbonation that makes u go aahh. so eventually i just stopped when I felt like i was seriously craving a cokeith would grab ginger ale from the store instead. it doesnt have high fructose corn Syrup which is like 10 times worse than regular sugar andsurprisingly if u cut this out of ur diet which means alot of juices, sodas, and ketchup, some cereals i was ur pre-diet you can lose about 10 lbs or so depending on if u exercise.

[JJLaw08 4]

Okay. I been at this for amost two weeks. I drink one can diet coke at Breakfast and one with supper. Everything else is Water. I am having the biggest headaches. Today was horrible. My headache made my stomach hurt. I drank a diet coke with supper tonight, and my headache went away. I think I am just going to have to give up caffeine in any form b/c I feel like these headaches will not get better. I didn't think these withdrawals took so long to get over.

[123crod 170]

Okay. I been at this for amost two weeks. I drink one can diet coke at breakfast and one with supper. Everything else is Water. I am having the biggest headaches. Today was horrible. My headache made my stomach hurt. I drank a diet coke with supper tonight, and my headache went away. I think I am just going to have to give up caffeine in any form b/c I feel like these headaches will not get better. I didn't think these withdrawals took so long to get over.

The headaches will only lasy 3 days. I have always drank caffeine free diet coke because I take anxiety meds and the caffeine is not good for the anxiety. I have been banded 6 months and the last diet coke I had my husband had to pry the bottle out of my hands at midnight before my surgey. I really miss diet coke.

You can drink a cup of coffee for the caffeine. I drink coffee Decaf. I have never found anthing as good a my diet coke1

Cheri

Edited January 23, 2010 by 123crod

[smitten kitten 0]

I gave mine up post-op. The first week you will be on pain killers and probably won't get a headache, at least I didn't and I had a big diet coke/coke zero habit. BOL

[JoiaRox 430]

My answer? No. I've been a HUGE Diet Coke drinker - and only fountain sodas, please. I spent at least $8 a day buying 44oz. Diet Cokes from various fast food restaurants in town and guzzling at least two of them before lunch. When I started my one week pre-op diet, Diet Coke was not on the list of "allowed" beverages. I don't know if it was the nerves of my upcoming surgery or what, but I went cold turkey on Diet Coke. Since my surgery a little over two weeks ago, I've bought 2 DC's...one was a small (I had 10 sips and felt sick) and the other was a large...that went flat and the ice melted before I remembered I had even bought it. I had NO caffeine withdrawals, thank god, and I've done a complete 180 now. I am no longer a Diet Coke whore, I'm a Water whore - and loving the results I'm seeing on the scale and the change in my complexion from actually being hydrated for the first time in...YEARS! Just thought I'd throw my positive experience out there

[autkel 0]

I too drank Diet Cokes from the time I woke up until I went to bed. I thought it was going to be really hard to quit, but believe it or not, it hasn't been that hard. I do want one from time to time but I'm too scared of what will happen, so I stay away from them. The headaches will get better....I have only been banded for 1 month.

[KAS1971 0]

I stopped last April just cause I realized it's all I drank all day.. I still crave maybe 1 a week but after 2 sips I feel bloated and belchy if thats a word.. and frankly it feel battery acid going down.. actually painful.

[Liftingchic 0]

I have been trying to give up soda too, I have found cutting back has been helping me and I also take Excerin Migraine (it has caffine in it) when I get a bad headache..