Addicted to Diet Pepsi

ScottishMum

Well my title says it all. I can go through 6-8 cans a days. Its the first thing i drink in the morning and the last thing at night.

How do I stop? When I have tried before, i get headaches, which im sure will return again.

Anyone else in this situation??? I dont drink anything else, no tea, no coffee, very very little alcohol e.g. 1 glass of wine a month!!

I needing to loose weight and think if I can start cutting down on the DP it will also help with weight loss.

Any ideas?
thanks
Mhairi

Bronnie

Cut down gradually over the next few weeks. You didn't get to 8 cans a day overnight, so don't expect you'll find it easy to wean yourself off overnight either. Make a plan to cut down by a can a day every few days, if that's easier for you.

If you don't like plain water, substitute diluted low cal squash to start with to get you off the fizzy stuff or give weak tea a try again. I find a cup of tea quite helpful, when I fancy snacking so might be worth a try. I think when you trying to introduce stuff you say you don't like, that you have to perservere a bit and let your tastebuds readjust, not give up straight away, so maybe a small cuppa once a day for a week to start.

Weight loss aside, this much pepsi a day isn't a good habit for your health and your dental health, as you already know!!

Good luck!

flutterbyuk25

the headaches will go after a week or so, it's all part of the withdrawal.

I gave up diet coke/fizzy drinks at Easter and haven't had one since. I would only drink 1 or 2 a day though.

I would suggest you wean yourself off slowly. Cut out the morning one and one in afternoon say, for a week then cut down to 1-2 a day and then every other day, then once a week. Should make it easier.

HTH and good luck

x

flutterbyuk25

ooh cross posted with Bronnie!

Try fizzy/soda water instead if you want something fizzy

x

ailuro2

Change to pepsi max, it's not as nice for a start, but it'll do if you're stuck, then change to Tesco's diet cola which is even cheaper and drinkable when you're gasping for a bit of caffeine.

Keep a stash of six in the fridge each day for a week, then 5 a day, then 4, then just have three in there and have them when you still want them after having a drink of ice cold water.

I have managed to cut down by changing to Tesco's own brand - it is simply not as nice, so I drink less of it - good luck trying the same.:D

elliebobs

This was me, except that mine was diet coke, about 3 weeks ago! I used to easily go through a 2 litre bottle and then about 3 or 4 cans during the day. I was permanently wired!

I did just cut them out but was lucky in that I didn't suffer any headaches as a result; I already drunk de caff coffee. I've just upped my de caff coffee habit and am now on pure OJ so that I get a sweet hit. I also recommend soda water or fizzy water.

I've noticed since dropping the habit my skin is fab; before it was really quite grey and sallow so that is incentive enough for me to keep off the stuff, although I do crave it as it tastes great (to me) and nothing else can quite hit the spot.

Good luck; I share your pain!

Magpye

The important thing for you is that you replace the cans with some other form of fluid in equal quantities. Dehydration causes headaches. I suggest not using Pepsi Max as suggested upthread if you think that the caffeine or the artificial sweetener is the problem, as Max has more caffeine and more sweetener than regular diet Pepsi.

Try eating mints or regular blasts of minty breath spray - cola and mint mixed tastes pretty foul.

Interesting factoid: a recent blind study showed that women who consumed regular full-sugar cola actually ate less and complained less of hunger than women drinking the diet stuff. Neither group was told what they were drinking, so conscious calorie restriction was not a factor.

kavics17

That was me as well though I only drank one can a day. I have very low blood pressure and was looking forward to my one a day but realized that it wasn't worth it. I still have it whenever I want to but only a mini can and i don't obsess about it anymore. I drink appr. now 2 mini cans a week and see it as a treat rather than a must.

bandraboy

I used to be a Pepsi Max/Diet Pepsi addict too.

I thought I could control it (LOL) but I can't.

When I've gave up I just took a couple of paracetemol for 1-2 days first thing in the morning.

That took care of the headaches.

I also did self-hypnosis to improve my appreciation of water which I drink all the time now. And yup my skin's improved too.

And I don't feel the need to eat other sweet foods anymore either.

Good luck and if you think that you can't control it, then you can't.

Whatever you believe is absolutely 100% the truth.

minnie123

I don't think giving it up will make any diff to weight loss as it has no calories, fat or sugar in it. I'm pretty sure it's 0 points on weight watchers. I am addicted to Pepsi max but I only drink it in the evening and stick to water in the day. I don't drink, smoke or take drugs so it doesn't worry me too much.

bandraboy

There is some evidence that your body tries to react in the same way to sweeteners as it does with real sugar and that could be bad for weight loss.

Plus when you consume lots of very sweet tasting drinks, the ultra-sweet taste becomes normal and you are more likely to crave more ultra sweet (often high calorie) foods.

Just what Ive been reading about recently.