Giving up diet soda

It’s been one year since I had my last diet soda. And I don’t miss it at all.

While I didn’t consume insane amounts of diet pop, I probably had about one can a day. More if I was eating Mexican food or pizza. And although I knew it wasn’t good for me – and although I wasn’t drinking too much – I just couldn’t give it up. The caffeine, fizziness, and sweetness was just too good.

I had tried to stop several times, cutting way back while still allowing myself to drink diet soda with certain types of foods. This would work for a couple of weeks, but I kept going back.

Finally, in March of 2012, I decided to quit cold turkey. I was sick of letting the diet soda – the aspartame, the caramel color, the phosphoric acid – win.

Giving up diet soda

Tips for Quitting Your Diet Soda Habit

Quitting diet pop isn’t easy. What works for one person might not work for another. Here are some tips that worked for me:

  • Go cold turkey. I tried many times to gradually cut down or to only drink diet soda with certain types of foods. But this didn’t work for me. I kept going back. If you’re struggling with the same problem, try giving it up completely.
  • Push yourself through the first few days. The first few days without diet soda might be a little rough, especially if you drink a lot of it. But push yourself through the first few weeks. It will get much easier, and your body will gradually adjust.
  • Find a tasty substitute. Think about why you drink diet soda. If it’s for the caffeine, try substituting iced tea. If you like the fizziness, try carbonated water. If you like the sweetness, try infused water or a natural soda like Izze or Joia. Just be careful not to swap one addiction for another. You don’t want to become hooked on something else when trying to give up diet pop.
  • Think about the health benefits. What ultimately did it for me was reading report after report about the dangers and side effects of diet soda consumption. Diet soda has been linked to diabetes, heart and kidney problems, stroke, depression, weight gain, and a whole host of other health problems. I’m trying to live a healthier lifestyle, and diet soda has no place in it.

Tips for quitting diet soda

One anticipated consequence of quitting diet soda: I’ve saved quite a bit of money over the past year. I estimate $6 a week, or $312 over the course of a year. Not bad, especially since I plan on never drinking the stuff again.

Have you successfully quit diet soda? Please share your tips below!