Cleanses

[Mr. Bloom]

Mr. Silver,
I don't want to sound like I'm lecturing, but if you and Silver are each drinking 8 cans of Diet Coke a day then you are certainly at risk of depleting nutrients and also increasing bone loss rate- for BOTH of you.

The problem is "I KNOW you're right!" and I still do it!

Here's a promise to you:

For one week I will limit myself to 2/day and I'll drink plenty of water instead!

In one week, I'll reevaluate

Silver, you in????

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

If you do that you might want to temporarily take some caffeine pills or other caffeine to ease the abrupt drop off a bit- going from 8 cans to 2 is likely to give you some caffeine withdrawal headaches- and those can be splitting (i know).
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[crazycanuck]

8 cans of diet coke a day

I hate to be rude, but isn't that why the US has one of the most obese populations in the world?

Frightening..

[SadieKate]

Um, diet coke doesn't contain sugar or calories. That's why it's diet.

Though I think I've read somewhere that the chemicals in diet drinks exacerbate the feeling of hunger. I think . . . .where did I read that?

[crazycanuck]

doesn't diet coke contain aspertaine/aspertane (sp)...I thought diet coke was bad for you..

[SadieKate]

CC, yes, diet coke does have nasty things in it but sugar isn't one of them.

Nutrasweet/Aspartame is possibly linked to MS-like symptoms. Another one of those wild controversial reports where you don't know who to believe.

[KnottedYet]

Nutrasweet/Aspartame is possibly linked to MS-like symptoms. Another one of those wild controversial reports where you don't know who to believe.

Yup, that's what the docs thought was going on with my mom, until she went to a diabetes specialist who asked the all important question: how much diet soda do you drink?

[KnottedYet]

The studies that tie diet soda with obesity are pretty wild. Some folks say the nutrasweet/aspartame is an appetite stimulant. That's a bummer.

There's also the behavioural aspect, like one study that had folks who ordered giant diet sodas also ordering giant burgers and fries (thinking it was ok, cuz after all they are cutting out calories from the soda, so some extra fries can't hurt, right?)

Artificial sweetners make me and SKnot very sick, and Nutrasweet in particular causes my mom to get ill. She's a diabetic and has a lot of trouble with dry mouth, so now she sips plain tea all day.

[Trek420]

There's also the behavioural aspect, like one study that had folks who ordered giant diet sodas also ordering giant burgers and fries (thinking it was ok, cuz after all they are cutting out calories from the soda, so some extra fries can't hurt, right?)

I can attest to that. Back in the day I was a cook (that was waaaaay back) the number of orders of "I'll have the quiche, cheesecake, side order of onion rings, giant fudge and brownie sundae ... oh, and a diet coke"

I just look at the ingredients and "oh, that can't be good for me"

[Tuckervill]

The problem is "I KNOW you're right!" and I still do it!

Here's a promise to you:

For one week I will limit myself to 2/day and I'll drink plenty of water instead!

In one week, I'll reevaluate

Silver, you in????

It's much much better to change your thinking than to change your drinking. (Ha! I rhymed.)

So instead of saying only 2 a day, how about "The next time I get something to drink, it will be water or iced tea."

Make that decision several times in a row, or make it every other time you get a drink. Changes made in increments are easier to chew. I find if I give myself "unlimited" of something instead of limiting the thing I want to avoid, I have less emotional baggage attached to giving up the thing. Plus the laws of physics are working in your favor--water and Diet Coke can't occupy the same space at the same time. If you fill up that space with water, there is no room for the Diet Coke.

Both ways of thinking about it can result in the same outcome, of course, but flipping it around to "unlimited x" from "limited y" is much more comforting.

(If you're concerned about the caffeine--I don't remember any adverse affects of limiting caffeine, and it's not dangerous to go cold-turkey off caffeine. You're a grown man, you can take it. Just try to do it when you're not at work so you can suffer through any symptoms in relative comfort.)

Good luck!
Karen

[Mr. Bloom]

(If you're concerned about the caffeine--I don't remember any adverse affects of limiting caffeine, and it's not dangerous to go cold-turkey off caffeine. You're a grown man, you can take it. Just try to do it when you're not at work so you can suffer through any symptoms in relative comfort.)

Good luck!
Karen

Oh, there are adverse effects...they're not dangerous, but they're deadly nonetheless.

Day 1: One for breakfast, one for lunch - no migraine and I'll probably sleep great tonight! I've filled the fridge with bottled water for tomorrow, but I'll still probably have two more DC's...I have a lot of work to do and can't get the killer headache!

[crazycanuck]

Water is your friend.. Drink at least 2L a day.

Why not try cold Oolong tea? mmmmm There's no sugar in it at all!!!

[OakLeaf]

Day 1: One for breakfast, one for lunch - no migraine and I'll probably sleep great tonight!

Congratulations... just don't get discouraged if you didn't "sleep great." Insomnia is one of the major symptoms of caffeine withdrawal.

Interestingly, I went through killer caffeine withdrawal several times when I was young (off a 2-3 cup a day habit, it doesn't have to be a lot), but later on (and pre-menopause) I've quit coffee with no symptoms at all. I don't even touch the stuff now, because I've seen how addiction creeps back up on me.

I do drink green tea and the occasional decaf, so I'm not caffeine-free, but much less than coffee or pop. I didn't notice any of the touted benefits of quitting coffee (less inflammation, weight loss), but I do sleep much better and my body is noticeably cleaner.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I didn't notice any of the touted benefits of quitting coffee (less inflammation, weight loss), but I do sleep much better and my body is noticeably cleaner.

Why, were you spilling coffee on yourself a lot?

[OakLeaf]

Why, were you spilling coffee on yourself a lot?

LOL

No, really, less B.O., much less tongue coating, general feeling of being less toxic. No other changes in my diet or health practices, just giving up coffee.