Saturday 18 December 2010

*Kicking my addiction - health warnings!*

Hello, my name is Roo and I'm a diet soda addict. Yes, that's right. It seems pretty sad that I have an addiction to diet soda but I've recently come to terms with my addiction and I have finally conquered it.

It started around the age of 13 when I was even more obsessed by my weight than I had been previously. I was always the 'fat kid' and a couple of people went out of their way to make sure I knew it, not that I didn't already I mean I see myself everyday. When I initially started calorie counting I found the 'wonders' of diet soda. A immediate burst of energy, sweetness and filling for around 2kcal a glass, I remember thinking to myself this was even freaking better than meal replacement shakes! So for breakfast I would drink a glass of diet soda, at break time would follow another diet soda, lunch time would be a diet soda with some form of food, dinner would consist of a diet soda and another other form of fluid intake would be a diet soda. Are you getting where I'm going? Literally everything I drank was diet soda and I often replaced my meals with it too. Thinking about it now this is really disgusting but even up to a few weeks ago I was doing the same. I got to a point where I was drinking diet soda and nothing else. No other form of liquid passed my lips, that's right people, NO WATER!

At this point I would be shouting "well just stop drinking it, what the hell?" But it was far too late, it had become an addiction. The more I drank then more I wanted. I was suffering from violent head aches, mood swings and bloating but I just couldn't seem to stop drinking it. It got to a point where I was drinking at least £25 worth of diet soda a week.

Then one day it just twigged. I had to kick this habit. I was enduring so many negative responses from the diet soda that I just couldn't understand why I drank it. I have tried cutting down on the amount I consumed hundreds of times and so I knew the only way I was going to kick it was by going cold turkey. The first few days were the worst as I was literally having withdrawal systems but I stuck with it knowing it was for the best. Its been a couple of weeks since my cold turkey days and I have since drank four cans of diet soda (not all in one day) and to be honest I can't understand what the fuss was all about. I now much prefer to drink ice cold water.

I'm still in shock over my sudden transformation from diet soda addict to the occasional drinker and I can definitely feel and see a lot of benefits of my new love for water. My skin is much clearer, I am not bloated, I don't have my diet soda fueled mood swings and I definitely have saved a few pounds in my pocket.

If your like me and know you have an addiction to diet soda or you know that you drink a lot of it check out this website I found regarding diet soda addiction. http://www.dietdrinkaddiction.com/diet-coke-side-effects/
Although I wouldn't suggest swapping one drink to another the site does show that diet soda can be an addiction for some people.
Some of the comments on this side I can relate to which imprints it into my head even more that diet soda is not the way. Here are a few:
  • Mood swings
  • Hair loss
  • Lack of concentration
  • Fatigue
  • Change in taste buds
  • Migraines
I am now an advocate for drinking good old H2O, who would have thought it? Definitely not me!

2 comments:

  1. I applaud you! In my opinion, this is a very over-looked addiction. Mine was not diet, but rather regular soda. Coca Cola, my dear. Over ice, thank you! The more the better! It's easy for me to go there again, so I always plan when I'll be drinking it and only purchase the portion I'll consume. The sugary, carbonated love gets to me so easily! lol It's just not worth the costs. Good on you! Peace. B.

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  2. i used to go through at least 1 x 2 litre bottle of diet coke every day. Water all the way(ish) x

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