Confession time – I’m sat on my couch with my laptop and an ice-cold can of Diet Coke by my side. There is always Diet Coke by my side. For 18 years it has been my fizzy companion and I’ve loved it with all my heart.
If I had to choose between the brown liquid – or chocolate, booze, cake, pasta… I’d pick Diet Coke over all of those sweet treats I adore. But when I really think about it, I’m not really sure why.
Diet Coke is my drug of choice
My addiction
This is how bad I am (and I’ve been worse in the past) – I drink at least four cans of diet coke a day. I can get through a 1.5l bottle in a day easily. If I’m out drinking, I’ll choose vodka and Diet coke.
When I was at university, I would wake up and have a glass of Coke for breakfast, and even drink a can in the middle of the night if I woke up.
If I don’t have a supply in my fridge, I start to panic and can’t relax until I stock up. If I’m going on a train or am out for a day – I have to buy a bottle to keep on me so I am constantly sipping on the brown liquid.
The idea of not being able to drink Coke after a few hours/days is actually quite upsetting to me.
So yeah, I’m embarrassed to say it, but I drink A LOT, and even then I feel like I’m holding back.
I think my addiction peaked a couple of years ago I discovered a Diet Coke glitch at Tesco. I literally bought hundreds of cans of Coke for £15. I had boxes and boxes of coke that filled up my hallway, towering over me.
It was the kind of amount most people wouldn’t drink in their lifetime – I got through it all in six weeks.
The problem with my Diet Coke addiction
If I had a penny every time some smart-arse told me that the aspartame in the Diet Coke is bad for me/puts holes in my brain/is going to give me cancer – it would probably cover the cost my Coke habit.
If you were addicted to lettuce or yoga – it wouldn’t really matter right? And drinking a lo soft fizzy drink doesn’t seem like it should be a problem, but it really is.
When I think carefully about why I like Diet Coke, I can’t figure out why. I don’t even know what the taste is – and I’m not a fan of other fizzy drinks, so it’s not the bubbles I love – I don’t really know what the draw is. I think there is a chemical, actual addiction.
The two main problems with my Diet Coke addiction are: the money it costs and how it affects my health.
My tooth confession
I’ve always associated looking after my body with dieting. I’ve never managed to win at the whole weight-loss thing (who really has though eh?) but have been in slimming clubs since I was about 13 years old.
Something these groups tend to recommend is the consumption of diet drinks because there are no calories in them. So I would find that instead of picking up a chocolate bar – I’d get a cold glass of fizzy coke and I was just as happy(ish) and I wasn’t putting on weight.
Now, I’d pride myself on my smile. I like to think I have nice, white teeth – but the truth is, two of them are completely fake (I have a brilliant and expensive dentist who hides my sins) and I’m terrified to go to my appointments, because every time I go, ANOTHER thing is wrong and he tells me it is because of my diet coke consumption.
At 19 years old in university, I bit into a slice of bread (A BLOODY SLICE OF BREAD) and my tooth crumbled. Like, disintegrated. And the thing is, they don’t look rotten – the coke had just hollowed out the middle.
AND I STILL KEEP DRINKING IT. It’s mad right?
I’ve spent thousands of pounds on Diet Coke
I think it would be very fair to say I have spent £3 on Diet coke EVERY DAY since I was 13 years old – and that’s a conservative estimate.
Ok, so a bit of maths. This means I have been drinking it for 18 years (JEEZE).
So, £3 x 365 days is £1,095 a year x 18 = £19,720.
Writing that down has made me feel a bit sick.
How I am going to give up
I’m going to give it up. I have to. There are lots of things you can say about drinking Diet Coke, but I KNOW two things. It’s ruining my teeth and I’ve spent £20,000 on my drug of choice.
I tried to give up last year. I went three days without it and I have NEVER experienced anything like it. I had headaches, stomach pains and was in the worst mood.
I’m also not a stranger to addiction. I used to smoke. I spent a lot of time giving up and then starting again – until I discovered Allen Carr’s Easy Way to Stop Smoking, which is the best £7 you will ever spend if you are a smoker. I can personally attest to five heavy smokers who easily quit once they read this book and have never smoked since – years later.
The book tries to get you to really look at why you like cigarettes. Once the addictive substance is out of you (which is an awful process), there is nothing left to make you want to smoke, apart from the habit which is just all in your head.
I’m going to take this principle and apply it to drinking Diet Coke. The caffeine is what I think is the addictive aspect in Diet Coke (please let me know if you know differently). So I just have to wait until that is out of my system – which will mean a few days of headaches and general unpleasantness.
After that, there is NO real reason for me to pick up a Diet Coke. So whenever I go for one I’m going to ask myself these two questions:
- Do I like the taste of this? Why am I drinking it? I’m going to really think about the taste – because honestly, I don’t actually think it tastes of anything. (Does anyone actually know what flavour Coke is?!)
- Is this satisfying my thirst? Again, why am I drinking this? Am I thirsty? If I am trying to quench thirst – then is this the best choice? Is it REALLY as satisfying as a glass of cold water.
Am I alone in this? If you have a Diet Coke problem – let me know in the comments!
I’ve been pretty much “addicted” to Pepsi max for quite a few years now. I always had a can on my desk so , when I left my previous job I decided to give it up completely. I suffered headaches and cravings for a while but eventually managed to get over the need for it. Unfortunately I started drinking it again in my next job and could sometimes drink around 6 cans a day so I’ve decided to try to kick the habit again as I have serious stomach acid and some teeth problems as well. So far I’ve managed almost a week but have been off work so it remains to be seen whether I can keep it up. I’m drinking loads of water so I can’t claim that I’m thirsty and give in. As to why we need it, the thing I really love is how cold and soothing it is when you take that first drink – honestly it’s worse than crack cocaine!!!
Ooohhh I have bad heartburn – I wonder if it connected.
Ouch. Good luck with kicking the Diet Coke habit – sounds like it will be a really hideous time at the start. Have you thought about what you’re going to replace it with? Am guessing water may not entirely cut it if you’re used to mainlining a bunch of caffeine, and switching to hard core expresso or whatever may not be much better for your health. Hang on in there!
Why not pick a good cause and get people to sponsor you for not drinking the stuff for a month? Put up a Just Giving page etc.
I could have written this – you have spurred me to go cold turkey starting tomorrow. I’ve only started getting fillings since drinking this (my dentist says it has phosphoric acid in it – yikes) and have even had to have two implants at a cost of thousands. This is despite having excellent dental hygiene (and flossing). Why do we do it? It is literally senseless. I completely agree – it doesn’t even really taste of anything.
Good luck – I’ll think of you when the going gets tough (around 11am tomorrow)
God am I glad someone else had this problem – I think sometimes you need someone else to flag up an issue like this to realise that it is a valid problem. I’ve always thought my ‘Diet Coke addiction’ was a little dramatic, but half way through reading this post I had to stop and have a work with myself. I couldn’t read on before admitting I had the same problem – and possibly the same consequences (I’m scared to visit the dentist and have them confirm it). I actually made the huge decision last night to leave the fridge empty of DC – something which makes me so anxious, just like you – and switch to water. So far I’m doing okay, but I wouldn’t usually tuck into a can until after lunch so we’ll see – get in touch if you’d like to support each other.
Also, THE TASTE, I have no freeking idea what the taste is and have probably wasted ab equal amount of time trying to work this out as I have drinking the stuff!
Hannah xxx
I used to like fizzy orange drinks. I am addicted to sugar and have to steer clear of it. One taste and my gut biome goes into overdrive and DEMANDS loads. So 1 biscuit / chocolate bar / cake today means major major cravings tomorrow.
I even found that the diet fizzy drinks would kick off cravings, the sugary taste apparently, even tho there weren’t any calories. Worse, New Scientist says that the sweet taste in the mouth cues your body to produce insulin to clear down blood sugar, in preparation for the calories coming in. But of course, there aren’t any calories coming in, so you get hungrier as well! I certainly found that.
Good luck with it and I hope you kick it into touch
Thank you!
I’ve never understood those people who could have a box of chocolates in their house for weeks. The minute I have one – I have to eat the rest. It shows I’m totally addicted. Going to try and quit it!
I’m a coke addict so I’ll be following you closely.
I saw this infographic – and immediately gave up Diet Coke (already didn’t Fat Coke). Seriously, I haven’t touched it since.
http://therenegadepharmacist.com/diet-coke-exposed-happens-one-hour-drinking-diet-coke-coke-zero-similar-diet-soda/
I too am addicted to coke. I gave up last year for a month and it was so tough to do. I don’t have any other caffeine drinks and it gave me headaches for a few days. Unfortunately, I am back to drinking it regularly. Good luck in staying away from it.
This is exactly me! I buy the big 30 can boxes of Diet Coke and it only lasts a week. I too have teeth problems and only the other week I bit into a soft chocolate (my other bad habit ) and my tooth just disintegrated.
I have tried giving up several times but hated the headaches and mood swings.
I
Any tips on trying to give up again would be appreciated for the sake of the rest of my teeth.
So I’ve not had any Diet Coke for two months now – but it’s been totally ok. I went cold turkey – no Diet Coke, no sugary substitutes or diet drinks. Basically, milk and water. There’s a week or so of missing Diet Coke – but it gets pretty easy tbh. Plus, I found I craved sugar a lot less, so haven’t the amount of chocolate/sweets I’d usually use. If I were you – fully cut it.
This could be me. It is so addictive. In fact drinking a diet coke as I am writing this. But must stop as really get sweet cravings and more hungry. I am also at a slimming club. I am going to go cold turkey once my pack of 6 is finished. So no more DC from Monday. I am going to drink loads of water instead. I know it will not be easy but I am determined
Good for you! I promise, one those first few days are over – it will get easier and you’ll crave sugar loads less (making your Slimming World journey easier!)
Perhaps that is wny the weight is slow coming off!! Well one excuse anyway!
this is me im addicted, my husband says if im out of diet coke im apparently very grumpy……… i think it fills me up though so think it helps my diet!
I’m totally addicted to Diet Coke to that bad hubby go on at me drinking Coke again ide hide the 1.75ltes in the garden just so he dosent go on at me now I just leave then in the car I get the 3 litres bottles now 1 bottle a day y I don’t know oh if we haven’t any in I’ll go round looking to get some can’t do with out the mt Diet Coke I know sounds bad hate to think how much I’ve spent on the Diet Coke wish I could give it up my home life would be better but hubby dosent moan as much think he’s given up now
Wow yes this is me only I think I am
far worse I drink between 3 and 4 litres a day . I have a bottle here next to my bed , it is the first thing I do when I wake in the morning . I know I need to stop it is really like a drug I crave it all the time.
Can I ask what are you going to drink now ? Can water satisfy your thirst, what about the cravings , how long will they last ?
I’m on 100% water (though drank full sugar pop when giving up DC for a week). It took about two weeks of cravings, and then honestly – was happy with water.