Conference rocks::weight_control

	I have the same reaction to diet coke.  I went off it this summer
    	and suffered for over a week.  I do not know the medical 
    	implications of caffeine in the diet but I know it is not good
        for you.
    
        I would suggest that you suffer the pain and eliminate diet
        coke.  I also suggest that you, like myself, might be concerned
        about the food you eat and how you react to it.  Some people
        tend to me more sensitive then others and need to read labels
        etc.
    
        Good luck!

    
    Did the problems arise since the change from saccharin to NutraSweet? 
    If so, that could be the problem.  If it has to be Coke (diet 7Up won't
    do it), then it's probably caffeine.

    Caffeine is definitely addictive.  My husband went through terrible
    withdrawals when he stopped drinking coffee after he finished his
    thesis.  The doctor told him he could either live with it for a few
    weeks, or he could have a cup of coffee whenever he started feeling
    sick.  He still drinks quite a bit of coffee; if he doesn't, he gets
    a severe headache.

    Caffeine isn't the worst thing in the world; one or two diet Cokes a
    day probably won't seriously damage you.  If it's something you want
    to break, and you're having trouble doing so, talk to your doctor.

    Beverly

    If you are drinking the diet coke in those quantities you are addicted
    to the CAFFEINE in it, just like in coffee. My father-in-law was doing
    the same and he got headaches if he didn't get is coke.  You will
    have to switch to the diet coke in the gold can that states Caffeine
    Free. You will have to do this slowly as you will feel the jitters
    and have headaches to cut off cold turkey. I had to do that a few
    years ago, only with coffee.  Now I drink only decaffeinated products.
    That applies to hot chocolate drinks and tea. They all have caffeine
    in them.  Not only that, a doctor who specializes in weightloss
    and a dietician both told me that caffeine stimulates your appetite!!
    That I don't need as it only defeats the purpose of dieting. 
    
    Good luck.
                                            
    
    

    Looks like another caffeine addict!  Welcome to the club.  I've
    been trying to cut my caffeine consumption down too - I did it the
    "easy" way.  First I cut my coffee to half decaf, half regular.
    Then I slowed down my consumption of diet Pepsi, having another
    diet soda (one w/o caffeine) or water instead.  Then I got a cold,
    and didn't feel like drinking coffee at all.  Besides, the cold
    pills had enough pain killers to keep me from noticing any
    caffeine withdrawel headaches.  So I went cold turkey, for a week.
    Now I have the occasional diet Pepsi or coffee, and for the rest
    I'm sticking to caffeine free stuff.
    
    Caffeine isn't the worst drug in the world, but it DOES inhibit
    the absorption of many vitamins.  Even decaf coffee/tea inhibits
    iron (I think) because of the tannin in it.  So don't drink coffee
    or tea at meals or when you take any vitamin pills.
    
    --Louise

    I will tell you what I know about Caffeine.
    
    Desirable effects of caffeine include mental stimulation, relief
    of fatigue and drowsiness, keener perception and clearer thinking.
    However, in some sensitive people the opposite effects occur.
    
    Undesirable effects from the stimulating properties of caffeine
    CAN include elevated heart rate, irregular heartbeat, increased
    blood pressure, frequent urination, increased gastric acid secretion
    (which contributes to indigestion, gastritis and ulcers), nervousness,
    irritability, insomnia, loss of appetite, nausea, and diarrhea.
    Obviously, discontinuing caffeine will relieve the problems caused
    by this drug.  It is particularly important for someone with
    hypertension who is trying to lower his blood pressure to stop drinking
    caffeinated beverages.  Caffeine has been shown to cause birth defects
    in animals and is suspected of causing the same defects in humans.
    It can stimulate growth of breast cells, causing painful enlargement
    of breast tissue and benign lumps (fibrocystic disease).  There
    are more, but I'm sure you get the idea.
    
    Glenn

    One other note about diet drinks is that they contain NutraSweet,
    for the most part, and unlike some, I don't believe that the long-term
    effects on NutraSweet have been sufficiently studied.  Cyclimates,
    and Saccharin have been studied and the detriments are known.
    NutraSweet is still an unknown in my opinion, and I wouldn't consume
    it.  
    
    Glenn

    Well, I now now that diet coke is not really all that good for me.
    I do get the headaches, stomachaches, etc. BUT what can I substitute
    it for?  2-3 glasses of water a day is all I can stand, yet I have
    to have something to drink constantly.
    
    Besides water, what does everyone else drink?
    pat
    

    I like diet sodas (in moderation).  See note 122 for favorites of
    members of this conference.
    
    I also like beer and wine (also in moderation - WW Optional Calories).
    I love milk products, but am allergic to them.
    
    But mostly I drink water.  And more water.
    
    Lynn

    Pat,
    
    This may really sound stupid, but herbal tea is great.  You know
    the ones.  They're at your supermarket.  Celestial Seasonings has
    herbal tea, no caffeine, that's great.  You can have it either hot
    or cold.  My favorite is apple cinnamon as an iced tea.  I know
    that herbal tea and celestial seasonings sounds "flower-childish",
    goovy, and far out, man,  but it really is good.  From a business
    standpoint, Celestial Seasonings has just been purchased by Lipton,
    because they're getting a large market share and people are looking
    for an alternative to caffeinated soda.  Just like you.
    
    Glenn

    re .9:
    
    Herbal tea as iced tea sounds great -- will have to try it out come
    the warmer weather.  Thanks Glenn!
    
    re .7:
    
    Another good alternative to "drink as much as you want, as long
    as it comes from the sink" is flavored seltzer water.  A favorite
    of mine that's available in Mass./Southern NH is the Polar seltzer,
    which comes in a WIDE variety of flavors (my favorite is the mint).
                                  
    
    py

    Yup, I forgot about herbal teas.  My husband and I love to have
    a cup after dinner, with a fire in the fireplace, watching TV or
    whatever (you get the picture).
    
    Lynn

    I like water with lemon...that is if I am tired of drinking just
    plain water...
    
    I also drink Ginger Ale...non-diet, no caffine....
    
    Loretta

    Re. 7
    
    Mint tea, hot or cold, with or without a slice of lemon.
    
    I make a thermos in the morning and take it to the office.
    
    Joana

    
    
    Hello Ann Arno here...
    
    I know of a young man and he is a bit overweight and he has been
    going to a Dr.. and Chuck the young man..had some problems and 
    one of his problem he was drinking too much diet coke and the
    Dr. has him cut down to two cans aweek, 
    Chuck thought it taste good and low in Calories so when ever he
    got hungry he would grab a diet coke.. 
    
    There is salt in coke as well.. I know in Weight reducing classes
    tell you to limit your in take of diet sodas..
    
    
    
    I think you can get addictive to diet coke because Chuck did.
    
    
    If we do everything in Moderation that is the best way.
    
    
    Ann
    
    
    
    

    RE: .10
    
            Yes, the Polar flavored seltzer water is a good alternative
    to drinking plain tap water. I like the orange, cherry and lemon
    essence water (This is spring water). And it is carbonated, so it
    can easily make you feel as if you are having a pop (soda)., but
    you're actually having something that's good for you.
    
    
    Chris
    

    
    re: herbal tea
    
    Add one more vote for herbal tea as a substitute for diet sodas.
    My favorite is Lipton's Gentle Orange. One thing to watch out for,
    though. A lot of them contain various grasses and flowers, like 
    lemon grass, etc. If you have any allergies to growing things, you
    may have problems drinking some of these teas. I know I am allergic
    to grass and drinking teas with lemon grass in them gives me a
    headache.                                    
    
    Just something to watch out for.
    
    -Amy.
         

    
    I will second the comments about avoiding caffeine and nutrasweet.
    
    I switched to decaf a number of years ago and too went through the
    headaches as part of the withdrawal. So now I was drinking Diet
    Pepsi free and Decaf Diet Coke..well I seemed to be having headaches 
    more and more ofter and I kept blaiming it on my sinuses, but then my
    normal sinus aspirin, in fact any aspirin product was not helping
    anymore.  About that same time I read an article talking about the
    fact that some people were having adverse reactions to Nutrasweet..
    including headaches. So I quit drinking pop...and my headaches went
    away. I hadn't had a headache in a month, then Wed night I thought
    well maybe if I only drink pop once in a while.. and had a glass
    of Diet Sprite. What a mistake ! I suffered all day yesterday with
    a terrible headache...I've sworn off Nutrasweet for good!

    

    RE: -1
     >...so I quit drinking pop and....
    
         Hi, I haven't heard anyone refer to the term soda as being
    'pop' since I left Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Where are you from?
    All us Pittsburghers' say 'Pop' too. :-)
    
    

    I used to be extremely addicted to "Coke" for years.  My cure
    to this addiction was finding a 1 inch lump in my breast that had
    to be surgically removed.  My doctors assured me that caffeine
    played a big part ( fibrocystic tumors).  Needless to say I can
    live without it now.
                                      - Sue
    

    re :18
    
    Well I grew up in Michigan and have been living in Minnesota for
    the last 8years and I've always said pop rather than soda!!
    
    

    Hi,
    	I work shifts and at night, every night I would have 3 diet
    cokes.  I found that I was having trouble getting to sleep in the
    mornings.  So I switched to diet( caffeine free) coke.  It tastes
    the same to me and I noticed a difference in the caffeine effects.
    	Now I'm on Diet Center program and you just HAVE to drink 8
    glasses of water.  So I am managing to, just.  Thank heaven herbal
    tea counts as a water.  I like Liptons Apple and Cinnamon.  I have
    3 cans of diet coke sitting in my drawer and I know if I have one
    I'll be so full I won't be able to drink the required water.  Even
    though we are allowed 2 a day, it doesn't count toward the water,
    so I'm not even tempted.  Same goes for coffee and tea.  But its
    nice to know you can have it if you want.
    
    Cheers,
    
    Deb
    

    re: .18, .20 
    
    Those of us from Cleveland also say "pop". One of the things I found
    tough to get used to when I moved to Massachusetts was saying "soda"
    instead! And a milkshake is a frappe, except at McD's...And a freeway
    is a highway....and the list goes on!
    
    re: .13
    
    I always thought that tea had MORE caffeine than coffee...are you
    sure it has only 1/2 as much? I know, also, that coffee has about
    5 times as many different acids as tea does...does wonders for your
    stomach!
    

    Hi,
    
    I started drinking Coke when I was pregnant and had 24 hr a day
    morning sickness so I know where you're coming from.  (My daughter
    is almost 19) I don't consume quite as much Coke a day as you do
    Diet Coke but am a heavy "user".  I also don't drink coffee.  Anyway,
    the caffeine in Coke/Diet Coke is addictive particularly if you
    get used to consuming large quantities on a regular basis.  I quit
    drinking Coke once (dieting of course) and actually had classic
    withdrawal symptoms on the 3rd day.  You might want to start gradually
    cutting back on the quantity you drink.
    
    Personally, I don't drink Diet Coke because I get headaches from
    the Nutr Sweet.  I guess I'd just be a little uncomfortable consuming
    large quantities of NutraSweet (or any artificial substance) on
    an ongoing basis even if I didn't get the headaches.

    Hi,
    
    My *favorite* thing to drink instead of water is Poland Spring's
    seltzer.  It comes in many natural flavors and has no calories.
    I'm surprised no one's mentioned it yet.  My favorite flavors 
    are lemon and lime.  It also comes in plain, cherry, and cola. 
    It is a natural spring water from Maine.
    
    Someone mentioned that Polar selter is spring water.  I don't think
    it is.  I have a bottle in front of me and it doesn't say anything
    on the label about that.  
    
    In my opinion, Poland Springs seltzer is far better, but I like
    Polar for its flavors.  They have recently come out with peach,
    cranberry/lime, and grapefruit in addition to their other flavors.
    
    

    
    I do believe it can be addicting.  I've been dieting the past 3
    weeks, and have cut out caffeine also.  The combination of dropping
    20 lbs. and caffeine (read: Diet Coke!) has slowed my pulse from
    a high 88 to a normal 72.
    
    So, I'd recommend cutting back on it as much as you can.  After
    awhile, water's okay!
    
    Jim