Is this cheating? I know, if I have to ask I probably know what the answer is!

I've given up diet coke, but all week I've been drinking 2 coffees and 2 lemon waters a day, both with sweet n low. I just crave something to drink in the evening, I haven't been drinking much water, like a liter a day. Am I just going through DC withdrawal? This is the hardest part of CAD for me. I thought in the book it said you can drink as much carbonated drinks as you want but a second glance showed it says carbonated water, is it ok if its sweetened with aspartame? I tried drinking diet rite on the weekend. I noticed I was kind of hungry all weekend.

Is this liquid thing just another way to fuel addiction?

What do you guys drink?

Well, I think it is one of those things you have to work out for yourself what your body will tolerate. Personally, I had to give up diet pop and other AS sweetened drinks at any time other than my reward meal. I really fought that too, I loved my diet pepsi, and the flavoured, carbonated waters. They would really stall me when I had them at other times. Now I don't miss them, but it took a while to get there. I think artificial sweetner sets off my whole insulin reaction cycle, and therefore stalls me.

Shame, isn't it? But, worth giving it up for all the other benefits of CAD, IMHO at least

Take care,
Tracy

It is a shame! I've been rationalizing that its low calorie, but I want to give this my best effort. After last week I realized I had to give up broccoli and cottage cheese at CM. I guess I can have a BIG diet coke at RM.

This was and is still the hardest part of CAD. I really love diet soda and was in the habit of drinking it from about 11 in the morning through the rest of the day. Probably 2-4 liters a day. Clearly, probably not a good thing. I figured it was low calorie and no matter what diet I tried this would not be given up...no way.
Fast forward to starting CAD. I've always wondered if my lack of ability to ever really lose the weight was really tied to the soda so upon starting CAD I decided to not drink it except at RM. I have tweaked this only slightly allowing for a diet soda with a CM if I am in a restaurant OR I had my RM for lunch and will find it to be a very long evening if I don't have a soda with my CM . The later is very seldom. I have not strayed from this since Feb. when I started.
I have no way of knowing if this has affected the weight loss or not as I have not experimented with adding it at other times, but being a slow loser, I'm going to leave it as is. At all other times I drink water. I don't like tea without sweetner and I'm not a coffee drinker.
I anticipate having a bit of trouble with this when the summer temps soar here and a soda would really hit the spot, but I have to put it in the same catagory as my food and wait for my RM.
IT TASTES SOOOO GOOD when I finally get it!!!!
It's sad something has stupid as a diet soda can get me all wrapped up, but it does. I really really miss not reaching for it all day, but I have really uped my water consumption and we figure we're saving a sizeable amount of money each month.
I must confess that from time to time I can feel kind of sorry for myself, but RM comes and I'm good to go.
Wish I had better news for you, but the sweetened drinks and soda will probably have to go bye-bye.

Good Luck,
Deb

I have a similar situation to Vel. Artificial sweetner is OK for me at RM, as long as I haven't had any hidden carbs earlier in the day. Adding a second artificial sweetner drink with a craving reducing meal seems to start up cravings and stall out my progress.

Lynda

As much as I hate to admit it, I agree with the predominant opinion here. I love a diet cola with lunch, but I do so much better if I drink water instead. Something I have figured out is that if I have had plenty of water, I don't care much about having a diet soda. If I haven't had much water I REALLY want a diet soda, and I do NOT want water.

But the emphasis on this whole issue should be how it works for you - if you are drinking it and losing weight and don't have cravings then it might be ok for you. However, if you are struggling trying to get/stay on the program and missing all kind of things, the AS would be quite suspect.

Lila

at the gym they had a very detailed glycemic list and artificial sweetners were on the moderate list, 40-60. That really surprised me.