Hey everybody,
I'm new at this diet (started induction a week ago), but i've been reading posts on these forums for a few weeks now. I'm doing alright with induction except that I can't seem to give up my diet soda. I've started drinking caffeine free diet instead of just diet, but people say that we shouldn't drink any soda at all. I know you'll all say that I should just drink lots of plain water, but there's something about just drinking water that makes me feel unsatisfied. My mouth is always dry and when I drink plain water, it makes my mouth feel even dryer. I need some kind of flavoring to put in it or some other kind of drink that will "quench my thirst" without the artificial sweetners or sodium content of diet soda.
Any suggestions???

I sympathize, but urge you to work on it. It's taken me about five years to get to actively LIKE water I started as a four or five cans of Coke a day drinker. Water was for dogs

I switched to carbonated water, lemon-line flavored seltzer, no sodium, 0 carbs. (Not less than 1, but 0). I've gotten to the point that on the days when I drink a diet soda, or Crystal Light, the water tastes so clean -- everything else tastes too sweet.

Many low carbers suggest staying away from artificial sweeteners, but there's also the school of thought that says, don't try to give up everything at once. I tried that on one of my ill-fated attempts at low carbing. I just couldn't give up 10 bad habits at once! Try Crystal Light, or some other flavored soda. Sunkist diet orange doesn't have much of an aftertaste (for me; tastes are SO different). I'll dilute Crystal Light and drink it at half strength, with ice, on days when I'm having trouble getting water in. There are still times when I'll drink more if it's flavored.

Experiment -- you'll find something you like. BUT the water is really really really important.

Well...I still have 2 diet dr.peppers everyday and drink lots and lots of water. It does not affect me like it does others, it is different for everyone. You will just have to test the waters. Once I started drinking water....I wanted water. Good luck.

Hello friend I just wanted to say good luck on your adventure. I also wanted to know how much water do you drink? Think about adding a piece of lemon to your water or lime. When I get tired of drinking water that is what I do. I just down water if I find I can not do it anymore. I find that I can not drink pop anymore. If I do I can only drink about a half a can. Crystal light has even become a chore to drink. I do get sick of water but I just keep telling myself it is making healthier and stronger and getting me to my goal weight.

Pearl

Well I've been trying to drink only water for the past couple days but I have slipped in a couple glasses of diet sprite. I always drink lots of liquids, just not water. When i say "lots", I mean about 3-4 liters of diet soda a day.... so it's kinda hard to switch completely over to water. I'll probably try putting a couple lemon slices in it to flavor it up a bit, but i'm still gonna need to sneak in some bubbly drinks

Try seltzer (no carbs, no sugar, no artificial sweetener). It's bubbly, but without all those things we can do without.

Oh, after a year or two, you'll wonder why soft drinks and sweetened beverages ever exerted such a strange power over you.

Water rocks!

Karen

You've gotten a lot of good advice from everyone else. Some of it contradicting others but none of it wrong. Everyone is SOOO different about these things.

Here's my experience, for what it's worth.

I was a die hard Diet Pepsi drinker - that was how I got virtually all of my fluid and generally had 8 to 12 cans a day. Somedays I hit nearly a case. On all prior diet attempts, I never gave up the Diet Pepsi - didn't see the point.

But I decided to strictly follow the Rules of Induction (and did, except for a very slight slip on one meal when eating out) which included giving up caffeine and recommended giving up aspartame. So I figured I could do without my cherished DP for two weeks and then start it again.

Well, Day 2 was ultra miserable with a massive day long headache. Don't know whether the carb withdrawal or the caffeine withdrawal contributed more. But I forced myself to drink LOTS and LOTS of water. Day 3 and Day 4 were much better and I was going strong by Day 5. And I realized that I didn't have any desire to drink a can of DP! On Day 6 I took the rest of my stock in to work for everyone else and even though there is plenty of DP in the fridge here, I haven't had, or wanted, a single can.

I really don't think this would be the case if I had merely tried to cut down - addictions usually don't work that way.

So, that's my $0.02 worth. Draw from it whatever might apply to you and best of luck.

Only water and Diet Rite Cola (theres like nothing in it but its soda) ...(hey its better then nothing) Crystal light isn't allowed on induction because of the asper..somehin I can't spell it..lol ALthough some ppl do lose while drinking that if they use it sparangly

Please! Don't tell me that! Don't get me wrong... I love water, and I drink almost a gallon a day, but I was just wondering why I shouldn't drink diet pop. I was referring to my New Diet Rev paperback( page 97), where Dr. A. mentions it is ok to consume artif. sweetners (depending on the person consuming it, of course). Is this an issue of hidden carbs?

It's not a hidden carb issue at all.

It's a problem with how some people's systems react to the "sweet taste". A lot of people's systems jump into over drive releasing insulin at just a taste of something sweet. Real or fake it doesn't matter. This release of insulin in the blood is the problem. Where there is insulin there is fat storage instead of fat burning.

So depending on what your system is you may or may not be able to get away with consuming it. In his new book released Dec of last year Dr A, says the new limit on artifical sweeteners is 3 a day. I guess he figured out if people were doing more than that they were not getting the results as expected.

So if you find yourself stalled out, first thing to cut is the sweet stuff. Hope that helped.

"This release of insulin in the blood is the problem. Where there is insulin there is fat storage instead of fat burning. "

A question...

If insulin has been released into the bloodstream, would the ketostix continue to register that ketones are present in the urine? I am trying to determine if this is an issue for me. Thanks for your help!!!

If you are being knocked out of fat burning altogether then you will not show ketosis. But even if you are showing ketosis (a very unreliable indicator of much anyway) this doesn't mean that you are not being affected by the sweeteners.

The best and most accurate way to answer that question is to stabilize your pattern (either with or without them) and then swap your use of them for at least two weeks while holding everything else the same. If you see a significant difference then you are being affected.

Also keep in mind that even if you aren't being affected metabolically you might be being affected psychologically. A lot of people seem to be more prone to sugar cravings if they keep feeding themselves sweet-tasting things. Behaviorally, nothing has changed and so the mind will continue to crave sweet things. As long as you can steadfastly satisfy those cravings only with sweeteners that you have determined do not affect you metabolically you are fine.