My name is LipstickLady and I am a cokezero-aholic. I've been clean and carbonation free for 2 months and 27 days. I am determined to stay this way but my limits are being tested late at night. Like REALLY late at night. I gave up carbonation and caffeine cold turkey on April 18 and haven't strayed yet. I've been tempted, but I've held my ground.

For the last week or so, I've been having very vivid dreams of opening a can of Coke Zero and chugging it down (physically impossible for me). I dream of holding a Big Gulp cup and filling it over and over, just pouring it all over myself. I can smell Coke Zero in my dreams and I can feel the cold bubbly goodness fizzing down my throat. In my dreams, everyone is offering me an icy cold Coke Zero, delivering cases to my house, drinking them at the gym, at the pool, in my car. Even my daughter who despises soda is haunting my dreams with cart fulls of two liters.

HELP ME OUT OF THIS COKE ZERO HELL!!!!!

It'll go away. When I quit smoking, I smoked in my dreams. Funny thing was, after a while, I felt guilty about in my dreams, but I was still smoking. Then it slowed down and I never dream about smoking.

I often think of this whole life style change in the same way. Quitting smoking is the second hardest thing I've ever done. I consider weight loss and remaining at a healthy weight the hardest. I didn't have to have surgery to quit smoking.

It's really important for me to find a healthy substitute for whatever I gave up if I really love it. So what can you drink that's cool, refreshing, and gives you a lift BESIDES Coke0? Maybe Lipton Diet Green Tea with Citrus? Maybe lemonaide made with Splenda? Maybe suck an ice cube? It's cold and slurpy. I've been known to slurp down several on hot days.

Lynda

Thanks for the ideas! This is so bizarre. I had no trouble giving it up, much to my surprise. I would go to the fridge and grab a 2 liter for the first few days after quitting out of habit, but never because I WANTED some. I've had no cravings either up until the dreams started. I don't know what triggered them, I don't know how to stop them.

I can't find a cold calorie free drink I like either. I was drinking Crystal Light, can't stand it now. SF lemonaide, barf. I hate tea. I am drinking one gatorade (regular) a day just to get some fluids in but I really hate that. I like the Tropicana50 OJ, but it still has calories and WWs taught me to never drink my calories. UGH. I need to find something because Water doesn't always go down so well.

I will find something, I'm sure.

Do you have a snow cone machine? If not, go to your local 7-11 and get a SF Slurpee. This might be a treat for yourself several time a week. You have to look around to find the gas stations that have the SF Slurpee's but they are there. Good luck to you!!

That sounds great!!

Hmmm, I don't know for sure but i think if you reenact that half- dressed you'll get a lucrative TV commercial deal.

My husband and I were driving on our way home with the kids in the back seat, when on the radio came a news announcement about dark colored soda having some significance in possible leading factors to certain types of cancer. We listened to it, and it was interesting. They couldn't say that it did lead to cancer for sure, but that they could show in their studies that people with high amounts of soda intake had this major one common ground. Anyways, I don't remember all it said, just that right then and their, we dumped out our drinks- and told the kids we are no longer having soda. When I got home, I gathered up all our 2liters and dumped them out. It was hard on the kids at first, but then when I said they could have ice cream more often, we got through it ok. Well, we have been a soda free family for 8 years. When we go out to eat we get water- 1. it's free, and 2. it's good for you. We only drink decaf tea, water, juice, and fat free milk. I hope this encourages you....you can do it. It's healthier for you and your body will feel better. After a couple of months, I just felt better. We made no other changes at the time, and it was amazing how much better I felt. Blessings to you and your journey!

Find a friend with an AR-15 or a 12 gauge.. Take a case out to the country and blow the shnizzel out of them.

I always get over things when I can hold a ritual of destruction.

It worked for cigs.

I drew the line at romantic obsessions, though. :ph34r:

In my opinion drinking soda is equivalent to drinking battery acid. Just drink tea or get a sugar free slurpee

I was a major soft drink junkie for 40 years. I'm caffeine and cola free and making it fine by switching to the powdered Crush drink packets, Strawberry is best IMO.

Do you have a snow cone machine? If not, go to your local 7-11 and get a SF Slurpee. This might be a treat for yourself several time a week. You have to look around to find the gas stations that have the SF Slurpee's but they are there. Good luck to you!!

Unknownst to most people slurpees have carbonation in them.. Icees too!

Just saying... Not starting a big issue

Unknownst to most people slurpees have carbonation in them.. Icees too!

Just saying... Not starting a big issue

TROUBLE MAKER!!!

Once again...this title is very misleading!

I feel your pain though..prior to surgery I slurped down Coke Zero or Diet Pepsi like it was going out of style. I rarely drank any Water and got all my liquids from Pop. I haven't had any carbonation in 5 months and I am also wanting something fizzy lol

LOL Well that totally sucks!!! I guess it is the sno come for you girl!!

LOL Well that totally sucks!!! I guess it is the sno come for you girl!!

Sno come? <snicker>

I made something the other night that really hit the spot: watermelon, ice and half a lime squeezed into a blender and buzzed. It was sooo refreshing and not carbonated. I made sure there were no seeds in the watermelon chunks first. You might like it