Diet Soda Detox

  First, I moved the diet soda to meals only. So in that regard I treated
it like sugar - had it with meals. 

Now, for me it was a diet soda with caffeine so there was a double
whammy with the aspartame and caffeine. 

I then went through the following steps. I took it very slowly and went
to each step when I was comfortable. 

1 - drank *lots* of water the whole time. Only had diet soda with meals. 

2 - Reduced it down to one can twice a day 

3 - switched (gradually) to caffeine free version (e.g. caffeine free
Diet Coke). Started by half regular, half caffeine free, gradually
going to all caffeine free. 

4 - switched to a brand I didn't like as much (e.g. caffeine free Diet
Pepsi) 

5 - at this point I was able to reduce it to one can a day, and
gradually just replace it with water. Once it was caffeine free and a
brand I didn't like as much, it was pretty easy to just stop it. 

After getting off of it, there were two things I would sometimes drink
if I wanted something special (and cold). Either iced herbal
tea (without sweetener), such as Mandarin Orange. This was surprisingly
good. Or, iced herbal tea mixed with soda water or
sparkling water. 

I think you are actually lucky that it makes you feel awful, because
that adds to the motivation. In my case, one time after
several months off of it, I had a diet soda. I woke up the next morning
with a hangover - also very motivating to stay off it!!