Thanks, HTGuy! Thanks for the 4C fruit punch recommendation. I'm going to look for that. I'm not as concerned about the artificial sweetener as I am of the phosphoric acid in diet cola. I want to take care of my teeth and bones. A little fruit punch sweetened with Splenda sounds like nice treat!

Like diedra's suggestion for True Lemon, also there are natural flavored sweeteners with stevia and no acids...just add a squeeze to sparkling water. Look for Stur (the packaging is like Mio) http://www.sturdrinks.com on Amazon and now being carried by a number of grocers, other brands starting to have stevia and natural ingredients versions.

Is Stur over-"sweetened" like most of the Mio-type water enhancers?

I was almost a case a day diet coke addict. Since I went off it the bloat it was causing is gone. Before I even started actively dieting I looked like I had lost ten or more pounds because of the bloat being gone. It was really eye opening because I was getting lots of compliments from people on the weight loss and how good I looked and all I had done was switch diet coke out for coffee and water.

Thanks for the reminder!..I think so and should have mentioned although there are no directions as to how much to squeeze into water, I seem to put in way less than someone recreating soda. Ends up a very pale color, light taste and sweetness. My strawberry squeeze into sparkling water looks like rose champagne not an electric Kool-aid. Stevia has a less intense sweetness than Splenda to me anyway...but how sweeteners "taste" varies my individual. Suppose that is an advantage to the Mio type packaging..make the drink as intensely flavored as you want. Oh..I also add it to plain decaf iced tea..another way to add a fruit flavor while the sweetness balances the tea. My Yankee version of being Southern is making Luzianne iced tea by the gallon in the summer, but decaf and only lightly sweetened with stevia if at all.

Welch's and Sparkling Ice have fruit-flavored calorie free carbonated beverages, sweetened with Splenda, which are very good. Store brands are starting to copy them. Those plus the sweetener-free essence type fizzy waters help me stay away from the diet cola. I'm working on it.

I drink a lot of diet Mtn Dew...about 5-6 cans a day...I have already cut back to 3 while drinking over 100oz. of water a day...I don't start my Atkins diet until July...I plan to be off diet drinks and all artificial sweeteners by then...I may have one every so often after I start...not sure on that though...I will decide that when times comes...

I want this weight loss plan to work for me, so i stick to the rules. Dr. Adkins warned that diet coke and certain sugar free sweeteners will stall weight loss. For me, why waste weeks of work for a diet coke.
I miss them ..but sparkling water is my new best friend I figure it has to be good for me to quite my diet coke habit anyway. I've read so much bad stuff about it..

Just to clarify, Atkins warns that aspartame may, not will, stall you. As for Splenda, saccharin/Sweet 'N' Low and other artificial sweeteners, Atkins recommends that you try different ones and see what works for you, if any. They're part of the plan and within "the rules."

I've eliminated aspartame from my diet altogether but continue to indulge in that occasional glass of Splenda-sweetened diet Pepsi or Sparkling Ice. I sometimes add a packet of Sweet 'N' Low to my decaf or unsweetened ice tea when I go out to eat (I've been using Sweet 'N' Low this way, on rare occasion in my restaurant coffee or tea, for 45-ish years with no ill effect).

These occasional indulgences keep me on track and don't seem to stall me at all.

I agree, it's not good to use something if it obviously sabotages your health or weight loss efforts. But if it adds pleasure, does no harm in judicious amounts and helps keep you on track, I say go for it.

So here I am a month or so later answering my own original question.

I believe Atkins when he said aspartame stalls weight loss. I'm new to this program, I've taken it as a good time to stop diet coke, which has nothing but bad medical news connected to it... demential and it disrupts neurotransmitters. It could be hyped medical journal stuff.. but no thanks - don't want to take the chance .

I'm finding drinking sparkling mineral water is a great replacement. It is gives me those bubbles and i get my h20 in...

I did buy diet rite yesterday, just so i could have some cola..as it has splenda..but it was so sweet.. i think it would keep cravings going. So, I'm going to ditch that idea too.

Don't know about you guys...but why do this unless it truly works? I don't want to spin my wheels putting in effort on a weight loss plan ..bending rules..and losing nothing.

I could not agree more. However, within the broader framework of Atkins rules and recommendations, each individual has to try different things and make adjustments in diet and routine to see what works for him/her and what doesn't.

am i on drugs or did you post a question asking for feedback on how we feel about drinking diet coke on atkins? I was just offering my view.. don't want to be nitpicked..thanks.

I drink can a week and lots of tea/ coffee daily. They never seem to impact my weight loss.

I find that switching up my water with a drop or two with peppermint oil or doTERRA essential oil supplement is both tasty and adds a lot of interest to my water. My favorite is lime.

I tried this organic cola, its called Karma cola, it does not have phosphoric acid, or any artificial sweeteners, its however 10gm of carb per a can... I think for pure addicts or occasional treats it can be used as a healthier alternatives... the brand has other flavors too. Here is a link on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Cola/Kar...ords=karma+cola