Regular Soda vs Diet Soda

All of us has a weakness and for me, it used to be sodas. I loved my Dr. Pepper and Pepsi. I used to drink 2 or more glasses of it a day! Before I started dieting, I had finally cut it down to one can of Pepsi a day. I don't know if it was the caffeine I was addicted to, or the sugar. I can honestly say I don't remember the last time I have had a regular soda. When I started my diet back in August 2011, I gave up my regular soda habit because I didn't want to waste my calories on a drink. Did you know that most sodas have 140 calories in one can?  That can add up quickly if you drink more than one a day! Now, I do have to admit that drinking water all day long can get a bit old. I have found myself ordering a Diet Pepsi on occasion when we are out at a restaurant, because they have no calories and give me something else to drink other than water. I only drink about 2 a month at the most.  I don't keep drinks around the house because it will tempt me to drink one. Dieters love diet sodas because they see that it says O calories so they may be inclined to actually drink more of them. There is some drawbacks to drinking sodas and other drinks with artificial sweeteners. Drinking diet drinks can actually lead to you gaining weight because it makes you crave sweets.Not to mention, your body can't break artificial sugar down like it can real sugar.  There are also possible side effects to drinking diet sodas. Some of the sweeteners that are put in sodas can cause neurological disorders, tumors and gastrointestinal problems. I was recently watching an episode of Dr. Oz and he was talking about Splenda. Do you know that Splenda is 600 times sweeter than sugar? I was shocked when I heard that! It's been a couple of weeks since my last diet soda. I wouldn't say I have a soda habit anymore, but my goal is to be completely soda free, including diet sodas. My Mom loved diet drinks and drink alot of them because she was worried about getting diabetes, but instead she ended up with breast cancer.I have always wondered if diet sodas were a contributing factor in her getting breast cancer ,which is one reason I want to be completely diet soda free.