When I was
a little girl I wasn’t allowed to drink sodas. I was allowed one on Christmas
and my birthday, and sometimes when I was very good, but for the most part I
was told that they were unhealthy and not allowed. The problem? I adored coke.
Being taboo made me love it even more, and it was always my go-to pick when I was allowed a treat. It probably
doesn’t come as a surprise that when I grew up and moved away to college
an addiction started. But, being the calorie conscious Freshman that I was
I didn’t just want Coke; I wanted Diet Coke. Diet Coke is what got me through
college; late nights studying, through midterms, through finals
week. I didn’t drink coffee; I hated the taste (my how times change). I wasn’t
a fan of energy drinks, or even other sodas. I couldn't stand the taste of regular coke; it was way too sweet. I just liked Diet Coke.
22 days ago
I had my last sip. I know this because I have an app on my phone that tells me
how many days I have been Diet Coke free. They say it takes 21 days to make or break a habit, so I think I have "broken through". I have “given it up” over the years
with varying levels of success, but I think this time I am letting it go,
permanently. I’ve given it up for the following reasons:
- It had
become my go-to drink. Thirsty? *Grabs Diet Coke* Exhausted? *Diet Coke* Craving something bubbly? *Diet Coke* Need something to drink to accompany a
meal? *Diet Coke* I won’t sit here and make it into something it wasn’t; I
wasn’t drinking 12 a day. At my peak I was drinking 3-4 cans a day, with 2
cans a day being standard. That’s a lot of chemicals going into my body.
- I strive for
a healthy lifestyle. Diet Coke is the only “unhealthy” thing that I struggle
with giving up. Anything else I can do. Fried foods? Sweets? Ice cream? All of
those are easy. But it’s super hard to be healthy when you are downing two cans
of chemicals a day.
- Aspartame
is controversial, but has been linked with SO many diseases/issues that I don’t
want it in my body anymore.
- Apparently
something in Diet Coke turns into FORMALDEHYDE in your body?! What?!
- I started
having little “blurry” moments where for a split second my brain would feel
funny and slow, and after talking to a nutritionist she told me that it is
common for Aspartame poisoning to do this. Yikes.
- To see if
I can.
I went cold
turkey. This might not work for you; some people need to wean themselves off, or
let themselves indulge occasionally. For me, I knew it was all or nothing. I
have done the “once a week” rule and the “weaning off slowly” rule and it hasn’t
worked. I've even tried the "only allowed Diet Coke in absolute emergencies" rule... that was a disaster.
I didn’t
purge my house and throw every last can away. I woke up one morning, made my coffee,
and thought, “I’m going to download a countdown app and see how long I can go
without Diet Coke”. There were 3 cans in my fridge. There are still 3 cans in
my fridge. I have tried to give them away to everyone who has visited and no
one will take them. They are my little orphan cans.
I knew I
was going to have to find an alternative, so I did, that first day. Meet my new
best friend, the Sanpellegrino Aranciata. This little sparkling baby has become
my Diet Coke substitute. It’s basically sparkling water and orange juice. It
gives me a bubbly, sweet fix without all the bad stuff. The downside? It doesn’t
have caffeine, but I have coffee for that now. It also has calories, as opposed to calorie-free Diet Coke, but I wasn't drinking Diet Coke for diet reasons; I was drinking it because I liked the taste. This has been quite a delicious
find, and I’m convinced that it has kept me stay in line.
Things I
didn’t think of until after I went cold turkey:
- What I
would order to drink at fast food places. Restaurants are easy; I can always
get iced tea or lemonade. But fast food places? I don’t go there often, but
about 3 days in I ended up at a Subway… and panicked. And don’t even think of
suggesting water; water does not cut
it. I ended up finding a “fruit punch” option and drank that. So far I have not
encountered one place where there hasn’t been at least one non-soda, non-water
option.
- The
Cravings. I mean, obviously I knew there would be cravings, but the weird part
was when they would hit. I started
noticing patterns, and I started to be able to “outsmart” them. For instance, I
always crave Diet Coke when I am hot and outside. I also crave it when I eat
sushi. Do Diet Coke and sushi go hand in hand? No (unless you are crazy) but
for me, it starts the craving going. Once I figured out when the cravings would hit I was able to stave it off without going crazy. The next time I was going to a sushi place I went ahead and decided to order a glass of white wine in order to avoid the Diet Coke craving. "White wine and fish go well together", I told my brain.
Benefits to
quitting Diet Soda that experts preach but might not be true:
- Promise:
“You’ll feel so much better! More energetic! Healthier, even!” Fact: I feel the exact same, except with
occasional Diet Coke cravings. I don’t feel better. I don’t feel more
energetic. I feel the same.
- Promise:
“Diet Soda makes you gain weight! There are studies proving that your brain
gets tricked and you end up gaining weight!” Fact: I’m the exact same weight. I eat the
exact same things. Nothing has changed except liquids.
- Promise: "You won't be as hungry! Diet Coke makes you crave bad things!" Fact: I am just as hungry or not hungry as before. I have no less cravings for chocolate or other "bad things".
Overall, am I happy that I quit sodas? Yes. The funny
thing is I am convinced that my little iphone app has kept this detox going.
Every time I think about cheating a little voice comes in my head and says, “but
what about the iphone app? It’s so cute! It would be a lie! A LIE!” It's called "Big Day Lite" (it's free) if you were wondering. I added a picture of me holding a fruity alcoholic beverage in Cabo as the app background to remind me that there are other delicious things out there that don't involve Diet Coke.
And oh
lord, don’t ever offer me water when I want a Diet Coke. Water DOES NOT CUT IT.
Water is fine under normal
situations, like if I am thirsty, but I don’t want anything to do with water
when I want Diet Coke. The only thing that can help quench the craving is
another flavored (bubbly) drink. *Mumbles to myself* Psh, non-Diet Coke addicts...
If you have any tips, suggestion, or questions, leave me a comment below! :)
