Monday, March 11, 2013

Diet Coke

Years ago when Jon and I got married I started drinking diet drinks, primarily diet Coke. I was hypoglycemic and couldn't have a lot of sugar. I also thought regular pop was way too sweet. Years later I took a second job working at Subway. It only lasted for about 8 months, but my addiction to Diet Pepsi or Coke was cemented.

But the last couple of years have been really, really conducive to my "drinking" problem. Before I realized what had happened, I was stopping at McDonalds for their $1 32oz drinks almost every day. And quite frequently I found myself drinking 2-3 a day. I knew it was incredibly bad for me, but addiction is addiction. 

Sunday, February 2 was the day I decided to stop cold turkey. After our Super Bowl party I got online and not one, but two of my friends had shared info about the damaging and poisoning effects of diet drinks. One of the side effects of Aspartame was joint pain. Since I've been having serious issues with my knees (more on that later) I figured I needed to at least give it a try.

It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. And it wasn't the caffeine. Something else in that Coke was seriously addictive. I was honestly miserable for a month. Some of my friends even commented on how down I seemed. I was depressed and weepy.

But over a month later I can honestly say that I'm over the hump. Twice now I've gotten a bit of Diet Coke. The first time was an accident and I didn't realize until after I'd taken the first sip. Sadly I couldn't say no and finished it. The sugar cravings that I experienced shortly afterwards was astonishing. The second time I decided to treat myself since I was on a date. No sugar cravings this time, but my knees hurt more than normal the next day. I have no idea if these things were coincidental or not, but it did serve as a warning for me to continue in my path towards better health.

In conclusion - I will probably drink diet Coke again. But it will be an occasional treat and not a daily or twice daily addiction that I have to spend weeks fighting.

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