Monday, February 3, 2014

I'm Addicted



I have a weakness....

***GLUG GLUG GLUG***

An ICE-COLD Diet Coke screams at me from the refrigerator.  

I WANT IT.  

IT WANTS ME.

We stare at each other with longing affection.  (We've been together for over 20 yrs, after-all)

I caress it.  And gently crack it open...as the carbonation pops with delight.  I press my lips gently against .......

Ok enough.  Yes....My relationship with Diet Coke is a steamy one.  We've been through a LOT together....And there hasn't been a day, my "sweet friend" hasn't been there for me.

Even while knowing all of the "dangers" involved with drinking this stuff....I can easily down 2 liters a day....AND, it was only when I began writing down EVERYTHING I was eating and drinking, that I realized how much soda I actually drink..../drank :)

Why would I keep doing this to my body?  

I kept justifying the "safeness" of my Diet Cokes, by saying "Well....I've lost over 100 pounds drinking it....So what harm am I doing...?"

Well.  LOTS, actually.

Even after losing all that weight....I still felt sluggish.  Lethargic.

I would get headaches....and feel nauseous.

Drink a Diet Coke....AND BAM!  I'd feel better.  For a little while anyway.

Hmm.

I decided that I would first rid the house of ANY trace of my beckoning little friend, and start fresh!

Here's how it went down............

FRIDAY MORNING-  I finished off the LAST CAN in our fridge and VOWED to not purchase ANY more.  The day went surprisingly well....And I got ALL of my water in.  No adverse affects and NO paramedics were called!  :)  

SATURDAY-  I usually wake up, go to the bathroom, weigh myself....get depressed....Head upstairs....Open fridge, grab a can of diet coke/pepsi....CHUG it.....Make whatever for breakfast....grab another can.....and make that one last until Lunch......

But....what I did instead was.....Wake up, went to bathroom, weigh myself, got depressed...Headed upstairs....filled a glass of water to the tippy top and chugged.  Made eggs for breakfast and waited for that UNMISTAKABLE urge to come.   IT DIDN'T.

The day went on....And I had many opportunities to cheat and buy a soda....(The dollar store in particular)

One cool thing about this....Or maybe not....Was that I told my kids to help keep me accountable.  Which means....Basically....I wanted to buy a soda, and I had my kids there telling me..."We'll tell Daddy if you do......"

So I didn't.

I drank about a GALLON of water on Saturday....No headaches.  No shakes.  No nausea...AND WOW.....I HAD A LOT OF ENERGY!

Then came SUNDAY - 

CAFFEINE.....MUST.....HAVE.....CAFFEINE!!!!

ESPECIALLY with church....I mean COME ON!!!  

But with NONE in the house....and NO TIME to go and sneak some...I had to deal with plain water.

By the time church let out....I could feel my body LONGING for just a sip of Diet Coke.  I had an opportunity to buy some, when my hubby sent me into the store to buy some SUPER BOWL fried chicken....

I saw the bottles lined up in cute little rows....Like little soldiers....I swear I could hear the bottles calling to me....."Krrrristiiiii....Krisssstttiiiii....Commmee back to usssss......"

I resisted.

Bought the chicken and headed back to the car-

I watched as my family teared into that fried chicken....Like vultures on the attack, after a long starving.  It was quite the sight really.


I did not indulge in the chicken either.  I stayed good, quietly chomping on my mixed salad and sipping my water.  

I could feel it though....The longing.  The desire.

I could cheat....No one would know.  

I could easily slip out of the house and drink a 20 ounce bottle....

:::::JUST DO IT KRRRRIIIIISSSSTTTTTIIIIII......YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO::::::

Must NOT GIVE IN.  MUUUSSSSTTT STAY STRONG!!!

:::::::RESISTANCE IS FUTILE:::::::

Ok....So I have been watching WAYYY TOO Much Star Trek :)

I didn't break...And I didn't give in.

I made some Super Bowl treats for my family...As well as a crock-pot Lasagna and stuck to my water.

Another GALLON - Yum.

I watched my Broncos lose....

What I wouldn't give to be drowning my sorrows in a Keg of Diet Coke.

Water....MUST DRINK WATER.  *sigh*

MONDAY.  THIS IS DAY FOUR!!
Studies I have read say it can take up to 10 DAYS for one to "get over" the affects of caffeine/Aspartame addiction....So I am ALMOST half way there.

I worked out at the gym with my husband and have had about 32 ounces of water -- 

I feel good.  Well....Kinda....I know that this "break-up" needed to happen.  My body deserved it.

I'll let you know how things are going--

For Now,
THRIVE ON 

3 comments:

  1. Hey, Kristi - I can relate. So many foods that I have had to give up have been things I have felt addicted to - especially, Coke-a-cola and most chocolate. But, I firmly believe we will both be healthier when we choose God-given food over processed human concoctions. Thrive on, sister! It is worth the effort! (OH how I miss Thin Mints right now! )

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  2. TOTALLY KNOW HOW YOU FEEL. I AM A LONG TIME DRINKER OF DIET COKE....I ALSO SMOKED FOR 15 YRS.
    I HAVE TO SAY THAT GIVING UP MY CIGARETTES WAS EASIER THAN GIVING UP MY POP.
    I HAVE BEEN SMOKE-FREE FOR 4 YRS....AND DIET COKE FREE FOR 1 YR. OCCATIONALLY I WILL HAVE ONE, BUT FOR THE MOST PART I GAVE IT UP.
    GOOD FOR YOU FOR LOOSING SO MUCH WEIGHT! AS I LOOK BACK ON YOUR POSTS - I SEE YOU ARE LOW-CARBING-THATS AWESOME! CONGRATS!
    BEST OF LUCK AS YOU CONTINUE YOUR SUCCESSES!

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  3. I've been soda free for almost 3 weeks now and instead of drinking full on Pepsi (none of that diet stuff for me) I have been drinking Bigelow Green Tea with Mint and it's helped me....a whole lot. I'm making better choices with food and working out (walking on the treadmill at a speed of 3.5 with an incline that adjusts throughout my 30 minute walk ...incline anywhere from 3.0 to 5.0.........and I'm down 6 pounds!

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