Thursday, April 29, 2010

30 Days

It's been 30 days since I've had a Diet Coke.

Where is Morgan Spurlock when you need him? I could have been on a reality show: 30 Days in the Life of an Ex-Diet Coke Addict. Catchy, no?

Truthfully, it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.

I anticipated shakes, twitching, fevers and speaking in tongues after breaking my 20 year-old habit with the good 'ol Diet Coke and none of that happened. I suppose I have my DNA to thank for that. Or the universe. Or something.

Who knows? What I do know is this: I feel better. It's hard to specifically describe what exactly about me feels better, but I just do. It could be a placebo affect of knowing I've stopped putting something in my body that could have been poisoning me 2-3 times a day for the past 20 years. It could be that the aspartame really does make you feel horrible. It could be that because I'm drinking more WATER now, that my body is jumping up and down inside and saying "thank you thank you thank you."

I'll probably never know.

But I know that after the first 2 weeks, the headaches stopped. I'm not saying that I've not had a single headache in the past 30 days...but that neurologist just might have been onto something when she advised me to stop drinking Diet Coke. She looked at me, into my very soul - past all the taste buds crying out for their usual fizzy morning drink and said, in a very serious and doctorly (hence the letters M.D. on her white coat) way, "Stop drinking that stuff."

She just might have been right.

Do I miss it?

A little. Most especially when I'm watching an episode of Weeds and Nancy Botwin cracks open an icy cold one. But for the most part, no. There have been 3 cans of Diet Coke resting in the back of our beverage refrigerator out in the garage for the past 30 days and they don't even talk to me anymore.

Not that they did all that often, but I could have sworn that once or twice, in the middle of the night, I heard them calling, "Carrie, Carrie come drink us - we miss you."

I'll probably miss it when it's 90 degrees outside, I'm melting, and the kids are running from sprinkler to sprinkler to cool off, screaming the whole time. On that occasion I might have fixed myself a "skinny bitch." Also known as Diet Coke and vodka w/a squeeze of lime. But, there are tons of other non-poisonous things I can mix my vodka with, like tonic water and lemonade...so I should be just fine.

And yes, I see the irony of worrying about what to mix my summer vodka with while at the same time patting myself on the back for stopping the horrible, evil Diet Coke drinking.

Either way, it's going to be a fine, fine summer. I plan on eliminating all refined sugar from our entire house next.

Just kidding.

Only the high fructose kind.

Which can only mean one thing: my lemonade will have to be made from scratch.

Oh dear.


* No actual Diet Coke was harmed in the writing of this post and this in no way is a plea to get America to stop drinking the fantasmic, bubbly, diet soda. I was advised, by a real doctor, to stop drinking it. Now, if I could only get a doctor to stop telling me to eat chocolate (especially in the form of those tiny chocolate peanut butter cups from Trader Joe's) I'd practically be a saint.

6 comments:

Ashley said...

Way to go Carrie! If that's what it takes to feel better than so be it.

I've never heard of a "skinny bitch" but it is now on my list to try. I usually mix my DC with rum and my vodka with 7UP or Squirt.

Kyla said...

I was off all soda for 2 months...then I got sick and when my throat is scratchy, all I can think about is an ice cold Dr. Pepper. I fell off the wagon. I'll climb back on once all these illnesses leave our house!!

Julie H said...

I need to stop drinking soda too (Diet Coke is my love too!) but then what will I drink with my whiskey??

Unknown said...

I know what you are going through my friend. I used to have a 8 diet coke a day habit. I finally realized no matter how much I loved my diet cokes,I hated how I felt after every one. Now, I occasionally have one at the movie, but never while eating out and never buy it for home and feel so much better. Good luck!!

~Scout

Jennette said...

Carrie, I am so proud of you! You go girl! And your bread making too! You are on a roll my friend! Keep up the good work and when the new season of Weeds starts next month, try an iced San Pellegrino with lime or lemon. I buy it by the case at Costco and you can even mix it with Vodka. I do!

jodifur said...

I gave up Diet Coke. It was awful. But a year later, I never think about it, and when I do have it it tastes awful.

Added bonus, I lost weight. Apparently fake sugar can make you hold onto weight.