30 days of no Diet Coke

Day 1: Easter.  I'm letting myself eat pretty much anything, so not having a Diet Coke doesn't seem like much of a sacrifice.  I even passed one up at my friend's house when it was offered to me.

Day 2: Back on the diet train (not Diet Coke train!).  I drank a quart of water before lunch.  Steve says he's going out for an iced coffee, and I realized that it's impromptu treats like that  that are going to kill me.

Grocery shopping was awful.  Diet Coke (on sale!) as far as the eye could see.  I started arguing with myself, "Does caffeine-free count? Could I get caffeine-free?  What about these teeny 8oz cans?  Just one couldn't hurt!  One per day?  Sigh.  What about a different diet soda? Mountain Dew? Sprite?  GAHHHHH!"  I held out, but now I have a headache--today is also day 3 of no caffeine. Ugh.

2nd trip to the grocery store wasn't much better. I have a headache that could kill a horse (or other large mammal).  Remembered that I only had 300 calories for breakfast, and allowed myself to get a York Peppermint Patty.  The headache didn't go away, but I feel marginally better.  Going to take ibuprofen and drink a gallon of water.

Day 3:  Off to a good start.  Woke up without a headache.
 Made it through a trip to Wal-Mart---it is such an ingrained habit to grab a Diet Coke when I'm at the store!  I've already had 3 quarts of water today.  5pm: The headache is starting---not sure at this point if it's about the Diet Coke or not.  I still have a meeting to go to--there will be food and DC there, and I'm going to resist both.

Thank God--my director bought Diet Pepsi, which doesn't appeal to me at all, so I was good!  I came home & had my pre-planned snack.  No headache, either!  Woo hoo!

Day 4: So far, so good.  Unless you count the child who is throwing up. Long morning.  I had to go buy ginger ale.  Walking down the soda aisle? Not fun.

7pm--the child has stopped puking, but now I have a headache.  Ugh.  Can't decide if it's allergies, the virus my daughter has, the no Diet Coke.....bleh.

Day 5: It's after 6pm, and other than feeling a twinge when I brought the kids to Spanish class (typically, I will run and go get a Diet Coke as soon as I drop them off), today has been fine!  And no headache so far today!

Day 6: Co-op day.  The day that, every week, I get a big Diet Coke to get me going in the morning.  Which I didn't get today.  And?  I was fine. I'm actually on track with my calories today, and making due with lemon juice in my water (because sometimes you just want to drink something that TASTES like something--I resisted the Mio water....that seems too much like a diet drink to me).

Day 7:  Wow, I'm almost at a week!  But today is grocery shopping day--it is so hard for me to run to the store without grabbing a cold DC for the ride home!  :(

Day 8:   Today.  Today, I really, really, really would love a Diet Coke.  I'm actually letting myself have a cheat day on my diet.  But I don't feel like I can just have one DC (it's like Lays' chips!).  So I'll refrain.  I really, really, really want one, though.

I didn't give in and have a DC.  What I did do was eat everything not nailed down.  SIGH.

Day 9:  Another day successfully gotten through without a DC, which is saying something, because it hit almost 90* here.  I can't tell you how good an ice-cold Diet Coke sounds.  I once again blew my diet though, because there are these dang banana chocolate chip muffins here, and I cannot stay away from them! Aughh!  It's times like these that I wonder, "Is it really that much worse to have the DC as a treat????"  Gah!

Day 11: Apparently, when I'm not drinking Diet Coke, I feel entitled to eat everything that isn't nailed down.  I haven't given in and had a DC, but I've completely blown my diet. So which is worse?  No calories & chemicals that a) make you want to eat sweet things and b) seem to actually prevent you from losing weight  or having that Diet Coke, and being able to look at it as a treat, thereby enabling me to resist the high-calorie treats I've been noshing on???

I don't know the answer, but I'm getting really close to just giving in and swinging through the McD's drive-thru for an ice-cold DC!

Day 12: I actually had a dream last night that I was grocery shopping, and I drank a Diet Coke.  In the dream, I was like, "WHAT are you doing?  Now you have to start the day-counting all over again!!!!"  Sigh.

Day 15: Once again, I'm debating how healthy it is to refuse myself the DC, when I keep over-eating.  The other thing that keeps going through my mind (since I tend to over-think these things) is: how long do I plan on keeping this up?  I mean, I tend to get so rigid, that I tell myself that I'll never have a DC again.  And, with my track record with moderation (bad choices: 8 gazillion, Amanda: 0), it feels like that's the way I have to go now.  And YET, I keep overeating and letting myself extra treats, when, quite frankly, a DC would do the trick.

THEN, I read things by friends about how great they feel after having given up soda....sigh.  Aunt Flo is on her way this week, so I certainly don't need any extra bloating.  So I guess I'm sticking this out for at least another week.  I think, since I started drinking DC in 2001, the longest I've gone without it is 6 weeks. :/

Day 16: This comes under the heading of TMI, but--it occurred to me yesterday, when I mentioned that Aunt Flo was on her way, that something is different this month.  Since January 2006, every month, about a week before that time, I get incredibly severe breast pain.  Some months are worse than others, but I could count on two hands the number of months when I have had no pain.  It's literally "don't hug me" pain.  Awful.

Funny enough--no pain so far this month.  Coincidence?  I'm not sure. I guess only time will tell.  But if it is the lack of Diet Coke that is helping, well (*sob*) that would be one heck of a reason to continue avoiding it.

Day 19: Well, I'm not twitching when I drive past a McDonald's anymore.  Still waiting on Aunt Flo, though, which really makes me crave a treat.  Tonight for instance--I had dinner and was completely full.  It's not quite time for my evening snack, but I'm starting to feel 'rumbly', as Pooh would put it.  Now is exactly the time when it was just so nice to sit and enjoy a Diet Coke.  I'm still not past the point of wanting Diet Coke. :/ (I'm also not in pain--see Day 16--so I guess this is worth it.)

Day 22: For some reason, I've been getting headaches every day.  Once upon a time, I'd have some caffeine and it would help. But that's not an option now. Blech.

In dieting news, I started Weight Watchers again--I haven't done the program in a few years, and they've changed some things.  I love the Flat Belly Diet, but I just needed a change.  Today is day 2--so far so good.  One difficult thing, though, is that as much as WW has made changes to really focus on whole foods, they do still encourage 'diet foods'--which means that things like Diet Coke are totally okay.  But I've gone 3 weeks--I want to keep going.

Day 27: Well, for the most part, starting Weight Watchers has completely distracted me from yearning for Diet Coke.  I've been too busy counting points and exercising. :) But I still want a DC.  I can't really say that the craving for one has gone away.  It's more like the habit of drinking it all of the time (always grabbing one at the store, swinging through McD's, etc) is being broken.

Day 28: Four weeks. Sigh.  I have to work tonight--I haven't done a Pampered Chef show since 3/30 (don't worry, I was still working!).  Tonight might be a challenge.  Not only is the host an amazing cook who will have all sorts of goodies, AND I'm making a pretty fabulous recipe for the demo, Diet Coke used to be my go-to to help me NOT eat at shows.  It was so much easier to say no to the desserts and fantastic appetizers with a cold DC in my hand.  I've already warned the host that I won't be eating (unless she has fruits and veggies out--and I don't think the fruit in the sangria counts!) because I'm dieting.  I don't want her to be offended when I refuse food.

Day 29: Last night wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. :)  Even if my friend walked in carrying a delicious DC. :)  I made it through, and that's all that matters.    It occurred to me that if you had asked me 6 weeks ago to go a month without Diet Coke, I would have laughed at you and told you it would be impossible. :)

Day 30:  Well, here I am--30 days without a Diet Coke. I even "unfollowed" them on Twitter. :)  I don't know that I'll never, never, never have one again, but for now, I'm feeling pretty confident that I can stay away from it, even when out and about or eating out.

(Update:  Today is day 38.  Still going strong.  Still wanting a Diet Coke.)