Hi, my name is Tracey and I’m a Diet Coke addict.
Photo by julesreyes
I’m not ashamed to admit it. It started innocently enough. I began drinking diet soda back in high school when I started becoming more weight conscious. (Sad, but the truth.) I didn’t love it like I do now at first, but after a while I developed a taste for it. And oh, what a taste it was. I remember my mom and I going through case after case of the stuff. We stocked up on multiple 24-packs whenever it went on sale at Target. And fountain Diet Coke at the movies? HEAVEN. I often found myself stopping at the Walgreens for (what else?) Diet Coke and candy. It’s not that I thought the word “diet” in my soda negated the calories in Sour Patch Kids. I just truly loved the combination. Later on in college, I used to get up in the morning and have can of diet soda with my breakfast. Awful, I know. This is a habit I still return to if I allow myself to have the substance in my house. Despite article after article detailing how bad it is for me, I’ve never found it in me to get fully off of the juice.
Until now.
What has changed? I can’t even really put my finger on it. Maybe part if it lies in not wanting to be defeated by something- especially something as ridiculous as artificial sweeteners. And yes, part of it was triggered by the latest “Diet Coke is bad for you” article that came out this past June. And a bigger part still stemmed from the fact that even though I no longer was bringing cases of soda into my home, I was finding myself hitting the drive-through window for a 32-ounce cup or picking up a bottle or two in the check out line. In other words, I was lying to myself about how little of the stuff I was actually drinking. And I was paying more money for it by purchasing it them one at a time! Double whammy.
So what am I doing to stave off the old craving? Sure, I drink a lot of water, but that’s not anything new for me. I needed to find a suitable replacement. Luckily, I’ve found that in iced teas- most frequently green tea. There’s something about a crisp, fresh, unsweetened glass of iced green tea that really hits the spot for me. It’s also full of anti-oxidants which as far as I know, are waaaaay better for me than aspartame. And if you think it’s more expensive to drink tea instead of diet soda than think again. Sure, tea definitely costs more than soda if you order it at a coffee shop or purchase a bottle at a convenience store. But why not do what I’ve been doing and whip up a pitcher at home? Last week when the temperatures skyrocketed I went through two pitchers of the stuff myself. Just think how anti-oxidized I must be! Here’s what I did:
-Boil 4 cups of water
-Pour over 8 tea bags in a 64-ounce plastic pitcher (I used Celestial Seasonings Green Tea)
-Let steep for 2-3 minutes
-Fill the pitcher the rest of the way with cold water
-Pour over some ice
I know, I know, it’s so easy that I don’t know why I haven’t done it before. I even poured some into my water bottle with some ice and brought it with me when I went out to run some errands. Maybe all of you are saying, “Duh Tracey, everyone knows how to make iced tea” but I honestly had a revelation these past few weeks when I started brewing it and keeping it at home. I even added a few sprigs of mint from my garden which was just lovely. I’m not under the assumption that I’ll never ever drink a diet soda again in my life, but rather I’m not allowing myself to be a slave to it anymore. And right now that means being totally free of it. Freedom!
So that’s my Diet Coke story. Do any of you have a particular food or drink that you just can’t quit?
Funny thing about Diet Coke — I can’t stand it, BUT, since starting a diet 65 days ago, my food intake has become rather austere. It’s simple: a little fruit and yogurt in the morning, a Slim-Fast shake and a 2-mile walk at lunch, then … wait for it … a Diet Coke with Lime at about 3 pm! It’s at that hour when my appetite is at its most voracious and slamming a DC fills me up and refreshes. It takes me through until quitting time. That’s it — ONE Diet Coke per day. I think I’m using it the right way, but I’m amazed how many people will order a diet soft drink while eating pizza, hamburgers, cookies, cake, etc. THAT’S where Diet Coke is bad for you — it’s insignificant if one doesn’t pay attention to the rest of their diet. Might as well have beer — which, by the way, I do!
I too have recently quit the juice. I substituted coffee (which I realize is not the healthiest substitute) but I figure going from being a full fledged addict to having one cup of coffee in the morning can’t be all bad.
Occasionally I’ll still have a diet coke with lunch here or there, but it’s been months since I’ve bought a case for home. Feels nice!
This article made me so thirsty for DC I had to grab one before I wrote my response. I’m a caffeine addict, but DC is my vehicle of choice. I’ll do coffee or tea too, but that’s never as satisfying as a bubbly, cold DC. Aaaahhh! I have recently gone on the caffeine wagon and survived, which actually emboldened me to start drinking DC again, but in much smaller quantities (I’d have 2 or 3 cans stacked up on my desk daily). I don’t think I’ll ever be able to resist McDonald’s fountain mix of DC, that’s just too much deliciousness to fight. Couldn’t they make it with splenda or something? They have real sugar Coke…
You guys are making me want a Diet Coke! Stop it!
Completely agree about tea being an excellent replacement for Diet Coke. I’m off the stuff for like 4 weeks now and I am getting to the point where I crave it, but not enough to cave. Like you, I know eventually I’ll have another one here and there, but I had to break the two-a-day addiction. I think my parents put that stuff in my baby bottle!
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[...] myself to be a pretty healthy eater. I hardly ever do fast food. I truly enjoy eating vegetables. I even quit diet soda! I do have my vices- Sour Patch Kids, wine, chocolate, coffee- but I don’t think I indulge in [...]