Just to let you know- this blog is no longer active. I'll be keeping up my 101 in 1001 list until its completion, but will not be writing new posts. You can read the post below if you want the long version. Thanks for the journey to all my friends in the blogosphere!

Monday, June 27, 2011

Clearing the Diet Coke out of my Bloodstream

A few days ago, I was frustrated because my fitness goals weren't going anywhere. (I can't even finish the 30 Day Shred for goodness sake! Something always comes up by Week 2.) When I lived by myself in a city where I didn't know anyone, it was so easy to stick to ridiculous exercise regiments. Notsomuch now.

So, out of the blue, I decided to take on a challenge I could actually get through without anything at all to throw me off course:

54. Give up Diet Coke (which for me, means all soda) for a month.

I don't think Diet Coke is just this horrible, horrible thing. I know the aspartame is bad for you, but I think it's not as bad as all the added calories/sugar you get from a regular soda. Probably, after this challenge, I'll go back to drinking Diet Coke occasionally. I just hope this month off breaks my ridiculous 2, 3, or 4 can a day habit!

For me, there's other side effect benefits too. When I drink less Diet Coke, I....

1. Save money. All those little cans add up!

2. Eat less. I never drink Diet Coke by itself. It's always with a meal or a snack and sometimes I find myself eating more because there's more soda in the can. I don't do that with water.

3. Drink more water. Obviously. I'm not a big fan of other flavored drinks- lemonade, flavored water, juices, tea, etc- so it's basically just water for me this month.

4. Eat healthier foods. Yesterday, my husband ran out to grab something for us to eat after church. The thought of eating any kind of greasy fast food without a Diet Coke kind of grosses me out. So we got Japanese instead and I ended up with a bowl of vegetables, shrimp, and rice instead of the Bojangles chicken biscuit and fries that might have been otherwise.

I've only been off a few days now and I've had some caffeine headaches, but I think I'm over the hump now.

What have you given up or cut back on that's made a big difference for you?

7 comments:

  1. I recently (re)cut sweets out of my life for a month. For some reason, once I allow one sweet to enter my diet, the flood gates tend to open.

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  2. we used to drink diet coke and have it in the house all the time like 5-6 years ago. WE just stopped buying it and now I never drink it. Bill gets it when we go out to eat and that's it. It's been so good to drink more water!

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  3. *as I sip a diet coke*

    Yeah, 2-3 is not ridiculous. The 6-7 a day I was drinking at the law firm, after my 2-3 cups of coffee...now that was insane. And stupid. Not sure how I wasn't having heart palpitations? I'm down to 2 caffeinated beverages a day and hanging tough. It's not fun at the end of the week when I have to pry my eyelids open with toothpicks, but I know I am being healthier. Right????

    Good luck!!!

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  4. Good for you and I may just need to get on the bandwagon with you....again! Those darn diet cokes.....

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  5. I love diet coke a bit too much. I try not to drink it on days I plan to exercise later. That generally helps my consumption.

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  6. I find if I have a reusable water bottle with me at all times I drink so much more water throughout the day. I have one that holds 30-some ounces and I love it. PS how do you like the 30 day shred?? I just ordered it online.

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  7. I am on the all water...kicked the soda habit and I feel a lot less bloated. What really worked for me was cutting sugar. It kicked my body into gear!

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