MY DIET COKE ADDICTION
The ability to distort your mind from thinking Diet Coke for breakfast, lunch, and dinner is normal and eating will only lead to weight gain is crazy. I used to drink 2-4 litres of Diet Coke daily to suppress my appetite and keep caffeinated. My addiction was so bad I used to hide 2L bottles in my car and pour them into smaller bottles to pretend it was just the one Diet Coke I was sipping on all day at work. It was like I was a drug addict hiding my addiction from my co-workers, all in the name of weight loss and energy reliance.
For anyone with a Diet Coke addiction, the struggle is real. Trying to board planes with enough Diet Coke and chewing gum to satisfy you is embarrassing. The empty bottles, the excess weight of carrying litres of coke in your bag and the constant toilet trips, don’t forget the loud noise of opening a can or bottle during a quiet flight…Cringe.
My addiction was so bad people knew where I was based on the opening of Coke cans, and when I went to Europe, the Diet Coke tasted different, less sweet and in smaller portions. On holidays, I was constantly scouting local corner stores and ordering excessive amounts of diet coke from room service. Let’s just say a few too many hundred euros were spent on Diet Coke in room service fees and comer store visits.
When I quit Coke, I was no longer satisfied with the buzz it gave me. The magic sugar-free energy potion became dull and depressing. I had overconsumed diet coke so much that it was making me tired and ill.
Coming for a Diet Coke-only diet, I was scared to give it up. I knew the chemicals were bad, but it was delicious and comforting; plus, they controlled my appetite and allowed me to skip meals easily. I was scared cutting Diet Coke would make me fat, and I would have no alternative. Finally, after my addiction felt unrewarding, I quit cold turkey. No Coke, just sparkling water and natural sugar-free alternatives like stevia-sweetened kombucha and soda.
When I say quitting Diet Coke cold turkey was horrible, I mean horrible! During the first week of quitting, I felt so emotionally unstable and tired. I cried for no reason (multiple times in the day, at work, in front of my boss), and I felt like a bus had hit me, draining all my energy. I felt like I was dying, seriously ill and unstable for the first five days of sobriety.
I had cravings, but not enough to encourage me to drink Diet Coke. Instead, I leant on my substitutes that were less satisfying but working ok. After day 5, I felt okay, stronger, less vulnerable and semi-satisfied with my ‘healthier’ sugar-free alternatives. They weren’t Diet Coke, but they were okay. I began feeling more normal and adaptive to my new lifestyle changes past the two-week mark. Years later, I can confidently say quitting Diet Coke was life-changing. My self-reliance on caffeinated energy created massive instability in my mood and energy levels.
If you are addicted to the magic appetite suppressant drink, know that sparkling water and stevia-based alternatives are great stepping stones towards quitting. The alternatives don’t taste as good but are great transitional products towards quitting.
Ps. While quitting, if you feel like you’re dying, it's working and will encourage you to never go back to drinking diet coke ever again. Do I sometimes want a cold Diet Coke on a hot summer day? YES!! Do I want to recover from my Diet Coke addiction again? NO!! I think sparkling water or kombucha will serve me fine in the future when desired.