The Verdict so Far

I think it's been about 3 weeks since I've had any diet coke and I have to say, I have formed some opinions on the subject. This is by no means scientific, it's just me, not drinking diet cola or consuming any artificial sweeteners.

I think I'm really glad I stopped.

What prompted me to write this post tonight is that my left knee isn't hurting. That may not seem like a big deal, but I am so used to accommodating a sore knee that I almost don't know what to do without it. It's kind of a shock to sit in my chair and not have to contort my body in a way that doesn't stress my knee. I also tend to have chronic pain in my right shoulder that seems mostly absent these days. I've read that one of the side-effects of drinking carbonated soda is joint aches-- I think I believe it.

Now I'm sure the diet cola addicts are still sucking up their aspartame and shaking their heads at my new-agey silliness. But I think I'm on to something here.

Normally when I try to lose weight I have two problems; appetite and sugar cravings. Since I've ditched the diet cola, those problems have almost disappeared. That isn't to say that I never want any chocolate, but it's a lot easier to eat it in moderation right now. I've also been able to incorporate a lot more veggies into my diet without feeling the need to go back and demolish the leftovers from dinner.

Baby steps.

I don't weigh myself because scales are deadly to me. But I have lost an inch off of my waist, so I'd say that's progress. I'm still lifting weights and doing cardio six days a week too.

I'm not trying to say that I think going off of the diet cola will make your weight melt off. Goodness knows it takes at least twice as long to get off as it came on. (If you haven't ever watched "Supersize Me" by Morgan Spurlock, you should. He gained 25 pounds in one month of eating nothing but McDonalds food. It took him 4 months on a strict vegan diet to lose 20 pounds and another 6 to lose the last five-- so don't expect overnight results) I can't stress this enough to anyone trying to lose weight--with or without the diet coke-- be gentle with yourself. Don't expect overnight results.

I've decided I'm going to give this whole diet-coke-less thing at least a year (though I'll probably never drink it again) just to see what kind of a difference just changing one thing can make.

If you don't mind, I'll post regular updates. This works for me as kind of a journal I can use to keep track of my progress and note the changes I feel in my body. Hopefully I can encourage some other people to try this experiment with me.

If that sounds interesting to you-- One trick to not drinking soda is simply switching to something else. Some people have luck with tea but I wanted something cold. So I drink a tall glass of water and juice; 3/4 water to 1/4 juice. I avoid juices with artificial sweeteners and the high fructose corn syrup. So far the juice/water combo works well for me.

Tell me what you think? Anyone else tempted to leave the diet evil?