…which if you know me well, is really saying something.

i am a full-blown diet coke addict. i have, for probably years, walked into work each day with a huge diet coke and consumed the entire thing before 9 am. it makes me happy when i am sad, celebrates with me when something goes well, keeps me company on road trips and gets me through the {somewhat} stressful days living life as a communications professional. the crisp, refreshing taste truly makes it the nectar of the gods.

but, it had to go. for the past few months i haven’t felt well. i’ve been tired when i wake up, i got afternoon headaches, i was/ am gaining weight more easily than usual {could be those brownies i just ate, whatevs} and i just generally felt kind of terrible. i kept wondering what could be causing this and came to only one conclusion: diet coke.

i’ve tried to quit before. i’ve gone a few days without my beloved addiction many times, only to return to that silver can because honestly, i didn’t feel that different. i remember last time i was in california i told my mom that when i would quit drinking it i never felt better, so why give something up that brings me so much joy? but this time has been different.

i felt immediately better. i replaced the refreshing DC with sparking water {which i already love} and told myself i was going to just go a few days without it. i’ve been drinking crystal light with energy in the mornings to save myself from withdrawl headaches {for now} and will gradually cut down on that as the weeks go by. my ‘few days’ has turned into a week

photo: wikipedia.com

that i take one day at a time, like the alcoholics.

but seriously, i feel great. i have been a bit tired, but there aren’t the swings in energy levels that there are when you’re consuming a huge amount of caffeine. and the afternoon headaches are totally gone. i’m not saying i go out and run a million miles after work or anything, but i definitely feel like i have more stamina generally during the day.

it’s been hard. there are moments when i’m so sad i can’t get a diet coke, but i just grab a sparkling water and try not to dwell on it. the thing about addiction is that you are never ‘recovered’ you are always ‘recovering.’ i am hoping that after a few months the void in my heart will be filled and i won’t think about it as longingly as i do now, but it will probably be a life-long battle for me.

here’s to week two!