I ain't missing you ...

We were together so long, I thought I would love you forever. I didn't think I could get through a day without you. I thought I would never be able to give you up but things change, people change, and I think I'm happy to get you out of my system. I see you and think I want to bring you back in my life but then I think about how you really don't do anything for me and I get over my need/want to have you back in my life again.

I don't know if I believe the hype about diet soda making people fat. I know most of my skinny friends drink the full sugar versions if they drink soda at all and I know my dentist will be happy I quit drinking the stuff. The caramel coloring and acid stuff is really bad for your teeth.

I have to admit I'm a bit shocked I don't miss my daily dose. I would share at least 3-4 glasses on weeknights, would start my weekend days by having one with breakfast along with my coffee and would drink almost a liter or 3-4 cans a day on the weekends. I didn't consciously decide to give it up but when B was in the hospital I didn't buy any and just started drinking more water. I still have a few lone cans in the back of my fridge but they don't call me as loud and forcefully as they once did.

I was hooked after my very first taste. It was like a drug addiction. I think I started drinking it in 1982 or 1983 when it first hit the shelves. It was so much better than regular Coke or Pepsi and I honestly drank it just for the taste of it. When ordering in a restaurant I would always ask if it was Coke or Pepsi products and would end up drinking water if they didn't have my sweet Diet Coke. Some even say there is a Diet Coke Cult.

What could be wrong with quenching my thirst with a zero calorie beverage? Were the ingredients really that bad for me? What could be wrong with a little Carbonated Water, Caramel Color, Aspartame, Phosphoric Acid, Potassium Benzoate (to protect taste), Natural Flavors, Citric Acid, Zero Calories, 0g Fat, 40mg Sodium, 0g Carbs and 0g protein. I don't know if it ever did me any harm but it probably didn't do much good and I'll certainly be cutting out a lot of my daily sodium intake.

Was it just a superficial relationship? If I got out of the habit of my daily dose of Diet Coke, shouldn't I be able to get off the rest of the sugar and bad carbs I continue to eat. I know the sugar and white starchy carbs are even worse for me than a little zero calorie, sweet, bubbly, just for the taste of it, Diet Coke.

I don't know if I'm ready to say I'll never have another Diet Coke again (never is a very long time) but, for right now, I'm going to try to stay off the stuff and see what happens. That can't be bad for me, right?

(Necklace and other repurposed jewelry products can be found here)

Love and Fat

Do you think being in love makes you fat? Do we let ourselves get too comfortable in our relationships and give up taking care of ourselves? Do we only worry about our appearance when we are looking for love and give up once we find it. I wonder whether I would have gained so much weight if I had been single the past 25 years.

I know so many women who go on extreme diets, starve themselves and work out like maniacs to fit into their wedding dress and then they can't even squeeze into it when they get back from their honeymoon. They all look at their wedding pictures and wish they could get back to that unrealistic weight again.

Last week while B was away I ate healthy and didn't miss a single work out. The other thing I noticed was I didn't drink any Diet Coke even though I had plenty in stock. It makes me wonder why I'll sneak food when B is home but when I am by myself and can eat anything I want without having to hide it I don't.

Hmmm...it makes me think of a recent study about friends making you fat (sorry I'm too lazy to look up the link). It basically suggests that when you are around people who eat fast, you tend to eat fast. When we are surrounded by people who lead a sedentary life, we tend to do the same. If your friends and family are fat you are more likely to follow in their footsteps.

When B is drinking Diet Coke, I want to drink it too. When all my friends are partying and enjoying massive quantities of food and drink I want to be part of the party too. When there is a celebration I want to eat cake with everyone else.

Is it possible to make lasting changes if the people you surround yourself with don't make those changes too?