I don’t mean soda, I don’t mean diet drinks, and I don’t include Diet Pepsi in this group. When I ask a restaurant server for a Diet Coke and they do that thing (you know that thing) where they tilt their head to the side, pop the hip a little bit, scrunch their nose and say “Diet Pepsi okay?” --- when they do this, I want to say “No… it is NOT okay.” I feel assaulted when they ask me if Diet Pepsi is okay. When I go into a gas station intent on filling up a Super Guzzler to the brim from the fountain machine only to find a case with bottled sodas, my heart literally sinks --- a Diet Coke from the fountain machine is obviously 10 million times better than a pre-packaged bottle! How do people not see this!? If someone asked me what one material item I would take with me if I was deserted on a desert island, I would reply “A Diet Coke fountain machine with an unlimited supply of Diet Coke.”
I say again, I am a Diet Coke addict.
In my efforts to challenge myself, and my addictive personality (to Diet Coke, to emotional eating, to cigarettes, to television) I have decided that today is Day One of releasing myself from the clutches of Diet Coke. I was recently inspired to remove Diet Coke from my life by a colleague who has lost 170-something pounds in the past two years. He spent that entire time actively choosing not to drink Diet Coke because he felt it would get in the way of his goal.
Well, props to Dan for his strength, but I will not be giving up Diet Coke for two full years or for the entire duration of my weight loss journey. But I have realized recently that the one thing majorly missing from my life (besides vegetables) is H20!! How can I possibly think that I will get healthy if I am not replenishing my body? So, today is Day One of what I am calling the “1-month / 1-Gallon Challenge.” I will not be drinking any Diet Coke until March 20th (yes, this includes my 25th birthday AND the entirety of my trip to NYC for Spring Break). I will instead be doing my best to drink 1-gallon of water per day for the next 30 days. To many people, 1-gallon seems like a LOT. This means drinking a regular sized bottle of water about 6 times a day. Sounds a bit easier, right? Hopefully, this challenge will not only jumpstart my weight loss and help my face not be so puffy (it is so gross right now) but also get me in the habit of drinking water regularly.
To my co-workers, classmates, student leaders – anyone who sees me on a regular basis – I ask that you remind me of my goal often and with urgency. While I do not hold anyone by myself responsible for completing this challenge, I do hope that those around me will be supportive and helpful.
Oh, Diet Coke --- I miss you already. But being healthy and felling sexy will taste so much better than you do.
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