Hello, My name is Amanda and I have a problem.

I drink about half a gallon of diet coke a day. I have one first thing in the morning. I look forward to my coke breaks throughout the day. When I travel overnight, I make sure to bring along some diet cokes in case the place I am staying doesn't have any handy.

With subtle pressure from my husband (in the form of information) and not-so-subtle pressure from some friends, I've decided to kick the coke habit. Now, I don't plan to become a T-tolarer, but I want to be more in control of the consumption. I aspire to become a person who has an occasional coke when out for a burger or with popcorn at the movies. I aspire to no longer be that person who has to hide diet cokes in her suitcase.

I went back and forth on deciding between a slow weaning -- cutting back from four a day to three to two to one to half... but decided instead that method might continue my cravings for the sweet-that-isn't-so sweet. I instead quit cold turkey. I drank my last diet coke Friday morning. For my morning fizzy-fix, I drink orange juice mixed with ginger ale. For the headaches (from caffeine withdrawal) I take ibuprofen. I drink lots of water and have another OJ in the afternoons for another pick-me-up. Saturday, I took a nap while Caroline napped. It was like a drugged sleep -- I was restless and fidgety, but I didn't want to get up.

My reasoning behind suddenly giving up my habit has to do with the research John pointed out to me -- that diet cokes make you fat. The theory is that sugar consumption makes your body crave more sugar. You drink a diet coke, though, causing your body to continually crave more sweets but that original carving isn't satiated, so you crave even more sweets and end up consuming even more calories.

So there. It's in writing, published for all the world to see. And hold me accountable. Kicking the diet coke habit -- let's hope it continues to WORK FOR ME!
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