Hello, my name is Kelly & I am a popaholic.....

Let me start by saying I am in no way making light of AA or alcoholism w/ the title of this post. I just feel that it is appropriate for how much I feel addicted to diet soda. I know that sounds pretty extreme but let me take you back a bit. I don't think we drank much pop in my house growing up. If we did it was usually caffeine free & always diet. I probably started drinking it more in my High School years when I could make my own beverage choices at school or when out with friends. Always drank diet tho - a chubby chicks best friend LOL

In my college days I drank Diet Pepsi. I probably went thru about a case a week along w/ whatever I would drink while out & about. Sometime in the mid-90s I switched to Diet Coke. The Dt Pepsi wasn't doing it for me anymore. Maybe I wanted that "Ahhhh!" feeling like in the Coke commercial or something. I was probably going thru @ least 2 cases a week at that point. I quit in late 1999 when I was pregnant w/ F. Went 9 months without a soda but not long after I realized BF was a bust I started drinking it again in mass quantities. I was sleep deprived after all - I need it. I quit again when I became pregnant w/ A. This time tho one day about 5 months in I was having a really stressful afternoon at work & I caved. Bought myself a Diet Coke sat at my desk, took that first icy cold swig & "Ahhhh!" felt all my troubles bubbling away. So for the rest of my pregnancy I allowed my self one daily Dt Coke - usually at 3 pm break. I resumed full consumption after he was born.

About a year or so later I went to the dentist & was shocked to find out I had like 8 cavities or so. The dentist said that the acid from the pop was weakening the enamel & I needed to stop drinking it. I did give it up for awhile but then I caved. Only the Dt Coke wasn't really enough to satisfy me anymore. I switched to Diet Dr Pepper. I was probably drinking at least a 6 pack worth a day if not more.

When I decided to lose weight for my hip surgery a few years back one of my first goals, like now was to quit the pop. By then a lot of research had been coming out that diet pop is detrimental to losing weight. I was pop free for several months but then I got to my goal & it was harder to resist. I started "rewarding" my self after a work out by walking down to the end of the strip center to to a convenience store & buying a Dt Dr Pepper. I mean I had read that caffeine actually boasts you metabolism so really I was helping my self right? And I read on Myspace that Trainer Bob from Biggest Loser was a Diet Dr Pepper fan himself so really didn't that just make it perfect?

But as with the other times eventually one pop became two & two became four & so on. After a year of maintaining pretty well my weight started coming back. I quit the pop a few times over the last year when I have tried to stop the upward spiral of my weight only to fall off the wagon big time. About a year ago I had to make the switch to diet Mt Dew. My Dr Pepper just was giving me the satisfaction I craved anymore. I was still refusing to buy pop for the house - it was my way of keeping my consumption in check. In reality it started making me buy bigger & bigger bottles. Instead of a couple cans I was stopping at BP every morning & grabbing 2 one liter bottles. One for on the way & one for the afternoon crash. Of course that didn't count the pop I would get with lunch or the one I would stop for on my way home. On the weekends I would ask T to stop on his way home & get me one - or if he was home send him out in the morning - couldn't start the day w/ a headache now could I? I also couldn't walk out of a store w/ out grabbing one for the road.

About a month ago I finally realized how much money I was flushing away buying pop at every convenience store & gas station I encountered. So I started buying pop for home again which means I was drinking it non-stop from the moment I woke up to about the time I went to bed. UGH! Not good!

Over the last few years all this research has come out about how bad pop - esp diet pop is for you. It makes your body crave sugar so it actually leads to weight gain. It causes bone density loss. It causes, gulp, belly fat to form. So all of that along with a million other things including my teeth problems you would think staying away from the stuff would be super no brainer right? Sometimes I think all that "bad" stuff actually makes me crave it more (which along w/ some other deviant behavior is something for another post).

The big question I am sure you are asking - the one I ask myself all the time is WHY??? What is the big whoop. Why do I fall to the siren song of carbonated bubbles over & over again. For one thing it is just that. The bubbles - a tingly effervescent "lift" as soon as you open the can or bottle - I absolutely hate flat pop. Which leads me to the taste - obviously the flavor is a big draw. And I am sure caffiene is a huge factor. I mean I don't ever drink caffeine free pop. It just doesn't have the "bite" in the taste for me. I know - probably all in my head but I swear I can tell.

So last week my first goal was to get off the pop - again. I decided to wean off - I think it is easier - no pounding headaches & crazy cravings. I mean to go from what - 3 liters a day to nothing? I would probably have sent my system into shock. So Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday it was 2 cans only. Thursday & Friday it was one can. Now the last of my last 12 pk is gone. So I am on day 3 of no pop. I'm not feeling too crazy yet. I am thirsty all the time tho so I have to start upping my water now. I have noticed I am sleeping better - altho I would have sworn the pop wasn't effecting my sleep habits at all I have realized that while it didn't keep me from falling asleep it made my sleep much more restless. I feel less bloated/poufy too. I got on the scale Saturday & was down 5 pounds. Most of that was pop bloat I am sure but I will take it - it's a step in the right direction anyway.

So this week I concentrate on healthy eating. I did start working on that last week. I was bringing my lunch to work & I went to McDonald's Sat for lunch w/ f & my MIL & I didn't order a fry or a McFlurry which have been McD's mainstays for me all summer. But I wasn't completely dedicated to it yet - yesterday we had a family function at a really nice restaurant & I ate a whole lot of rich foods - my last hurrah! before buckling down I guess (& I am avoiding the scale until next week - don't want to see a rebound from that crazy meal or I will be kicking myself) I am also going to keep up my walking w/ my friend Paige. It's really keeping me motivated to get out there & exercise to have a buddy to go with - thanks Paige!!!! I'd also like to find some more time to blog here - I have a lot of junk streaming thru my brain that I need to get out & examine & deal with if this is going to be successful. T read my first blog post & has committed to being on board with me. I hope w/ all my heart that he can. In the meantime it's one day at a time - so open up a bottle of water w/ me & toast to my first small success ;)