For this week’s blog post I thought I’d go completely off tangent and discuss something other than cars that is near and dear to my heart. Diet Coke. I am by anyone’s admission a Diet Coke Junkie. Actually, junkie’s may think that my addiction level is a bit out of control. If left to my own vices I could knock back 12 delicious DC’s by noon on most days (and let’s not forget the 44 ouncer that I had on the way in to the office). Just seeing a Diet Coke machine lifts my spirits for some reason, and if I ever make it to NASCAR some day I fully expect the Coca-Cola Corporation to sponsor my car for free as retroactive payment for the oodles and oodles of dollars that I’ve pumped into their company.
I’m not sure when I got so utterly hooked on the stuff, but it likely happened as a kid. I was allergic to most sugars back then, so I was not allowed to eat sweets. The only pop that I could have had to be diet to avoid the sugar. I never lost the taste for it. Today, as an adult, drinking a “real” pop like a Coke or a Mountain Dew is a lot like drinking pancake syrup to me. Yuck. Truth be told though, I think that I really became addicted to DC the day I received my drivers license. You see, driving and Diet Coke go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly. Whether it was my old ’76 Nova or my ’64 Chevelle, taking a drive always made me thirsty (and it still does).
This leads me to the point of this blog post. I’m trying to cut back (but not quit) on Diet Coke. My wife and I started following the diet and exercise regiment in Tim Ferris’ book, “The Four Hour Body” to improve our health a bit, as after the third baby my wife wanted to get back to her normal self, and I wanted to know what it might be like to have 6-pack abs (my best to date has been a 2-pack, but I think those may have been my ribs). While the No-Carb, No Sweets diet and exercise regimen have not been too tough for me, one thing has; it restricts Diet Coke intake to 16 ounces per day. In other words, this diet is utter hell. What makes it worse is that if you follow the diet and exercise regimen as prescribed it works like a charm, so it makes the incentive to stay off of DC that much more difficult.
Without going into great detail on it, the book notes that while Nutrisweet does not trigger insulin spikes that lead to fat loss, it is a fairly proven fact that any more than 16 ounces per day will pause fat loss for about 75% of the people. I am in that 75%, thus I am in an incredible bind. While I’d love to be uber fit and healthy, I enjoy a DC in the morning just like most people like the first cup of coffee. Giving up Diet Coke throughout my day has proven to be tough, and while I have cut back some I’m no where close to 16 ounces. My best day so far as been 32 ounces. I’ll let you know if it works once I get down to 16 ounces per day, assuming I live that long.
Since the Chevelle is in New Mexico in pieces right now I’m actually kind of glad I can’t drive it. If I could there would be no way I could lay off the the Diet Coke. That car and DC go hand-in-hand. My high school buddy JohnO could keep 2 44-ounce pops balanced on the driveshaft hump at all times, and there’s nothing like a whiff of fuel in the exhaust mixed with a little DC.
Ah well. If only I had real problems, right? Next week I’ll be back to highlighting the Chevelle build. It’s getting so good. I can’t wait to tell you all about the frame fixes and the new Detroit Speed suspension!
-Robert Kibbe
I know the problem, not to mention Diet Lime Coke. What do you substitute with I usually drink at least 64 ounces h20 daily also?
Don Mills
Rob, this is a subject near and dear to my heart. I, too, have been a Diet Coke fiend. I would have a 20oz with my breakfast, wash all that down with another 20oz and maybe another just for good measure. A couple more with lunch then a mid afternoon pick me up. I’d get home and choke down a few more with dinner. Then to relax in the evening, I’d burn through a 2 liter bottle.
I’m happy to report that I’m completely Diet Coke free. I really lucked into it. I caught a bad case of Pneumonia a few years ago (if ya call that lucky). I couldn’t eat or drink anything for a few weeks. I was in rough shape. The withdrawl was horrible. I thought my head was going to explode. When I got better, I went for a diet coke. I took a swig and it tasted awful! Ever since then, having gone through the withdrawl I no longer crave it. My wife still drinks it and once in a while I’ll steal a quick drink just to remind myself that I still don’t like it, and I don’t. It’s mainly water for me, now. I really don’t miss it at all.
You know you have a problem when you plan your daily trips around the possibility of not finding that next Diet Coke vendor! Where is the next Casey’s store? Quick Trip….
It would have been much easier to just fill up the cooler but….
I went cold turkey a couple years back and I was miserable! I over compensated with ice tea and other caffeine laden beverages.
I can now manage on a daily dose of 24oz and just get by. No more anxiety over the next convenience store for me!
Thanks for your ongoing financial support of our family. 😉 GOod to know you’re cutting back…everything within reason.
Checkout Betty Martini’s work on Aspertaime,, that stuff is horrible!