Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Knowing Your Enemy


"Our greatest foes, and whom we must chiefly combat, are within"

The subject of Coca-Cola has been no stranger on this blog.  I've admitted how highly addicted to the stuff I was.  I know I can never go back.  For almost three years after WLS, I didn't have any soda.  I actually tried to have some probably four months post-op, and felt like I was dying.  (I was doubled up in the fetal position for almost an hour, bad.)  So fear was my biggest motivator for not drinking soda for some time.  The longest time I've went without soda prior to that was probably two months.  Even in college when money was really tight, I always seemed to have money for Coca-Cola. 

Now I am almost four years post-op, and I love the generic version of Diet Mountain Dew.  I have transferred the quantity of drinks right back to where I was pre-op, except this time they are sugar free.  I am going to give up soda for good.  I asked one lady at work how she did it, and she said she simply started with, "It can't come into my house anymore."  Simple enough.  What isn't in your house you can't consume.  Also, I am doing it for the sake of my teeth.  I have awful teeth.  My mom has a two inch thick file at the dentist, and I am getting a running start on that.  I can actually see where my enamel has eroded. 

These next few weeks are not going to be easy, but I CAN do this.  I remember when I always had a water bottle in my hand.  It was all I knew post-op for so long.  I can go back to this.

2 comments:

ChiTown Girl said...

YES, you can!! I didn't say anything then, but since you've written about it, I have to tell you that I was so concerned about the sheer quantity of pop that you guys consumed while I was visiting. I know it was sugar-free, but it still made me worry for you. In the back of my mind, I always think about how I've read that Coke can be used to remove rust (!) so I always think about what it must be doing to people's insides.

I'm so glad you're going to try and get it out of your life. I was SUCH a Diet Coke addict when I was young. I would start my day with one, back before I drank coffee, and then drink them all day long.

Like you mentioned, I just try not to bring it in my house. Especially because I don't want Stud drinking pop. The only time I really have pop in my house is when I'm having company. Otherwise, it's water, milk or juice for us. Occasionally we'll have some Crystal Lite, but it's mostly water.

Now that I'm old, I can't even drink pop when I want it. (Sometimes, you just gotta have a Diet Coke! Like when I'm eating pizza!) It makes my stomach blow up like a balloon, and it's just really not worth it anymore. I end up spending the next few hours belching like a man. Yuk!

Good luck with this. I have complete confidence in your ability to kick the pop habit! :)

Katie said...

I was a die-hard diet coke addict (3-4 cans a day at minimum). But thanks to some astronomical dentist bills (which he attributed to my habit), I've definitely cut back. I honestly had no idea how bad the carbonation was for my teeth! It's crazy.

One trick was just not having them at home, so they're impossible to drink. But at work, we have a stocked fridge. So, I have to make sure that I have an alternative. And let's be real, plain water is no alternative to delicious sugary carbonated water. But some crystal light definitely helps. :)

Good luck to you!