Soda has always been one of my true vices. I drank Coke for a loooong time and it made me a lot fatter than I would have been without it. Two years ago I switched from regular to diet and lost almost twenty pounds without changing anything else about my diet or fitness level. I lost another twenty when I started walking every day but the soda made a huge difference.
Once the switch to diet was complete I started working on my caffeine addiction. I’m happy to say I’ve been almost completely caffeine free for year. I may have one regular diet soda when I’m out somewhere or perhaps an iced tea but only a few times per month, if that. My anxiety levels are down and I’m sleeping better than I ever have.
So I thought I was doing pretty good with the caffeine-free diet soda. But I had one today and a half hour later I am feeling fuzzy-headed and tired. I also had a very strong craving for cigarettes that didn’t go away until I switched back to water. It could just be a coincidence but I’m not willing to risk it. I think the ciggy thing is due to conditioning. When I drank soda I smoked (since I was doing both almost all the time) and my mind made a connection between the two of them, hence why the craving disappeared when I went back to water. But I can’t explain the fuzzy thinking and sudden dip in energy. I’ve been full of getupandgo since I started eating low carb. The only thing I did differently today was drink the soda.
It was a caffeine-free diet Pepsi I drank. I wonder if things would be different if I had Splenda-sweetened Diet Rite instead? Maybe I should just scratch it and avoid soda altogether from now on. I’ve certainly felt healthier since switching to water.
Update: I’m also feeling a teensy bit nauseated. Don’t know if it’s related or not.
