A man who “drank too much Diet Coke” said he refused to accept it was bad for him before embarking on four weeks without the drink in a bid to prove his conviction.
Paul Turner, an editor at Wales Online, said that people have “been picking on me for years” about his love of Diet Coke. But he would respond that it has zero calories or sugar, saying it’s no worse than any other processed drink or food.
He told people he doesn’t drink tea, coffee, doesn’t eat meat and only had two alcoholic drinks at the weekend.
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Paul said: “I knew Diet Coke contained the artificial sweetener aspartame, but so did tons of drinks, even many fruit pumpkins and flavored waters. People also told me what happened when you left a penny in a Coke glass and how they had to do it the same with my insides, but by no means did I give up.”
But one day, without thinking about it, Paul “naturally decided to have an occasional glass of water rather than open a can of Coke.” He added: “I thought I could do it, so I did it even more.
“Then I thought with my journalist’s head that I could try an experiment where I give it up completely, almost, and then write about it. I say almost as the rules of the game were, that I will always have it as a mix with my favorite weekend tip, Tia Maria.
“So that was it, no more Diet Coke as a straight drink and basically none during the week.
Before accepting his challenge, Paul said he would have a glass of Diet Coke at noon, another mid-afternoon, and occasionally another toward the end of the afternoon. He had another with dinner and the last one around 9:30 p.m.
He added: “One room in my house was always stocked with boxes of things and there was a stock ready in the fridge.”
Paul weighed 14 and a half stone when he started the challenge, with a 104cm waist. Here’s what happened when he ditched Diet Coke.
Day first
“Before that I was around late 13, early 14. I liked that my gain was due to the strength training I was doing more before that point and the muscle mass, but I have no real idea if it was or I was fooling myself .
“My waist measurement felt bigger than before and I find that measuring your waist is far from an exact science. But last time I measured I was 103cm, a few years ago I was only 95cm when I was doing tons of exercise.”
“While I didn’t see any dramatic physical effects from my sudden change in liquid refreshment the first day and found that drinking water was fine, I craved a bit of sweetness. But I had an epiphany. I realized that my glass of Coke it wasn’t just for liquid refreshment, I drank it because my body got used to having a sip of something sweet after every salty bite.
“Now there was no sweetness to cover with spiciness. It was a big change and a transformative moment in my understanding of my own body and habits.”
The second day
“I wouldn’t really call it cold turkey, it wasn’t like I was giving up nicotine or anything. But if I had any withdrawal symptoms, it was today when they kicked in.
“I was a little irritable and irritable. I also had a headache in the afternoon. Of course, I have no idea if any of these things were related or if it’s just a coincidence.”
Day three
“I felt like I turned the corner today and felt up for the challenge. I was on holiday at the time, which definitely helped.”
Day four
“The big test when I was back at work. How would I cope with no Diet Coke when I had to focus all day? Whether it was getting back to a normal routine, without my routine drinking, I started to miss it today.” .
“I started having debates in my own brain. My brain would say, ‘Just have your Coke, you love it, it probably won’t make a difference,’ then another part of me would say, ‘No, you can do it — stick with it. “
Day five
“I went for a 55k cycle in beautiful warm weather and how I longed for an ice-cold bike with little bubbles forming on the outside of the glass. I could almost feel it, hear the ice cubes clinking against each other. The raging debate in my head began .” all over again.”
Day six
“I felt the need for fruit today, not the feeling I’m used to. So I went and bought some, also not like me. The fruity, juicy, naturally sweet taste of strawberries and grapes helped calm my coke a bit.” tastes, of course also healthier, a bit of a by-product!”
Day seven
First weigh-in and Paul lost 1.25 pounds and three inches off his waist. He said it encouraged him to keep going.
Day eight onwards
“At this point I stopped noticing the daily changes. I was now in a rhythm and used to my routine. I still missed the diet wheels, but I didn’t crave them and found other ways to satisfy my sweet tooth, with fruit.” !
“One thing I found was that I was less tired at work. I found that I used to have highs and lows, maybe the low after the high caffeine content of the Diet Coke and the fake sugar.
“If I was tired that day, it was smoothed out rather than up and down, and much more manageable as a result.”
End of second week
After the second week, Paul said he had lost another pound, but his waist was 0.5cm bigger. He added: “But I’ve been busy this week, I’ve had a lot less time to practice.”
End of the third week
Paul lost 1.5 pounds and 0.5 cm from his waist.
End of the fourth week
Paul said his weight had “returned to its normal range” as he gained 0.75 pounds in the week, although he was still 2.5 pounds lighter than when he started. He also shaved half an inch off his waist.
After a full month, Paul lost 4.5 pounds and shaved 2 inches off his waist.
Conclusion
Paul said he hoped the experiment “wouldn’t change anything” so he could continue drinking it. He added: “But I can’t ignore 5.5cm off my waist in a few weeks, that feels pretty spectacular. And the weight loss wasn’t to be thrown away either.”
“Whether it was all because of the Diet Coke ban or a combination of things, the numbers don’t lie.
“So, since the end of this experiment, I’ve stuck to the plan. I’ve allowed myself a Diet Coke with food at the occasional meal when I’m driving, but other than that I’ve pretty much let it go.”
“I miss it a little, but not much. I’m hoping the weight and waistline keep getting smaller.”
“I tried something and I feel like it worked and it made a huge difference in my diet and my life. Maybe it won’t work for you, or maybe you don’t have the interest or need to try it, but for me the journey was worth it and I continue on this journey.”
Diet Coke has fewer calories and sugar than regular fizzy drinks, so many experts believe it’s okay in moderation.
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