[the shameful evidence of my addiction]
I have always had a hard and fast rule in place for myself:
If I drink 48 ounces of water before noon, I allow myself the treat of a diet coke with my lunch. If I do not get that amount of water in before lunch, I have to drink water with lunch instead. And then I have to drink another 48 ounces of water throughout the rest of the day. (And pee every five minutes until bedtime).
It has worked very well for me, and has been something I've done for years. I feel great, love that I get so much water in, and really enjoy having the treat of a DC with lunch. I seldom have one at any other time during the day, and this has been a great system for me.
Lately, though, I've found myself changing that routine up a bit.
Instead of 48 ounces of water in the morning, I gulp a hurried 20 ounces down after a workout, jump in the shower, and head out to run errands. I might have accidentally, a time or two,
What was accidentally a time or two has now become a full-blown craving, addictive appetite for diet coke. And not just ANY diet coke. McDonald's.
I don't know what it is about their brown, cancer-laden, calorie-free soda, but it is different than everywhere else. It is downright delicious. Even the Husband, who loathes diet coke, admits to the deliciousness that is the Mickey Dees. It is not the same - they do something different to theirs. And judging by the way it affects me, I seriously wonder if they are lacing it with crack cocaine.
Because now? I find that I want it ALL. THE. TIME.
I know I have to get off the juice and cut myself back down to one a day, but, really? I kind of don't care. I don't drink, smoke, do drugs, or dance naked anywhere for money. If this is my vice, how bad can it be?
What say you, internet? Are you addicted to anything? Do you share my passion for the brown ambrosia at the golden arches? Should I cut it down to one cup a day? Or should I just go for it and indulge in my delicious addiction?
Discuss.
47 comments:
For me it's Diet Dr. Pepper. I've got two little kids that make me insane by the end of the day. DDP is my treat and I deserve it.
I gave up caffeine two years ago. But I still swill diet soda all. day. long.
Sometimes I don't even drink water. all. day. long.
I feel I should post this as anonymous.
More: I have convinced myself that because my diet soda does not have caffeine, I can't be addicted.
As vices go, I think this one is far less damning (and easier on the marriage) than dancing naked for money.
But... Since I gave up pop altogether, I feel so much better. Now if I could just give up baked, home-made delicousness.
But do you dance naked for free? You should always charge sista, always.
It's not just the flavor/carbonation combo at the golden arches, but there is also something about their straws. Mmmmm.
Clearly, I know EXACTLY what you are talking about.
I do, however, also get my water
(8 glasses) in every...most days.
Now, let's talk cookies.
It's the straw at McDonald's. The Big Straw. It allows for optimum Diet Coke consumption.
You.
Are.
Not.
Alone.
I try so hard to wean myself off of Diet Coke, but then it sucks me back in with it's tractor beam of goodness.
And, I see no problem with this addiction, just so long as your not dancing naked on the table tops of McDonalds. :)
I say COOKIE DOUGH AND DIET COKE are my staples and without them, life would be less fun. Also, I found that McD's drinks are about a buck less than anywhere else, which not only makes them yummy, but cheaper too! :)ENDULGE! (I am a bad influence.) Serious.
Don't even get me started! I was a big time Coke addict for YEARS, and nowhere did that sugary sweet nectar of the gods taste as good as it did from McDonalds. But as I sucked up the Coke, I piled on the pounds, and eventually switched to diet Mt. Dew. And then I became a full blown Mt. Dew addict for the past 4 years. I am trying to give up the caffeine, b/c I seriously think it messes with me. So now I sip on diet Gingerale. Can you say BORING?!
Ah the lure of the golden arches DC!! Who can resist sanity in a cup for 99 cents!
Yes, you are not crazy. It does taste better than everywhere else. I am the lady picking up In N Out for my kids and driving 10 minutes to McDonald's for my Diet Coke (and fries.)
They're doing something right and I'm hopelessly addicted. You know it's bad when you are leaving the gym and driving straight to Mickie Dees for the black acid. (And that is after only drinking a small bottle of water during my workout.)
I can't say anything witty (because everyone above me has already said it) but I did want to mention the naked dancing, the coke, etc. Um, so I share your craving (and I am prego - judge all you want, peeps) and agree that McD's is the place to purchase. I don't even bother with cans or bottles anymore: I need it from a fountain with a straw. It is almost like getting it intravenously and nothing could be better.
I'm right there with ya, sister friend. I wake up thinking about what I have to do during the day and where the closest McD's is in conjunction to my plans. So bad. So very, very bad!!! And can I just add that Sundays are torture? No McD's DC!!!!!!!!
Let me put down my DC to properly respond to this...
I am a Diet Coke connoisseur. I rarely if ever drink it out of a can. If I could install a DC fountain dispenser thingy & the perfect crushed ice dispenser in my house, I totally would. I believe that McD's has the best & most consistently good DC ever. They have the perfect amount of syrup to soda ratio. The fact that they sell a large for 99 cents is a plus as well.
I'm like you in that I try to get my water in first but also like you, I don't always succeed. But I only drink soda at work or if I'm out. I drink only water at home. I love and adore water. But nothing curbs my sweet tooth (other than, you know, sweets) than a DC.
But honestly, what do we get to have, as nice LDS girls (and guys?) Food and carbonated beverages. Every other vice will send us straight to hell, you know? So I say drink up and don't feel any guilt about it. But drink more water too. Water gives you great hair, teeth and skin so totally worth it in my book.
Ding ding ding! Longest comment of the day!
and the fact that it's only a $1 for any size.. you have to get the big one. do you know if caffine were discovered today it would probably be an illegal drug? just saying, cause i'm glad it wasn't!!
I'm sorry. I love you, and I realize after my comments I may be blocked, but I think Diet Coke is discusting. I don't think that's spelled right, but that's what I think.
We do have it around the house for "medicinal" purposes, usually when my husband or I just can't stay awake through the afternoon, but I think it's gross. I can't even drink a whole can. Clearly I am missing the Diet Coke gene.
Now if you want to talk homemade cookies, ice cream, homemade rolls addiction, I am right there with you.
I just don't get the Diet Coke - please stay my friend.
I have started to like icy drinks from fountains, but I am NOT going to start drinking caffeine. I know for a fact that I have some serious addiction issues with things...and would be scared for myself if I started. So,..I am always happy to see an occasional Diet Coke, caffeine free version. Then, I feel like I am a part of the group. :) but, i don't want that stuff sitting on my enamel too long- you know,...erosion. And then you have the cancerous artif. sweetener- (in my mind anyway, ...but who really knows though right? ) So, I indulge every now and then and it's a good guilt-free treat. I may not even run home and dip into the chocolate chips because of that little treat. My vote is for cutting back. But, I really think you are happy with your little indulgence so "GO FOR IT!"
I cannot handle DC. I need my full cup of sugar with the real thing. It has kept me sane and lovable for 61 years and even if it kills me, it's given me a happy life.
You are in good company, fellow addict. I, too, have made rules for myself about when/how much I can have per day and I am also prego so I really get to feel guilty about drinking it. But I still do. Every day.
I can't wait to see Andrea's comment.
I am completely and totally impressed with the fact that you manage, until very recently, to get in...let's see...what is 48 times two?...96 ounces of water a day!!! Even now that you are in a rush to run errands you are managing to get in 20 (after a vigorous workout) ounces before lunch!! I really am impressed.
I am not sure what advice to give...I am a food addict, no seriously, I am...and, for the life of me, I can't seem to gain mastery over it. I find that denial is working for me...
Nothing particularly witty to say other than a phrase,"In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you".....I totally DON'T believe caffeinated sodas are part of the W of W, but I do believe McDs is one of those conspiring men because I am in the throws of weaning myself off of McD's DC right now and I SWEAR they are lacing that stuff with crack cocaine....headaches, shakes....I almost feel like I need to check myself into rehab!
Having said that, I'm not judging at all because if you know anything about me, you know there is a 99% chance you will see me in the drive through at McDs next week. I'm so weak. *sigh*
I say as long as you are not snorting coke off the backside of ladies who dance naked for money... who are you really hurting with your addiction?
Im addicted to Coke zero and reading blogs... and Im secretly pleased you are not a perfect girl who only drinks water.
thank you lauren, for the no-pressure intro.
i have never even tasted dr. pepper, diet coke, root beer, or any other brown colored cola beverage. not because i'm super healthy, but because they are super unhealthy. i am not even ashamed anymore to act like a condescending, judgmental jerk when i tell people that there is no reason they should be drinking it. i suppose the occasional indulgence in any unhealthy yumyum is fine, right, since i ate 3 oreos last night, which is essentially the same thing, but the bottom line is if one feels like one must consume something such that it has become an addiction, then one must seriously consider giving up said yumyum. and after considering it, one must then do it.
i'm sure you didn't even see that one coming.
I just might do the same thing, so no help from me. McD DC is heavenly good! I wish I had andrea's discipline. Sip on, sister.
I think it's the straw too. It tastes magical with that straw. But currently I'm partial to coke one because it's yummy. And have you tried RC cola? Now that's some good, sweet stuff. It's my ONLY vice. Kind of. But I love that you got 24 comments onthis post because it obviously stirs up Feelings of pride or shame or confusion. Feelings.
I, too, love me some fountain Diet Coke. We don't have a McDonald's in our tiny town, so I always go to Casey's gas station. And, I do this on such a regular basis, I walk in with my clean Casey's cup, (if you reuse your old cups, you get the soda at a cheaper rate)fill it, and take it to the counter. They stopped asking me if it was a refill, they already know it is.
It may be MD straws, but I have found it to be fountain drinks. There is something about them. I think they taste SO MUCH BETTER!!
Oh, honey, come sit by me. You KNOW i love my DC. I do not, however, have a McDonald's drive thru nearby so I have to be content with a daily 7-Eleven run.
But I am conflicted and do try to stop now and then. Count me as a happy but guilty imbiber.
I drank 64 oz a day when I worked at the call center, just so I could get off the phones to pee. I pee'd a lot, and they couldn't write me up. I hated that job.
Now, I've gone 4 days without any caff-cola. Missla was sweet enough to buy me a box of neutered Dr. Pepper. Before 5 months ago, I went 4-5 years without caff.
I'd steer clear of the McFattys, because their food doesn't decompose: http://bit.ly/9rEEja They're definitely putting something in it.
My vice is solder fumes. I like they way burning lead smells. Building something awesome at the same time is pretty cool too.
http://bit.ly/dIYu
http://bit.ly/aeYhYz
http://bit.ly/crDpzs
Need I say more?
Come. On. Diet coke is made with water. I have to be right. It is liquid.
Were we separated at birth?
I'm right there with you on the DC addiction but Sonic is my distributor of choice. However when it's not happy hour you can't beat a Mc's $1 DC.
I've tried to stop having cans of it at home and go for quality over quantity!
My dear sweet husband HATES my addiction (see his comments above) but I know he truly loves me when I see him every once in a while pull into the driveway with a Sonic cup! Better than him bringing me flowers! :)
If I couldn't drink Diet Coke (with lime) then I'd be drinking the hard stuff and I don't mean Mountain Dew or Monster Drinks. I've been overindulging as well and drinking more than my normal 1 for lunch too. I'll drink one if you'll drink one. We'll get sober together.
I'm addicted to Twix bars right now. OMG! You should see all the wrappers in my closet cuz that is where I hide them ;-)
I'm a social DC drinker. Everytime I eat out I get a DC with grenadine. Yes, that totally defeats the purpose of it being diet but I don't care. At home I crave carbonation so I always have flavored sparkling water on hand. Not the same but it will do.
I love that you force yourself to drink your water before you indulge. Keep that up and it's all good.
DIET COKE!!! I Love it too! So much that it did give me quite a few cavities (cause I dont eat many sweets at all). But thats what insurance is for!!! Bring on the diet coke!!!
WOW - I thought it was just me that thought Diet Coke at Mickey D's was the best. Wonder why it is?
WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ALL YOU PEOPLE?? THE STUFF IS NASTY.
Welcome to my world, where cancer-laden beverages get me through the day without having to rely on hard drugs to push through without falling asleep at the supper table. Glad I'm being joined by millions in my addiction!
Disclaimer: I had a Diet Coke with dinner and it was awesome, but there are a few things I have to say about the dangers of the heavenly nectar.
Okay so here is what I know:
1 - Caffeine inhibits your body from absorbing magnesium. When you don't absorb magnesium there are all sorts of effects. Restless leg syndrome for one. Also, insomnia, constipation, leg cramping etc. It's an important element.
2 - My father-in-law just lost 75 lbs by not drinking soda. 75 POUNDS. That tells me a) soda is super bad for us and b)my father-in-law was/is an addict.
3 - I had an uncle who after years of being addicted to Mt. Dew got to the point that he had to sleep with a cooler of it by his bed so he could guzzle it all night long. Also, he broke out in these crazy, nasty hives all over his body and his Dr. said it was because of the Dew addiction. He also died of cancer, but I don't know if that was related to his Dew habit - but I wouldn't be surprised.
Then again my dad always says he'd be translated up to heaven like the City of Enoch if he didn't have at least one Diet Coke per day. That's why you do it right? ;-) Oi...I gotta stop drinking the stuff.
You should check with Michelle Obama to see if more than one coke per day is allowed.
I would just like to drink as much water as you do... I really need to do better.
I just scarfed down a super size serving of fries from effing McDonalds. I've been trying to lose weight and I've lost 18 pounds in 3 months. (Thankyouverymuch). I am so mad at myself about the fries though. I don't even feel good about it, so I'm kind of thinking I should "punish" myself if I indulge like that again with an extra 30 minutes of cardio or something. That'll be a good smack on the hand for me.
I think your original system was genius. You were diluting the intake of diet coke!
I heard McDonald's adds sugar to their food because sugar is addicting. No wonder they're so stinking successful.
Oh, I hope you don't mind my long comment, but can I add that those Monopoly pieces have been destructive to my family's overall health. My husband is so into those! He is seriously carrying around their Monopoly board in his wallet. He won a Disneyland ticket years ago and now he's obsessed. You're the devil, Mickey Dees.
The comments were as good as the post! TheBig Straw Theory! Oma! Andrea! Rochelle! Hilarious.
I HATE any sort of cola. It's true. It tastes grody to me.
But you and I both know I NEVER stand on some sort of moral high ground when it comes to virtuous ingesting. I have issues. Unlike Andrea.
O.K. I don't have any funny or snarky comments after quickly scrolling through and reading some of the comments. My co-workers husband works in management at McDonald's. I asked her what is the difference between McDonald's diet coke and DC everywhere else? She told me they refrigerate the syrup stuff. So that's why it's so refreshingly cold . . . as opposed to a room temp. syrup/carbonation water mixture poured over ice. And my apologies if someone already mentioned that. I think I only read about half your comments on this HOT topic.
HA! I've often said that Disneyland & McDonalds have the best Diet Coke on the planet.
I seriously think they've made a pact with the devil.
I glug the stuff with gusto and without shame.
Mine is Coke. Straight up Coke. And only at McDonald's.
Why does it taste so good there??
You know why their fries are so good, right? They put animal fat in them. Maybe it's the same for the soda.
I LOVE this post!
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