Shake Shudder HUG
(typed up last night but fell asleep before I hit post - on the lounge again!)
Today is the end of day two of me not drinking diet coke. I decided that I needed to give it a break as I was drinking far too much to be considered healthy (4-5 cans during the day at work and if there was a bottle at home 1.25 litres at night). It had got to the point where I was drinking no water at all and just buying more and more d.coke. So I stopped. And I take my hat off to anyone who has a serious substance addiction because coming off d.coke has been hard. Pathetic isn't it.
Day one started well with me feeling really positive and drinking loads of water and the ocassional cup with a splash of cordial in it. I perhaps could have been considered 'bouncy'. But after lunch that all changed. I was craving it and I got the biggest headache behind my eyes. I got sleepy and cold and I was getting goose bumps on my arms and legs (it was a 33 degree day). I took some headache tablets and that helped a little but I was getting dizzy and I got the shakes at about 3.00pm. I drank 3 litres of water during the work day (only 4 cups of which had cordial in it) and I ate really well but it was hard work as I was trying not to eat my d.coke craving.
Today was a bit better. Even though I am used to having a can for breakfast the real cravings don't kick in until lunch time. I still had a headache today but a lot more bearable than yesterday. But by 3.00pm I had eaten all the food that I had brought with me and when I got home I must have opened the fridge about a hundred times looking for 'something'. I ended up eating 1/4 of an avocado with a tablespoon of pinenuts - scraped right out of the shell, and 4 celery sticks covered in cream cheese. I also ate all of Oscars left over steak (about 1/3 of a small steak) so I suppose I did OK. After we picked Mark up from the airport we had a little late surprise Birthday party (it was his birthday on Monday) and I did help to eat some of the mini mud cake. But in the end I still did not go over points for the day (yaaay me)
It is days like these that I need a good hug.
And I got one.
When I was coming back from my walk at lunch time I went through Pitt Street Mall and this guy was there giving away free hugs. No one was hugging him so I went right up to him with my arms out wide and gave him the biggest hug.
It felt really good.
Please note that the film clip has music in it which is fantastic so turn up your volume, and I am not in the film clip - this was done a little while ago and sent to me by Cath a couple of weeks ago. Which is how I knew who he was. I encourage everyone to hug a stranger, and there is no one stranger than me LOL.
Today is the end of day two of me not drinking diet coke. I decided that I needed to give it a break as I was drinking far too much to be considered healthy (4-5 cans during the day at work and if there was a bottle at home 1.25 litres at night). It had got to the point where I was drinking no water at all and just buying more and more d.coke. So I stopped. And I take my hat off to anyone who has a serious substance addiction because coming off d.coke has been hard. Pathetic isn't it.
Day one started well with me feeling really positive and drinking loads of water and the ocassional cup with a splash of cordial in it. I perhaps could have been considered 'bouncy'. But after lunch that all changed. I was craving it and I got the biggest headache behind my eyes. I got sleepy and cold and I was getting goose bumps on my arms and legs (it was a 33 degree day). I took some headache tablets and that helped a little but I was getting dizzy and I got the shakes at about 3.00pm. I drank 3 litres of water during the work day (only 4 cups of which had cordial in it) and I ate really well but it was hard work as I was trying not to eat my d.coke craving.
Today was a bit better. Even though I am used to having a can for breakfast the real cravings don't kick in until lunch time. I still had a headache today but a lot more bearable than yesterday. But by 3.00pm I had eaten all the food that I had brought with me and when I got home I must have opened the fridge about a hundred times looking for 'something'. I ended up eating 1/4 of an avocado with a tablespoon of pinenuts - scraped right out of the shell, and 4 celery sticks covered in cream cheese. I also ate all of Oscars left over steak (about 1/3 of a small steak) so I suppose I did OK. After we picked Mark up from the airport we had a little late surprise Birthday party (it was his birthday on Monday) and I did help to eat some of the mini mud cake. But in the end I still did not go over points for the day (yaaay me)
It is days like these that I need a good hug.
And I got one.
When I was coming back from my walk at lunch time I went through Pitt Street Mall and this guy was there giving away free hugs. No one was hugging him so I went right up to him with my arms out wide and gave him the biggest hug.
It felt really good.
Please note that the film clip has music in it which is fantastic so turn up your volume, and I am not in the film clip - this was done a little while ago and sent to me by Cath a couple of weeks ago. Which is how I knew who he was. I encourage everyone to hug a stranger, and there is no one stranger than me LOL.
Addictions sure are nasty but I reckon if you really want to kick it, you will but then I'm back on the heavy duty coke. Reading this, can I kick it!? Do I want to LOL? I just have to find a replacement to trick me into not "needing" it anymore. I hope you feel better today and unreal, hugging the hug man! :-)
Posted by
Mary |
October 13, 2006 11:25 am
I'm jealous you got to hug Juann Mann. Did u see they have had nearly 3 million hits since putting this up? I really love the song also.
Well done on getting thru your first day without Diet Coke. Shaking an addiction is not easy.
Have a great weekend. xx
Posted by
Cinders |
October 13, 2006 1:40 pm
I haven't had a coke zero, a diet coke or a pepsi max since Sunday. I had the same symptoms as you. I have had an enormous headache and have been feeling sick to the stomach. I thought it was nicotine withdrawal (well it's probably a super sized combo of both of those things) plus this damn stupid soup diet, but you know I think it might be withdrawal from all the crap that's in the coke. The chemicals in those just can't be good for us. Well done on not having any and on drinking loads of water. I am avoiding water right now cos it reminds me of soup. Roll on Monday I say!!
Bri
Posted by
Briony |
October 13, 2006 2:22 pm
So hard to get over addictions.. I sooo know how you feel. I have an addiction to V (I am not sure if you get it in Australia) but the headaches are really horrible so I sympathise with you. Big hugs my friend.
Love ya
CM
Posted by
Chubbymum |
October 13, 2006 5:55 pm
Day 2 - go you!! Pretty much any habit is hard to break huh, so why are they so easy to fall into? It's an awesome feeling though when you can conquer it, one day at a time, so congratulations!!!
Posted by
yublocka |
October 13, 2006 6:08 pm
days 2 and 3 are the worst, by far. well done! the only way is up from here :)
i saw the hugging guy a few months ago and i just couldn't stop smiling. we all need a bit of that sunshine in our lives.
xxx
Posted by
shinyruby2 |
October 13, 2006 8:46 pm
breaking an addiction is one of the hardest things, it sucks. it hurts and it makes you want to kill people. Darling, i wish you ALL the luck in the world *hugs*
Posted by
Cat |
October 13, 2006 11:12 pm
Good luck with staying off the d.coke!!
I wish I lived closer...I would come and hug you!!
Have a great weekend:)
Posted by
Leighanne |
October 14, 2006 12:01 am
ive just done the same comming off the diet coke!! i havent had any since sunday!! so im pretty happy about that i know about the headaches its shocking i have only been drinking water now and i feel great for it!!
steph :)
Posted by
Anonymous |
October 14, 2006 8:34 am
Hey M,
I experienced a similar withdrawl when I did the detox - I didn't drink that much coke, but removing coke, coffee, tea etc from my diet certainly made my body react. Good luck over the next few days! Stay strong.
Posted by
Cath |
October 14, 2006 11:26 am
Good on you! I'm sure this will be very hard to do - but YOU CAN DO IT!!!!
Posted by
Unknown |
October 14, 2006 1:22 pm
Well done with the addiction breaking. Caffiene is more addictive than we think, well that's what I reckon anyway :)
Posted by
Kathryn |
October 15, 2006 2:57 pm
I can totally understand the diet coke addiction having it myself. I did find when I switched to coke zero not having it became much easier but my efforts didn't last that long and now I drink 3 or so cans a day (much better than the 10 plus I was drinking though)
Was given water with the slice of lemon in it the other day - made my water very pleasant - I might do that over summer alternating lemon and lime slices to encourage water drinking when it all gets tough.
Posted by
Jadey |
October 15, 2006 3:42 pm
Hey M!
I was a bad d-coke addict too. I probably averaged at least 3 600ml bottles of either diet coke, coke zero, pepsi max or diet pepsi a day. One before work, - one at lunch and one after work with maybe more in the evening. And if I bought a 1.25L bottle I chugged that back easily too.
I have completed 11 weeks of a Body For Life challenge 'thing'. One of my goals was to give up diet and sugarfree drinks completely. AND I have. I haven't even had one sugar free or full sugar soft sweet tasting fizzy drink in 11 weeks.
LOTS of water instead! The first 2 days were the hardest for me with the caffeine headaches and you've passed them so thats the worst over with. But you will get to a stage where you rarely crave them.
One word of advice though: - I had given them up like this in the past. Then I had a diet coke cause I 'felt like it' but I jumped back to being heavily addicted. So I won't be having ANY again, - I consider it to be the same troubles some have when quitting smoking.
Good luck!
Pip
Posted by
Pip |
October 16, 2006 12:01 am
Well done for giving up the diet coke. It is SO addictive.
Don't know about the "hug a stranger" thing. I have enough trouble hugging those I know!
Posted by
Suzy |
October 16, 2006 8:22 am
Hey M, did you see the hugging guy on 60 minutes last night? I just caught the end of it. He is amazing. I wanna come to Sydney just to hug him now!!
Bri
Posted by
Briony |
October 16, 2006 11:14 am
Coke is the tool of the Devil. Me, I think it's fantastic! As long as it hasn't got those artificial 'powders' in it.
Kill that diet coke monkey now!
Posted by
Daniel Hatadi |
October 16, 2006 3:33 pm
Well, I'm a hugger, always been and always will. Here's a big one from me.
Hang in there. Addiction is cruel. But you will beat it.
Posted by
Lee-Anne |
October 16, 2006 7:13 pm
Hey there. I'm glad to see that you're on the blogging bandwagon again. I haven't been around much so I'm sorry I'm late in posting, but I'm glad that things seem to be going as well as can be expected with your dad. What a year your family has had. I send lots of hugs and kisses to you all.
And, as someone who has had to give up both smoking and a caffeine addiction I want to say that I AM PROUD OF YOU for making the decision to quit the horrible brown liquid. I don't like it myself, but I can relate from a caffeine point of view. The headaches are awful, but if you persist they will decrease in intensity and frequency. You can do it! You should set yourself little rewards for each goal reached (e.g., one week without it, etc.). You're a champ.
Posted by
Kellee |
October 16, 2006 8:16 pm
Wow - you must have a stomach lining made of lead having to withstand all that diet coke!! As someone whose stomach ulcer is reignited by drinking that 'nector of the soft drink gods', I'm impressed and jealous at the same time. Great to see you blogging again - sorry it has taken me some time to get back, but as always I love your work :)
Posted by
Ails |
October 22, 2006 10:11 pm