Day 100: One Hundred Days without Coke

Hello, my name is Jeff and I am a Cokeaholic.  Today, I have earned my 100 day chip!  That is right, I have done what one day I thought would be an impossible feat:  I have been Coke free for 100 days!  Honestly, I cannot believe it.  I have had my ups and downs on the lifestyle, but even if I didn't lose one ounce of weight or gain one gram of muscle, the loss of Coke in my life has been wonderful.

I was telling this to my friend Paul, who decided this week to quit the Coke (sorry Paul, I hope it is okay that I have now told the world about this).  I think he is a bit nervous, but I am confident that he can do it.  The problem for Paul and I is that we have not chosen our friends wisely.  Some of you may have had the experience of having "bad" friends in high school or even college.  People who, when you were around them, influenced you to do bad things?  Well, Paul and I have a friend like that, and its name is Coke.  I can't speak for Paul, but Coke was a gateway food that lead to other things:  fried appetizers, hamburgers (let's face it, Coke goes a lot better with a Double Bacon Burger than it does with a salad with light, no-carb vinaigrette dressing), and desserts.

As I have considered it, I think the best thing to do when you have a friend like this is to cut all ties.  I know that some people do not believe in the cold turkey method, but I believe it is the best in circumstances of addiction.  That is what I did.  Sure, I may have gone through a week of pain as my body adjusted, but let's be honest, it wasn't the worst pain I have ever been in and, frankly, I probably deserved it.  I think such pain it is the body punishing you for treating it so poorly.  The thing is, the body is usually a most forgiving companion, and it doesn't take long before you feel twice as good as you did before.  The problem is, if you wait for the diabetes to set in, the body can't cope on its own anymore, and even if it wants to forgive you, it can't.

So, now is the time people.  Now is the time to quit.  To all of you who have already cut off ties to the Coke, congratulations, keep up the good work.  And to all of you who are thinking about it, follow Paul's lead and quit today!  Paul, it might be tough for the next few weeks, but hang in there my friend, you can do it!  Believe me, if I can do it, ANYONE can do it.