(Photo credit: laura.bell)

One of the (many) reasons I decided to eliminate Diet Coke from my life was the recent study that linked Diet Coke to depression.  A number of years ago, I started a prescription to Buproprion (brand name Wellbutrin) as a way to quit smoking.  While that wasn’t what helped me quit (Chantix did–but that’s another story), because life seemed a little easier while on my “happy pills”, I just never stopped.  I’ve always been pretty certain that a better diet and some exercise would compensate for the medication, but the pill just seemed easier–until I realized how bad my memory was getting–and I mean really bad.  Like a sieve.  I couldn’t function without post-it notes all over my desk and computer monitor.  So before Christmas, I decided to stop taking it.  Please understand, this is NOT a post encouraging you stop taking your antidepressants–you shouldn’t do that without talking to your doctor.  The thing it, I probably didn’t really need them in the first place, and now I wonder if my Diet Coke intake (4-6 a day until it was time for my evening beer) exacerbated matters.

Anyway, I have been off of the Diet Crack for 5 weeks.  I have replaced each can with seltzer water.  Is should feel great, right?  Everyone says so…

Well…I don’t.  Not really.  I mean I feel good that I kicked the evil chemical cocktail, but I don’t physically feel better.  I have been steadily gaining weight, and I feel bloated all the time.  I don’t believe it is the seltzer, after all there is less sodium in seltzer than Diet Coke, and the carbonation level didn’t really change.  I have actually been exercising more–yoga twice a week, walking after school and doing my So You Think You Can Dance exercise videos.  I should be doing more, but this is a positive change from just sitting on my couch knitting.

This week I am going to restart my food diary, to see if that helps.  The food diary (I use this one) is a great tool for me.  I know if I have to write it down and actually see the caloric and nutritional content I am less likely to eat junk (like those pieces of pepperoni that tide me over till dinner, or the gummy Life-Savers).  It is always difficult to be the only one in the house who needs to limit what she eats–I have three boys who have ridiculously fast metabolisms and can eat whatever they want.  Still, I’ve done it before, I can do it again.

Baby steps, I suppose.  I want to be able to fit in the clothes in my closet, and to be able to wear my bikini again in June when I go to visit my family in Florida.  I want to win the weight loss challenge at work.  It will happen.  Trying to not let my need for instant gratification get me down.  Oh–and my memory?  Much improved.  Really.  It isn’t what it was before I had babies, but it is much better.