Sneaky Like Ninja: The Plot to Rid My Days of Diet Cola

Amazingly, I've been good to my word. No matter where I am when I want to drink a soda, I drink a glass of water first. I don't like the water as much so it takes me longer to finish a glass than it would if I was just gulping down a diet soft drink. It means I haven't had more than three zero-cal drinks in a day since starting this...which is actually really good. I used to go right through them without bothering to notice how many I was having...only to find that I wiped out a case of 18 in a matter of just a couple of days.

So, down to three a day as of right now. If I started this quest with the mission of "I WILL ONLY DRINK THREE DIET SOFT DRINKS A DAY" and didn't adopt my BFF's plan to drag water in on this, I would probably do well by the power of sheer will for a couple of days but eventually lose out to the want for sweetness or caffeine or both.

The water is working. If it continues to work well for me, I've considered adding a second glass of water to see how that nudges things. I do know for certain that I will not limit myself to how many to drink in a day, and I won't make a pledge to rid of zero cal drinks by X date - that would only call on my defenses and I'd rebel my way back to drinking as much damn diet cola as I want.

It's tricky to work WITH my unreasonable behavior, rather than try to change it, but to do otherwise is to set up for failure. I want to win this.

Craving Perspective

I recently discovered this story told of Socrates:

Legend has it that one day Socrates and his student were walking down the beach deep in conversation and Plato had expressed to Socrates his desire to gain the wisdom and knowledge that Socrates had. Socrates didn’t answer him, but instead said, “Walk with me into the ocean.” So, they turned and walked into the sea together. When the water was about shoulder height, Socrates asked, “What is it exactly you want from me?”… “Knowledge,” his student answered, at which point Socrates abruptly grabbed his student's head and pushed him down under the water. After a brief moment Socrates let his victim up and asked him again, “What is it you want?" “Knowledge,” was the answer again.. at which point Socrates shoved him back down under the water. After a length, the student began to struggle to get his head above water, but Socrates was a strong man and held him down until at last he allowed his captive a breath. “What is you want?” “Air… I need air!” “When you desire knowledge as much as you desired a breath of air, then you shall have it.”

When I desire weight loss as much as the student desired breath, no doubt it will be done.