I gave up Diet Coke for a month and my body completely transformed

A man who "drank too much Diet Coke" said he refused to accept it was bad for him, before embarking on four weeks without the beverage in a bid to prove his belief.

Paul Turner, an editor at Wales Online, said people had been "going on at me for years" over his love of Diet Coke. But he would respond that is has zero calories or sugar, and said it was no worse than any other processed drink or food.

He would tell people he didn't drink tea or coffee, or eat meat, and he only had two alcoholic drinks at the weekend.

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Paul said: "I was aware that Diet Coke has the artificial sweetener aspartame in it, but then so do tonnes of drinks, even many fruit squashes and flavoured waters. People also told me what happened if you left a penny in a glass of coke and how it must be doing the same to my insides, but no way was I giving it up."

But one day, without thinking about it, Paul "naturally decided to have a glass of water on occasion rather than open a can of Coke". He added: "I thought 'I can do this', so I did it some more.

"Then, with my journalist's head on, I thought I could try an experiment in giving it up completely, almost, and then write about it. I say almost as the rules of the game were that I would still have it as a mixer with my favourite weekend tipple, Tia Maria.

"So, that was it, no more Diet Coke as a straight drink and basically none at all during the week."

Before taking on his challenge, Paul said he would have a glass of Diet Coke at lunchtime, a second mid-afternoon and occasionally another towards the end of the afternoon. He'd have another with his evening meal, and a final one at around 9.30pm.

He added: "One room of my house was always stocked with crates of the stuff, and there was a ready supply in the fridge."

Paul weighed 14 and a half stone when he began the challenge, with a 104cm waist. Here's what happened when he ditched Diet Coke.

Day One

"I had been hovering around the late 13s, early 14s previously. I liked to think my gain was down to the strength training I had been doing more of before this point, and muscle mass, but I have no real idea if it was or I was fooling myself.

"The waist measurement did seem bigger than previously, and I find measuring your waist is far from an exact science. But I had been 103cm in a previous measurement, having been as low as 95cm a few years back when I was doing tonnes of exercise

"While day one saw no dramatic physical effects from my sudden change in liquid refreshment, and I found drinking water okay, I did crave sweetness a little. But I did have an epiphany of sorts. I realised that my glass of Coke with a meal was not just for liquid refreshment, I was drinking it because my body had got used to having a mouthful of something sweet after every bite of savoury.

"Now there was no sweet to sandwich the savoury. It was a big change and a transformative moment in my understanding of my own body and habits."

Day Two

"I wouldn't really call it cold turkey, it wasn't like I was giving up nicotine or something. But if I had any withdrawal symptoms, today was when they kicked in.

"I was a little tetchy and short-tempered. I also had a headache in the afternoon. Of course, I have no idea if any of these things were related or just coincidence."

Day Three

"I felt like I'd turned a corner today and felt up for the challenge. I was on holiday at the time which no doubt helped."

Day Four

"The big test as I was back at work. How would I cope with no Diet Coke hit when I had to concentrate all day? Whether it was being back in a normal routine, without my routine beverage, I did start to miss it today.

"I began having debates within my own brain. My brain would say, 'just have your Coke, you love it, it probably won't make any difference any way', then another part would hit back with, 'no, you can do this - stick at it'."

Day Five

"I went for a 55k cycle in beautiful warm weather and how I craved an ice cold Coke with little bubbles forming on the outside of the glass. I could almost taste it, hear the ice cubes clinking together. That furious debate in my head started all over again."

Day Six

"I felt the need for fruit today, not a feeling I'm accustomed to. So I went out and bought some, also not like me. The fruity, juicy, naturally sugary taste of strawberries and grapes helped a little to soothe my coke cravings. Healthier too obviously, a bit of a spin-off result!"

Day Seven

The first weigh in, and Paul had lost 1.25lbs and three centimetres off his waist. He said this spurred him on to continue.

Day Eight onwards

"I stopped recording daily changes at this point. I was in a rhythm now and used to my routine. I still missed my Diet Coke, but I wasn't craving it, and I found other ways to satiate my sweet tooth, with fruit!

"One thing I did find was that I was less tired at work. I found I had peaks and troughs before, perhaps the low after the high of the Diet Coke caffeine and fake sugar rush.

"If I was tired that day, it was smoothed out, rather than up and down, and much more manageable as a result."

End of Week Two

After the second week, Paul said he had lost another half a pound, but his waist was 0.5cm bigger. He added: "But I had been busy this week, with much less time to exercise".

End of Week Three

Paul lost 1.5lbs and 0.5cm from his waist.

End of Week Four

Paul said his weight was "back to its normal fluctuations", as he gained 0.75lbs in this week, though he was still 2.5lbs lighter than when he started. He also shaved another half centimetre from his waist.

After the entire month, Paul had lost 4.5lbs, and shaved 5.5cms from his waist.

Conclusion

Paul said he hoped the experiment "would not make a jot of difference" so that he could continue drinking it. He added: "But I can't ignore 5.5cm off my waist in just a handful of weeks, that seems quite spectacular to me. And the weight loss was also not to be sniffed at.

"Whether it was all down to the Diet Coke ban, or a combination of things, the numbers do not lie.

"So, since the end of this experiment, I have stuck to the plan. I have allowed myself a Diet Coke with food on an occasional meal out if I'm driving, but other than that, I have ditched it pretty much.

"I do miss it a little, but not hugely. I'm hoping the weight and the waistline will keep shrinking.

"I tried something, and I feel like it worked and has made a huge difference to my diet and my life. It might not work for you, or you may just have no interest or need in trying it, but for me, the journey has been worth it, and I'm continuing on that path."

Diet Coke has fewer calories and sugar than regular fizzy drinks, so many experts believe it is okay in moderation.

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