Bon Bons to Yoga Pants

Chapter 28-Farewell DDP

The next week I shuffled out of Bitsy's bathroom with a smug sense of triumph. Two more pounds down, which brought my total to twelve pounds in five weeks. I still had dreams of creamsicles dancing through my brain at night, but at least the daydreams had stopped plaguing me.

Mira waited for me on the couch in one of her bright muumuus. She had also lost more weight, if the dreamy look in her eyes meant anything. Although, true to Bitsy's word, none of us exchanged weight loss numbers.

"Where are the boys?" I asked as I sat down, noticing for the first time that they hadn't come. The couch creaked beneath me, a constant reminder that though I'd come a long way, I still had a ways to go.

"Yeah," Mira piped up, echoing my surprise. "Where are they?"

All three of us stared across Bitsy's living room to the empty couch where the two men normally sat. One of them hadn't come the week before, and the other had been ten minutes late.

"They've quit," Bitsy declared, lips pursed. The sound of giggles and shrieks floated from the back room where her little girls played. "Both of them called me this week and said they didn't have time for it anymore."

The thought deflated me almost as much as stepping on the scale again. Seriously? Why would they quit? Thoughts of donuts and blueberry muffin tops floated through my mind and I understood.

Dieting sucked.

"It's all right," Bitsy declared, rallying admirably. "We don't need them to lose weight. We still have each other, and that's all we need. Besides, you can lose weight on your own. It's just harder. So now it will be the three girls standing strong together. Because isn't that what always happens anyway?"

"Hear, hear!" Mira called, raising a chubby fist in the sky. She'd just had her nails done, so they glowed a bright hot pink. "The Health and Happiness Society continues on—"

"—With a lesson about the dangers of drinking diet pop," Bitsy said, picking up right where Mira left off. I scowled when she handed me a paper with the words Diet Soda: Worse than Regular?

"Whoa, Bits," I said, holding up a hand. "This is going too far. Caffeine is the only thing that gets me through the day. I'd fall asleep in my classes because I'm so tired from working out every morning without Diet Dr. Pepper."

"You'd feel better without any at all," she insisted, perching on the edge of a chair across from us. "The caffeine is what's making you tired, not the exercise. It gives you energy, sure, but then drops you like a rock so you need more. It's all a conspiracy."

I opened my mouth to protest, but she stopped me.

"Let's just talk about the ingredients in a randomly selected diet pop on the market: Diet Dr Pepper."

I glared at her. Randomly selected my—

"I'll read first," she said.

Like me, Mira looked a bit pale. She'd eventually shucked her Pepsi addiction, but had switched her tune to Diet. Though she wouldn't admit it, I knew she must have consumed at least six a day to replace the sugary sweetness of Pepsi. Although Bitsy wouldn't believe me, the caffeine really did take away some of my cravings for food. That, or it just gave me a different flavor so I felt like I was eating.

"Diet Dr. Pepper is sweetened with aspartame, which has been linked with cancer," Bitsy began matter-of-factly. "There's also sodium benzoate, which is a derivative of petroleum or coal tar . . . "

Bitsy droned on and on, effectively tightening the very few muscles I had in my stomach and making me more sick. Before last week I wouldn't have really cared: Diet Dr. Pepper was going to help me get hot for Bradley. I'd deal with the consequences later. But now, after meeting Megan, after having an epiphany, after realizing that weight loss wasn't just supposed to be about my swimsuit size, I couldn't ignore it.

This was about health just as much as it was about size, wasn't it? Well, it was supposed to be. Although most days I wasn't really sure I bought into that whole spiel.

I needed to give up Diet Dr Pepper.

The thought of not drinking my favorite cold, slightly sweet and tangy beverage made my throat tighten. I always looked forward to my DDP fix. Hadn't I given up enough already? Would dieting take away all the things that I enjoyed?

"Well Lexie?" Bitsy asked, breaking into my depressing train of thought. "What do you think? Will you commit to giving it up for just one week? Then we can reevaluate next week and see how differently you feel?"

I sighed. It wasn't like I could avoid it anymore.

"Yes."

Mira and I shared a frightened look. This wasn't going to be a pretty week. I tried to cheer myself up with the reminder that I had already lost twelve pounds and putting aside diet pop could help me lose some more. Time ticked down with every day that passed. My meeting with Bradley was less four months away now. Every single day had to count.

"Wonderful!" Bitsy cried. "I know it will be hard, but trust me, it's worth it. I had to give up Mountain Dew years ago, and though I went through withdrawals at first, now I'd never go back. Your body, and your kidneys, will thank you."

Sorry this chapter is a bit shorter, but I didn't want to elongate it just for the sake of word count :)

I'm with Lexie: giving up pop is really hard. (Or soda if you're an east coaster ;) I just don't buy it anymore so it's not a temptation, but every now and then the DP 10 calls out to me . . .

Do you drink pop/soda? If so, what is your favorite? If not, why not?

Have a lovely weekend, loyal fans, and I'll see you again on Monday!!