Overcoming Diet Coke Dependency

At my job there is an ongoing joke that diet coke should be illegal. My co-workers and I crave it with something akin to a chemical depencency. It is easier on the stomache then coffee, readily available in vending machines, gas stations, and grocery stores (except Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, they know better).

I’m not sure how many of you out there can identify with me on this, but I crave specific foods like smokers crave nicotine. Sometimes these longings are so acute that they take on a life of there own. Some recent comestibles that I have been seeking, found, or otherwise consumed have included Vlasic dill pickles, Nathan’s Fat Free All-beef hot dogs (with tons of ketchup and relish), diet root beer, beets, thousand island dressing (had it yesterday, but sadly it was not up to par), dark chocolate, and garbanzo beans (not together). Mostly I crave pickled items, anything that has brined is sweet music to my tastebuds. I have a sweet tooth as well, but it is more opportunistic then purposeful. My workplace is teeming with chocolates, cakes, lollipops, taffy, and hard candies. Anything that someone did not think their family would eat or wants to keep themselves from consuming ends up in the company kitchen for collegues to devour while kvetching about calorie content.

Someone even brought in a tinned fruitcake this morning and by 10AM it was just crumbs! I mean come on people, have some standards!