A Coke Product, for fat people in denial.

It's a total fat-person's move to fill their cup at the soda fountain with half diet soda and half regular. You're in the thrall and addiction of carbonated sugar water, and can't quite let it go, so you literally half-ass it by watering it down with carbonated artificially-sweetened water. So it's no wonder that the slowly-dying corporate monolith that has millions and millions of dollars to study their shrinking consumer base to make it just a little bit easier to be half-assed. Ladies and Gentlemen, "Coke Life."

The drink contains Truvia, a branded form of stevia extract. Stevia has no calories. Truvia is currently an $80 million product, as of 2014.
Coca-Cola Life is the first branded Coke product to use stevia leaf extract. However, it is not the first product owned by the Coca-Cola company to use stevia. Vitamin Water and Seagram's Ginger Ale both use it.
Coca-Cola Life contains sugar, but uses less sugar than traditional Coca-Cola. An 8 US fluid ounces (240 ml) serving contains around 60 calories, 17 grams of carbohydrates of which 17 grams is sugar (equals only 1/3 less sugar than traditional Coca-Cola). The list of ingredients is carbonated water, cane sugar, caramel color, caffeine, phosphoric acid, and stevia.

Though I've never seen this product, it was introduced in 2014. The only reason I'm hearing about it now is that is being declared a flop by the media and the beverage industry. It has sold less every month than the month before for the entirety of 2015. Coke Life is the first new Coke since Coke Zero in 2006, also a product that aimed at the health-conscious consumer. (Do you remember Coke Lemon and Coke Lime from the early 2000s, which solved the problem of putting a wedge of fresh citrus in your drink by dosing it with weird overpowering fake lemon and lime flavors?)

And now they are reducing the amount of sugar in the product from 45% of full-sugar coke to 33%. It's like an abuser saying, "I know punching you in the face repeatedly is not good for you, and I already hit you 45% less. But because I'm such a swell guy, I'm only going to punch you in the face 33% as much, ok? Still love me?"

Selling sex has been in the news recently as Playboy just rolled out a relaunch that takes away the full-frontal nudity. Look at these two images side by side...

Not to be too obvious or pointy-headed on y'all, but both are selling the same old crap by wrapping them in the sheen of barely post-teen sexuality. Covering up the naughty bits, whether it's a bra or diluting the sugar with chemicals, is lame half measure that really doesn't address the fundamental issues of what is wrong (or what was originally great at a previous time) about the product. Ick ick ick.

As I've written before, corporate food monoliths of my youth are starting to realize the ground they stand on is quickly turning into a dinosaur graveyard, and it's fascinating to watch them thrash about trying to deny the inevitable. Coke's concentrated calories has contributed greatly to wrecking our nation's health, using food scientists to build the perfect mousetrap and psychologists and strategists to sell it to us. Now that the obvious truth (coke is BAD for you) is leaking out despite their best efforts, they are trying to trick us into thinking that they aren't the problem, but part of the solution. As long as your locality doesn't cheap out on basic civil works like the water supply (hello, Flint!), the solution largely comes out of your tap.

WEEKLY AVERAGE: 2810

Surprised how high this number is, but making progress in eating a little less sweets and little things like swapping out a regular slice of pizza with a handful of cashews. Little things will start adding up.

-----

MONDAY COUNT: 2690

SLEPT: 8am - 5am, 9 hrs

AM SNACK: 5:30am, iced black tea


BREAKFAST 1 : 9am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 10:30am, steel cut oatmeal, 450 cal

LUNCH: 1:45pm, beef patty, chicken soup, momma salad, pickles, 600 cal

PM SNACK: 3:45pm, poppa salad with dressing and veggie straws, 330 cal

DINNER: 5:15pm, vegetarian ethiopian food, +/- 800 cal

EVENING SNORT: 7pm, whiskey, +/- 150 cal

EVENING SNACK: 9:30pm,  small bowl of special K and whole milk, +/-200 cal

-----

TUESDAY COUNT: 2690

SLEPT: 10pm-5:30am,  7.5 hrs

AM SNACK: 5:45am,  iced black tea

BREAKFAST: 11:30am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

LUNCH: 1:45pm, madras lentils, steamed string beans, chicken meatballs, pickles, 720 cal

PM SNACK: 4pm, momma salad, cheezits, 310 cal

PM SNACK: 4:45pm, poppa salad with dressing, 200 cal

DINNER: 5:15, vegetarian dim sum, +/- 1000 cal

EVENING SNACK: 7pm, popcorn, +/-300 cal
-----

WEDNESDAY COUNT: 2870

SLEPT: 9:30pm-12:30am, 3:30am-6:45am, 6.25 hrs

AM SNACK: 7am, iced black tea

BREAKFAST 1: 10:15am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 11:45, fruit smoothie,  450 cal

LUNCH: 2:45pm, sauteed shrimp and mushrooms with shiritaki noodles and oyster sauce, poppa salad with dressing, 660 cal

PM SNACK: 5:15pm, momma salad, pirate booty, 230 cal

PM SNACK: 5:45pm, cashews, 250 cal

DINNER: 7:45pm, burrito, diet coke, 920 cal

EVENING SNACK: 9pm, kind bar, 200 cal
-----

BIKE CREDIT: 720 cal
THURSDAY COUNT: 2840

SLEPT: 10pm-3:30am, 5.5hrs

AM SNACK: 3:45am, iced black tea, 150mg caffeine

BIKE SNACK: 7am, homemade granola bar, 300 cal

BREAKFAST 1: 10:30am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

PM SNACK: 12:45pm, kind bar, 200cal

LUNCH: 1:45pm, ramen with extra noodles, shumai, moki, +/- 1200 cal

DINNER: 6:30pm, homemade pizza, wine, a little ice cream, +/- 1200 cal

EVENING SNACK: 8:30pm, nutella, 500 cal
-----

FRIDAY COUNT: 2960

SLEPT: 10pm-6am, 8hrs

AM SNACK: 8am, iced black tea

BREAKFAST: 11:30am, apple/beet/celery/carrot/cayenne/cucumber/ginger juice, 160 cal

BREAKFAST 2: 1pm, fage with honey, vanilla, almonds, 450 cal

LUNCH: 2:30pm, bacon with poppa salad with dressing, 440

PM SNACK: 3:45pm, momma salad, cheezits, 310 cal

DINNER:5:15pm, fish and chips, +/- 800 cal

EVENING SNACK: 7pm, potato leek soup with bialy, herring canapés, fried babka and a little ice cream, +/- 800 cal