Hello, In_Love_…. – It’s good to hear you are feeling good after three fast days. If the gum and the Diet Coke helped you get through what would otherwise be a struggle of a day, then I reckon that’s a positive outcome but I’m not sure it would be a great long-term strategy. I have read reports of artificial sweeteners ‘fooling’ the body into thinking real sugar was on its way, thereby causing an undesirable insulin surge, defeating the point of avoiding real sugar itself. Also, I believe that, if Sorbitol is the sweetener used in the chewing gum, it has an overall laxative effect, so you have to be careful not to use too many pieces in a day. It’s been a while since I read these articles so, unhelpfully, I don’t have the specific details to hand but perhaps you could do your own online search for more information.
I think the general consensus on all artificial sweeteners in food and drinks, by most proponents of healthy eating, is ‘Avoid them’, partly because they are just that – artificial – and partly because they encourage a continuing desire for sweet things, which are not normally good choices for anyone seeking weight-loss.

Interestingly, in recent weeks I have radically reduced my use of processed foods – cooking mostly fresh food only – and I have found that my taste-buds now seem much more sensitive to the natural sweetness of various foods: the plain (and unsweetened) yogurt that I have previously relished, now seems incredibly sweet and unpleasant to me. So, our tastes and choices can change quite quickly and naturally.
It can take quite a while to settle into the best timetable and food-plan for oneself and it’s good that you’re exploring, looking at various possibilities to suit your needs and circumstances. I wish you well with it all and I hope you can enjoy the process.