Hmmm.... I remember everytime I order a soda back home, in a town just north of Cincinnati, I always get a funny look... They always ask me where I am from... and I'm like "I grew up here." They mostly say pop. Pop just reminds me too much of an onomatopoeia.... lol. I've tried to say it, just sounds funny

-I gave up soda for Lent, hopefully I can continue not dronking it after Lent is over.

i'm feeling stupid asking this kind of questions but...
i'm discoverying a new world in food terms!
you're telling that coke and other soft drinks can cause addiction...
it's so strange to me, i've never ear...
maybe cause here in italy we drink them seldom just if we go out...
(i said we but i've to say them cause i've never stood soft drink at all...all that fizziness and sweetness...i can't stand to add sugar nor to tea neither to coffee...)
but do you drink pop/soda during meals time?
with food?
cause pops e co. are sweet, how can you combine them with salty foods?
(i'm feeling so dumb, sorry me!)

Hi Pavellina... your question is not stupid at all! I am certainly convinced that soft drinks cause addiction and in any case are certainly not healthful! I gave them up for the most part several years ago and am SO glad I did!

I think you are wise in Italy to drink them just occasionally.. when I lived in the Philippines that is how almost all my Filipino friends did also... it was a "treat" for them. For a birthday they would get ice cream OR cola... certainly not both as we do here, and cake as well usually LOL! They were amazed at us Americans who guzzled the stuff! And yes here in the USA a lot of people do... though certainly not all! And HUGE containers of it LOL... I remember one of my Filipino friends in Manila who had visited America told me how stunned he was when he ordered a "large" cola... LOL he said "I just wanted to drink it; I didn't want to swim in it!!" You can even get 64 oz cups of it at a lot of convenience stores... and LOL I admit I actually used to DRINK those things!!!

And yes it is pretty much a "staple" with salty foods and meals for a lot of people here... fast food places even sell special combinations where you get a discount by getting all three together... hamburger, fries and soft drink... and then jumbo size it LOL... bigger the better! It is no wonder so many of us have serious weight problems!!

There is certainly an addiction factor to soda, with the sugar and caffeine. When I decided to give up regular coke after college, i stopped cold and drank nothing but water for 3 or 4 months. I was disappointed that I didn't lose weight even though I was drinking a 6 pack a day of soda.

As far as soda vs pop goes, i grew up in California and never heard pop until a visit to Minnesota. I went to a pizza place and ordered a piece of pizza and a soda. I got a piece of pizza and a side order of sauce.

I got the worst caffine headaches after i gave up soda.. i switched to diet soda at first then cut that out and went to tea as a means of caffine then i quit that and went to water.. it was a process for me. Most of my weight loss so far is most likely from me quitting soda. I was up to 7 to 9 cans a day... I was very addicted they need a warning on that stuff.

Yes I had withdrawal from it too when I quit. But I never drank that much regular; it was always diet. BUT then I did an Internet research study on artificial sweeteners and yikes... fortunately I had given up the soft drinks pretty much BEFORE that! I do NOT want that stuff in my system!!

Yeah I heard something about the artifical sweeteners in diet soda also and it freaked me out so that didnt last long for me either. Did you see the stupid on the stuff in regular soda.. doesnt suprise me at all that most my weight gain was from that stuff.

ok ive got some typos in that last post... i ment to say did you see the study (not stupid) on the stuff in regular soda...

in fast food here you can take the combination menu that misti said to save some cents but here they offer coke, orange juice or water...
so it's not a matter when you go to the fast food
i've just seen on tv the WWE (wrestling)and one of the fighter had to eat a cheeseburger...and my boyfriend said "is that a cheeseburger?look it's sooo big!"
it's better if i never come in usa...or i become a meteorological balloon
you have so many foods we don't even dreamB)

Pavellina, you are also touching on one of my big frustrations... it is nearly impossible here to go out to eat and get a nice, decent meal. The portions are enough for three people and then of course the prices are raised to pay for all that. You end up having to take tons of it home in boxes, but I don't always WANT to do that! One of the things you hear about when people are talking about a restaurant being good is the huge portions... fine but I don't WANT huge portions; I want a normal meal for a normal price!

And LOL your boyfriend is right... some of the burgers here are HUGE!!! And that IS why so many of us look like meteorological balloons!!! You really have to work at it to eat healthfully here.

On the other hand, if you are willing to put effort into it, there are so many wonderful varieties of food here, especially the Pacific Northwest where I live, that you can eat really well. I have been doing crockpot cooking and making wonderful foods in advance to freeze for later meals. I've already got a great variety and more planned!

I have decided to give up my caffiene free diet coke starting today. I love club soda with lime and always drink that on airplanes, don't know why I don't drink it otherwise as it is much better than diet pop. I always feel better after a flight when I drink it instead of soda. I am also going to do the lemon water and see if it really helps with digestive issues. I will still drink my morning coffee as I can't give up the caffiene totally.

Hi Dee

I am proud of you for giving up the diet coke! You won't be sorry! You are probably aware but be careful as a lot of club soda is loaded with calories; however the seltzer is not! I drink it a lot and add lemon or 1/4 cup fruit juice to a 16 oz bottle of seltzer. It's GREAT!!! Let us know how you do!!

Hi Misti,

The club soda I buy has 0 calories. In fact, I didn't know any club soda had calories. It isn't sweet tasting, just bubbly and the lime adds flavor. Here is the nutrition information for club soda:

Calories in Club Soda


Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
1 fl oz (29.6 g) 1 can or bottle (16 fl oz) (474.0 g) 1 can or bottle (12 fl oz) (355.0 g)

Amount Per Serving
Calories 0Calories from Fat 0
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0.0g0%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 6mg0%
Total Carbohydrates 0.0g0%
Protein 0.0g

Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0% • Iron 0%

Nutritional Units 0
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

http://www.calorie-count.com/calories/item/14121.html

The bubbly part is what I like best and it makes me feel like I'm having a diet pop but without all the other stuff in it. Enjoy! Dee

Thanks Dee. Wow you had me wondering there for a few minutes! I was SURE some of ours said it had calories. But I am googling and you are right... it is tonic water that has the calories! Sorry, everyone, for the bad info, and Dee, glad you clarified.

misti i use to cook in advance and freeze meals when i have time...so i can be organized and have good food even if i couldn't go to food shopping.
good luck and best vibes to everybody who wants to stop with pops e co