soda

What is it about people and soda? I can't believe how many people drink 1, 2, 3 cans each day! Even diet soda, though it may have no calories, isn't very good for you. I think soda is delicious, but if I haven't had my quota of water for the day, I don't even think of having a soda.
Anyone else surprised by all the soda-drinking going on?

Mon. Dec 4, 9:50pm

I agree. I don't drink soda but once a month maybe. I'm basically indifferent to it and choose not to drink it because I don't want the calories. What I always think is interesting is that it is very common for people to drink soda and no one thinks badly of them or look at them funny. A lot of times the individuals who drink it don't always stop and think about how many calories they may be consuming. My downfall is sweets (candy mostly) but there is no way I'd walk around eating a candy bar, once or twice a day, eating it in front of everyone. I would feel way too self conscious. And I guarantee that people would look at that and think, look at all the calories she's eating--why would she do that? And how can she do that more than once a day, every day. So, sometimes one bad habit is just as bad as another. Just because it's "common" doesn't make it right. On the flip side, we're just talking about a drink or a treat. It's really only a problem if it's taken too far, abused, becomes an issue with binging (my case), or a person doesn't adjust for it accordingly in their daily calorie intake. It's all a balancing act!

Tuesday, December 5, 2006, 12:07 AM

to the 12:07 poster - that is an interesting perspective, and one that I really agree with, about how widely accepted it is to consume a beverage that has no redeeming value nutritionally.

I don't get it either, and I rarely drink soda at all anymore. I especially drives me nuts when I see other moms giving their children full-sugar, full-caffinated pepsi, or even mountain dew! I try not to be judgemental, but doesn't anyone pay attention to the news about this kind of stuff? I mean, at least adults are able to make informed decisions about what they are consuming, but to give it to a child who doesn't know any better... leaves me speechless.

Tuesday, December 5, 2006, 8:28 AM

I drink diet soda for the caffine... Because no one makes diet coffee.

For me, the choice is pretty clear- I can either learn to like black coffee, which isn't going to happen, or I can pay 50¢ for a diet coke. a couple times a week, it's the only way I can stay awake at work...

Tuesday, December 5, 2006, 10:55 AM

or you could wean yourself off caffeine and eat an apple a couple times a week for the same effect of awareness. it's been proven that an apple in place of a caffinated beverage will provide the same mental stimulation. and it's healthier all around. granted, there are calories in the apple, but these are nominal.

Tuesday, December 5, 2006, 11:10 AM

I do understand the feelings against soda. It isn't the most healthy choice a person can make. However, in defense of soda drinkers:
I drink 1-2 diet sodas a day. BUT I am also very healthy, 5'5, 120 pounds. I am a runner and exercise regularly. I drink at least 70 oz of water per day and eat fruit and veggies. So done in moderation with a proper diet I don't feel that drinking soda makes me "unhealthy." Yes, if that was all I drank and I sat around and drank them all day it would be unhealthy. There are just some things I am not going to give up! I could be doing a lot of worse things to my body!

Tuesday, December 5, 2006, 12:28 PM

personally, if i used the argument that "i could be doing a lot worse to my body", i never would lose weight. there is almost always something i could be doing that is worse than what i am actually doing...and i could compare myself to people like keith richards who sets an example of how bad one can treat their body and still survive...

Tuesday, December 5, 2006, 12:33 PM

"I could do a lot worse to my body" obviously isn't my attitude about losing weight or I wouldn't have accomplished all of my goals. It's just my attitude about soda. Of course there is always something worse you could do! And I think most people have one or two things they just aren't going to give up, no matter how healthy they live.

Tuesday, December 5, 2006, 12:48 PM

What annoys me about diet soda is that I know some people who will go to a restaurant & get the most calorie-laden, fattening item on the menu, drink a diet coke, & then think the weight should come off. I used to have coworkers who did this. Then they'd spend an hour talking about how they just can't lose weight. So frustrating...

Anyway, I think we all have our weaknesses & for some it happens to be diet soda. For me, it's snack food & sweets. If we all craved the same food, there'd be a shortage of it!

Tuesday, December 5, 2006, 1:12 PM

i'm not a soda drinker, never have been, never will-i don't like the carbonation (i know, weird!) but i know a lot of people who are die hard soda addicts. i'm a bit of an ice cream addict. we all have our vices as someone else already pointed out.

i do think it's sick that there are something like 20 varieties of coke/pepsi now-catering to everyone's individual sweetner needs.

i'm a waitress and one day i had a customer say to me "you know, you should really offer another diet option other than diet coke, not all of us can have caramel coloring." i was nice to her but this is what drives me crazy about people in this country . . we have options upon opotions yet still we want something else. she could have asked for water, tea, juice . . instead she's complaining about the food coloring the soda. OT i know-had to rant!!

Tuesday, December 5, 2006, 1:40 PM

to people annoied about the diet soda drinkers, i think it tastes better, not as iky sweet. also, sometimes i manage to avoid dissert if i have a glass of soda (i drink diet because of the aforementioned taste preference, and less calories, although i know that it's bad for you) in my mind if the trade off is a zero calorie soda or a 500 calorie slice of cake the choice is clear, obviously it would be better not to have either, but some of us don't have that kind of self control.
also to the poster about giving soda to kids, i was brought up not being allowed to have soda ever, and at some point when i was about 13 i started drinking it whenever i could in some sort of rebelliousness, while it seems like a bad idea to give it to kids, telling them not to drink it probly won't help in the long run.

Tuesday, December 5, 2006, 6:30 PM

to the 6:30 poster, you bring up a good point. As I think back to my childhood, there were never any forbidden foods or drinks, so I could have soda anytime (although if I wanted 'junk,' I had to eat a meal first or was warned that I could only have x amount. Now, I just don't have a 'thing' for soda of any kind, but do have difficulties w/junk. In short, I think you may be onto something here...

Wednesday, December 6, 2006, 10:28 AM

Some people do go to restaurants and order the most fattening thing on the menu and a diet soda. When I treat myself to restaurant food I get what I want and I order a diet soda. HOWEVER, I usually only eat 1/4 of the food and don't take it home with me. That way I can eat the food I enjoy (in moderation) and not add calories by drinking regular soda. Does this make sense?

Wednesday, December 6, 2006, 11:41 AM

No, I'm not surprised. I just gave drinking pop up again. But, when I was drinking it, I did count it as calories for the day. And I limited myself to 1 can a day.

It has caffeine in it, it is hard to break the habit. Believe me the headache I had the second day after I stopped drinking it, would make you want to keep drinking it.

How many people drink coffee every day? It's a similar thing.

Wednesday, December 6, 2006, 12:28 PM

How many people waste their calories and brain cells on alcohol, yet continually bash people who drink soda??? give me a diet coke over a beer, any day.

Wednesday, December 6, 2006, 12:40 PM

I recently gave up soda. It's one of those things where if you have it everyday, you want it everyday. Now I just have it once a month, but sometimes don't even want it. And yes, I let my kids have 1 non-caffinated soda a week. I think that they need to learn to enjoy things in moderations rather than banning things.

Wednesday, December 6, 2006, 12:46 PM

I never drink reg. soda bc of the cals. I drink diet soda/carbonated flavored waters because of the carbonation. It fills me up so I eat less....but it is only temporary. I try to keep it to 1-2/day. I know I should drink more water though. Any opinions on whether the carbonated flavored waters should count as a water or a diet soda? I'm guessing it's more in the diet soda category bc of the acid & sweeteners...

Wednesday, December 6, 2006, 12:56 PM

I saw a news report where a man gave up diet soda...and finally lost 20 pounds after a diet plateu. Different foods work for different folks.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006, 7:17 PM

soda

I must comment on this one! I am a soda addict. I drink 12 plus diet cokes a day. I think I have an oral fixation. It's soda or FOOD!

Tuesday, December 12, 2006, 8:50 PM

If it's just the oral fixation, get yourself a water bottle!

Tuesday, December 12, 2006, 9:05 PM

12 diet sodas a DAY?!?!?!?! What are you smoking on the side? The number one thing a natural health care practitioner will tell you to do to help yourself toward better health is to drink lots of water. The number one thing they will tell you NOT to do is drink soda, in particular diet soda. There is nothing resembling anything your body is prepared to digest or filter out of your system in it.

If you are really orally fixated, move your oral fixation to water and real gum (not sugarless, same issues). At least it burns some calories to chew! Just remember to stretch out your jaw daily to keep from developing TMJ. Just the water would be optimal.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006, 10:22 AM

Sodas = as bad as cigarettes

Wednesday, December 12, 2007, 4:21 PM

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