Yes, I’m still fat. I can’t believe I couldn’t lose all that weight in one week. Bummer!
Here’s how I did this past week. I did complete my challenge of working out six of the past seven days. I took Saturday off. I’m keeping track of my food and my exercise. I don’t know about pounds lost, because I don’t weigh myself all the time. I’m trying not to obsess about that part.
How did you do on your goals for the new year? I’m betting most people did well. January seems to be easy for most people because they have some kind of “it’s a new start momentum”. I’m predicting that February will be the hardest for me. Some of that momentum will be fading and the weather is not so great.
Here is my challenge for this week: Continue with the exercise and confront the soda pop demon.
Oh pop, how I love you! Why do you make my ass so big?
Image found here.
Before Christmas, I had myself down to maybe one pop a day. Which means there were days that I didn’t drink any at all! Now I’m back to one or two a day. I know that I won’t be able to achieve and maintain my goal with pop as a daily habit. But I also know that if I tell myself that I can never have it again, that will make me want it and obsess about it. So, I’m just trying to ween myself off of it. For me, it doesn’t matter whether it’s diet or real. If I’m drinking lots of pop, weight loss eludes me. Anybody else trying to get off pop? What do you call it, by the way? I’m from the middle of the country, so we say pop. I think the Northeast says soda. Lots of people in the south call it Coke, no matter what brand it is. It’s pretty funny to have someone say they want a Sprite Coke.
I know I said I was going to do a CSN giveaway today, but apparently the person who contacted me is having issues… So, I’m going to giveaway a $50.00 Amazon gift card!
To enter, just leave a comment on this post telling me what you call pop and what part of the country or world you are from. One entry per person, please. I have no idea the scope of Amazon’s reach. So, if you can shop on Amazon, you can enter. Giveaway ends at 11:59PM CST, Thursday January 13th.
Amazon does not know who I am and they are not sponsoring this giveaway.
40 Days Of 
Posted by Liz on January 11, 2011 at 10:09 am
I’m from Iowa and we call it pop. I had a really bad Diet Coke addiction, but was finally able to break myself from it. I don’t drink coffee or tea so it was my main item to drink. Now we don’t keep it in the house so I only drink it a couple of times a week at the most.
Posted by Milissa on January 11, 2011 at 10:11 am
I call it pop, and I’m from Michigan.
Posted by Tanya on January 11, 2011 at 10:12 am
I’m originally from OR. Where they call any soda “coke,” but I now call it soda-pop. Somehow picked that up in college.
Posted by Tanya Slaughter on January 11, 2011 at 10:14 am
P.S. You probably need my email for the drawing. (Tanya from OR.)
Posted by 40daysof on January 11, 2011 at 10:19 am
Thanks, Tanya. I had just seen that and become concerned. 🙂
Posted by Mary on January 11, 2011 at 10:16 am
I call it soda, and I’m from the mid-Atlantic. I, too had a diet soda addiction and had to quit cold turkey. Now, if we’re out somewhere, I make sure to order unsweetened iced tea, which is boring but doesn’t have the scary chemicals. Scary chemicals! Stop drinking it! Even non-diet soda is scary to me now. Plus, millions of carbs.
Posted by Timothy Dean on January 11, 2011 at 10:16 am
I grew up in Utah, then Iowa, and we always called it pop.
Posted by Duane Cooper on January 11, 2011 at 10:17 am
Its SODA in Florida!
Posted by Jessi on January 11, 2011 at 10:21 am
I’m from NC and we call it soda. Michael and I recently gave-up soda too. Although I did cheat this weekend. =)
Posted by Klemens Raab on January 11, 2011 at 10:25 am
Here in Texas, a waiter will ask what you would like to drink, to which you respond, “A coke,” to which you will then be asked, “What kind?” I would imagine that, even though “coke” is DEFINITELY the generic term for soda in Texas, “soda” is the next most common. Personally, I say “soda,” but when I was little, I even called Dr Pepper “coke”.
Posted by Andrea on January 11, 2011 at 10:25 am
I have always called it Coke….even if its Dr.Pepper. My friend from Conneticut called it pop forever, and it always makes me laugh.
Posted by lou on January 11, 2011 at 10:26 am
pop…nebraska:)
Posted by Teresa on January 11, 2011 at 10:33 am
Moving around as a military brat made me learn to call it all sorts of things. In the south we would say coke which could mean anything from Coke to Sprite to Mountain Dew or Dr. Pepper — it was all coke! A little further north (mid-Atlantic) and we called it soda. When I moved to Michigan and asked for soda I would get soda water. It is only referred to as pop in Michigan!!
Posted by Mary Mulvaney on January 11, 2011 at 10:34 am
I call it COKE…and I love diet coke! Try to have one in the evenings..with rum and lots of lime to be exact! I was born in North Carolina but mostly raised in Texas! Fun fun fun!
Posted by Stephanie Phillips on January 11, 2011 at 10:42 am
I’m in North Cakalaky and I call it soda. Many people here call it Pepsi, as New Bern is the birthplace of Pepsi.
Posted by Luciane at HomeBunch.com on January 11, 2011 at 10:49 am
It’s “POP’ here in Canada… 🙂
Are you feeling better? I really hope you are, sweetie!
And yes, I want to win the 50 bucks! 🙂
xo
Luciane at HomeBunch.com
Posted by 40daysof on January 11, 2011 at 3:48 pm
I’m feeling a lot better. Thanks, Luciane! 🙂 PS somebody else answered with the Potuguese word!
Posted by Natalie Huppenthal on January 11, 2011 at 10:51 am
I am from South Bend, Indiana and we call it pop. I drink at least one Mt. Dew a day, and that is not good. My Doc would prefer that I drink no pop, but if I have to I should drink diet yuck! Nicole I can feel your pain I can lose about 50-60 pounds myself,as soon as my arm is bettter I am going to be on it, my first goal is to run in the mini marathon in May (Indy is hosting). From there the sky is the limit I would love to fit into all those Ann Taylor clothes I have in the closet some with tags on them. I will keep you posted.
Posted by 40daysof on January 11, 2011 at 1:18 pm
Nat, I’m glad your arm is healing. Keep me posted on the mini Marathon. I know you can do it!
Posted by Julia @ Hooked on Houses on January 11, 2011 at 10:51 am
It’s funny–I grew up calling it Pop, but I’ve noticed that people are saying Soda or just Coke (or, in my case, “I’ll have a Diet”) more often in my neck of the woods now (the Midwest). I don’t understand how Diet Coke can make us gain weight, but apparently it does. What’s up with that?
I love Amazon. I have a huge Wish List of things I’m dying to get, so pick me! Pick me! 🙂
Posted by Stacy on January 11, 2011 at 10:53 am
Here is to praying you get over the “Coke” habit. I kicked this one long ago, mostly for my perpetual fear of HFC and what the heck it is/isn’t made of. I do enjoy a good soda once in a while, when they have those throw back, “Kosher” sodas at the store every summer! I also have a great weakness for Dr. Pepper from Dublin and long to visit the plant one day.
Also having moved around a lot, I call it Coke when in Texas. But usually just refer to it as soda because I am originally from NC. I had a really hard time in Chicago when everyone called it Pop! I thought they were asking if they could hit me or something!
Posted by Emily on January 11, 2011 at 10:57 am
yes oh yes the great soda pop debate…..back home in KS, it is pop but I live in TX now, so soda or coke it is!
I have also battled the soda/coke/pop demon, but once I went off, I have a hard time enjoying it again at all…kinda sad really….so enjoy is while you can!
and even though diet coke is supposed to be “better” for you, I think all those chemicals and empty calories are equally as bad and maybe worse than all the sugar in regular…thoughts?
Posted by Lisa on January 11, 2011 at 11:06 am
Here in Alabama, we call it “coke” or “Co-Cola” no matter what it is. I’d never heard the term “pop” until college!
Posted by Kate on January 11, 2011 at 11:14 am
I call is coke and soda. Splitting the difference, I guess! 🙂
Posted by Karen on January 11, 2011 at 11:45 am
Here in St. Louis where I grew up and currently live, it’s called soda, but in Wyoming, where I lived for 18 years, it is called pop. That was hard to get used to so my husband compromised and called it soda pop, still does. Thanks for your great blog.
Posted by Michelle on January 11, 2011 at 12:02 pm
POP is what we call it in Nebraska!
Posted by Rachel on January 11, 2011 at 12:07 pm
How exciting that I can comment AND try to win! 🙂 I am obsessed with Diet Coke and have said I need to stop, but just flat out DO NOT WANT TO. Sad, I know. So instead I will continue drinking my DC that I have right here with me. I am from NC and I usually say soda when referring to all carbonated products, but the only think I ever order is Diet coke!
Posted by Mami2jcn on January 11, 2011 at 1:01 pm
I’m originally from NJ and we always just called it soda.
Posted by Ken on January 11, 2011 at 1:11 pm
I’m from Nebraska and I call it George!
Posted by Suzanne on January 11, 2011 at 1:12 pm
I’m originally from California and grew up calling it soda but I have now lived all over the country and hear it called mostly pop. Gave up my habit after a trip to Italy introduced me to ‘frizante’–sparkling water. Now anything else is WAY too sweet. Maybe you could use a trip to Italy…?
Posted by 40daysof on January 11, 2011 at 1:15 pm
Italy and the scorn of our waiters didn’t work!!!! But I could still use a trip to Italy. Couldn’t everyone? 🙂
Posted by Teri on January 11, 2011 at 1:15 pm
I’m from California originally (pop) but have lived in Washington state most of my life (soda).
Thanks for the giveaway!
Posted by mary helen on January 11, 2011 at 1:57 pm
We call it pop in Oregon. I’ve been in parts of the country where they didn’t even know what I meant by “pop.”
Posted by Traci B on January 11, 2011 at 2:06 pm
Everytime I hear pop or soda it makes me laugh. I’m from the deep south – Louisiana. We say Coke. I’ve NEVER heard anyone say Sprite Coke. It’s more like “Do you want a Coke?” “Yeh, I’ll have a Dr. Pepper”! In a restaurant they ask what you’d like to drink & my response is Dr. Pepper. YES I have a Dr. Pepper problem. I’m definitely trying to limit my intake. I’ve been doing well so far & not even having one a day!! Good luck on your journey!
Posted by Emi on January 11, 2011 at 2:35 pm
I’m from Brazil and down there we say refrigerante – Portuguese for soda. Here I don’t say it much since I just drink water!
Posted by Ashley H on January 11, 2011 at 3:37 pm
I call it soda. I’m from North Carolina.
Posted by lisa on January 11, 2011 at 3:55 pm
you want a coke with that? “uh, sure” “what kind?” “Sprite, please.”
I like your fat tuesday posts – helps me to feel accountable, too.
Lisa
Posted by anna see on January 11, 2011 at 4:33 pm
I’m from the southeast, but not south enough to call it pop. I call it soda.
Posted by Jules on January 11, 2011 at 5:19 pm
It’a called pop here in Chicago.
Posted by Jen on January 11, 2011 at 5:23 pm
I love all of the answers to this post! Growing up in Montana & Washington it was only referred to as ‘pop’. My family, who now lives in Nebraska, still refers to it as ‘pop’. I now say ‘soda’, but I definitely agree with the Texans calling it ‘coke’ and referring to any type of soda. Someone else referred to gaining weight drinking diet soda. Jennifer at Conversion Diary has a blog dedicated to that topic that I love. Maybe I will find it and link back to it for you. 😉
Posted by Erika on January 11, 2011 at 5:38 pm
I call it pop, and I’m from Nebraska. But you already know that. 🙂 I also have a pop addiction, and I think you already know that, too. It’s my drug!
Posted by Nicole Hawley on January 11, 2011 at 6:15 pm
Here in Texas we call in coke!
Posted by Dee on January 11, 2011 at 8:10 pm
It’s soda in NYC but usually we just say sprite or coke even if it isn’t lol
Posted by Eryn on January 11, 2011 at 10:17 pm
We just moved to Canada from Scotland…in scotland they called it “fizzy juice”
Posted by Lynn Beumer on January 11, 2011 at 10:24 pm
Coke is generic for soft drinks in Arkansas, where I grew up.
as was Kleenex for tissues, Kodak for camera, Kotex for sanitary pads. I am 67 years old; terms have changed some, I am sure.
But, when I say “Coke”, I DON’T mean Pepsi !
Posted by edmontonjb on January 11, 2011 at 11:00 pm
We call it pop here in Alberta Canada
Posted by Janie P on January 11, 2011 at 11:01 pm
Oh, yes, the dreaded Soda habit! At one time I was drinking at least four a day, back when I was still a nice size. But somewhere along the way, doctors began remarking on my weight gains and other medical symptoms (from too much caffine), so I too cut back to one a day. Even quit entirely for a while. But that old demon Coke has me in it’s grips again. I’ll take inspiration from you and try to quit again. I’m from the Mid-South (So. IL), and we call it soda—I call it Coke, because that’s what I always want—the Classic kind. Please enter me in your drawing; maybe I can get something to tempt me in giving up the stuff.
Posted by amy on January 12, 2011 at 8:09 am
I grew up in IA calling it pop…but now having lived in TX over 10 years (with a native TXN), I find myself calling it ‘coke’ (much to my chagrin and my husband’s happiness).
Good luck with giving pop/soda/coke up – it IS a hard battle to fight!
Posted by Anna on January 12, 2011 at 8:35 am
I grew up calling it “pop” and once I moved from MN to CO I became self-conscious of the term. (Just another thing to be insecure about at 15.) So I started calling it either the brand-COKE, SPRITE,etc or just soda.
I go back and fourth with a diet coke addiction and the only thing that gets me off of it is replacing it by drinking tea or coffee during the day. I am currently in a mode of drinking the dirty stuff again…
Posted by Terri P. on January 12, 2011 at 8:39 am
I live in Northeast Pennsylvania and we call it soda. If anyone called it pop, we’d know they were not from the area!
I used to drink a lot of soda, but since I started drinking Vitamin Water or Sobe, I hardly drink any at all! I prefer V.W., which has 50 calories, but Sobe has none. I can live with that!
Posted by Lori on January 12, 2011 at 9:17 am
Way out here in Nor Cal, we call pop “wine.”
No, wait, we don’t really.
For a long time I called ALL pop “coke.”
I now call it “soda.”
And so henceforth it will be known.
I can get away with that owing to my new tiara.
Posted by Theo on January 12, 2011 at 9:57 am
Soda is more commonplace in the tri-state area but I prefer the “pop” version. It sounds more refreshing!
Posted by Lucille on January 12, 2011 at 11:13 am
pop when ordering or fizz for fun (inside joke though) in upstate NY 🙂
Posted by Chris on January 12, 2011 at 11:15 am
i call it soda and i am from new jersey….most people here in nj/ny refer to it as soda!
Posted by Emma on January 12, 2011 at 12:30 pm
I’m from New England and I always called it soda, but my dad has always called it tonic, which I like and I may have to adopt it.
Posted by Nicole on January 12, 2011 at 1:52 pm
I grew up in TX. Whole family calls it coke. I married from Chicago. His whole family calls it soda. And they take it VERY SERIOUS. Now, if I slip and ask for a coke, I get the Italian evil eye or the Polish pinky curse. Scary. So, I call it soda…
Posted by Leigh Anne on January 12, 2011 at 2:56 pm
I grew up in TX and am a former addict of Coke. Now, I prefer Diet Dr. Pepper but I still order a ‘Coke’ when I’m at a restaurant and then specify the kind, namely Diet Dr. Pepper.
Posted by maria Potts on January 12, 2011 at 6:08 pm
I say soda, after being laughed at when my family moved from Illinois to Missori. My husband says pop, though, and since my kids call it Soda, he claims (rightly, I’m sure)it is my family who corrupted them with the stuff.
Posted by Diana Tresco on January 12, 2011 at 8:14 pm
I am from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and we call it POP!
Thanks for sponsoring this contest.
submitted by dianat53@aol.com
Posted by Barbie on January 13, 2011 at 11:33 am
I live in NC and I persoanally call it “soda”. Most people here call it Coke though. You almost never hear anyone say “pop” unless my mom is visiting. She grew up in Cincinnati.
The hubs and I gave up caffeine when we started having kids…ironic, I know. Seems like that’s when we would need it most. We drink unsweetened, decaf iced tea…nearly a pitcher a day. I make it with two family-sized tea bags and one regular sized flavored tea bag (usually peach). Has a nice flavor and I don’t miss the sweet so much.
Posted by Marcia on January 13, 2011 at 11:39 am
I call it pop, sometimes soda pop. Ken really does not call it George but cokie pop….Nebraska.
Posted by tammigirl on January 19, 2011 at 10:47 am
We just call it by name so if it’s a Pepsi, we say Pepsi. Dr. Pepper we say Dr. Pepper, etc.
But when I was little we called it Pop – in Ohio
Then we called it Soda – in Texas
In California – it was whichever
In Venezuela – by name again – or refresco
Posted by 7 Quick Takes Friday « 40 Days Of on January 21, 2011 at 7:04 am
[…] I am still struggling with getting soda pop out of my life. The one day I went without, I had the worst headache I’ve had in a very long […]