Jimmy Knows What He's Talking About!

A fellow lover of diet soda, Jimmy at Livin’ La Vida Low Carb, wrote an excellent observational post the other day about diet soda and the people who drink it. Jimmy pointed out that whenever he goes to a restaurant and orders drinks for him and his wife, the waiter always assumes (incorrectly) that the regular soda is for him and the diet soda for his wife. Why do we always assume this? Here are two stereotypes he noticed that I couldn’t agree with more:

1. Women drink diet soda so they won’t get fat but men are expected to be “manly men” and drink beer or full-calorie soda.
2. People always assume that people who drink diet soda are overweight. Skinny people don’t need to drink diet soda.

My dad loves diet soda, especially the lime-flavored variety, and he often gets a look of surprise when he orders it at a restaurant. Is it girly for a man to enjoy a beverage that not only tastes great but also provides no sugar or calories to his overall diet. I say NO WAY! As obesity rates soar in the U.S. and around the world, we need to start focusing on products that will help us lose the weight and keep it off.

In regard to Jimmy’s second point, it’s a good thing that people who are overweight often order diet soda. Naturally, ordering a Big Mac and diet soda doesn’t make a lot of sense but hey, cut those calories any way you can.

The only area Jimmy and I differ in our love for diet soda is that he is a low-carb lover while I am simply a lover of carbs. I try to reduce calories rather than carbs but I say do what works best for you.

Jimmy, thanks for the great post and keep up the good work!