Soda

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JazzyLea1993
JazzyLea1993 Posts: 2
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I've been told numerous of times that Soda causes belly fat/weight gain. I was wondering if that is true. I have a soda addiction and it's hard for me lay off of them. If I don't drink at least one a day, I get a headache. I need a few pointers on this situation. HELP! :/
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  • darkrose20
    darkrose20 Posts: 1,139 Member
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    I can't talk about cause and effect much, but what I can say is my personal experience. I used to get headaches when I cut out soda/caffeine, but I was drinking, like 6 Mountain Dew's in a day. The headaches will stop with time.

    Since I've joined MFP with the goal of losing weight, I noticed when I started drinking (diet) soda again, my weight loss stopped. In fact, I gained about 5 pounds then they just wouldn't come off.

    I stopped drinking soda again last week, and the weight is starting to come off again. I'm still consuming the same amount of calories on average.

    Hope this helps!

    (edited for typo)
  • garethbridges
    garethbridges Posts: 5 Member
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    A 330ml can of Coca Cola contains 139 calories. If you're drinking several per day, it's conceivable that you will exceed the number of calories your body needs; which will lead to weight gain.

    Do you drink coffee? If not, it's probable that the headache is from caffine withdrawal. Maybe have a shot of espresso to stave off the headache. It might also be something as simple as dehydration caused by lack of fluids. If you cut out the sodas, do you substitute it with water (or anything else)?

    Have you considered the diet versions of the soft drinks? I don't drink soft drinks anyway (1-2 cans per month), but people tell me that they quickly become accustomed to the slightly different flavour of the diet option.
  • JazzyLea1993
    JazzyLea1993 Posts: 2
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    That sums it up! It's good to have someone that basically went through the same situation I'm currently in. This helps a lot!

    I usually drink both coffee or a bottle of Gatorade if I don't have a soda in sight. I've been also told that I need to drink more water. I've came to the point where I dislike drinking water which I'm trying to break out of. I also try a few diet soft drinks every now and then.
  • amy8400
    amy8400 Posts: 478 Member
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    I drank loads of diet pepsi for years, thinking I was clever. Turns out the sweetness of the soda increased my cravings for food. I gained 50 unwanted pounds over 20 years until I woke up last summer and realized I had to start by getting rid of the diet pop. I did that first before starting my weight loss and fitness program (one challenge at a time ; ) I am so glad I did. No longer do I have crazy food cravings all the time and I've lost about a pound a week over the last 5 months. And I don't have to lug home 7 two-litres from the grocery just to restock my pantry for the week!
  • xsmilexforxmex
    xsmilexforxmex Posts: 1,216 Member
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    Soda has a lot of sugar which can lead to carb craving (something I'm fighting right now)
    If you want a better alternative, try the water flavor's.. I use Kool-Aid or Mio squirters for a quick flavor but you can also let fresh fruit sit in a pitcher overnight for a lightly tinted flavor.
  • missomgitsica
    missomgitsica Posts: 496 Member
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    That sums it up! It's good to have someone that basically went through the same situation I'm currently in. This helps a lot!

    I usually drink both coffee or a bottle of Gatorade if I don't have a soda in sight. I've been also told that I need to drink more water. I've came to the point where I dislike drinking water which I'm trying to break out of. I also try a few diet soft drinks every now and then.

    Drinking water definitely helps. For a really really long time I drank nothing but Dr. Pepper. When I first started trying to get healthier, I knew I wasn't going to be able to cut it out completely, so my first little step was to drink as much water as soda a day, then more water than soda, and so on. Now I'm at a point where I'll actually crave water more often than a soda. But I know how you feel . . . the caffeine withdrawal headaches are freaking awful :(. But they do stop eventually, so don't give up!

    It also helps to really look at how many calories it's adding to your diary. I have 1430 calories a day to eat; each can of Dr. Pepper is 150 calories. So if I drink 3 cans a day, there's 450 calories that I could have had in actual real food, if that makes sense.
  • JoJo__Fit
    JoJo__Fit Posts: 258 Member
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    I drink coke zero all the time and I don't get sugar cravings and I'm very flexible in the way I eat, meaning I don't cut out any foods, I have everything in moderation.

    However I should make the switch to zevia or flavored water.
  • RamonaFr
    RamonaFr Posts: 112
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    I've been drinking a diet coke every day for probably 40 years. It doesn't seem to be stopping me from losing weight, and I usually buy the caffeine-free coke, so no caffeine headaches. I don't think diet coke is a problem, don't plan to quit drinking it.
  • kingscrown
    kingscrown Posts: 615 Member
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    Drinking diet soda never stopped me from losing weight. It stopped me from keeping it off. If it gives you a headache to go without maybe slowly start weaning yourself off of it and on to something else. I never thought I'd ever enjoy ice tea, but I actually found one I like. I enjoy having ice tea and hot tea now.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
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    Soda is pure calories with no fiber or micro-nutrients. It will definitely add to your belly. There is also the issue of the phosphoric acid. Soda will clean your toilet, or clean rust off chrome, but it's best for your health if you never consume it.

    It is best, in my opinion, to end any habit suddenly. The "cold turkey" approach.
  • Bluibeth
    Bluibeth Posts: 2 Member
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    I am totally addicted to Diet Pepsi and really want to quit. I just cut out my candy & crap so one day at a time!!
    :bigsmile:
  • jeansnpearls84
    jeansnpearls84 Posts: 40
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    Soda is pure calories with no fiber or micro-nutrients. It will definitely add to your belly. There is also the issue of the phosphoric acid. Soda will clean your toilet, or clean rust off chrome, but it's best for your health if you never consume it.

    It is best, in my opinion, to end any habit suddenly. The "cold turkey" approach.

    Just be careful with the cold turkey approach. I absolutely advocate for quitting or significantly reducing the amount of soda you drink and significantly increasing your water intake....but you may want to do it slowly. I was drinking several diet cokes a day and sometimes a coffee or two as well. I stopped drinking all caffeine about 6 weeks ago (cold turkey) and I had insane headaches for the first 4 or 5 days and then had minor headaches for a few more days after that. I feel great now, and I'm proud of myself for doing it, but it may not have been the best idea. It's all about what works best for you!
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,568 Member
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    I would agree with the comments about gradually reducing over a period of time if you drink a lot of soda.

    You could pick up some of those flavored water enhancer drops to increase your water intake - 8 cups of water per day are recommended - if you drink 4 X 500ml bottles of water per day that meets that recommendation - it doesn't seem like that much when you look at 4 bottles of water
  • mom2kpr
    mom2kpr Posts: 348 Member
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    I would agree with the comments about gradually reducing over a period of time if you drink a lot of soda.

    You could pick up some of those flavored water enhancer drops to increase your water intake - 8 cups of water per day are recommended - if you drink 4 X 500ml bottles of water per day that meets that recommendation - it doesn't seem like that much when you look at 4 bottles of water

    Also, if you like carbonated drinks, a lot of the flavor enhancers tastes really good in carbonated water. The grape flavor mixed with Mendota Springs Water tastes like grape soda.
  • kj26boys
    kj26boys Posts: 73 Member
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    Next Tuesday (3/18) is my one year anniversary being off soda. I used to be addicted to Diet Pepsi. My kids called it liquid gold. I really needed one every morning. I drank about 32 oz a day, sometimes more, sometimes less, but that's a good average. Last year one day I just decided to quit and never looked back. You can do it. For me it was the financial issue. But I will say I am apple shaped and have always carried weight in my belly. Quitting soda had no effect on that. It's still there. :(
  • marissanik
    marissanik Posts: 344 Member
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    I used to drink a CocaCola every day. I'm now able to enjoy one every once in a while. I started with alternatives... First, switched to a soda called "Zevia". They have it here in Canada but I'm not sure about anywhere else. 0 calories. Then I moved onto mixing carbonated water with 100% pure fruit juice. Eventually quit that. I drink only water now. If I need something sweet, I get a blueberry tea bag and mix it with water, ice, and stevia. Best of luck :)
  • jlynnm70
    jlynnm70 Posts: 460 Member
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    Hello - my name is Jlynn and I'm a Dr. Pepper addict. I was drinking at least a 6 pack a day. I pretty much gave it up the first of the year (except for a stint where I was sick for 3 days and I gave in).

    I did have headaches for a while - but drank an extra cup of coffee in the afternoon and that seemed to help.

    I have noticed that I have lost most of the weight (13# so far) off my belly/hips/thighs - which is where I needed to lose it the most.

    A client brought me a 12 pack over 2 months ago - and it still sits in the fridge at work - with only ONE gone and I gave that to my daughter one day when she came to visit.

    Water alone at first was really hard for me - try getting some Mio or Crystal light and add a little for flavor - I like the lemonade ones. Now I rarely add that - unless I just really want something different. Also - I've made a rule - "If I want to eat, I have to drink" - that means every time I eat something I down a glass (8-12 oz) of water first - for starters it keeps me full - and two it guarantees I get at least 4-5 glasses in a day - over and above what I sip on at my desk.

    I wish you the best of luck. Soda is a tough one for a lot of us. (It was easier for me to quit smoking!)
  • scottsgirl4lyfe2004
    scottsgirl4lyfe2004 Posts: 36 Member
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    i am addicted to pepsi i have cut down drastically from where i was at but still have 1 or 2 12 oz a day soon i am hoping one day i can just say no and never look back i deff need to drink more water i drink a small ammount a day do you like water?
  • LosingItForGood13
    LosingItForGood13 Posts: 182 Member
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    yes it does as I am struggling with breaking away from the pepsi I noticed that when I don't drink it for say like a few weeks my stomach is less bloated if u are needing that fizzy taste in ur mouth oceanspray and starbucks have little drinks in the can to help with that I have bought both so I feel your struggle
  • littleandysmom
    littleandysmom Posts: 173 Member
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    Yes...agree with that! I'm down to about 2-3 cans a week (usually on the weekend) In the morning during the week, I buy from QT, pineapple papaya green tea. Drinking green tea has now become a habit so I don't think about coke or dr. pepper like I used to.

    Good luck, you can do it!:smile:

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