Does quitting soda actually help with fat/weight loss?
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Definitely. Sugar is one of the main contributors to weight gain. You cut back on the sugary drinks and not only will you feel better but you'll have more calories to spend on wholesome stuff that fuels your body properly.
I love juice but it's my "wine" on the rare occasions that I go out to eat. I rarely drink it at home now.
I would personally keep away from the "diet" sodas and soft drinks as well because of the chemical sweeteners that are used in them. Their effects on the body are highly suspect.
Sugar doesn't lead to weight gain, it's the calories in them that lead to weight gain. The reason society contributes obesity to drink is because they are empty calories and it's easy to ingest a ton of extra calories. If calories are consistent and you are in a calorie deficit, you will still lose weight drinking soda. Your nutrition may not be as good, you may not hit all your macro and micro nutrients and you may hit some vitamin deficiencies, but you can still lose weight.
Soda will not stop fat loss unless it causes you to go over your calories.0 -
I haven't had a drop of any carbonated beverage since the first week of March.
I have not lost a single pound.
I think that by giving that up I just substituted in other crap to balance it out.
Also, I don't really feel any better than I did before. Maybe it was pointless to do so.
But this is a great start! Give up the crap you consume to balance it out and I'm sure you'll feel ( and see) a difference.0 -
Oh I forgot to mention that my husband drinks water only thru the day. He has his OJ in the mornings. I'm sure the water helped on the weight loss too0
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Yes. Even diet soda. Sodas contain SOOOO much sodium that it hinders weight loss. Also, the sugars/sweeteners have a high glycemic index, which also hinders weight loss. I found flavored carbonated water, La Croix, and it's a pretty good substitute.
I would love to see a study of low gi vs high gi in terms of long term fat loss but I have seen a ton of studies that suggest the Low GI have no long term benefits over High GI.0 -
It helps in many ways. Carbonated beverages bloat your stomach, you feel less full so you may be inclined to eat more. Also best way to flatten your tummy so you can SEE your loss. Easier to keep properly hydrated when you don't have caffeinated soda depleting your body. I saw the results for myself when my then high school age son gave up soda during his swimming season. His even flatter stomach and decreased appetite was all the proof I needed to convince me that soda is not good. Try it and see for yourself.
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I think it completely depends on how you want to use your allotted calories. If you can still drink that 20 oz bottle of soda and stay within your limit, then you should be fine. Of course caffeine is still a drug for the body and cutting that out can only be beneficial to your health.
I also drank soda regularly. I work in an office and daily I would hit the soda machine for that 20 oz soda. I justified that it was only one a day. But then there were times I went home and drank soda or kool-aid there as well. I made the decision to cut that out. I know drink 95-100% water every day. Mainly the only soda I get is the ginger ale I mix with my schnapps on those weekends I allow myself to indulge. I do sometimes take a swallow of my husband's soda if we are out to eat but that is rare.
I do feel better since cutting out the caffeine. I don't know how to explain it. LOL Now in regards to weight loss, I am sure that it has helped but I can't give you "this many pounds lost from cutting out soda".
You do what is best for you! Good luck!0 -
Quitting soda did nothing to help weight loss for me but I was always a diet soda drinker so there was no calorie difference.
Years ago I had a boss who quit soda and he lost 20 pounds.. He drank Mt.Dew by the gallon so I'm sure cutting all those liquid calories is the reason for his loss.0 -
Yes. Even diet soda. Sodas contain SOOOO much sodium that it hinders weight loss. Also, the sugars/sweeteners have a high glycemic index, which also hinders weight loss. I found flavored carbonated water, La Croix, and it's a pretty good substitute.
Uh, I don't drink soda except on special occasions because I believe it's healthier to drink plain old water.. BUT... How much is "SOOOOOOOO much sodium" in your book?
8 ounces of Coke Zero has 30mg of sodium. Really? Just over 1% of the RDA of sodium and that's SOOOOO much?
As for the artificial sweeteners.... Artificial sweeteners do not have a "high glycemic index" Heck, my baby cousin did her 6th grade science project debunking this "theory"... won first place too but she went through a lot of blood sugar test strips in the process.. I even served as one of her lab rats!
I intuitively believe that soda is bad for you. I intuitively think that artificial sweeteners are bad for you... but it's just a gut feeling and I don't try to portray it as "fact" as I don't think that giving false information is helpful to anyone.0 -
It will definitely help to be healthier!!
http://health.yahoo.net/experts/drmao/what-soft-drinks-are-doing-your-body0 -
Why, do you think people who drink soda don't know how to brush their teeth? What an idiotically ignorant thing to say.I drink Coke Zero daily. I drink Pepsi Max daily.... I can put away 2ltrs a day....... I still lose weight.
You will also lose teeth.0 -
YES.
"Hidden Calories?" ....
They arn't hidden. just include the calorifc value in your calorie count. so if you want a sugar drink, go ahead, but you are going to have to drop something else. Personally, I believe both normal AND diet drinks do you NO GOOD what so ever, particularly DIET COKE which I i'm pretty sure is VERY BAD for you!
Water is the answer.
;-)
He spoke to exactly what I was thinking. This is good advice!0 -
Oh, and to answer the original question, yes it will help. IF it causes you to ingest less calories. If you take the 500 calories of soda you were drinking and eat something else instead, then no, it will not help.
Calories in, calories out. Calories = weight, nutrients = health. Two completely different things.0 -
I rather drink lemon water any day over soda I kinda think that most people neglect accounting for beverages consumed in there calorie calculations!0
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I was addicted to diet soda's.. When I was hungry for something sweet thats what I grabbed first then Id still want the candy bar later
I quit drinking soda's period Jan 2013.. Its helped curb my cravings for sweets. Also Im not sure of any nutritional benifits it has. So now my thought is why even bother drinking it?
Edit** Also I drink LOTS more water since Ive cut it out.0 -
I gave up soda and lost weight. But I love soda, I don't really get my caffeine from other beverages. Eventually, I went back to drinking diet sodas (particularly fond of Coke Zero). I still continued to lose weight.0
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I was a diet coke addict, I quit drinking it for 6 months and it did not help me lose a thing, but I was still eating crappy. I started drinking it again and instantly gained 15 lbs in 2 months :sad: So I quit drinking it again and havent had any since Jan 1st. Now that Im eating healthy I still dont see any significant lose that I can say is from quitting pop. I did stop getting horrible headaches tho so I know its a healthier decision.0
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I think it depends on whether it is diet or not. I suppose if you were drinking regular and stopped and did not replace it with something else, it sounds logical weight should come off. I was drinking loads of diet soda everyday. I am almost 6 weeks without soda and I have yet to have the extra energy or weight loss I was told I would get just by giving it up. Now all I have is the frustration of not drinking soda
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Seltzer with a twist of fruit juice (lemon, lime, orange) is an awesome substitute for soda. I was never much of a soda drinker, but now I only drink water or seltzer.0
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It's not about whether or not you brush your teeth. If a bit of cola will eat the paint off a car and the rust off an engine imagine what it is doing to your teeth and your organs! Even if you brush twice a day, most people don't brush in between meals and those poisons are eating away at you in the meantime.0
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After years of drinking soda on a daily basis, the last time I had soda was on the April 17th. I'm trying to give it up because I heard it helps with weight and fat loss. I have also heard that it can contribute to all sorts of medical conditions like artritis and multiple sclerosis. Granted, I'm not at much (if any) risk for either of those in particular, but I do have a family history of diabetes and would love to avoid that if I can. I have had anxiety and depression issues for a good chunk of my life and the nurse practitioner I see for that recommended at least cutting down on how much soda I drink to see if getting less caffeine helps me. I'm trying to go cold turkey and drink tea, water or milk when I'm thirsty. (I don't drink a lot of milk and haven't in the past few years, so I don't have the problem with getting extra fat through that.)
Has anyone had any luck with losing weight after giving up soda? I'm not expecting to drop a ton of weight and be skin and bones immediately since I see that as incredibly unrealistic. I don't expect to be skin and bones, ever, nor do I want that.
EDIT: Feel free to add me as a friend. I always look forward in helping encourage others in their weight loss goals.
Soda has nothing to do with MS. Also you can't ever be "at risk" of MS. You either have it or you don't.
EXACTLY!!! I don't drink soda, never liked it and I have MS. I have relatives who drink soda every day all day and they don't have MS. There is no connection between soda or anything else for that matter and MS period!0 -
Absolutely. Also, you should see an improvement in cellulite as well, because anything carbonated can contribute to cellulite. (Nutrition coach for the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders says absolutely no carbonated drinks for the cheerleaders lol).
Don't focus just on the quantity of calories. Focus on the quality of calories as well. I lost 60 lbs counting calories, but now I am trying to eat whole foods.
The best app after Myfitnesspal is Fooducate!! I recommend everyone download it (it is free)!! :flowerforyou:0 -
Just my personal experience...I was addicted to Diet Pepsi!! Three weeks ago, I gave them up (except an occasional one on the weekend)...
I drink chocolate milk in the morning now (made with stevia and Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder) and water the rest of the day. The fist day of doing that, I couldn't get enough water, it was like once the water hit my system, my body craved it!! I drank close to a gallon of water on most days, and my pee was still yellow (TMI, I'm sure)....
My skin had always been really dry, I had heart palpitations (nothing dangerous, so the doc said), and was constipated most of the time. After three weeks of so much water, my skin looks and feels better, my heart hasn't skipped a beat in a week, and I am regular....Also, my craving for water has lessened, I think I'm FINALLY hydrated for the first time since high school (I'm 48 now) and feel SO SO SO much better....
It may not be like that for everybody, but I sure am glad I finally started to drink water!!0 -
In addition to reducing/eliminating sugar filled sodas, you could also start reducing/eliminating other food products containing sugar in your diet. I have. It hasn't led to weight loss for me because I am not overweight to begin with but now I don't have to exercise off the extra calories from the sugar consumption.
Before I rarely consumed vegetables. Now they are at least half of my intake. Do not eat many sugar laden (empty calories) snack foods anymore...And I don't have to spend hours at the gym exercising them off...0 -
Yes it will help! Soda contains a ton of sugar and is a lot of empty calories (calories that do nothing good for you) calories much better spent on food your body can use. Good job giving it up, wise choice!! I wish you the best! Good luck! :flowerforyou:0
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The bigger point here is that you suffer from anxiety/depression....in your photo's you do not appear that heavy so for my dollar, I would cut the soda for the caffeine to reduce anxiety. Also reduce chocolate intake and regular tea/coffee....very high in caffeine. You will see an immediate difference in your anxiety levels.
I know because I have anxiety and a panic disorder---I have been self treating for years through natural supplements and avoiding caffeine.
Good luck.0 -
Yes. Even diet soda. Sodas contain SOOOO much sodium that it hinders weight loss. Also, the sugars/sweeteners have a high glycemic index, which also hinders weight loss. I found flavored carbonated water, La Croix, and it's a pretty good substitute.
I thought this was true at first too. But the can of Coke Zero sitting on my desk right now only contains 40g of sodium. That's less the 2% of the RDA for sodium. One, two, or three cans of Coke Zero a day is acceptable is long as I am monitoring my intake of sodium rich foods and ensuring that I am getting a sufficient amount of potassium.0 -
I dropped quite a few pounds without even thinking about it when I stopped drinking soda. I was a 4-6 full sugar soda per day guy, so cutting them out automatically cut 640 - 960 calories per day from my diet that weren't replaced with anything that substantial...so in that respect, yes...so long as the calories you're cutting don't get replaced.0
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Also reduce chocolate intake...
Blasphemy!!!!
Just kidding, but really, I was always under the impression that chocolate consumption incited positive emotions. Also, chocolate isn't really that high in caffeine, but definitely sugar.0 -
If you drink it regularly, probably, though at the end of the day I realize I usually have enough calories left over for a soda or two lol0
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Does quitting soda actually help with fat/weight loss? Absolutely! I only drank about 2 cans of "real" Dr Pepper a month and lived off of diet the rest of the time, as I am diabetic. The first week of completely eliminating them from my diet I lost 6 lbs. Water and unsweetened and herbal teas for me now! 0
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