Does quitting soda actually help with fat/weight loss?

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  • iamnotjustanumber
    iamnotjustanumber Posts: 15
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    Even diet soda is awful - there is nothing good in it for your body and usually has a ton of sodium. If artificially sweetened, it can make you have cravings for sweets too.

    I like EmergenC when i want something fizzy. It's high in Vit. C (obviously) but really tasty and gives me a sweet/fizzy fix. I like tangerine, but there are many flavors. Sparkling water (not club soda) is good too.

    I've seen articles saying that carbonated drinks, including diet, can actually grow cellulite in the lab. Whether it's true or not I'm not sure, but if there is no nutritional value, why consume it? I have a freind who gives up Diet Coke for Lent, and always loses around 10 lbs, so that is a good measure of what it does to your body!
    Water has no nutritional value, either.

    But you need it to stay alive. so as far as liquids go, it's quite cool.
  • maggie1000
    maggie1000 Posts: 4
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    Giving up soda will help your anxiety, thats worth more than lost weight!! good luck
  • BluePHX
    BluePHX Posts: 184 Member
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    Hell yes it does. It also helps with gas, water retention, osteoporosis prevention, skin condition, tooth condition, everything. It is absolutely worth it to give that *kitten* up TODAY.
  • BluePHX
    BluePHX Posts: 184 Member
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    *shrug* If it's not diet, cutting it out saves calories. I drink diet soda. I like it and I don't buy into all the scary stories about it. I've lost weight just fine. Besides, diet soda gets rid of my appeitite.

    Diet soda is even worse. The aspartame in it is highly toxic to the human body and is also extremely addictive. Google that and check it out. You'd be better off drinking the real deal.
  • formersec
    formersec Posts: 233 Member
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    Artificial sweeteners actually increased my appetite. So no more diet sodas. I do keep a can or 2 of regular soda around in case I have a major episode of hypoglycemia. But my beverage of choice these days is water or during cold weather, hot tea.
  • valarielala
    valarielala Posts: 15
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    Like everyone else, I definitely say yes, quitting soda helps! I love soda so I had a lot of issues with giving it up. And I told myself "I just don't like water." At some point, I just made the decision and stopped drinking soda. That change alone had me dropping about four pounds. I drink water constantly now and don't really crave anything else. I do allow myself an ice cold coke if I happen to be hungover, since that is the only thing on the planet that makes me feel better in that situation. But that's only happened once, and beyond that first amazingly delicious and satisfying gulp, it was way way too sweet for me and I ended up dumping the can and guzzling water. At the end of the day, we have emotional attachments to these things but the question I ask myself is, Is this doing my body any good? Is this soda (or chip, or big fat piece of meat with fat on it that I love, or any number of other things that I've developed unhealthy relationships with) going to help me toward my goal? The answer is always no, and if I ignore the question, or lie to myself, I inevitably end up feeling guilty about my choice. So I make it easy for myself and just drink water.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    *shrug* If it's not diet, cutting it out saves calories. I drink diet soda. I like it and I don't buy into all the scary stories about it. I've lost weight just fine. Besides, diet soda gets rid of my appeitite.

    Diet soda is even worse. The aspartame in it is highly toxic to the human body and is also extremely addictive. Google that and check it out. You'd be better off drinking the real deal.
    Um, no. Aspartame is aspartic acid and phenylalanine, which are both amino acids, phenylalanine being an essential amino that you NEED in order to live, and aspartic acid being one that your body already produces on it's own. A 4 ounce piece of chicken breast contains the equivalent of 25 cans of diet soda in aspartic acid and phenylalanine content. All of the "toxic" claims about aspartame can be traced back to a single person back in the 70s, who invented the claims with absolutely no evidence or semblance of truth to them.

    Aspartame has been tested more than any other food additive over the last 60 years, and has been proven safe by over 100 different countries. Please stop spreading misinformation.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Even diet soda is awful - there is nothing good in it for your body and usually has a ton of sodium. If artificially sweetened, it can make you have cravings for sweets too.

    I like EmergenC when i want something fizzy. It's high in Vit. C (obviously) but really tasty and gives me a sweet/fizzy fix. I like tangerine, but there are many flavors. Sparkling water (not club soda) is good too.

    I've seen articles saying that carbonated drinks, including diet, can actually grow cellulite in the lab. Whether it's true or not I'm not sure, but if there is no nutritional value, why consume it? I have a freind who gives up Diet Coke for Lent, and always loses around 10 lbs, so that is a good measure of what it does to your body!
    Water has no nutritional value, either.

    But you need it to stay alive. so as far as liquids go, it's quite cool.
    You need to be hydrated to stay alive. You can receive hydration from thousands of sources (including most foods,) and be perfectly hydrated and perfectly healthy without consuming a single drop of plain water.
  • kar328
    kar328 Posts: 4,156 Member
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    Can't give specific numbers, but I'd definitely say it helps wtih weight loss and even if it didn't, it's just healthier. Last year at this time I was drinking 4-5 16 oz bottles of regular Coke per day. And loving it. But realizing it was getting out of control. I managed to cut it down to 1-2/day - very gratifying to see my recyclable bin only half full. I'd never planned to give it up, just cut back. I then started this weight loss journey in January and 9 weeks ago while home on vacation, just stopped drinking them. I gave three six packs to the skinny neighbors next door. I've got some Sprite Zero at home and drink one a day, if that often. I found I don't miss it, which surprises the hell out of me, since I've been drinking it my whole life.

    There's a brand called Zevia, which has no artifcial sweeteners and is pretty good. I've only had a few cans so far, it comes in a bunch of flavors. I'm hoping to get rid of the Sprite Zero and just go to that when I want soda and the flavored waters won't do.
  • gregpasq
    gregpasq Posts: 14
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    I have read several times over the years that you shouldn't "drink" your calories. Point being it's too easy.
  • mazdauk
    mazdauk Posts: 1,380 Member
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    I thought that meant alcohol!:drinker: I never thought about other drinks.

    So how do protein shakes so beloved of many on here fit with that then?
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,079 Member
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    Unless you have the rare gentic disease PKU, then aspartame is not toxic to you.

    I drink around 3 -4 cans of coke zero or pepsi max a week - doesnt seem to be stopping me from losing weight.
  • StArBeLLa87
    StArBeLLa87 Posts: 1,582 Member
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    Giving up soda will help your anxiety, thats worth more than lost weight!! good luck

    I agree to disagree only cause its not the soda it's the caffeine in the soda I'm a long sufferer of anxiety!

    Limit one soda a day 8 oz no more then 12 oz a day and still in your calorie goal you should be fine! I personally drink water and maybe a soda once a month no more than 2!
  • Siekobilly
    Siekobilly Posts: 401 Member
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    I don't know about it helping to lose weight, unless you are drinking massive quantities, but after I cut out soda for the most part (I still have one every once in a while) I found some of the problems I had with working out such as getting nauseous after cardio, cramps, fatigue, etc... all went away with more water consumption.
  • hayles_s
    hayles_s Posts: 32 Member
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    I've not had any diet soda in nearly a month and notice a massive difference. I have replaced it with lots of water and herbal teas which makes me feel less bloated. Best thing i ever done!
  • hayles_s
    hayles_s Posts: 32 Member
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    "So how do protein shakes so beloved of many on here fit with that then? "

    Mazdauk - I train alot at the gym so for my breakfast I would have a small handful of nuts following by PHD Whey Diet Protein in belgian choc. It has 35g of pure protein including green tea extract and flaxseed. It really fills me up and helps restore muscle tissue which in turn aids weight loss. As a snack i also eat a herbalife bar just to give me a bit of a boost. Protein shakes are not everyone's cup of tea but i find them great!
  • TrishaGuy
    TrishaGuy Posts: 63
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    I have never been a soda drinker but my husband is. When he gives up the soda he starts loosing weight at a rapid pace. However he is a man and they tend to lose faster than woman. I can tell you this....your oral health has a huge effect on your overall health and soda will destroy your oral health. I think you made a very wise choice . I don't know your age but I do know even in my 40's I thought "Oh that will never happen to me" now at 54 I can tell you things change dramatically as you age. Now is the time to get a handle on all those potential health problems before they start :) Good for you :)
  • jenniferarnold619
    jenniferarnold619 Posts: 68
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    It has to help in the weight loss process. FIrst, sodas are empty calories. Just think about it, an 8 oz serving is the equivalent of a morning or afternoon snack! So if you keep consuming the same amount of food calories and only drink calorie free beverages, you are cutting hundreds of calories. Just one 20 oz soda is around 250 calories (1750/ week which is .5lbs).

    Also, you can see a quick poundage loss at first, because sodas have a lot of sodium and chemicals that cause you to retain fluid. My opinion is getting off soda has a lot of great health implications.

    Soda has no nutritional redeeming factors and should be a treat just like ice cream, chocolate pie or cake. It isn't meant for daily consumption. In fact it can hurt your body. Did you know that the carbonation prevents or reduces calcium absorption? That means you can put yourself at a greater risk of the loss of bone density. yikes.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    You'll lose weight if you cut soda only if you still eat less calories than you burn every day.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Why do people keep saying that soda has "so much sodium?" CELERY has more sodium in it than soda does. I swear most people around here just spout stuff with no idea what they are actually saying.

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