Does quitting soda actually help with fat/weight loss?

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  • hatkinson87
    hatkinson87 Posts: 42
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    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!
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    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.
  • StArBeLLa87
    StArBeLLa87 Posts: 1,582 Member
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    I rather drink lemon water any day over soda I kinda think that most people neglect accounting for beverages consumed in there calorie calculations!
  • SimplyDenyse
    SimplyDenyse Posts: 124 Member
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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.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,229 Member
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    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.
  • emccand
    emccand Posts: 195 Member
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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.
  • HeatherOberholtzer
    HeatherOberholtzer Posts: 41
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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 :(
  • ladypitek
    ladypitek Posts: 91 Member
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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.
  • ladypitek
    ladypitek Posts: 91 Member
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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.
  • fit4lifeUcan2
    fit4lifeUcan2 Posts: 1,458 Member
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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!
  • krissynicole787
    krissynicole787 Posts: 121 Member
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    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:
  • leeroxboro
    leeroxboro Posts: 142 Member
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    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!!
  • jsidel126
    jsidel126 Posts: 694 Member
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    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...
  • MrsBozz1
    MrsBozz1 Posts: 248 Member
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    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:
  • Jimaudit
    Jimaudit Posts: 275
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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.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,229 Member
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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 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.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    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.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,229 Member
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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.
  • crlyxx
    crlyxx Posts: 186 Member
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    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 lol
  • RedsGirl73
    RedsGirl73 Posts: 114 Member
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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!:smile:

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