Quitting sodas, and just eating at home

TylerGar
TylerGar Posts: 1
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello today I have decided to get rid of the belly fat have. I'm 24 years old, weighing 183 lbs, 5,8 tall. I'm wondering if quitting sodas will help decrease the belly fat, and just drink water? I do drink a lot of cokes, and I tend to eat out lunch almost everyday and dinner maybe 2-3 times a week. So would eating and cooking at home, can that also help with the fat? One more thing i would like to know is what is the best exercise to get rid of the belly fat, and is there even a better way to lose that fat that i don't know about?

Replies

  • ashhatch09
    ashhatch09 Posts: 6 Member
    I can't really answer your question about belly fat, but I can tell you that getting rid of sodas alone will make you lose weight and feel SO much better. That was the first thing I did.
    Also, eating at home would be much better. You don't realize how much you are taking in when you eat at a restaurant. (trust me, it is a lot!)
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    You sound just like how I was - 5'10" 180lbs, and soda drinker.

    1) You can't target your gut, or any other body part
    2) While I prefer not to drink my calories, soda isn't going "hurt" you (it bloats me)
    3) You can make worse foods at home than going out, it's all about cals in and cals out

    What did I do? I ate at a deficit (about 1600-1700 calories) took up running, and boom almost 30lbs knocked off in <4mos. I go out about once a week now with my son, and I only drink diet soda. It was easier than I thought to kick full sugar soda. Now it makes me sick to taste it.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    I can't really answer your question about belly fat, but I can tell you that eating at a calorie deficit will make you lose weight and feel SO much better. That was the first thing I did.
    Also, eating at home would be much better. You don't realize how much you are taking in when you eat at a restaurant. (trust me, it is a lot!)

    FIFY
  • gotolam
    gotolam Posts: 262 Member
    Hello today I have decided to get rid of the belly fat have. I'm 24 years old, weighing 183 lbs, 5,8 tall. I'm wondering if quitting sodas will help decrease the belly fat, and just drink water? I do drink a lot of cokes, and I tend to eat out lunch almost everyday and dinner maybe 2-3 times a week. So would eating and cooking at home, can that also help with the fat? One more thing i would like to know is what is the best exercise to get rid of the belly fat, and is there even a better way to lose that fat that i don't know about?

    Best (and only) way to lose fat is to consume less calories than you used to. So yes, not drinking soda will put a substantial dent towards your needed calorie deficit.

    The difference between preparing your food and eating out is that, IN GENERAL, your meals are less calorific than what you can get at a fast food joint. Again, this goes towards that calorie deficit.

    So to answer your question, yes, doing those two things will make a significant impact.

    You can't spot reduce fat. By lowering your calorie intake, your body will oxidize fat where it wants to and eventually, that will include the stuff hiding your abs.
  • gmthisfeller
    gmthisfeller Posts: 779 Member
    Quitting sodas is a good thing, IMHO, but that will not do much for your belly fat. Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet; you cannot "spot" lose. If you decide to lose weight, it will come off where the body wants it to, and you will have no control over the "where", just the "how much" and the "how fast".

    Not eating out a lot can help with your weight loss since many restaurants provide more food than you will need in order to lose. Eating at home, taking your lunch with you, will help with portion control.

    You are about to get lots of advice! Read carefully. Put together a solid plan, and you, too, will have the body you want.

    Feel free to add me as a friend if you care to.
  • dwh77tx
    dwh77tx Posts: 513 Member
    Even quitting diet sodas helps! Do it!
  • links_slayer
    links_slayer Posts: 1,151 Member
    Even quitting diet sodas helps! Do it!

    orly?
  • martinel2099
    martinel2099 Posts: 899 Member
    Cutting regular coke might might your dieting easier. I can drink 4 of them in a day, and at 120 calories each that's insane. Switch to diet for your regular drinking and don't be afraid to eat out or enjoy the foods you love, just make sure to count your calories and don't over do it. Remember, MFP might have recipes for restaurants online but every restaurant is different; one cook might use more oil or butter than another cook for example, or they might even give you extra.
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    Congrats on making the decision to get healthy. All of the things might "help" but none of them are necessary.

    You lose fat by eating less calories than you burn. It is that simple. You can eat cake and coke all you want as long as you burn more calories than you eat. So, the idea of quitting soft drinks and turning into a hermit is not a very sustainable lifestyle in my opinion.

    Also, "losing belly fat" is no different than losing fat anywhere else. In fact, everyone is a little different but the belly fat is usually the last to go on men. Just focus on losing fat and it will go away eventually.

    Here is what I would suggest. Commit to a long term lifestyle change of eating healthier and practicing moderation. Certainly, limiting sodas can help with that, but its OK to drink one if it fits into your calorie plan. Going out to eat is great, but you can learn to make better choices and maybe go out less often - make it special instead of the equivalent to the grocery store. If you want to eat dessert, don't eat half a cake. If you want pizza, eat a slice. Its your life to live - why make yourself miserable?

    Set up a caloric deficit of about 500 calories a day and eat whatever fits. Make sure you get enough protein (1g/lb lean body mass) and after that you can literally eat whatever you want.

    As far as exercise goes, you don't HAVE to do it, but I would recommend it. I would do a mix of cardio and strength training. It helps you to retain muscle mass as you lose fat.
  • jmv7117
    jmv7117 Posts: 891 Member
    Hello today I have decided to get rid of the belly fat have. I'm 24 years old, weighing 183 lbs, 5,8 tall. I'm wondering if quitting sodas will help decrease the belly fat, and just drink water? I do drink a lot of cokes, and I tend to eat out lunch almost everyday and dinner maybe 2-3 times a week. So would eating and cooking at home, can that also help with the fat? One more thing i would like to know is what is the best exercise to get rid of the belly fat, and is there even a better way to lose that fat that i don't know about?

    You can't target fat loss. In general it will come off in the same order you gained it so if you gained in the tummy area first it will be the last area the fat will come off. Quitting soda in favour of water will decrease the calorie you are consuming so all thing being equal, you will lose weight because you are consuming fewer calorie. Reducing your sugar consumption may make it easier to curb cravings so you don't over eat as much. Cooking at home is dependent on what the food is and how it is cooked. If you are cooking foods in a manner that reduces their caloric value then yes, that will help. Eating at home depends on the food and the amount. To be accurate, weigh your food to stay within your pre-determined calories. The only thing required for weight loss is a calorie deficit. Exercise is for fitness not weight loss. Some exercises including heavy lifting will help tone your mid-section but get your eating in order first. Be sure you are eating at a healthy calorie deficit to lose weight then work in the exercise.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    Even quitting diet sodas helps! Do it!

    BS
  • ashhatch09
    ashhatch09 Posts: 6 Member
    I can't really answer your question about belly fat, but I can tell you that eating at a calorie deficit will make you lose weight and feel SO much better. That was the first thing I did.
    Also, eating at home would be much better. You don't realize how much you are taking in when you eat at a restaurant. (trust me, it is a lot!)

    FIFY

    Getting rid of sodas alone helped me lose weight. The first week that was all I did to change my diet.
  • nixxthirteen
    nixxthirteen Posts: 280 Member
    1. Eat and drink WHATEVER YOU WANT, but log it accurately. To the gram for solids, to the ml for liquids.

    2. Assess whether or not you can meet your calorie goals with your current habits.

    3. If yes, rock on.

    4. If no, make changes.

    Like others have said, I don't like wasting my calories on beverages. But if you can fit a love of pop into your deficit, I don't see a problem with it so long as you're also getting sufficient nutrition. I eat out a couple times a week and it hasn't hindered my weight loss in the slightest. I just try to go to chain restaurants that have their nutritional information available, and pre-log it to make sure it fits.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,948 Member
    Hello today I have decided to get rid of the belly fat have. I'm 24 years old, weighing 183 lbs, 5,8 tall. I'm wondering if quitting sodas will help decrease the belly fat, and just drink water? I do drink a lot of cokes, and I tend to eat out lunch almost everyday and dinner maybe 2-3 times a week. So would eating and cooking at home, can that also help with the fat? One more thing i would like to know is what is the best exercise to get rid of the belly fat, and is there even a better way to lose that fat that i don't know about?
    You can quit soda and eat at home, however if there ISN'T a calorie deficit, you're NOT going to lose weight or fat. And exercise is specifically for fitness and health. While it can bolster your calorie expenditure, it's still going to come down to how much you consume vs how much your burn.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • sportyredhead01
    sportyredhead01 Posts: 482 Member
    This is my two cents/personal experience with diet soda.
    When I used to drink diet sodas it tastes SO.FREAKIN.GOOD with food that I'd just keep eating and eating. I've found if I drink water that I'm way more mindful of how much I'm consuming.

    <--- Also I've been working on ridding myself of belly fat for 2 years. I just started lifting in October and I'd highly recommend it. :drinker:
  • SmaugHugs
    SmaugHugs Posts: 60 Member
    I am 24, 5'7'' and 223 pounds right now. I hated pop,but loved it at the same time and craved it every day, many times through out a day. It did not help that my place of employment has a pop fountain in the staff room for free and not watered down. I had enough of feeling so gross and all my break outs and quite pop cold turkey. You'd have thought I had quite meth or something as I kept finding myself staring at the machine, licking me lips wanting a cold pepsi or ginger ale for my hydration break. It took me some time to get in to the habit of water. When I drank so much pop, I despised the taste of water.

    I found adding fruit or muddling up some fresh herbs in to my water bottle helped get me more in to the swing of it. Now I am completely fine with just plain water and found it really helped me drop weight faster (my personal experience) I went from 255 to 223 pretty quick(three months for me) while I struggled to lose 5 pounds in a month with the same amount of activity. Pop just made me crave more pop and more junk foods.

    But this is my personal experience with the sugary sludge and weight loss.
  • BurntCoffee
    BurntCoffee Posts: 234 Member
    I quit drinking sodas cold turkey 3 weeks ago and I FEEL soo much better. I quit craving as many sweets and I'm not as hungry. I'm not sure if that's because I quit but I've heard other people say the same thing about sodas making them want to eat more. Also, my food actually tastes better when I drink water with my meals.
  • fitnforward
    fitnforward Posts: 62 Member
    It's helped me so far. I quit the sodas and started drinking water. I don't eat out hardly at all now---due to the high calorie content and fried foods. I do most of my cooking at home now---- healthier and cheaper. My stomach has gone down and no more bloating and irritability. Plus water flushes all the toxins out of your body. Good luck with your journey! You can do it!! :happy:
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    It's helped me so far. I quit the sodas and started drinking water. I don't eat out hardly at all now---due to the high calorie content and fried foods. I do most of my cooking at home now---- healthier and cheaper. My stomach has gone down and no more bloating and irritability. Plus water flushes all the toxins out of your body. Good luck with your journey! You can do it!! :happy:

    Toxins eh?
  • madbrainDotCom
    madbrainDotCom Posts: 193 Member
    Even quitting diet sodas helps! Do it!

    BS

    Some artificial sweeteners in diet sodas can play mind tricks, because your brain thinks you just got a lot of energy, but you didn't, making you feel hungrier and causing you to actually eat something else that contains calories.

    So yes, even quitting diet sodas can help. Personally I still have them with a meal. But I have one just by itself in the middle of the day, then I can have this hunger as a side effect.

    My employer provides free sodas (diet and regular) making it harder to quit. Also free orange juice full of sugar/calories...
  • links_slayer
    links_slayer Posts: 1,151 Member
    It's helped me so far. I quit the sodas and started drinking water. I don't eat out hardly at all now---due to the high calorie content and fried foods. I do most of my cooking at home now---- healthier and cheaper. My stomach has gone down and no more bloating and irritability. Plus water flushes all the toxins out of your body. Good luck with your journey! You can do it!! :happy:

    Toxins eh?

    dunno why, but i lol'd hard at this.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,250 Member
    I agree that calorie deficit is the only way to lose weight - so if OP is drinking 'a lot of coke' and it is non diet coke and she then drinks water instead of ( random guess) 4 cans of coke per day, this will go a long way to reducing her calories to the right level.

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