The great pop debate
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Gena_Beana
Posts: 66 Member
I'm from Michigan originally, so I call it pop. Some call it soda, some say soda-pop, some even call all of it "coke" even if it's mountain dew.
Anyway, a short time ago (about 5 months ago) I was strongly considering weight loss surgery, and during that process I had to quit drinking pop. It was very hard, I was addicted to coke zero. In fact, I rarely drank anything else (including water), yikes! Suffice it to say, I quit the pop 100%, and then I quit all caffeine (tea & coffee), and then I said to hell with all of it and now I exclusively drink water. Only water, no juices, no diet this or that, no coffee, no tea, no nothing but water. And flavor drops of course.
So, I was telling my Mother that I think quitting pop has had the best effect on my weight loss and recovery after workouts. When I was going to get the surgery (I'm not getting it now, since I dropped below the minimum bmi requirements to get it & now I don't want it anyway), I was told that pop 'expands' your stomach and that is why you had to quit drinking it. I don't have any scientific statistics for ya'll or anything, but I really have seen a major difference in the way my body feels, the way my body looks, and how much more I seem to be able to accomplish in the gym since quitting pop. Could be because I also eat healthier, and say no to the excess sugar, but I am stuck on my idea that pop was the most detrimental thing I was doing to my body.
What are your thoughts?
Anyway, a short time ago (about 5 months ago) I was strongly considering weight loss surgery, and during that process I had to quit drinking pop. It was very hard, I was addicted to coke zero. In fact, I rarely drank anything else (including water), yikes! Suffice it to say, I quit the pop 100%, and then I quit all caffeine (tea & coffee), and then I said to hell with all of it and now I exclusively drink water. Only water, no juices, no diet this or that, no coffee, no tea, no nothing but water. And flavor drops of course.
So, I was telling my Mother that I think quitting pop has had the best effect on my weight loss and recovery after workouts. When I was going to get the surgery (I'm not getting it now, since I dropped below the minimum bmi requirements to get it & now I don't want it anyway), I was told that pop 'expands' your stomach and that is why you had to quit drinking it. I don't have any scientific statistics for ya'll or anything, but I really have seen a major difference in the way my body feels, the way my body looks, and how much more I seem to be able to accomplish in the gym since quitting pop. Could be because I also eat healthier, and say no to the excess sugar, but I am stuck on my idea that pop was the most detrimental thing I was doing to my body.
What are your thoughts?
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Replies
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I have no opinion on whether or not expands your stomach - I'll leave that alone.
But no, I don't think pop alone has much effect. I cut back quite a bit, and yes that helped - in the sense that it helped me reduce the number of calories I was consuming. But I still have it maybe 2-3 times a week and I'm fine. If you were drinking coke zero, then frankly, no, I don't think quitting it had much of an impact on your weight loss.0 -
Carbonation does not make you expand. You're consuming less calories (even if it's diet), and eating a more balanced diet to give you better energy sure.0
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I wish I could quit drinking it. It's my only vice these days. I drink diet but when you drink 2 or more a day I just think its bad. I love, love, diet dr. pepper.0
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I can't imagine that soda would expand a normal sized stomach. I know that gastric bypass reduces the size by quite a bit.0
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I call it pop, mostly.
It doesn't seem to have much effect on my weight loss whether I drink it or not (sometimes I do, sometimes I don't). Quitting all caffeine (which I mostly get in coffee) made it much harder when I did that, but that mostly goes away after you adjust. However, I know part of my desire to eat between meals is to have an excuse to get up, take a break, have a little something, and coffee satisfies that urge as well as eating. If I were into diet pop instead of coffee I suspect it would serve the same urge, also without meaningful calories, so this is one reason why I think quitting it might be counterproductive for some.
But people should test it out for themselves.
I don't think I've ever drank enough of anything to expand my stomach.0 -
At first I thought the title of this thread was the great "poop" debate. Apparently I need more caffeine. Carry on.0
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Upper Midwest here. Pop it is. I love it (Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, whatever). For me, it is something I forego if I want to stay on the leaner side. As sure as the sun rises, when I quit pop altogether, I drop the 'bloat' within 3 days. Typically 5 or 6 lbs. If I go back on it, it comes on and my waist gets a little thicker (pants won't button as easily). So, I avoid it and avoid the issue. When I was prepping for figure competition, there was no sodas allowed. I can see why. Everyone's different, but I know my body is responsive to it. So I do the common sense thing for me.
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Generally it's suggested to avoid carbonated drinks after surgery, while you're healing, but I think that's mostly it. There's not really harmful about them before hand, though. People who have had the surgery probably want to stay away from any sort of diuretic, just because it can be a little difficult to stay hydrated.
If you feel better, great.
I know other people experience the same improvements in body image, energy levels, etc without removing soda. Mileage varies.0 -
Pop. UK. It's all pop.
I drink it like it's going out of fashion. I can get through a 24 pack of diet Coke/Coke Zero in 3 days, easily. Fat Coke (full sugar) or Coke Life (half sugar) will obviously impact on weight loss ... I don't like the taste of it, I prefer the diet stuff... but if it's the 0 calorie variety it won't.
It might make you feel a bit "off"... but I think that's more likely due to the caffeine content than the carbonation.0 -
Carbonation does not make you expand. You're consuming less calories (even if it's diet), and eating a more balanced diet to give you better energy sure.
When you drink anything that is carbonated, the gas will come out of solution in your stomach due to the higher temperature and digestion. The liquid+gas takes up more volume (applies more pressure) within the stomach than the same volume of non-carbonated drink would take. The additional pressure will cause the stomach to expand.I can't imagine that soda would expand a normal sized stomach. I know that gastric bypass reduces the size by quite a bit.
This isn't a problem for a normal stomach because it's made to expand. However, you want a stomach that has been reduced in size to stay small.
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I absolutely think it has effected your weightloss and how you feel. Do not get me wrong, I LOVE soda (here in Texas we call it Coke whether it is, it's Big Red, Dr. Pepper...they are all cokes. lol). I have a baby picture where I'm sitting on a blanket outside and there is a bottle next to me with Big Red in it. This stuff was probably running through my veins at one point! I have stopped and started drinking soda so many times. It is my only vice. I don't smoke, I don't do drugs, I don't pop pills and I drink but socially and can take it or leave it. But truly, soda is my crack. Having said that I have stopped and started several times over my 39 years, the times I feel at my best are when I am NOT drinking it. Whether I am on a health and fitness kick or not. Everyone is different, yada yada, but the bottom line is something that tastes so good and is made up of so much bad stuff undoubtly has an effect on your health and well being, not just caloric wise.0
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BigLifter10 wrote: »Upper Midwest here. Pop it is. I love it (Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, whatever). For me, it is something I forego if I want to stay on the leaner side. As sure as the sun rises, when I quit pop altogether, I drop the 'bloat' within 3 days. Typically 5 or 6 lbs. If I go back on it, it comes on and my waist gets a little thicker (pants won't button as easily). So, I avoid it and avoid the issue. When I was prepping for figure competition, there was no sodas allowed. I can see why. Everyone's different, but I know my body is responsive to it. So I do the common sense thing for me.
That's the case for me too, the bloat. My stomach LOOKS different. And I've lost and gained weight several times in the past, but my stomach has never looked this much better (and I don't do crunches).
I also think that carbonated beverages make me want to just EAT EAT EAT everything, I don't know why. But, since I've quit I rarely get that same type of 'hunger' feeling as I did when I drank coke zero 24/7.
I have to say I think that drinking only water has been super for my joints too, I've noticed a major difference with workouts now as opposed to working out before when I drank coke zero's.
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I absolutely think it has effected your weightloss and how you feel. Do not get me wrong, I LOVE soda (here in Texas we call it Coke whether it is, it's Big Red, Dr. Pepper...they are all cokes. lol). I have a baby picture where I'm sitting on a blanket outside and there is a bottle next to me with Big Red in it. This stuff was probably running through my veins at one point! I have stopped and started drinking soda so many times. It is my only vice. I don't smoke, I don't do drugs, I don't pop pills and I drink but socially and can take it or leave it. But truly, soda is my crack. Having said that I have stopped and started several times over my 39 years, the times I feel at my best are when I am NOT drinking it. Whether I am on a health and fitness kick or not. Everyone is different, yada yada, but the bottom line is something that tastes so good and is made up of so much bad stuff undoubtly has an effect on your health and well being, not just caloric wise.
I have to agree, I was addicted to it like Crack for real. I quit smoking a little over 3 years ago, I quit drinking any alcohol a little over 2 years ago. Whatever the case, if it stretches the stomach or not, I sure feel so much better now that I don't drink it. I always wanted to eat sugar & salt combo's, along with a coke zero (crazy)!
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Carbonation does not make you expand. You're consuming less calories (even if it's diet), and eating a more balanced diet to give you better energy sure.
When you drink anything that is carbonated, the gas will come out of solution in your stomach due to the higher temperature and digestion. The liquid+gas takes up more volume (applies more pressure) within the stomach than the same volume of non-carbonated drink would take. The additional pressure will cause the stomach to expand.I can't imagine that soda would expand a normal sized stomach. I know that gastric bypass reduces the size by quite a bit.
This isn't a problem for a normal stomach because it's made to expand. However, you want a stomach that has been reduced in size to stay small.
AHA! I knew there was some science behind it! Let's not talk about gas
LOL. I want my stomach to reduce in size and stay small!!!!
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Gena_Beana wrote: »I'm from Michigan originally, so I call it pop. Some call it soda, some say soda-pop, some even call all of it "coke" even if it's mountain dew.
Anyway, a short time ago (about 5 months ago) I was strongly considering weight loss surgery, and during that process I had to quit drinking pop. It was very hard, I was addicted to coke zero. In fact, I rarely drank anything else (including water), yikes! Suffice it to say, I quit the pop 100%, and then I quit all caffeine (tea & coffee), and then I said to hell with all of it and now I exclusively drink water. Only water, no juices, no diet this or that, no coffee, no tea, no nothing but water. And flavor drops of course.
So, I was telling my Mother that I think quitting pop has had the best effect on my weight loss and recovery after workouts. When I was going to get the surgery (I'm not getting it now, since I dropped below the minimum bmi requirements to get it & now I don't want it anyway), I was told that pop 'expands' your stomach and that is why you had to quit drinking it. I don't have any scientific statistics for ya'll or anything, but I really have seen a major difference in the way my body feels, the way my body looks, and how much more I seem to be able to accomplish in the gym since quitting pop. Could be because I also eat healthier, and say no to the excess sugar, but I am stuck on my idea that pop was the most detrimental thing I was doing to my body.
What are your thoughts?
My profile picture was taken a few weeks ago, a few minutes after I had my morning can of coke zero. I lost almost 60lbs while drinking several cans of diet coke every day and I now successfully maintain that loss while continuing to drink diet coke every day (2-4 cans a day usually).
I have a bmi of 19.4, a bf% at around 22%, my blood panels are perfect, including no longer being a pre-diabetic, my blood pressure is great, I can do a 100 regular pushups, can walk 2 miles without getting winded and I look pretty great in a two piece swim suit, for being a 36 yr old mom of three kids. I am healthy and happy, and I drink pop all the time
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Sarasmaintaining wrote: »Gena_Beana wrote: »I'm from Michigan originally, so I call it pop. Some call it soda, some say soda-pop, some even call all of it "coke" even if it's mountain dew.
Anyway, a short time ago (about 5 months ago) I was strongly considering weight loss surgery, and during that process I had to quit drinking pop. It was very hard, I was addicted to coke zero. In fact, I rarely drank anything else (including water), yikes! Suffice it to say, I quit the pop 100%, and then I quit all caffeine (tea & coffee), and then I said to hell with all of it and now I exclusively drink water. Only water, no juices, no diet this or that, no coffee, no tea, no nothing but water. And flavor drops of course.
So, I was telling my Mother that I think quitting pop has had the best effect on my weight loss and recovery after workouts. When I was going to get the surgery (I'm not getting it now, since I dropped below the minimum bmi requirements to get it & now I don't want it anyway), I was told that pop 'expands' your stomach and that is why you had to quit drinking it. I don't have any scientific statistics for ya'll or anything, but I really have seen a major difference in the way my body feels, the way my body looks, and how much more I seem to be able to accomplish in the gym since quitting pop. Could be because I also eat healthier, and say no to the excess sugar, but I am stuck on my idea that pop was the most detrimental thing I was doing to my body.
What are your thoughts?
My profile picture was taken a few weeks ago, a few minutes after I had my morning can of coke zero. I lost almost 60lbs while drinking several cans of diet coke every day and I now successfully maintain that loss while continuing to drink diet coke every day (2-4 cans a day usually).
I have a bmi of 19.4, a bf% at around 22%, my blood panels are perfect, including no longer being a pre-diabetic, my blood pressure is great, I can do a 100 regular pushups, can walk 2 miles without getting winded and I look pretty great in a two piece swim suit, for being a 36 yr old mom of three kids. I am healthy and happy, and I drink pop all the time
You do look great, I used to drink like.....8-10 or more coke zero's a day.
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I cut most of the pop out all togather. If I indulge, I stick with diet. I think in the last month I can count on one hand how much pop I have had. My general rule of thumb, if I am not eating a meal ... I can just have water. I rarely drink juice or milk anyway. I tend to get full quicker if I am not drinking pop.0
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In for exploding stomachsGena_Beana wrote: »I was told that pop 'expands' your stomach and that is why you had to quit drinking it.
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Nope. It doesn't effect my weight in the slightest. I drink (2) 20oz Diet Somethings every day and have been since I started. 80lbs down. 11%BF. Maintaining weight for over a year.
If I felt any better, there would need to be two of me.0
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