The Fat Loss TroubleshootThis is your place to troubleshoot your fat loss problems from nutrition to training. This section is led by Leigh Peele, author of "The Fat Loss Troubleshoot," the ultimate fat loss manual. If your results have slowed or stalled this is the place to come for advice for all your fat loss needs.
Ive been trying to stop drinking coca cola for many years and keep having trouble. So far the only thing that has worked decent is to replace the soda drinking with other less damaging drinks such as yoga pear juice, apple juice, water, green tea.
Anyone have any suggestions that helped them stop? Also how bad is soda for you? The can says 140 calories and like 39g carbs and 39 grams sugar. I tend to drink 2-3 sodas a day. Would i lose alot of weight quickly if i stopped drinking soda totally?
I like sparkling water that has lemon or lime essence (Like Poland Spring) NOt the ones with fruit juice or added sweeteners. I drank these a lot when I was weaning myself off of diet soda.
300-450 calories of your food allowance while dieting is a pretty big chunk to give away to soda.
If you make the diet strict enough, eventually you'll get hungry enough that you won't "spend" valuable calories on sugary drinks.... provided you stick to a set calorie intake for dieting.
That said, I haven't stopped drinking soda, but I have reduced the volume. I'll buy the 20oz bottles and drink small amounts when I have a craving. Usually after the first few sips I've had my fill and can't take the overbearing sweetness anymore, so I cap it and stash away in the fridge til the next time. A bottle lasts me days.
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Mike Pipes
Massive fat loss survivor and aspiring trainer in training
I drink diet too. Before I started trying to lose weight I was drinking a ton of sugared drinks and coffee with sugar. Hmm, maybe 500-800 calories a day in sugared drinks. Embarassed to admit that.
I went to diet Dr. Pepper, and splenda in my coffee. I know a lot of people stay away from the artificial sweeteners, but I'm convinced they are safe (unless you are allergic of course) JMO. People say we weren't meant to eat artifical sweeteners, but really we aren't _meant_ to consume that much sugar either. Anything over the amount you'd find in a piece of fruit is more than most early humans would EVER get in a day, and even with that, fruits have been bred to contain much more sugar than the fruits our early ancestors would have been eating.
Anyway, that's a little off topic, but yes, if you were to just cut out the calories from your drinks, I'd be really surprised if you didn't lose some weight. Theoretically, 3500 calories = a lb (I know it's not that simple), but cutting 500 calories a day would set you up to lose in the neighborhood of 1 lb a week (assuming you don't make the calories up elsewhere).
Thanks for the advice. Yeah i think could prob lose close to 20lbs in a year just by stoping the soda and working on my diet and exercise some more. That would take me down to a better weight.
I had a serious addiction. I'd plow through 3 two liter bottles a day during my era of maximal corpulence. Try getting outside the house and changing your daily routine, your surroundings, even the people you spend time with (discounting family, of course).
I'm not sure if you're familiar with the author David Sedaris but in his latest book he talks about moving to Tokyo to stop smoking. Clearly your soda addiction isn't nowhere near as severe as nicotine, so the level of disruption in your daily routine need not be as drastic.
Also, keeping a food log and writing down Coca Cola - 400kcal tends to be sobering .
Ive been trying to stop drinking coca cola for many years and keep having trouble. So far the only thing that has worked decent is to replace the soda drinking with other less damaging drinks such as yoga pear juice, apple juice, water, green tea.
Anyone have any suggestions that helped them stop? Also how bad is soda for you? The can says 140 calories and like 39g carbs and 39 grams sugar. I tend to drink 2-3 sodas a day. Would i lose alot of weight quickly if i stopped drinking soda totally?
I bet you would lose weight if you stopped or at least switched to Diet...is diet out of the question? I never cared for coke or 7 up or any of those things until very recently so when I started it was on diet coke so I never noticed the difference...is there a big one?
I digress...
Here's what does help quench my thirst and tastes yummy: Club soda (for the carbonation) and lemon juice and if you want it sweet, a little splenda or stevia or even raw sugar if you can't quite get off the sugar. Lemons have a lot of fiber (I was shocked to learn how much) so it will also move your digestion along. Sometimes I'll squeeze strawberries or raspberries in it for a little kick. Good sugars instead of corn syrup!
Or maybe you could step down and cut the coke with club soda. Thats what I do when I'm at a restaurant and want some lemonade. Add stevia to replace any lost sweetness. HTH.
If you want to stop drinking soda, stop buying it.
Drink water instead or sparkling water or seltzer if you still want the bubbles.
x2. I stopped drinking pop (as we Coloradans call it ) during freshman year of college simply because I didn't want to spend the money on it. I had about 12 oz/day before starting college. Yes, it was available at the cafeteria, but walking around campus in Texas in late summer/early fall made me hot and dehydrated, and pop just made me thirstier. Water became my new friend.
9 years later, I rarely drink pop (less than once a year), and when I drink it, I don't like it. Tastes too sweet.
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They call me Amanda, that being my real name, and "They" being people who know me in person as I don't go around introducing myself in real life as "scribess." 'Cause that would just be strange.
I try to have water, and sometimes I really love it for weeks on end. When I start to not want water, I have Crystal Lite or Propel really watered down double recommended (if they say 1 pkt for 48oz, I put 96oz water)... For a treat, or if I want something 'bad,' or if I am really hungry with no more calories, I'll have diet soda....
I keep meaning to have lemon with water.
When I am in restaurant, sometimes I'll put a pkt of splenda and some lemon slices in the water for a great free lemonade.
I once, in a restaurant had lemonade, but they also put frozen mango slices in it, and maybe a bit of blended mashed mango,, yum and double yum.
Drinking diet soda/using artificial sweeteners is of course a personal thing. I was off all artificial sweeteners for yrs but still drank one can of diet soda most days of the week. When I stopped that I noticed I was much less bloated and the weight started coming off faster with no other changes. Other people have reported the same thing. It doesn't make sense since it is calorie free but preliminary studies have shown some correlation between artificial sweeteners and sugar cravings and weight gain in mice. I know this is OT from the original post but just thought I would add in my two cents.
Drinking diet soda/using artificial sweeteners is of course a personal thing. I was off all artificial sweeteners for yrs but still drank one can of diet soda most days of the week. When I stopped that I noticed I was much less bloated and the weight started coming off faster with no other changes. Other people have reported the same thing. It doesn't make sense since it is calorie free but preliminary studies have shown some correlation between artificial sweeteners and sugar cravings and weight gain in mice. I know this is OT from the original post but just thought I would add in my two cents.
Lara,
Yes I've read this, but I assumed that IF the artificial sweetners did NOT cause sugar cravings in me; if I did NOT eat more sugar or calories due to them, then what was the harm (other than the little cancer molecules floating around in the poison of the artificial sweetner, but I figure, there's poison in the air I breathe too ... off topic meander)..The study doesn't say that the artificial sweetners convert in some way to sugar.
I try to limit my soda to 20oz per week maximum
Sometimes I do go through 3 of those larger Crystal lite plastics (each making 48oz), espec if I am not in the mood to drink water, because I can really guzzle the watered-down Crystal lite. I know I should drink Lemon-water...
It'd be a hoot if the crystal lite is what's causing me not to lose, but I think within the past 15 weeks, there were at least 4-6 weeks in a row where I was drinking water only
Lara,
Yes I've read this, but I assumed that IF the artificial sweetners did NOT cause sugar cravings in me; if I did NOT eat more sugar or calories due to them, then what was the harm (other than the little cancer molecules floating around in the poison of the artificial sweetner, but I figure, there's poison in the air I breathe too ... off topic meander)..The study doesn't say that the artificial sweetners convert in some way to sugar.
I try to limit my soda to 20oz per week maximum
Sometimes I do go through 3 of those larger Crystal lite plastics (each making 48oz), espec if I am not in the mood to drink water, because I can really guzzle the watered-down Crystal lite. I know I should drink Lemon-water...
It'd be a hoot if the crystal lite is what's causing me not to lose, but I think within the past 15 weeks, there were at least 4-6 weeks in a row where I was drinking water only
Well the studies show a weight gain connection even if calories were not increased (again this was in mice so the diets were controlled) It really doesn't make sense but when I did WW several other women there reported the same thing.
I bet you would lose weight if you stopped or at least switched to Diet...is diet out of the question? I never cared for coke or 7 up or any of those things until very recently so when I started it was on diet coke so I never noticed the difference...is there a big one?
I digress...
Here's what does help quench my thirst and tastes yummy: Club soda (for the carbonation) and lemon juice and if you want it sweet, a little splenda or stevia or even raw sugar if you can't quite get off the sugar. Lemons have a lot of fiber (I was shocked to learn how much) so it will also move your digestion along. Sometimes I'll squeeze strawberries or raspberries in it for a little kick. Good sugars instead of corn syrup!
Or maybe you could step down and cut the coke with club soda. Thats what I do when I'm at a restaurant and want some lemonade. Add stevia to replace any lost sweetness. HTH.
Some good suggestions. Don't rely on lemon juice to up your fiber though. Fruit has plenty of fiber, juice is what's left when you get rid of the fiber filled pulp. So 28g (1 oz) of actual lemon fruit without the peel has 1g fiber while 28g of raw lemon juice has 0g fiber. (Numbers from nutritiondata.com)
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Well the studies show a weight gain connection even if calories were not increased (again this was in mice so the diets were controlled) It really doesn't make sense but when I did WW several other women there reported the same thing.
Source/link? I haven't heard of that one and am dubious.
__________________ Megaloi -- My Blog
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Expert Panel report on a study of Splenda in male rats.
Brusick D, Borzelleca JF, Gallo M, Williams G, Kille J, Wallace Hayes A, Xavier Pi-Sunyer F, Williams C, Burks W.
Independent Consultant, Bumpass, VA, USA.
A recent study in rats investigated the retail sweetener product, Granulated SPLENDA((R)) No Calorie Sweetener (Splenda) (Abou-Donia et al., 2008. Splenda alters gut microflora and increases intestinal P-glycoprotein and cytochrome P-450 in male rats. J. Toxicol. Environ. Health A, 71, 1415-1429), which is composed of (by dry weight) maltodextrin ( approximately 99%) and sucralose ( approximately 1%). The investigators reported that Splenda increased body weight, decreased beneficial intestinal bacteria, and increased the expression of certain cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes and the transporter protein, P-glycoprotein (P-gp), the latter of which was considered evidence that Splenda or sucralose might interfere with the absorption of nutrients and drugs. The investigators indicated that the reported changes were attributable to the sucralose present in the product tested. An Expert Panel conducted a rigorous evaluation of this study. In arriving at its conclusions, the Expert Panel considered the design and conduct of the study, its outcomes and the outcomes reported in other data available publicly. The Expert Panel found that the study was deficient in several critical areas and that its results cannot be interpreted as evidence that either Splenda, or sucralose, produced adverse effects in male rats, including effects on gastrointestinal microflora, body weight, CYP450 and P-gp activity, and nutrient and drug absorption. The study conclusions are not consistent with published literature and not supported by the data presented.
I haven't read through the first, and I can't access the second, so I guess I have no opinion at the moment.
well, for starters, splenda is not necessarily no calorie. If it has a delivery agent, like the powered stuff you get and put in yer coffee, it has calories.
Source/link? I haven't heard of that one and am dubious.
There were several news stories about this over the last year or so....This one got a lot of press. I have not seen the actualy study though, just what the popular press picked up. http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/02/...o-weight-gain/
At less than 5 cals/can, drinking 1 diet soda every day shouldn't add calories that would impact weight loss or gain based on calories alone.
There were several news stories about this over the last year or so....This one got a lot of press. I have not seen the actualy study though, just what the popular press picked up. http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/02/...o-weight-gain/
At less than 5 cals/can, drinking 1 diet soda every day shouldn't add calories that would impact weight loss or gain based on calories alone.
Thanks. Two things I see here:
Quote:
Study author Susan Swithers told the LA Times that sweet tastes prompt the body’s digestive system to get ready to process caloric food. But when the calories don’t arrive because the sweetness was artificial, the body learns not to crank up the metabolic furnace. Over time that adjustment makes it it harder to burn calories and shed weight.
Pretty big overstatement of the thermic effect of food.
Quote:
Some researchers urge caution in applying the results to humans. Adam Drewnowski, director of the nutrition sciences program at the University of Washington, who wasn’t part of the study, makes an astute point to the LA Times: “We now have studies showing that sugar calories are associated with obesity and the absence of sugar is associated with obesity. Pity those people trying to do something about obesity.”
Yep. Until a real study is done that includes solid science and controls, I wouldn't worry too much about diet beverages, especially if the original poster is currently drinking almost 500 calories per day of regular sodas.
__________________ Megaloi -- My Blog
"Every society honors its live conformists and its dead troublemakers."
- Mignon McLaughlin
I was addicted to Mountain Dew (the Great Soda Evil) when I was in my late teens.
The biggest problem I had breaking the cycle was the massive caffeine headaches. I kept going back, because i would feel so bad and just give up on it.
The best thing I ever started doing for that was getting up first thing in the morning and taking 2 pain relievers (something with caffeine in it). I took them three times a day, then went down to twice a day, then down to once, before stopping it all together.
Once I didn't feel so achy and awful, it was easier to be diligent. I've used that trick a few times since then, when I got to where I was using more caffeine, and had created a dependence of sorts.
Just something that might help.
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They call me Amanda, that being my real name, and "They" being people who know me in person as I don't go around introducing myself in real life as "scribess." 'Cause that would just be strange.
Have you tried Coke Zero? The first and second time I tried it, I noticed it tasted slightly different than regular Coke but I think it tastes MUCH better than Coke now and it's zero calories!
well, for starters, splenda is not necessarily no calorie. If it has a delivery agent, like the powered stuff you get and put in yer coffee, it has calories.
Source/link? I haven't heard of that one and am dubious.
The theory is that artificial sweeteners prompt a rise in insulin levels-the tongue and other systems of the body can't differentiate between sugar and artificial sweeteners-it just defines a sweet food has been ingested and the body's reaction is the same with either. So some people especially those who are insulin resistant might have problems with artificial sweeteners ie prompting cravings or hunger with overeating. The link to this study used saccharin.
The theory is that artificial sweeteners prompt a rise in insulin levels-the tongue and other systems of the body can't differentiate between sugar and artificial sweeteners-it just defines a sweet food has been ingested and the body's reaction is the same with either. So some people especially those who are insulin resistant might have problems with artificial sweeteners ie prompting cravings or hunger with overeating. The link to this study used saccharin.
Which still makes it about calories, not about some super-secret chemistry trick that turns sucralose into lard.
If someone can drink diet sodas and manage to not ingest 5,000 other calories along with them, they won't get obese. As has been said in this subforum repeatedly, thermodynamics trump little tricks of the endocrine system.
__________________ Megaloi -- My Blog
"Every society honors its live conformists and its dead troublemakers."
- Mignon McLaughlin
Which still makes it about calories, not about some super-secret chemistry trick that turns sucralose into lard.
If someone can drink diet sodas and manage to not ingest 5,000 other calories along with them, they won't get obese. As has been said in this subforum repeatedly, thermodynamics trump little tricks of the endocrine system.
True but if you are one of those this is happening to and you keep your blood sugars elevated constantly you are setting yourself up for health problems with hyperinsulimia or insulin resistance. Moderation is still the key.
Trying to Stop Drinking Soda
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) during freshman year of college simply because I didn't want to spend the money on it. I had about 12 oz/day before starting college. Yes, it was available at the cafeteria, but walking around campus in Texas in late summer/early fall made me hot and dehydrated, and pop just made me thirstier. Water became my new friend. 
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