# Soda poll



## The Z (Mar 7, 2006)

I'm curious about the apparent link betweensoft drink consumption and weight. Multiple responses to the poll are allowed, so you can indicate your own and other family members' categories (unless, of course, they fit in the same category as you - - I don't know how to get around that one).

I'm only looking at carbonated soft drinks with sugar added.


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## GB (Mar 7, 2006)

Z I merged the two threads for you.


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## GB (Mar 7, 2006)

I am not sure how to answer the poll. I will go through phases with soda. Right now I am not drinking any. I had one soda two days ago, but other than that I have not had any in probably 3 or 4 weeks. I will come to a point though (if history is any indication) where I will drink a can a day for a while, usually only a week or so at a time.


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## corazon (Mar 7, 2006)

For me, I go through phases as well.  The past few days I've had a soda every day, on average though probably one a week.  Either way, I'm not overweight.
My husband knew this guy a few years ago that drank a couple diet cokes every day and he was very overweight.  He decided to stop drinking them and ended up loosing a lot of weight.  He didn't change his eating habits or exercise more, just stopped drinking his diet cokes.  He isn't overweight anymore.


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## pdswife (Mar 7, 2006)

I drink very little pop.  I just don't like it enough.   If I open a can, I always share it with Paul and it's always diet.


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## Andy M. (Mar 7, 2006)

I don't fit into any of the poll categories so here's a new one.

I drink fewer than 5 soft drinks a week and I'm still overweight. It's the food, baby! (...and the wine)


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## texasgirl (Mar 7, 2006)

I will drink one a day during the week, my bad time is the weekend. I'll drink abour 3 then. Mine are the diet rite white grape. 0cals, 0 carbs, 0 sodium, 0 caffeine, but, it is sweetened with Splenda. And yes, I'm overweight.


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## jkath (Mar 7, 2006)

Here's my category: 
I drink more than 1 soda per week and am not overweight.

I drink about 3-4 per week, and they are NEVER ever diet.


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## mudbug (Mar 7, 2006)

Good poll, Z.  However, not sure I fit your categories either.

I wasn't overweight until I started this stinkin' desk job.

I rarely drink pop of any kind - diet pop is especially nasty--tastes too much of chemicals to me.  

When I first started losing weight again, it helped that I stopped drinking beer.

HH drinks Tab - a supremely nasty version of diet pop - and is quite overweight.  He's finally allowed some other liquids besides Tab/coffee into his rotation (water, OJ).


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## luvs (Mar 7, 2006)

i'm really thin yet drink pop that isn't diet most of my day. i'd say 5 or so if not more. i get in, study & drink grown-up beverages during my nights after the pop.


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## middie (Mar 8, 2006)

I was never overweight when I drank soda BEFORE my pregnancy.
After is whole different story. I doubt it's related to the soda though cause I quit drinking it for awhile and gained more weight.


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## Erik (Mar 8, 2006)

I drink about 4 or 5 diet sodas a day...but only sweetened with Splenda.


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## cristal (Mar 8, 2006)

*I probably drink about 2-3 cans a day. I've been trying to drink more and more water as of late because I ain't getting any thinner.*


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## Robo410 (Mar 8, 2006)

water, iced tea plain, v8 ... hot tea coffee no sugar ... 

i save my calories for wine with the meal and an occasional micro brew out or a fine single malt.  

at 50 you gotta count em all and I got none to spare on sugar and carbonated water w/ caramel colour!  lol


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## RMS (Mar 8, 2006)

I drink soda and have never been overweight, but I try to make up for it by eating healthy, most of the time.


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## -DEADLY SUSHI- (Mar 9, 2006)

I dont drink pop often but Im about 215 pounds and 5'11".


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## SpiceUmUp (Mar 9, 2006)

I drink 5 to 10 12 oz cans of Diet Coke a day.  I am about 30 pounds to the plus of where I should be.  I NEVER drink non-sugar free soda.


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## Jikoni (Mar 10, 2006)

I drink  a couple of sodas a year. We don't store any in the house, we only buy them when we have guests or in the summer my kids like ice-cream soda, but I drink it like ones every many months.


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## Poppinfresh (Mar 10, 2006)

Well, as somebody who drank at least 6 LITERS a day (it's a techie thing; and screw cans, the deposits add up too fast when you drink that much :P) for the better part of the last 10 years, I'm a pretty firm believer that there's a big correlation between soda and weight gain (I for one would never touch a diet soda, so the calories racked up).

I gave up soda on cold turkey on the first of the year after getting a rude scale awakening at a physical in December, and replaced it with cranberry juices, limeade, OJ and the like.  I have not altered my eating habits in a dietary meaning one iota--if anything, I think I'm eating a little more calorically, as this winter I've eaten a lot more pasta than usual as I try to master the intricacies of Italian cooking, and as such have eaten less of my usual types of food...and I've still dropped over 30 pounds since the 1st of the year.  I've still got another 30 or so to go before I get where I want/should be, but yeah...the soda has definitely proven to be a primary culprit to how I had gotten over the last couple years as my metabolism started to slow (aging) and my activity levels dropped.


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## Alix (Mar 10, 2006)

OK, my category isn't there. I drink less than one per day but more than one per week. Where do I fit Z?


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## fireweaver (Mar 11, 2006)

Robo410 said:
			
		

> i save my calories for wine with the meal and an occasional micro brew out or a fine single malt.



Robo, i'm *definately* with you on that one.  

the only time i ever drink soda is when i'm at a diner, being as how cherry coke goes soooo well with a diner burger.  diet soda is disgusting, all chemical-flavored.  but seriously, nobody at work wants to see me hopped up on the truckloads of caffeine and/or sugar in sodas, it's really not pretty.  every morning, i brew up a big ol thermos (i think this ginormous vat is about a half-gallon) of tea...some days it's green, some days herbal, some days black...no steady caffeine dependence issues.  the vat o'tea works great for me for all day.  loads cheaper than sodas to boot.


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## kathyn2 (Mar 18, 2006)

I didn't know how to answer your poll.  I was a huge coca cola drinker (regular...I hate the diet stuff) and I am overweight.   But I am doing weight watchers now and I only allow 1 soda a day and I try not to have any.   But you know the thing about the forbidden!   So I allow for only 1.   I was drinking 3 or 4 and sometimes more a day and I know it contributed to being overweight.


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## grumblebee (Mar 18, 2006)

Poppinfresh said:
			
		

> Well, as somebody who drank at least 6 LITERS a day (it's a techie thing; and screw cans, the deposits add up too fast when you drink that much :P) for the better part of the last 10 years, I'm a pretty firm believer that there's a big correlation between soda and weight gain (I for one would never touch a diet soda, so the calories racked up).
> 
> I gave up soda on cold turkey on the first of the year after getting a rude scale awakening at a physical in December, and replaced it with cranberry juices, limeade, OJ and the like. I have not altered my eating habits in a dietary meaning one iota--if anything, I think I'm eating a little more calorically, as this winter I've eaten a lot more pasta than usual as I try to master the intricacies of Italian cooking, and as such have eaten less of my usual types of food...and I've still dropped over 30 pounds since the 1st of the year. I've still got another 30 or so to go before I get where I want/should be, but yeah...the soda has definitely proven to be a primary culprit to how I had gotten over the last couple years as my metabolism started to slow (aging) and my activity levels dropped.


 
There is roughly 2500 calories in 6 litres of regular soda, which is the equivalent of about a days worth of calories for your average person! And that was just calories you were consuming in soda... so you were having that in addition to your regular food for the day - so by cutting that out of your diet no wonder you lost weight! (even if you were eating a bit more, chances are you werent consuming 2500 calories worth of food... that's like a whole days allotment!) 

It takes 3500 calories to gain or lose 1 pound. To gain, you need to consume 3500 calories over what your body requires for the day. So if your body needs about 2500 calories/day but you eat 3000 calories/day, that is an excess of 500 calories/day. 500 calories/day times 7 days = 3500 calories (or a 1 lb gain) per week. (reverse this math equation to LOSE 1 lb a week... eg: eat 500 calories/day LESS then what your body needs) 

Anyway, good job on losing 30 lbs! I lost a little over 100lbs about 5 yrs ago and have kept it off. Regular soda was a big part of my diet back in my chubby days too! I now only drink diet soda if I want one. I've gotten used to the taste and now cant drink the regular stuff any more - too sweet!


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## Caine (Mar 19, 2006)

Some type of diet Coca-Cola product, preferably Coke Zero, and no more than one a day, usually less.


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## marmar (Mar 19, 2006)

I don't drink soda.
Or sugar-loaded drinks in general.
Just water, milk, and every Saturday a strong hot chocolate at a local coffee shop.
I'm not overweight, but I'm also really young.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Mar 22, 2006)

marmar said:
			
		

> I don't drink soda.
> Or sugar-loaded drinks in general.
> Just water, milk, and every Saturday a strong hot chocolate at a local coffee shop.
> I'm not overweight, but I'm also really young.


 
Good job.  I never did drink a lot of soda, but when I did, it wasn't diet.  Then, I was diagnosed with diabetes.  The sugar loaded drinks stopped immediately.

I have a best freind who used to brag that he was a certified pop-a-holic, especially Dr. Pepper.  I have a Brother-In-Law that was a coke-a-holic.  Both developed diabetes from consuming far too many carbs.  sugar and starch stress the pancreas and you end up with either poor quality insulin, too little insulin, or insulin resistance, or a combination of all three.  And then there is the fact that your body gets used to so much sugar in the blood, and when there isn't what your system feels is the proper amount, it secretes glucogon, anoth hormone from the pancreas, but one which causes the liver to pump sugar into the bloodstream.  Both my freind and my B.O.T. have experienced severe, life threatening complications from diabetes, and not controlling their carb intake.

Truly, you need carbs, but not too many.  The human body is designed to operate very efficiently, and to store excess calories for time of famine.  You need a wide variety of foods, each in small amount, to satisfy the body's requirements for vitamins, minerals, phyto-chemicals, etc.  And that same varied diet adds variety, and unique and wonderful flavors to your meals.

Remember, sugar negatively affects much more than just your teeth.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## Constance (Mar 22, 2006)

I drink a soda maybe 6-8 times a year, and then it's usually a Sprite. I did have, probably, 2 cokes last year, when we were on the road and stopped at fast food restaurants. You need the acid to cut the grease. BURP!

I'm an iced tea drinker, and I have it without sugar. A little squeeze of lemon iss nice, but I can live without it.
I am 20 lbs. overweight, but no more than that, and since I am also disabled and 59 years old, I don't feel too bad about my weight. I see a lot of women, younger than I, who look a lot worse.


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## Marishka_20 (Mar 23, 2006)

*I Love Soda*

I drink maybe 6 or more cans a day and I am in good shape. I don't eat really healthy but I try to balance out my diet a little. I try to eat a little bit from every catagory. I don't exercise that much, so I am guessing as long as you eat somewhat healthy and don't just sit around all day. Drinking a couple cans of soda isn't that bad for you. But the soda isn't all I drink, I will also drink other fluids through out the day. Such as milk, juices, coffee and plenty of water. Maybe it is because of the variety of my food choices that I am not overweight. Who knows.


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## SizzlininIN (Mar 24, 2006)

It really varies for me but in a weeks time if I had to average it out I'd say 1 can a day of perferable COKE.  Sometimes its PEPSI but I prefer the zing in the COKE.  I'm within my weight limit.  I cannot bear the taste of the diet drinks.....guess I'm a sugar junky when it comes to my pop.
I know that mom was always a big pepsi addict.  Heck, I can remember her getting up in the middle of the night and opening the fridge for a drink.....she was over her ideal weight.  But later in life she did change that drinking habit and switched to Diet Rite and its amazing how much the pounds started sliding off.


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## Horab (Mar 24, 2006)

I'm a little underweight and I drink at least two cans of soda every day.  Not the diet, I dislike the taste.

If I got to a restaraunt, soda will be my non-alcoholic drink of choice. I like the carbonation.


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## Caine (Mar 25, 2006)

Goodweed is right about regular soda being a contributing cause of type 2 diabetes, but he is wrong about sugar being the culprit. Soda pop contains no sugar, not even the Hansen's "all natural" soda. Soda manufacturers use high fructose corn syrup to sweeten their beverages, and have been doing so for a number of years now. Why? because it is significantly cheaper than refined sugar, and is 10 times as sweet. They are sacrificing your health to save money. *SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE!* High fructose corn syrup is a HORRIBLE compound,and the reason that it causes problems is because your body does not recognize it as sugar, and therefore does not release insulin to process it. It simply slaps it onto your body as more fat, in the most embarrassing place it can find to put it.

Oh, and anyone who drinks several regularly sweetened sodas a day and thinks they are healthy is just fooling themselves. It will catch up to you, just like it did with Goodweed, his best friend, and his brother-in-law. Drink your sodas, then ask your doctor for a blood glucose level test.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Mar 26, 2006)

Caine said:
			
		

> Goodweed is right about regular soda being a contributing cause of type 2 diabetes, but he is wrong about sugar being the culprit. Soda pop contains no sugar, not even the Hansen's "all natural" soda. Soda manufacturers use high fructose corn syrup to sweeten their beverages, and have been doing so for a number of years now. Why? because it is significantly cheaper than refined sugar, and is 10 times as sweet. They are sacrificing your health to save money. *SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE!* High fructose corn syrup is a HORRIBLE compound,and the reason that it causes problems is because your body does not recognize it as sugar, and therefore does not release insulin to process it. It simply slaps it onto your body as more fat, in the most embarrassing place it can find to put it.
> 
> Oh, and anyone who drinks several regularly sweetened sodas a day and thinks they are healthy is just fooling themselves. It will catch up to you, just like it did with Goodweed, his best friend, and his brother-in-law. Drink your sodas, then ask your doctor for a blood glucose level test.



You are partially correct.  High-fruictose corn syrup (hfcs) is used extensively in the food industry, and as was noted by our dear freind, Caine, is a tremendous stress to the body.  But cane sugar is still used by some brands.  And it isn't much better than hfcs.  When cane sugar is used, here is the recipe for pop (I worked at a soda-pop bottling company after I graduated high school, and before I entered the Navy), 200 gallons of water, 200 lbs. sugar, 1 gallon of flavor concentrate.  Mix well until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Place between 10 and 15 millilitres of the resulting syrup, depending on the bottle size, into a glass bottle, fill with carbonated water, cap, and shake to mix the syrup evenly through the water.  Sell to anyone foolish enough tp purchase your product.

Of course I had no idea what this stuff could do to a body until much later in life.  In addition to diabetes, soda-pop is notorious for its ability to feed the critters that live in your mouth and destroy teeth.  A dentist told me that it's not known why, but Mountain Due in particular has been shown to be expecially hard on teeth.  And that is a verifiable fact, if you are willing to look at the studies and research.

Myself, I used to love A&W, and Frosty's root beer.  Now, I like the Wal-Mart brand - Clearly American carbonated drinks.  And I know that they probably aren't all that good for me either.  Pretty much, I avoid soda-pop altogether.  But I do drink one every once in a while.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## biev (Mar 27, 2006)

I'm not considered overweight but I'm still concerned about my weight, so I don't drink soda unless I'm at someone's house and they offer me some.


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## Sugar N' Spice (Mar 28, 2006)

I limit myself to one soda a day and I only drink diet even though it's not much better than regular soda.  But there are some days where I don't drink one at all.  I'm not overweight but that's because I work out 3 to 4 times a week.  I noticed when I use to drink soda alot more when I was younger I tend to carry more water weight.


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## Claire (Apr 11, 2006)

I tend to get a "taste" for pop, and buy a 12-pack (notice 6-packs are getting harder and harder to find?).  It is always diet, and when it is gone it may be months or even years before I buy more.  I really like water, and used to love sun tea.  Unfortunately, I have unsteady hands as it is, and it is exacerbated by caffein, so I don't even have that very often.  

Everyone who knows me is astonished that I'm overweight on good food and drink.  I only hit fast food emporiums when I'm travelling with the dogs and can't go to a decent restaurant.  Even then I usually chose a salad (and yes, I know how caloric and fatty they can be, but they taste better to me than much of the other food).  

If I'm repeating something someone else said, I heard when I was on the road that Coca-cola a number of years ago came out with that new Coke on purpose, knowing no one would like it.  They used it to go from their cane sugar coke to corn syrup (cheaper) coke.  They figured that everyone would hate the coke they put out in between and no one would notice that they went from cane to corn.


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## Barb33 (May 9, 2006)

I perfer a glass of wine with dinner, rather than soda, ice tea, coffee or even milk. A 6 oz glass of wine each day can actually be good for you, but check with your doctor on that first.


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## Trip (May 9, 2006)

Since my diet I have cut out soft drinks. I only have them for special occaisions. I wasn't a huge drinker of them anyways, just 1 or 2 a day.


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## vyapti (May 10, 2006)

I drink the equivalent of 1-2 can of diet pop a day. I can't stand regular pop. It's too syrupy.

My guess is the fatty food and lack of exercise has more to do with my wieght than my soda consumption.  I'm about 20 lbs heavier than I'd like to be


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