Drop the Pop and Lose the Weight!

The concept of losing weight is at the forefront of many people’s minds, but sometimes the process is more difficult than first believed. Fatty foods need to be cut out, if not reduced, and an increase in exercise is essential, but other factors may increase weight loss success that most don’t consider. What we drink also plays a huge role in losing weight, and drinks like soda pop and sweetened tea are first on the chopping block.

Beverages like soda pop and sweetened tea are loaded with sugars and calories which are not beneficial for those trying to lose weight. In fact, sugar can kill muscle gain and increase the bad fats in our bodies. A recent study asked people to drink 450 calories worth of pop and eat 450 calories of jelly beans in successive weeks. The week of jelly bean consumption showed participants compensated for the intake of this candy by not eating as many calories in their other meals. On the flip side, when they had to drink the pop, they did not compensate which means they consumed vastly more calories. Another study found that drinking beverages high in calories, means we are more likely to take in more calories through our meals than if we drank a beverage with fewer sugars and calories.

The worst part is that people consume these types of sugar-loaded drinks on a daily basis without considering the extra calories they are adding to their diets. Another important consideration is the consumption of 2 servings per day of artificially sweetened soda is associated with a 2-fold increased odds for kidney function decline in women.