Losing weight any time can be difficult. Add being over 50 and through menopause or a hysterectomy, and it becomes even trickier. But there may be one thing you can change immediately.  Think soda.

Let me ask you one question – are you a soda drinker? You might want to start there because simply removing sodas from your day is a small change that can make a big difference.

Soda, or pop as we call it in Ohio, can add inches to your waistline without you noticing if you drink them on a daily basis.  One serving of Coca Cola is 140 calories. Even scarier is there are 39 grams of sugar in that one serving. Putting it in perspective, an adult male should only have 37.5 grams of sugar PER DAY.  That one can of Coke puts an adult over their daily recommended limit.  Imagine how much sugar is in those super sized drinks!

Keep in mind that not all drinks whether they are labeled healthy or not are good replacements.  You might think a sports drink is a healthy replacement to soda when in fact it has the same or HIGHER calories and sugar. Drinking those “sports” drinks can undo all the hours at the gym.  (Read this next: Why is it so hard for women over 50 to lose weight?)

Juice is another high calorie drink that can cause the same problems soda does and actually may have even MORE sugar than soda. Yes fruit juice is made from fruit but it does not provide the same benefits to the body that eating a piece of fruit will.  Also be aware of the additives in fruit juice include fructose and other sugar replacements.

If weight  loss is one of your goals, take a moment and calculate the number of calories you are consuming when drinking sodas in a year. For example, if you drink a large soda like a Big Gulp daily, that is 50 ounces of soda which equals 600 calories a day or 219,000 calories per year (via Very Well Fit).  219,000 calories extra per year!

Now let’s look at the health benefits when you stop drinking that daily soda. The greatest benefit when you stop drinking soda? Weight loss but there are many others including:

• Sleeping better.
• Reducing the risk of Type 2 Diabetes.
• Lowered blood pressure.
• Decreased nervousness.
• Stronger teeth and healthy gums.

Don’t replace those sugary sodas with diet drinks thinking that will be healthier. Yes you may be reducing the amount of sugar BUT the body does not recognize sugar replacements or sweeteners any different than sugar. Whether you are eating sugar sweetened foods or beverages or non-sugar sweetened foods or beverages, your appetite increases.  In addition, experts recommend that we do not use artificial sweeteners if possible as they contain chemicals and other ingredients our bodies are not used to processing.

So how do you eliminate soda from our diet?  If you consume large amounts of soda every day, it may be easier for you to INITIALLY switch to diet sodas BUT only temporarily.  Your goal should be to eliminate ALL sodas – regular or diet – as quickly as possible and replace with water.  Not only will you feel better, but your wallet will be happier too.

Have a wonderful week!

To your health,

Denise

p.s. I’ve been following a keto program for a few weeks now (end of August 2021) AND I’m down almost 8 pounds.  Pretty painless too because I feel full all the time.  It was the jumpstart I needed and just may be what you’re looking for also.  These program is customized for YOU.  I think that’s why it’s actually working this time.  You can get more info here: Custom Keto