Lose Weight by Dumping the Soda Habit

You probably know that soda is bad for you, right?

But do you know how it really can sabotage weight loss?

I’ve never been much of a soda drinker. And this little bit of math makes me really, really glad.

Say you drink one soft drink every day. That’s roughly 140 calories. By the end of the year, that can turn into close to 14 pounds of unwanted weight gain, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Yikes! That’s at least one dress size.

The nonprofit organization representing food and nutrition professionals has some great advice for soda lovers.

Ask yourself this: could you eat 26 teaspoons of sugar?

If you can’t, you might not want to open that 32-ounce bottle of soda because that’s what it likely contains.

Scary, isn’t it?

If you’re looking around the kitchen, trying to find something else to sip on. Federal health officials recommend a beverage that doesn’t contain sugar, such as water, or a diet, low-calorie drink.

Dress up a glass of water with a slice of lime or lemon. Or try adding just a splash of 100 percent juice to plain sparkling water.

You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how such a small change can create big results.

Alice Warchol is a freelance health blog writer and fitness instructor.

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