Okay, I'm wanting to loose some weight and I KNOW that my Dr Pepper has really added to my weight gain. I'm craving some already and it's only day one...

So my question is what besides water would be a good alternative? If I need it to prevent withdrawls what would be a better alternative: tea with no sweetner, diet dr pepper, or root beer.

What is the worst for you the cafeine, the carbonation, or the calories?

Of course I'll up my water intake but what else..

Thanks in advance!

By Mrsheidi on Tuesday, May 30, 2006 - 11:31 am:

uuummmm...diet dr pepper is AWESOME. or try diet cherry coke. i also drink diet peach snapple...it's GREAT!

By Jackie on Tuesday, May 30, 2006 - 11:50 am:

Most diet soda's come in caffeine free as well.I also like Crystal light. I buy the single serving ones in little packets. That way you can add them to a 16oz water bottle, and your good to go.

By Enchens on Tuesday, May 30, 2006 - 11:58 am:

it's the sugar, imo.

What I've been doing is sprucing up my water. I've added lemon or lime to it to make it more appealing. I've also discovered the sparkling water and I've added just a tad of cranberry juice for some flavor (just a splash or two).

By Ilovetom on Tuesday, May 30, 2006 - 01:43 pm:

Enchens said it pretty good and the flavored water is good and also Crystal Light can be added for flavor.

By Angellew on Tuesday, May 30, 2006 - 01:54 pm:

Not only is it the sugar and the caffeine, but it's also the sodium, which makes you retain water!!!

By Debbie on Tuesday, May 30, 2006 - 02:00 pm:

There is nothing good in soda. It has way too much sugar, and the calories add up. Also, both caffeine and sodium will make you retain water. I would recommend drinking 8 glasses of water a day. Crystal light is good also. I think diet soda still has lots of sugar, I am not sure though. I would check the label before you start drinking lot of it.

By Ginny~moderator on Tuesday, May 30, 2006 - 02:10 pm:

Not only that (about soda), it also tends to leach calcium from your bones - speaking as one who drank diet soda for 50+ years and is taking Fossamax, having been diagnosed at being "at risk" for osteoperosis about 5 years ago. I drink either water (adding lemon or lime - I hadn't thought about cranberry juice but will try it), or the Crystal Light sugar free iced tea. I bring the little packets Jackie mentioned to the office, and make 2 quarts at a time at home.

By Jackie on Tuesday, May 30, 2006 - 03:06 pm:

Diet Soda does not have sugar in it. I think they make it with splenda or nurtrasweet. I know several insulin dependent diabetic who drink diet soda when they feel like having a soda.
I do think its a misconception about the sodium in soda. I have a can of Sierra Mist free sitting by my desk. Sugar content is 0, Sodium is 35 mg. In a glass of milk, the sodium is 125mg. Granted, there is nothing healthy in a diet soda. But, for so many yrs I hear they are high in sodium, when in reality they are not, a glass of milk, and a can of tuna has more sodium..Just something to think about.
Oh in my Sierra Mist Free
Calories=0
total fat=0
Sodium=35mg
Sugars=0
Protein=0
This is in a 12 oz can which states caffeine free/sugar free/calorie free

By Jewlz on Tuesday, May 30, 2006 - 04:27 pm:

before having my gastric by pass i had to agree to no more sodas the rest of my life. This is the reasons they gave us for soda. The caffeine in the soda is a stimulent to make u feel hungary and the sugar caloric is terrible and then theres the bubbles ... the bubbles actally expand ur tummy tomake it bigger ... so no more soda for me. also no straws ...for two reasons ... straws make u drink more faster than if u tipped it up ... u have drank more than u realize and before ur belly has had time to tell u that u are full. and also that u straws suck in air as u drink thru it which stretches ur bell y again ...
I drink water ,iced tea with splenda, and protein drinks ... propel ... my iced tea is deffeinated ... and decaffeinated coffee iced ... crystal light mixes are really good ... tomatoe juice or veggie juices are good too ... good luck in the weight loss

By Cocoabutter on Tuesday, May 30, 2006 - 07:45 pm:

"There is nothing healthy in soda"

Totally true, in my opinion and that of my Doctor aunt who told me that it is like poison. My 15+ years of drinking Coca Cola have given me high blood pressure and added 30 pounds to my weight since my son was born. My son was even getting a belly on him after drinking it for 4 years, so I quit buying it altogether. Coca Cola, according to my husband, is good for removing rust from old bolts. Just pour some into a can and soak the rusty bolts overnight. And to think I put that into my stomach several times a day over the past 2 decades.

It is still a struggle to go without it, but I have been drinking lots of water and my son now drinks a lot of milk. Okay, milk has sodium, but what growing kid can't benefit from at least 4 glasses of milk a day?

Seriously losing weight isn't rocket science. Lay off the foods and drinks you know are not good for you, and get your exercise...

By Karen~admin on Friday, July 7, 2006 - 07:35 am:

Definitely is the sugar/carbs........stop drinking them and several pounds will just fall off. Drink water!!! LOL

By Heaventree on Friday, July 7, 2006 - 10:09 am:

Here is how caffeine affects weight loss:

"It stimulates the production of insulin. That's part of the buzz we get from coffee/soft drinks etc. But insulin reduces blood sugar levels, which then increases your appetite. Have you ever ordered an Venti from Starbucks and then felt positively shaky an hour later? That's your blood sugar hitting bottom."

Taken from The GI Diet by Rick Gallop
Former President & CEO of the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario

So it's not just the sugar but the caffeine has a metabolic affect on the way your body functions. Go for diet/caffeine free if you can and be sure to wean yourself off the caffeine slowly as it can cause major headaches.

Good Luck!

By Janet on Friday, July 7, 2006 - 10:23 am:

After my trip to the south this summer, I became HOOKED on sweet tea! I don't know how many extra calories I've added by drinking one or two a day, but I suppose it's not good. For you southern women: How do y'all keep so trim? LOL

By Karen~admin on Friday, July 7, 2006 - 12:54 pm:

Well, Janet, for myself, I cannot STAND sweet tea! LOL I always drink mine with lemon only.

By Christylee on Friday, July 7, 2006 - 01:06 pm:

I LOVE sweet tea but only if it's the real thing. I only like Lipton and won't drink it out very often.

By Janet on Friday, July 7, 2006 - 02:44 pm:

I guess my mom gave me just enough of her southern Missouri genes to give me the taste for it...my Yankee friends and family are giving me all kinds of grief for it! LOL

By Janet on Friday, July 7, 2006 - 02:47 pm:

I guess my mom gave me just enough of her southern Missouri genes to give me the taste for it...my Yankee friends and family are giving me all kinds of grief for it! LOL

By Janet on Friday, July 7, 2006 - 02:47 pm:

Is there an echo in here?

By Tonya on Friday, July 7, 2006 - 02:54 pm:

I love sweet tea. But I drink mine with sweet-n-low so no calories. My great-grandma tried it when I was in Tenn visiting her last summer she told me it tastes just like her southern sweet tea.

By Janet on Friday, July 7, 2006 - 06:45 pm:

That's a good idea, Tonya!

By Luvn29 on Friday, July 7, 2006 - 11:19 pm:

I drink Lipton lemon sweet tea in the bottles. It has 160 calories, 0 grams of fat, and 43 grams of carbs per 16.9 ounce bottle. Not great, but not too bad, either, if you don't drink it all at once. However, there are also 65 mg of flavonoid antioxidants per 8 ounce serving, so that would be over 130 mg per bottle, which is supposed to be very good for you...

I'm hooked on these things! We buy them in the twelve bottle cases at Wal-mart for about $5-$6.

But the best sweet tea hands down is McDonald's!! We love that stuff!