Do yourself a favor and trick yourself into liking the Zero or Diet versions of your chosen soda. Notably, the Zero formulations have less and less aftertaste. I have found Zero versions of Dr. Pepper, Sprite, Pepsi, Coke, etc. I even found Cherry Dr.Pepper Zero, which if you know what that means is just nonsensical. I go back to the regular sugar sometimes and it doesn’t taste any better. I enjoy my acidic spiced cherry lemon Dr.Pepper without the diabeetus.
Calorie rant: Why? 1.5 cans of soda is 250 kcal. That is equivalent to 30 MINUTES OF EXERCISE. PER DRINK. 3500 kcals (or calories) is equal to 1-0.5 pounds of fat gained or lost. Stop drinking or substitute soda for 2 weeks and lose a pound/0.4kg. Stop for a year and lose 25 pounds/12 kg FOR NO EXERCISE. Do you know how disheartening to know that all of my exercise is wasted by just chugging a large soda? Do the inverse and save an hour of jogging with a large DIET/ZERO soda.
Another important note about diet soda is that they can often increase appetite, so try to avoid drinking them before or during a meal. Of course water is better but we all know damn well nobody is perfect lol. With thoughtful timing and good moderation you can enjoy diet drinks without worry (water still better though).
Water is best but unsweetened tea has a nicer flavor and the only thing I can find that makes it worse than water from a health standpoint is the caffeine.
I agree! I have also found carbonated water to quench my need for texture. I can’t find it sold as a drink in the drive-thru, though. But when I partake, I can’t get enough of it when I take a big, painfully acidic and bubbly sip.
As for just water, I find the water/ice dispenser in my new apartment’s fridge to be the #1 health device I can use. I imagine diet and zero soda to be stepping stones to sparking water, which is a stepping stone for still water.
My wife introduced me (53M) to Coke Zero on our honeymoon 18 years ago.
I dropped 10 pounds just from that one change. It didn’t take me any time to “get used” to drinking it, like Diet Coke, which to this day still tastes metallic.
Adults really should minimized any and all calorie intake from drinking. So that means water, or zero calorie sodas and drinks.
I went to artificially sweetened sodas. I started getting these gnarly tension headaches. (And sometimes my jaw would hurt too.) Bummer. I bit the bullet and just went with drinking less soda instead.
Ice really makes water taste a lot better at least.
For anyone wondering difference between zero sugar and diet. Diet is meant to taste ‘lighter’ so it’s supposed to taste different where as zero sugar soda attempts to taste the same as the original.
Soda is great for energy if you’re doing crazy exercise though. On the Seattle to Portland ride, I was able to up my calorie intake by about 800 kcal just by drinking full sugar soda when I stopped to eat. I still wasn’t able to consume enough calories, but it got me a might closer.
I wouldn’t say it’s “great” since it’s so sugary, but they had soda at an ultra marathon I did last Saturday. It was a great pick me up to drink a cup of coke. Supplimented the soda with other food, but it helped recover some calories quickly and has caffeine. I really try to stay away from the stuff otherwise.
Do yourself a favor and trick yourself into liking the Zero or Diet versions of your chosen soda. Notably, the Zero formulations have less and less aftertaste. I have found Zero versions of Dr. Pepper, Sprite, Pepsi, Coke, etc. I even found Cherry Dr.Pepper Zero, which if you know what that means is just nonsensical. I go back to the regular sugar sometimes and it doesn’t taste any better. I enjoy my acidic spiced cherry lemon Dr.Pepper without the diabeetus.
Calorie rant: Why? 1.5 cans of soda is 250 kcal. That is equivalent to 30 MINUTES OF EXERCISE. PER DRINK. 3500 kcals (or calories) is equal to 1-0.5 pounds of fat gained or lost. Stop drinking or substitute soda for 2 weeks and lose a pound/0.4kg. Stop for a year and lose 25 pounds/12 kg FOR NO EXERCISE. Do you know how disheartening to know that all of my exercise is wasted by just chugging a large soda? Do the inverse and save an hour of jogging with a large DIET/ZERO soda.
Another important note about diet soda is that they can often increase appetite, so try to avoid drinking them before or during a meal. Of course water is better but we all know damn well nobody is perfect lol. With thoughtful timing and good moderation you can enjoy diet drinks without worry (water still better though).
Well as long as you’re doing yourself favors, try to go with water, and cut out soda for most of your diet.
But of course this isn’t really an answer to the question at hand.
Water is best but unsweetened tea has a nicer flavor and the only thing I can find that makes it worse than water from a health standpoint is the caffeine.
You can also get a decaffeinated tea as well to drink
In the winter months, I live off of unsweetened herbal tea with no caffeine.
I agree! I have also found carbonated water to quench my need for texture. I can’t find it sold as a drink in the drive-thru, though. But when I partake, I can’t get enough of it when I take a big, painfully acidic and bubbly sip.
As for just water, I find the water/ice dispenser in my new apartment’s fridge to be the #1 health device I can use. I imagine diet and zero soda to be stepping stones to sparking water, which is a stepping stone for still water.
Already way ahead of ya! Zero only for me, unless there is no other option mind you. :P
My wife introduced me (53M) to Coke Zero on our honeymoon 18 years ago.
I dropped 10 pounds just from that one change. It didn’t take me any time to “get used” to drinking it, like Diet Coke, which to this day still tastes metallic.
Adults really should minimized any and all calorie intake from drinking. So that means water, or zero calorie sodas and drinks.
I went to artificially sweetened sodas. I started getting these gnarly tension headaches. (And sometimes my jaw would hurt too.) Bummer. I bit the bullet and just went with drinking less soda instead.
Ice really makes water taste a lot better at least.
For anyone wondering difference between zero sugar and diet. Diet is meant to taste ‘lighter’ so it’s supposed to taste different where as zero sugar soda attempts to taste the same as the original.
Soda is great for energy if you’re doing crazy exercise though. On the Seattle to Portland ride, I was able to up my calorie intake by about 800 kcal just by drinking full sugar soda when I stopped to eat. I still wasn’t able to consume enough calories, but it got me a might closer.
I wouldn’t say it’s “great” since it’s so sugary, but they had soda at an ultra marathon I did last Saturday. It was a great pick me up to drink a cup of coke. Supplimented the soda with other food, but it helped recover some calories quickly and has caffeine. I really try to stay away from the stuff otherwise.
When you’re burning many thousands of calories, it could be the difference between making it to hour eleven or crashing at hour nine.