Please note

High fructose corn syrup is the culprit responsible for weight gain often associated with soda. Bear in mind that high fructose corn syrup is in many foods & beverages including, but not limited to: Lemonade & other juices, candy, pudding, cake, & many many others. So in order for those who beleive that discontinuing soda consumption is going to help with weight loss to be effective, they would also have to discontinue consuming anything containing high fructose corn syrup.

The high fructose corn syrup found in soda & many other foods & beverages is also purported to contain mercury.

Please refer to my new thread entitled "Study Finds High-Fructose Corn Syrup Contains Mercury" thread for more information.

Replacing soda with water is a start. Healthier all the way around.

Right on point about high fructose. Just read the nutritional info on foods and you will be amazed where you find it.

What about diet drinks? Nothing gets done until I have a diet red bull for breakfast.

Wow, when I responded before, I forgot about what I did.

You are so right about the soda -- or pop as it is called by some folks -- mostly in the south.

When I first moved out of my parents home, the first thing I did in my new apartment was to put a keg of draft beer in the fridge and ate my favorite meal, spaghetti and meatballs almost every night.

At work I would drink coffee or coke all day long. Lots of sugar in that coffee.

So after about 3 years I was beginning to put weight on -- duh -- and was going to buy new clothes to fit my new body. I was not really that overweight -- about 30 pounds. I thought about it and said no way am I buying new clothes.

So all I did was give up the soda and cut down on the coffee -- two a day now. Even after all these years, I will still only have a soda maybe once a year -- that's it. And coffee, two cups a day in the morning, that's it.

In 6 months I lost the 30 extra pounds just by giving up the soda and cutting back on the coffee. That's all I did.

That being said, I am a type "a" personality. So all through this process (before and after)I played tennis, softball, rode a bike, walked and never put the weight on again. Always have been moving.

So yes, cut out the soda. But you still have to MOVE. Your body goes into "survival" mode when you change your eating habits and the ONLY way to fix it is to move, move, and move. Plus no drastic changes, your body will know.

And as far as diet soda, I have read many articles about how diet soda is even worse for you than regular soda. Puts MORE pounds on!!!

I almost never drink the stuff -- regular or diet (actually never diet because the taste is so nasty to me, I would have to be forced).

Many people -- mostly in the south drink soda rather than a cup of coffee in the morning. Find that rather weird, but you know, whatever works to get you moving. Coffee does it for me.

Maybe I am being judgmental, which is not good, but I really think that being overweight is not a problem to be solved by a pill.

Eat less and better food, move, and make lifestyle changes with your food.

Actually, last thought on the subject.

I have also read many an article on how if you were overweight as a child you have more difficulty losing weight as a adult because more fat cells are generated in your early years.

This really is a very serious problem in our country -- and in particular with kids. No one should make light of it. And as you get older and have to deal with it, it becomes all the more difficult. I forgot off the top of my head what the percentage of overweight people are in this country -- but it is really high. Heart problems, diabetes, not good.

I may be way off base because I do not have the problem, but I think a pill is not the answer to weight problems.

Here is what I found out:

Well Tigersmom, there actually is quite a bit more to it.

Google diet soda vs regular soda -- lots of information such as the high sodium content of diet soda.

I knew I didn't get my info from Oprah because I do not watch her show. No offense Oprah. I read it somewhere but did not really focus on it completely because I am not overweight.

I gave up soda so many years ago - maybe just once a year I have one - that the taste simply does not appeal to me. Never was one for sweets anyway. I must be the only person on the planet that does not like chocolate.

But for those of you that are overweight, giving up soda is a great start. You don't have to just have water, drink juices. But most importantly, move, move and move some more.

I think most of the problems we have today with weight is something you start with right off the bat -- like how you were fed as a child. My mother always cooked 3 square meals a day -- and almost never did we have dessert. I really don't like to see all these overweight kids -- TV and computers are partly to blame as well. When I was a kid, I was always out doing something active -- kickball, climbing trees, swimming. To this day I still watch little to none of TV, but must say I really like my computer.

Bottom line being overweight is a real and very serious problem in this country. It's just like everything else in life though, you got a problem, you know how to fix it. Mind over matter -- or as Nike says, just DO IT.

I am proud to say I haven't had but two coca colas in the last two months. Normally, I would drink one 20 oz coke a day. I haven't lost any weight yet but then again my eating habits are kind of off -track right now.

About diet soda - one thing I have always found odd is people who go to a fast food place, order about 1000 calories worth of burger and fries and then order a diet soda...

hey everyone will weigh in on how i lost 50 lbs. no raw sugar, drink water, cut caffiene to 1 time per week, cut carbs down to bare minimum for couple weeks then add more carbs. After about a week or two, you stop craving sugar and by then you can have the type of sugar you get from strawberrys and other fruits jmho