Calories, not promises
Stopping soda and your weight
Regular soda has calories and added sugar, so dropping it can lower how much you take in from drinks. Whether that changes your weight depends on what you drink instead and everything else in your day. This page sticks to sourced calorie and sugar numbers and does not promise weight loss.
Not medical advice. QuitSoda is habit support for adults. If caffeine, sugar, pregnancy, medicines, or a health condition affect your plan, ask your clinician.
Calories and sugar in common drinks
The CDC lists these values for a 12 oz serving, with sugar data from USDA FoodData Central (CDC: Rethink Your Drink):
| Drink | Calories | Teaspoons of sugar |
|---|---|---|
| Plain water | 0 | 0 |
| Unsweetened tea | 0 | 0 |
| Regular soda | 155 | 10 |
| Regular orange soda | 195 | 13 |
Brand labels are in the same range. A 12 oz Coca-Cola Original lists 140 calories (Coca-Cola US). Pepsi lists 149 calories and Mountain Dew 169 in their USDA FoodData Central records (FDC 2653655, FDC 2560241).
What the CDC says about cutting soda
The CDC gives this example: a 12 oz regular soda has more than 10 teaspoons (about 42 grams) of added sugar, about 150 calories from sugar, and cutting out two regular sodas a day would reduce total calories by 2,100 in a week (CDC: Rethink Your Drink).
That is a calorie number, not a weight forecast. Bodies and days vary, and other foods or drinks can fill the gap. The CDC also lists weight gain among the health problems more common in adults who often drink sugary drinks; that is an association it reports, not a promise about what happens if you stop.
What you swap in matters
The CDC suggests water, including tap, unsweetened bottled, or sparkling water, and unsweetened tea as choices without added sugar (CDC: Rethink Your Drink). Swapping regular soda for these removes the drink calories in the table above.
Diet soda also lists 0 calories, but in the QuitSoda challenge it still counts as soda. On-plan swaps are:
- Plain sparkling water or seltzer, with a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime at home if you like.
- Unsweetened iced or hot tea, black or green.
- Unsweetened coffee, if the can was mostly about caffeine.
- Still water in a bottle you like, kept where the can used to sit.
What we will not tell you
We will not tell you how many pounds you will lose, or that quitting soda will change your weight at all. If weight is a health goal for you, a clinician or registered dietitian can help with a plan that fits you.
Sources
- CDC: Rethink Your Drink: 12 oz calories and sugar; two sodas a day example; water and tea
- Coca-Cola US: Coca-Cola Original: 140 calories
- USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 2653655: Pepsi 12 fl oz
- USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 2560241: Mtn Dew 12 fl oz
- FDA: Added sugars on the Nutrition Facts label: 50 g Daily Value
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Frequently asked questions
Will I lose weight if I stop drinking soda?
QuitSoda doesn't promise weight loss. Calories from drinks may change depending on what you swap in.
How many calories are in a can of soda?
The CDC lists 155 calories for a 12 oz regular soda. Brand labels vary; Coca-Cola Original lists 140 and Mountain Dew 169 per 12 oz.
How many calories does cutting two sodas a day save?
The CDC says cutting out two regular sodas a day would reduce total calories by 2,100 in a week. That is a calorie figure, not a weight prediction.
Is diet soda better for weight?
Diet soda lists 0 calories. We do not make weight claims about it, and in the QuitSoda challenge it still counts as soda.
What should I drink instead?
The CDC suggests water, plain sparkling water, or unsweetened tea. Unsweetened coffee is also on plan for the challenge.