How to Get a Flat Stomach   Top 10 Tips to get a Flat Tummy

#9 - Don't Drink Soda

There are many reasons why cutting out soda when trying to lose weight is a good idea. First and foremost, soda is invariably empty calories. Soda with calories is essentially sugar water, and as such, while it very briefly satisfies a transient desire for sweetness and thirst, it does not contain anything that will give you a feeling of satiation, or fullness. A 12 oz can of Coke, the size of an average can, contains 120 calories. For that same number of calories, you could have 2 large hard-boiled eggs, which gives you plenty of protein and a little bit of fat, plus plenty of vitamins and minerals; or you could have a nice bowl of oatmeal, which gives you fiber to help with heart health and improve your cholesterol level, a longer-lasting boost of energy from the complex carbohydrates, and 10 percent of your daily value of iron. Either of these will leave you feeling much more full than the can of soda will.

Furthermore, even with diet sodas, it has been hypothesized that the feeling of sweetness in your mouth (from such artificial sweeteners as aspartame) leaves you feeling hungrier because your stomach and small intestine expect food and do not get it. Your digestive system responds to the expectation of food by secreting digestive enzymes to prepare your body for the incoming food, and when it does not get the sugar it expected from the feeling of sweetness, your stomach complains and starts churning anyway. This makes you inclined to eat more to compensate. Hence, even diet sodas have a negative impact on your attempts to lose weight.

Another major problem with soda is that it is often carbonated and flavored with phosphoric acid, which eat away at your teeth and bones over time. This is particularly problematic for women, who tend to have less bone mass anyway. Many people often drink soda without actively thinking about it; in this case, it is frequently easy to wean oneself off soda. Instead of keeping a can or two at your desk, keep a couple bottles of water instead. If you really feel you can't wean yourself off it, keep the soda in the car, where it will be warm and unpleasant to drink immediately, and require a walk to get to drink, and keep the water at your desk or in the office fridge, where it will stay cold and refreshing. Other people drink it for the carbonation, in which case soda water is an acceptable substitute.