With the Board of Health expected to approve Bloomberg’s supersize-soda ban tomorrow, The Post challenged seven New Yorkers to quit fizzy drinks. Two months later, they’ve lost an astonishing 53 pounds!
(Zandy Mangold (L) / Tamara Beckwith (R))
(Astrid Stawiarz / Tamara Beckwith)
(Christian Johnston /Tamara Beckwith)
(Christian Johnston / Tamara Beckwith)
(Zandy Mangold / Tamara Beckwith)
(Zandy Mangold /Tamara Beckwith)
Sally Sockwell, 64, actress, Tudor City
“I got into the habit of drinking Dr Pepper years ago at college. It’s the combination of sugar and carbonation. I’d try and cut down and, for a while, I’d have two or three cans a day. But I really needed to get off the sugar for good.
PHOTOS: I GAVE UP SODA AND NOW I’M SKINNY!
“The first two weeks without, I felt a bit grouchy. But I didn’t feel deprived in the same way that I would on a full-blown diet. The challenge was like a project, and I replaced the Dr Pepper with homemade Splenda-sweetened iced tea and the occasional bottle of Snapple Diet Iced Tea.
“My doctor congratulated me because the caffeine in soda leeches calcium from your bones, contributing to osteoporosis. It’s a wonder I hadn’t just crumbled away!
“It’s great to have lost 11 pounds, and I feel fantastic. People have complimented me. I’m definitely going to live without Dr Pepper from now on.”
LOST 11 POUNDS!
Height: 5-foot-4
Weight Before: 144 pounds
After: 133 pounds
Amount saved from not buying soda for two months: $450
(based on a 12-oz. can costing $1.25)
Claudia Torres, 26, medical assistant, Astoria, Queens
“I love all types of soda — Mountain Dew, Snapple, Coke, Pepsi, you name it. My boss is an MD and he’d say: ‘You’ve gotta think about what you’re putting in your body!’ But I took no notice. The sugar gave me a boost and I was scared to quit.
“It’s been tough seeing everyone around me enjoying soda while I can’t. Eating popcorn at the movies with a bottle of water killed me. But I’ve liked not getting that sugar crash I used to experience in the afternoon. My stomach looks and feels less bloated.
“I’m amazed that I lost as much as 5 pounds, because skipping soda and replacing it with diet Vitamin Water is the only thing I’ve done. I’m sure I’ve been eating more unhealthy stuff. I’m going to have the occasional Coke now that the challenge is over, but there’s no way I’m going back to my bad habits.”
LOST 5 POUNDS!
Height: 5 feet
Weight Before: 132 pounds
After: 127 pounds
LOST: 3% of original weight
Amount saved: $420
Poison of choice: up to six cans of sodas per day, including Pepsi and Mountain Dew
Mary Mann, 71, caregiver, Red Hook, Brooklyn
“I love the taste of Pepsi. I’d buy three cases from the store and keep them in the refrigerator. When family came to visit, we’d have soda.
“My doctor referred me to a dietitian in Red Hook, Lisa Hamilton. I had to lose the pounds because I was getting short of breath. Quitting soda was one of the main things Lisa recommended, and I was happy to take up The Post’s challenge as extra motivation.
“It’s not been hard at all. I traded Pepsi for water with a dash of orange juice and it made all the difference. I’ve started walking two miles a day, but I definitely believe doing without Pepsi has helped the most. I can breathe more easily. I’m never going to drink the stuff again.”
LOST 9 POUNDS!
Height: 5-foot-4
Weight Before: 225 pounds
After: 216 pounds
LOST: 4% of original weight
Amount saved: $210
Poison of choice: at least three cans of Pepsi per day
Jonathan Abbou, 29, Manhattan-based Citi Habitats real-estate agent, West Orange, NJ
“Being in the real-estate business, I work all day long in the summer, and you get very toasty. I’d buy a can of soda on the street or at a deli four or five times a day. I always knew the sugar was bad for me, but it took the challenge to prove how much it affected my weight. I’ve got to buy a whole new set of clothes now.
“I was too busy to do anything else like exercise or watch the rest of my diet and just swapped Coke for seltzer. It was a good substitute because I liked the fizz. Occasionally, I was tempted to try a Coke, but I resisted because I’m very strong-willed.
“Now that I’ve lost all these pounds, I am not going to ban soda completely. I want the occasional treat, so I’m just going to drink it much more conservatively.”
LOST 13 POUNDS!
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight Before: 213 pounds
After: 200 pounds
LOST: 6% of original weight
Amount saved: $350
Poison of choice: 5 cans of Coke per day
Diana Whittles, 39 stay-at-home mom, Hoboken, NJ
“Coke was the beverage I’d reach for, and it became a habit. I was cranky and got caffeine-withdrawal headaches the first week that I quit, but I found a wonderful substitute in Adirondack-brand white-chocolate-flavored seltzer, which has zero calories. I lost 5 pounds in the initial two weeks and then started to go to the gym as well. I’m sure the weight I’ve regained is muscle because my clothes are much looser — I’ve dropped a whole dress size — and I’ve lost an inch from my bust, three inches from my waist and another inch from my hips. I’m thrilled and I’ve also saved money. My family went to Disney World during the challenge, and bottles of Coke are $2.50. I have no reason to start drinking Coke again because I’ve found a great replacement.”
LOST 0 POUNDS
Height: 4-foot-11
Weight Before: 190 pounds
After: 190 pounds
Amount saved: $588
Poison of choice: seven cans of Coke per day
Jim Porter, 57 stress-management advisor, Norwalk, Conn.
“I’ve jokingly told people I’m a Coke addict and have tried giving it up before. But I grew up with Coke — I even collect stuff with Coke logos on it — and always went back to my old ways. Quitting for The Post put a lot more pressure on me, and I’m glad I stuck with it and lost 8 pounds. Stopping drinking Coke completely changed my eating habits. The kind of food I ate with a Coke was always less healthy. Burgers and fries taste good with a Coke, just like milk tastes good with cookies. But, not being able to drink it, I’ve been OK with a salad and a glass of water. It’s been an easy thing to give up.”
LOST 8 POUNDS!
Height: 6 feet
Weight Before: 196 pounds
After: 188 pounds
LOST: 4% of original weight
Amount saved: $280
Poison of choice: up to four cans of Coke per day
David Podmore, 38 restaurant-kitchen designer, Astoria, Queens
“I drank Pepsi in the same way that other people drink water. Now that I’m a father [of 22-month-old daughter Coralie], I want to be more healthy. To be honest, I don’t feel any different at all and I’m surprised I’ve lost weight. I’ve been so busy I didn’t get around to exercising. I just kept to watered-down juice, wine and beer instead of Pepsi. I’m going to continue to cut down on soda.”
LOST 7 POUNDS!
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight Before: 213 pounds
After: 206 pounds
Lost: 3% of original weight
Amount saved: $840
Poison of choice: 12 cans of Pepsi per day