Post Malone's Weight Loss Secret Is Cutting Out Soda

Post Malone finally revealed his weight loss secret after a noticeable difference in the last year.

Talking on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, the 28-year-old rapper revealed he lost about 65 pounds (nearly 30 kilograms) by cutting out soda and monitoring his sugar intake.

"Soda is so bad. It's so good but so bad," he said and admitted to occasionally having a sugary drink.

A standard 12-ounce soda can contain more than 10 teaspoons of added sugar and 150 calories, according to the CDC. Cutting out two regular sodas per day would reduce weekly calorie intake by 2,100 kcal.

Samantha Cochrane, a registered dietitian at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, explains that people may struggle with weight gain related to drinking soda because these added calories "sneak in" without filling the stomach as calories from solid food do.

She says that cutting out soda may result in weight loss if soda a person consumes it regularly.

"The convenient part of removing soda may be that if you remove it, you might not be left feeling very hungry as it probably wasn’t doing much to fill you up in the first place," she told Healthnews.

According to Cochrane, drinking less soda can leave more room for nutrient-dense food and drink choices. As soda is high in added sugars, limiting its intake may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and positively impact dental health.

"Although a poor source of most vitamins, soda does contain potassium and sodium. For the average healthy person, these are not a worry. For those trying to watch their levels of minerals in their blood, like those struggling with kidney disease, avoiding soda may also be beneficial for health," she said.

What are the alternatives to drinking soda?

In 2011 to 2014, nearly half of American adults (49%) drank a sugar-sweetened beverage on a given day. And while changing habits is not easy, there are ways to cut out soda from your diet:

• Choose tap or unsweetened water over sugary drinks. If you need more flavor, consider adding berries or slices of lime, lemon, or cucumber.
• You can also make a healthy, low-calorie fizzy drink alternative by adding a splash of 100% juice to plain sparkling water.
• Avoid stocking up on sugary drinks to resist the temptation. Keep a jug or bottle of cold water in the fridge instead.
• If you feel water is not for you, choose low-fat or fat-free milk, unsweetened, fortified milk alternatives, or 100% fruit or vegetable juice first. These beverages are lower in calories and contain important nutrients.

Research on whether diet soda can help to lose weight is conflicting. Some studies suggest that consuming artificially sweetened beverages leads to weight gain, but this could be because people at risk for obesity are more likely to choose these drinks.