Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answers. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hi Fitz! You always say that drinking calories causes weight gain, so I'm willing to try kicking my habit. I'm completely addicted to Coke. There are all sorts of programs to help people stop smoking, but none for cutting back on soda. Help! Brian

A. Thanks for the terrific question, Brian. I'm so glad you've been paying attention! Yes ... caloric beverages such as soda, juice, milk and alcohol are definitely responsible for much of the extra fat folks are carrying around. As an example of this, I once did a series of lectures for a large fire department in my area. I referenced the huge fountain drinks I always saw the firefighters driving around with and showed them how much sugar was in each cup. As their jaws dropped, I challenged each of them to, at minimum, switch to diet soda and, at best, switch to water.

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