gatorade/powerade = sugar same as soda = NO!
as for ur statement about "not into the whole bf% thing", im guessing u made that statement because u dont fully understand body composition. lets say hypothetically u weigh 120lbs and are 30% bf. this means u have 36lbs of fat on ur person. now lets say u take the same person who weighs 130lbs (10lbs more) and they are only 20%bf. they only have 26lbs fat on them.. which one do u think is gonna look better??
total body weight is far less important for aesthetic purposes than bodyfat%. u say u want to lose 25-35lbs. well what if u lose 25lbs but only 5 lbs of that is fat?? then u have dropped 25lbs in weight but have only reduced the amount of fat on ur body by 5lbs!
bodyfat% is major! body composition is major! i suggest u read a little more into it as well as look at these pics so u can see the impact bodyfat% has on the way u look with or without clothes!
my suggestion, forget the 25-35lbs of weight u want to lose. figure out ur current bodyfat% and create a target bodyfat%..
google "BOD POD" for ur area and make an appointment.