Diet Coke dilemma

24

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Preacherwifey wrote: »
    It all depends on the person. The sodium may cause bloating, the artificial sweetener may stall weight loss or/and cause blood sugars to rise. If it doesn't do any of that, well don't feel guilty.

    Even my Diet Cherry Dr Pepper I just opened is higher in sodium than others...at 60 mg. That's still less than 2% of MFP's recommended limit (which I don't even pay attention to).
  • perkymommy
    perkymommy Posts: 1,642 Member
    I don't feel guilty. I have to have one diet coke or pepsi per day and I'm good. I just want to cut them out so I don't have the bloating from them.
  • perkymommy
    perkymommy Posts: 1,642 Member
    choklityum wrote: »
    Anyone who thinks I'm giving up my Diet Dew is bat-doody crazy. Ranks right up there with my coffee.

    :D @ bat-doody
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    perkymommy wrote: »
    I don't feel guilty. I have to have one diet coke or pepsi per day and I'm good. I just want to cut them out so I don't have the bloating from them.

    The best way to prevent bloating from a diet fizzy drink is to have a good burp. The only thing bloating you is the gas.
  • kksmom1789
    kksmom1789 Posts: 281 Member
    idh14r5qwlu2.jpg
    For me I thought I was addicted to cherry coke but then I realized all I wanted was the carbonation from the soda I found this at Walmart and a 12 pack lasts me for like a month because I don't drink one everyday only when I want the carbonation (like today)
  • RAinWA
    RAinWA Posts: 1,980 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    Preacherwifey wrote: »
    It all depends on the person. The sodium may cause bloating, the artificial sweetener may stall weight loss or/and cause blood sugars to rise. If it doesn't do any of that, well don't feel guilty.

    Even my Diet Cherry Dr Pepper I just opened is higher in sodium than others...at 60 mg. That's still less than 2% of MFP's recommended limit (which I don't even pay attention to).

    Thank you for reminding me that I needed to get more Diet Cherry DP - that stuff is awesome!
  • FitbitConnor
    FitbitConnor Posts: 143 Member
    I am a pepsi max addict, im gradually reducing how much i drink from 1.5-2 litres per day to around 500ml at the moment and within a week or so i will reduce that to none. There are lots of studies that suggest diet drinks are directly linked to weight gain Caffeine on its own is a nasty thing to consume regularly, Aspertame is a horrible chemical and is broken down into even worse chemicals when its digested, it also triggers the insulin response which is why i cant drink it when i'm fasting and insulin is the arch enemy of weightloss lol While in moderation you can get away with the odd drink, it is by no means a benign beverage and if possibly should be avoided completely imo.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    edited March 2017
    kksmom1789 wrote: »
    For me I thought I was addicted to cherry coke but then I realized all I wanted was the carbonation from the soda I found this at Walmart and a 12 pack lasts me for like a month because I don't drink one everyday only when I want the carbonation (like today)

    You do realize that this is diet soda, right? It is sweetened and flavored. If you want something with just carbonation you need to look for "seltzer" or "sparkling water", not "sparkling water beverage" like this is.
  • kksmom1789
    kksmom1789 Posts: 281 Member
    earlnabby wrote: »
    kksmom1789 wrote: »
    For me I thought I was addicted to cherry coke but then I realized all I wanted was the carbonation from the soda I found this at Walmart and a 12 pack lasts me for like a month because I don't drink one everyday only when I want the carbonation (like today)

    You do realize that this is diet soda, right? It is sweetened and flavored. If you want something with just carbonation you need to look for "seltzer" or "sparkling water", not "sparkling water beverage" like this is.

    yes I do know that I have tried those other things and they are gross lol I need the awful fake sweetner that is bad for you lol
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    I used to start drinking Diet Coke each year when the weather got warm, get totally addicted, and then stop again sometime in the fall when the weather got cold (going back to hot tea). There's something about a soda fountain that still gets me excited, especially the ones where you can add flavorings. 7-Eleven with the gigantic cups. Even Costco. It is appealing.

    What has tempered it is age. If I drink a gigantic DC, it'll attack me in the form of acid indigestion and other unmentionable "digestive issues." Coffee and wine have similar effects on me. Now, I occasionally have a small amount of DC with a lot of ice.

    My go-to now is hot and iced tea of many types. I make a fantastic iced Assam tea latte in the summer which is da bomb. (Skim milk and Equal keep it within budget. If I have extra calories, I add honey).
  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
    gixercon wrote: »
    I am a pepsi max addict, im gradually reducing how much i drink from 1.5-2 litres per day to around 500ml at the moment and within a week or so i will reduce that to none. There are lots of studies that suggest diet drinks are directly linked to weight gain Caffeine on its own is a nasty thing to consume regularly, Aspertame is a horrible chemical and is broken down into even worse chemicals when its digested, it also triggers the insulin response which is why i cant drink it when i'm fasting and insulin is the arch enemy of weightloss lol While in moderation you can get away with the odd drink, it is by no means a benign beverage and if possibly should be avoided completely imo.

    No no and no again. You will be slayed here for holding such a ridiculous position. Be warned.
  • FitbitConnor
    FitbitConnor Posts: 143 Member
    Haha whoa! ok it appears I read something about aspartame (from several sources) and didn't fact check, for that I apologise and retract my comment. It seems that the negative stuff has only been observed only in rats and never in humans and some people have cherry picked certain info to make it sound worse. The info on weight loss is not conclusive so until further study is done the jury is out on that as well. Caffeine is still worth avoiding if possible and personally I find it easier to fast without pepsi max than with so will continue to do so.
  • crooked_left_hook
    crooked_left_hook Posts: 364 Member
    The only thing Diet Coke is bad for is your teeth, and even then you would have to drink nothing but Diet Coke for there to be enough acidic exposure to damage them. Drink away!
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    gixercon wrote: »
    Haha whoa! ok it appears I read something about aspartame (from several sources) and didn't fact check, for that I apologise and retract my comment. It seems that the negative stuff has only been observed only in rats and never in humans and some people have cherry picked certain info to make it sound worse. The info on weight loss is not conclusive so until further study is done the jury is out on that as well. Caffeine is still worth avoiding if possible and personally I find it easier to fast without pepsi max than with so will continue to do so.

    Nothing wrong with caffeine.
  • FitbitConnor
    FitbitConnor Posts: 143 Member

    is your position that if you drink diet soda and are in a calorie deficit that you wont lose weight? I did not know that diet soda contained a chemical that renders math and physics obsolete...

    Of course I wasn't suggesting that, the OP said they felt guilty about drinking Diet Coke, i then read a bunch of responses saying there is nothing wrong with it, go ham. The natural devils advocate in me wanted to point out that it isn't perhaps the healthiest of drinks and although it might not directly add calories to your diet it could be unhealthy in other ways and that might be why they felt guilty.

  • size102b
    size102b Posts: 1,370 Member
    MalkinMagic71 wrote: »
    I drink coke zero daily. 3 cans or so a day. I've lost over 200lbs. You can pry it from my cold dead hands.

    Wow amazing go you
  • kclaar11
    kclaar11 Posts: 162 Member
    kksmom1789 wrote: »
    idh14r5qwlu2.jpg
    For me I thought I was addicted to cherry coke but then I realized all I wanted was the carbonation from the soda I found this at Walmart and a 12 pack lasts me for like a month because I don't drink one everyday only when I want the carbonation (like today)

    I love these. I cut back on soda to one can a day and then switched to these. I tend to stick to the Coconut flavor. It was not really about soda being unhealthy; I just wanted to cut back on caffeine intake. I find myself sleeping better at night and actually more energetic throughout the day having coffee in the morning and no other caffeinated drinks throughout the day. Could be placebo, but it works for me.
  • kgmqt
    kgmqt Posts: 8 Member
    I have been a big diet dew fan. For me it is the indirect things that make we want to avoid it. If I have one after noon I don't sleep as well. My dentist notices when I stop drinking it - I have stopped for 6-9 month stretches about 4 times in the past 10 years. I cracked a bone once - doctor told me no carbonated beverages for 8-12 weeks as it may slow/stop bone healing.

    Finally is the $$. Water and coffee are either free or a lot cheaper for me. But, I still love my cold diet dew in the morning.
  • muffle1969
    muffle1969 Posts: 96 Member
    I have observed in myself and my friends that for some folks NNS (non-nutritive sweetener) triggers the desire for more sweets, and in other friends it does not. Still for others, it tastes too sweet, so they avoid it entirely. One of my friends drinks a lot of Diet Coke daily, and has lost weight. NNSs impact on the ability to lose weight appears to me to be dependent on the individual. I use Splenda in my coffee and in various recipes, and it helps me keep my calorie count down. In addition, I find I do not need as much sweet taste in various foods or drinks anymore, nor do I seek out "sweets" the way I used to. That's my story anyway.

    In conclusion, "your mileage may vary". :)
  • JohnnyLowCarb
    JohnnyLowCarb Posts: 418 Member
    The thought around diet soda is that the artificial sweetners kick off in your body the craving for more/real sugar foods. i have not found this to be the case and I have diet coke, I have it as a treat more than a replacement for water. Go for it! If you do feel that doing so tempts you for sugary foods then I guess you would have to stop.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    edited March 2017
    gixercon wrote: »
    Haha whoa! ok it appears I read something about aspartame (from several sources) and didn't fact check, for that I apologise and retract my comment. It seems that the negative stuff has only been observed only in rats and never in humans and some people have cherry picked certain info to make it sound worse. The info on weight loss is not conclusive so until further study is done the jury is out on that as well. Caffeine is still worth avoiding if possible and personally I find it easier to fast without pepsi max than with so will continue to do so.

    What kind of fasting do you do? I've been doing IF in one form or another for around 5 years now and I consume caffeine every day.

    On a side note: I lost around 50lbs and improved all my health markers, including normalizing a prediabetic glucose number, while drinking several cans of diet soda a day. Had no problem losing the weight while drinking it :)
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    edited March 2017
    crooked_left_hook wrote: »
    The only thing Diet Coke is bad for is your teeth, and even then you would have to drink nothing but Diet Coke for there to be enough acidic exposure to damage them. Drink away!

    After 30+ years of drinking soda (both regular and diet), I cut it mostly out last week, due to discovering the awesomeness of coffee :) Had a dentist appointment this morning and couldn't wait to tell my dentist that I had stopped drinking the 4+ cans a day of soda (she's been after me for years to cut it out), and then she told me that coffee is just as bad on your teeth, plus the added negative of staining?! When I got home I looked it up and darn it, looks like coffee's pretty acidic too :/
  • FitbitConnor
    FitbitConnor Posts: 143 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    gixercon wrote: »

    is your position that if you drink diet soda and are in a calorie deficit that you wont lose weight? I did not know that diet soda contained a chemical that renders math and physics obsolete...

    Of course I wasn't suggesting that, the OP said they felt guilty about drinking Diet Coke, i then read a bunch of responses saying there is nothing wrong with it, go ham. The natural devils advocate in me wanted to point out that it isn't perhaps the healthiest of drinks and although it might not directly add calories to your diet it could be unhealthy in other ways and that might be why they felt guilty.

    ok, then maybe you should not make statement like this:

    "There are lots of studies that suggest diet drinks are directly linked to weight gain..."

    Saying that it does not directly add to calories does not equate to it does not contribute to weight gain.
    These studies claim a direct correlation (and there are plenty more)

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3714671
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18535548

    A lot of the other pieces I've read seem to suggest its more of a psychological/behavioural thing where people overcompensate or increase consumption after "being good" and drinking zero calorie drinks.

    Anyhow I have already retracted my original statement, and admit that i didn't do enough fact checking before I regurgitated the info so i wont continue to go on about it :)
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