No Calorie Sodas and Weight
Replies
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Sorry to burst everyone's bubble, but yes, diet soda does make some people gain weight. And there's science to back it up. https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2016/09/08/the-awful-truth-about-diet-soda-and-weight-gain-according-to-science/#28b10646462f
I was not happy to discover this but I read the studies and there's no going back to soda (except seltzer) for me.
I'm pretty sure that link has already been posted in this thread (but there's been several of these so I might have threads confused at the point).
And I'm reasonably sure we've already discussed all the points in there after 6 pages.
If you are accurately logging your food and controlling your intake, diet soda can't "make" you gain weight. Correlation /= causation. Insert everything else we've already said here.7 -
Sorry to burst everyone's bubble, but yes, diet soda does make some people gain weight. And there's science to back it up. https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2016/09/08/the-awful-truth-about-diet-soda-and-weight-gain-according-to-science/#28b10646462f
I was not happy to discover this but I read the studies and there's no going back to soda (except seltzer) for me.
Have you actually experienced this for yourself though?
I've cut out diet soda for months at a time and had absolutely nothing happen to my weight. I'm currently only drinking 1 can a day, down from 3-5 a day that I was drinking, and same thing-I'm solidly maintaining within my maintenance window. The reduction of diet soda hasn't affected my weight at all, it's just made room for all the coffee I've added
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Sorry to burst everyone's bubble, but yes, diet soda does make some people gain weight. And there's science to back it up. https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2016/09/08/the-awful-truth-about-diet-soda-and-weight-gain-according-to-science/#28b10646462f
I was not happy to discover this but I read the studies and there's no going back to soda (except seltzer) for me.
It hasn't for me. I must be special.8 -
I'm special too! *Sips Cherry Coke Zero* I got a participation trophy and everything!4
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estherdragonbat wrote: »I'm special too! *Sips Cherry Coke Zero* I got a participation trophy and everything!
Cheers!! :drinker:1 -
"Some people," as I said, not everyone.1
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Sorry to burst everyone's bubble, but yes, diet soda does make some people gain weight. And there's science to back it up. https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2016/09/08/the-awful-truth-about-diet-soda-and-weight-gain-according-to-science/#28b10646462f
I was not happy to discover this but I read the studies and there's no going back to soda (except seltzer) for me.
If you like seltzer, try La Croix in fruit flavors. No sweeteners or anything added. I keep the pineapple-strawberry around for when I've had too much caffeine, but don't want plain infused water.0 -
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"Some people," as I said, not everyone.
And I responded by asking if you actually had this experience yourself? Because it seems a bit silly to me to eliminate something that I enjoy, just because some study says something, that doesn't match my own, real life experience. My daughter is lactose intolerant, so for "some people" dairy reacts negatively in the body. But it would make no sense for me to cut out dairy based on this, because I haven't actually experienced any negative affects with dairy.
I've been drinking diet soda for years now and I haven't had any negative experiences with it, and in fact it's been very helpful for me. So it would make no sense for me to cut it out, based on some study out there that may or may not even be accurate.4 -
Sorry to burst everyone's bubble, but yes, diet soda does make some people gain weight. And there's science to back it up. https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2016/09/08/the-awful-truth-about-diet-soda-and-weight-gain-according-to-science/#28b10646462f
I was not happy to discover this but I read the studies and there's no going back to soda (except seltzer) for me.
Diet soda can't make you gain weight. It literally can't, it doesn't contain enough energy. If you personally feel hungrier or crave foods after drinking it, it still doesn't make you gain weight since it's still entirely in your power to simply not give in to the cravings, but you might want to reduce/avoid it to not have them anymore.
On an unrelated note, an economy magazine would not be my first stop when looking for medical and nutrition news.11 -
I understand that the sweetness of a diet soda makes your brain 'think' that sugar is coming, so it creates an insulin response.
Additionally, it trains your taste buds to desire something very sweet. In return, that makes it hard to REALLY enjoy nature's sweetness (like apples, strawberries etc). I stopped drinking anything sweetened 2 years ago and fruit does now taste more luscious and sweet.16 -
susanofarrell wrote: »I understand that the sweetness of a diet soda makes your brain 'think' that sugar is coming, so it creates an insulin response.
Additionally, it trains your taste buds to desire something very sweet. In return, that makes it hard to REALLY enjoy nature's sweetness (like apples, strawberries etc). I stopped drinking anything sweetened 2 years ago and fruit does now taste more luscious and sweet.
It doesn't for me. It's just a soda, I drink it and move on, no longer thirsty.4 -
Most important thing in this whole thread is that I'm now jealous of estherdragonbat and that Cherry Coke Zero. Can't get it up here (sad face).estherdragonbat wrote: »I'm special too! *Sips Cherry Coke Zero* I got a participation trophy and everything!
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This information has been flogged to death but I must repeat as a public service announcement. Sweet tastes without sugar do NOT stimulate an insulin response. If it did there'd be comatose diabetics all over the place. The body is not so easily fooled.19
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susanofarrell wrote: »I understand that the sweetness of a diet soda makes your brain 'think' that sugar is coming, so it creates an insulin response.
Additionally, it trains your taste buds to desire something very sweet. In return, that makes it hard to REALLY enjoy nature's sweetness (like apples, strawberries etc). I stopped drinking anything sweetened 2 years ago and fruit does now taste more luscious and sweet.
Did you actually read through this thread?10 -
I just calculated that during the time I've been using mfp to lose weight, I've consumed at least 1000 pounds of zero calorie black coffee. As of today I've lost 102 lb. Make of that what you will, but you will err to say that zero calorie drinks cause me to gain weight..5
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This information has been flogged to death but I must repeat as a public service announcement. Sweet tastes without sugar do NOT stimulate an insulin response. If it did there'd be comatose diabetics all over the place. The body is not so easily fooled.
It really boggles the mind doesn't it
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Diet soda doesn't make you gain weight but the artificial sweetener (aspartame) in it may make you crave more sugar which makes you eat more sugary and simple carb filled foods which makes you ultimately gain weight.
I had to stop drinking it because of my acid reflux but it has made me crave refined sugars a lot less since I stopped drinking it.
I still drink diet green tea though but for some reason I don't crave refined sugars as much as I did with diet soda so that says a lot.
It also could be a mind thing where some think as long as they're drinking a low to no calorie soda, they can get by with eating a lot of crap and not really measuring their food. I used to be one of those people. So the studies could be mostly made up of those types of people.
I say if you are measuring your food and are eating at a deficit and are losing weight then drink whatever you want.
What's the saying...if it ain't broke, don't fix it.10 -
This is how it works: Artificial sweeteners (not the natural no-calorie sweeteners) stimulate appetite and trigger the insulin response just as if you had eaten real sugar because they can still spike blood glucose. This is fact, not a biased study. When I switched to diet sodas I gained 30 pounds the first year without changing anything else in my diet. I only use natural non-calorie sweeteners, such as stevia and erythritol. That's why I only drink Zevia Soda, which is sweetened with stevia, as stevia does NOT spike blood glucose, thereby not triggering the insulin response. That being said, stevia CAN do it in some people who are sensitive to it.
Calories are NOT just calories, and eating a calorie deficit is NOT enough to help with weight loss. Initially it works, but this is why diets DON'T work. Constant calorie deficit cannot be maintained long-term, which is why most people regain the weight. What you eat is even more important than how much you eat because there are hormones at play. Hormones regulate weight loss/gain and appetite. This is why you can't just count calories. You have to control your hormones leptin and ghrelin via what you eat.
You can look that up, but go ahead and just listen to these armchair scientists who simply don't want to believe the studies done by actual scientists because they don't want to change their lifestyle permanently and give up not only the occasional Snickers bar, but every Snickers bar from here until the end of their lives.33 -
HeidiGrrrl wrote: »This is how it works: Artificial sweeteners (not the natural no-calorie sweeteners) stimulate appetite and trigger the insulin response just as if you had eaten real sugar because they can still spike blood glucose. This is fact, not a biased study. When I switched to diet sodas I gained 30 pounds the first year without changing anything else in my diet. I only use natural non-calorie sweeteners, such as stevia and erythritol. That's why I only drink Zevia Soda, which is sweetened with stevia, as stevia does NOT spike blood glucose, thereby not triggering the insulin response. That being said, stevia CAN do it in some people who are sensitive to it.
Calories are NOT just calories, and eating a calorie deficit is NOT enough to help with weight loss. Initially it works, but this is why diets DON'T work. Constant calorie deficit cannot be maintained long-term, which is why most people regain the weight. What you eat is even more important than how much you eat because there are hormones at play. Hormones regulate weight loss/gain and appetite. This is why you can't just count calories. You have to control your hormones leptin and ghrelin via what you eat.
You can look that up, but go ahead and just listen to these armchair scientists who simply don't want to believe the studies done by actual scientists because they don't want to change their lifestyle permanently and give up not only the occasional Snickers bar, but every Snickers bar from here until the end of their lives.
I don't eat Snickers. I drink diet soda. This does not compute.7 -
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I would be careful of drinking too much diet coke. I gave up drinking diet coke a few weeks before I decided to lose weight. My experience is probably particular to me since I have a few health issues besides being overweight, but more than 1 diet coke a day and my legs, feet, and hands start to swell. I mean seriously swell to the point of being painful and restricting movement. The longer I stay away from most if not all diet coke the easier it gets for me to stay on my feet. All I would say is to run a test with yourself and do without them for a few days (it took my over a week before my ankles looked normal again) without them and see how you feel. I lost weight when all I did was stop drinking them but I think it was all water weight because of the inflammation. As in all things, your mileage my vary.5
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diet drinks are not the healthiest. water is always better. but, I don't believe the diet drink itself will make you gain or keep you from losing. sweet tasting things tend to make me want to eat more, whether its actual sugar or not, so for some people diet drinks might not help with weight loss as much as water would. once you switch over to mostly only water, you'll get used to it and won't miss the sweeter drinks as much. sweeteners aren't very natural and some have been linked to cancer or other problems. so, diet may be better for you waist than regular, but still not the best.8
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HeidiGrrrl wrote: »This is how it works: Artificial sweeteners (not the natural no-calorie sweeteners) stimulate appetite and trigger the insulin response just as if you had eaten real sugar because they can still spike blood glucose. This is fact, not a biased study. When I switched to diet sodas I gained 30 pounds the first year without changing anything else in my diet. I only use natural non-calorie sweeteners, such as stevia and erythritol. That's why I only drink Zevia Soda, which is sweetened with stevia, as stevia does NOT spike blood glucose, thereby not triggering the insulin response. That being said, stevia CAN do it in some people who are sensitive to it.
Calories are NOT just calories, and eating a calorie deficit is NOT enough to help with weight loss. Initially it works, but this is why diets DON'T work. Constant calorie deficit cannot be maintained long-term, which is why most people regain the weight. What you eat is even more important than how much you eat because there are hormones at play. Hormones regulate weight loss/gain and appetite. This is why you can't just count calories. You have to control your hormones leptin and ghrelin via what you eat.
You can look that up, but go ahead and just listen to these armchair scientists who simply don't want to believe the studies done by actual scientists because they don't want to change their lifestyle permanently and give up not only the occasional Snickers bar, but every Snickers bar from here until the end of their lives.
5 posts.
5 posts above you someone re-said that this is complete humbug that you just said because diabetics would DIE if they drank diet sodas then.18 -
HeidiGrrrl wrote: »This is how it works: Artificial sweeteners (not the natural no-calorie sweeteners) stimulate appetite and trigger the insulin response just as if you had eaten real sugar because they can still spike blood glucose. This is fact, not a biased study. When I switched to diet sodas I gained 30 pounds the first year without changing anything else in my diet. I only use natural non-calorie sweeteners, such as stevia and erythritol. That's why I only drink Zevia Soda, which is sweetened with stevia, as stevia does NOT spike blood glucose, thereby not triggering the insulin response. That being said, stevia CAN do it in some people who are sensitive to it.
Calories are NOT just calories, and eating a calorie deficit is NOT enough to help with weight loss. Initially it works, but this is why diets DON'T work. Constant calorie deficit cannot be maintained long-term, which is why most people regain the weight. What you eat is even more important than how much you eat because there are hormones at play. Hormones regulate weight loss/gain and appetite. This is why you can't just count calories. You have to control your hormones leptin and ghrelin via what you eat.
You can look that up, but go ahead and just listen to these armchair scientists who simply don't want to believe the studies done by actual scientists because they don't want to change their lifestyle permanently and give up not only the occasional Snickers bar, but every Snickers bar from here until the end of their lives.
Whereas I switched to diet soda and then proceeded to lose 50lbs, (and improve all my health markers ). I've continued to drink diet soda every day and have been successfully maintaining the loss for over 4 years.
And for the thousandth time, the ADA actually recomends diet soda for diabetics because it does NOT cause spikes.
eta: and like someone else pointed out-you're not supposed to be in a calorie deficit long term. Once you transition into maintenance you adjust your calorie intake to the correct maintenance range, which is what your body needs to keep a stable weight.10 -
And seriously. Thanks that I can once again post my favorite examine article.
https://examine.com/nutrition/do-artificial-sweeteners-spike-insulin/
No. They don't spike insulin. They also can't spike blood glucose because WHERE THE HELL DO YOU SUPPOSE THE GLUCOSE WOULD COME FROM FROM SOMETHING THAT DOES NOT CONTAIN EVEN ONE GRAM OF NUTRIENTS.15 -
towardaminime wrote: »I would be careful of drinking too much diet coke. I gave up drinking diet coke a few weeks before I decided to lose weight. My experience is probably particular to me since I have a few health issues besides being overweight, but more than 1 diet coke a day and my legs, feet, and hands start to swell. I mean seriously swell to the point of being painful and restricting movement. The longer I stay away from most if not all diet coke the easier it gets for me to stay on my feet. All I would say is to run a test with yourself and do without them for a few days (it took my over a week before my ankles looked normal again) without them and see how you feel. I lost weight when all I did was stop drinking them but I think it was all water weight because of the inflammation. As in all things, your mileage my vary.
I used to drink 5+ cans a day with no ill effects so yeah, most likely related to something else going on connected to your medical issues.2 -
diet drinks are not the healthiest. water is always better. but, I don't believe the diet drink itself will make you gain or keep you from losing. sweet tasting things tend to make me want to eat more, whether its actual sugar or not, so for some people diet drinks might not help with weight loss as much as water would. once you switch over to mostly only water, you'll get used to it and won't miss the sweeter drinks as much. sweeteners aren't very natural and some have been linked to cancer or other problems. so, diet may be better for you waist than regular, but still not the best.
They actually are not linked to cancer and diet drinks are 99% water anyway.8 -
I chose to give up my daily Diet Coke habit because of all the questionable chemicals. I still have one occasionally. I say do what works for you (you save a bunch of money if you switch to tea or water)
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OliveGirl128 wrote: »towardaminime wrote: »I would be careful of drinking too much diet coke. I gave up drinking diet coke a few weeks before I decided to lose weight. My experience is probably particular to me since I have a few health issues besides being overweight, but more than 1 diet coke a day and my legs, feet, and hands start to swell. I mean seriously swell to the point of being painful and restricting movement. The longer I stay away from most if not all diet coke the easier it gets for me to stay on my feet. All I would say is to run a test with yourself and do without them for a few days (it took my over a week before my ankles looked normal again) without them and see how you feel. I lost weight when all I did was stop drinking them but I think it was all water weight because of the inflammation. As in all things, your mileage my vary.
I used to drink 5+ cans a day with no I'll effects so yeah, most likely related to something else going on connected to your medical issues.
Exactly ditto.0
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