Opinion on diet sodas and weight loss

joannastanmfp

I have recently gotten back to being accountable for my health choices and losing weight. That being said, I have read lots of posts about diet soda hindering weight loss. I am thinking it is not a good choice to drink so much diet soda as I usually do (3 per day). Has anyone noticed any positive changes with stopping diet soda consumption? Thanks!

TimothyFish

I doubt that much sodium is good for you, but they won't hurt your weight loss.

turnere316

When I gave up soda, I did lose weight. And I did drink diet soda.

diannethegeek

I've been through periods drinking diet soda and abstaining from diet soda. Noticed no change to my weight loss. They do seem to make some people hungrier, which can be a problem. Try cutting back and see how you feel.

TeethOfTheHydra

I quit a hard core Diet Coke habit (I mean really hard core) after about 10+ years and just drink water now. I did it because I wanted to get off caffeine and maybe knock off so much artificial sweetener. An added bonus was a lot of $$$ back in my pocket that I had been gladly handing over for so many years. I had previously been successful at losing weight, gaining muscle, and improving my fitness and have subsequently been successful as well. I think every article I've read claiming diet sodas contribute to weight gain are misleading in that they usually say that something about the soda is unsatisfying and thus, the consumer tends to want to binge eat. I don't believe that and it is an indirect factor, at best, anyways. I did not notice any appreciable change in my appetite after quitting. Perhaps others will share some interesting information to contradict this.

diannethegeek

TimothyFish wrote: »

I doubt that much sodium is good for you, but they won't hurt your weight loss.

I used to believe this for a long time, but diet sodas only have slightly more sodium than regular tap water.

PAV8888

I have gained weight drinking and not drinking regular soda. I have lost weight both not drinking and drinking diet soda. I am maintaining weight while occasionally drinking diet soda.

Wynterbourne

I drink mostly diet soda. I've lost 130 lbs. It doesn't hinder weight loss.

Unknown

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WinoGelato

TimothyFish wrote: »

I doubt that much sodium is good for you, but they won't hurt your weight loss.

If OP is drinking 3 diet sodas per day that's 120 mg of sodium. Why would that be a concern?

WinoGelato

I have been drinking diet soda for about 25 years. I drank it at my highest weight as an adult and my lowest (now) and all points in between. It has no effect on weight loss if it is already a part of your standard daily intake.

joannastanmfp

Thank you for all of your input!

Carlos_421

TimothyFish wrote: »

I doubt that much sodium is good for you, but they won't hurt your weight loss.

Why do people keep saying that?? There's hardly any more sodium in diet soda than there is in tap water.

Carlos_421

OP, only an excess of calories can cause weight gain. Since diet soda has no calories, it has no impact on your weight.

Momepro

I haven't been drinking as much diet Pepsi lately, and the only real change is that I do not have as much cafgeine in my system at bedtime. No discernible difference in appetite or sugar cravings. Certainly none on inflammation issues.

Alatariel75

TimothyFish wrote: »

I doubt that much sodium is good for you, but they won't hurt your weight loss.

This is one of the weirdest, most pervasive myths that just won't die. There is very little sodium in diet soda. There has always been very little sodium in diet soda. The lack of any great deal of sodium in diet soda is easily ascertained by looking at the label. How is this still a thing people continue to believe and spread?

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld

I drink black tea and diet soda all day long.

It does not effect my weight at all.

boredloser

I mainly only drink Pepsi Max, and tend to have 1 (2 at most) cans a day, as well as 1ltr of water. First time I lost weight I still drank soda and lost and that was 2014. The one can and 1ltr water is just this year and is working fine for me, I'm still losing. Maybe drink between the both (water, soda, water, soda, water.. you get the idea.)

jordanlane07

I had a major diet soda problem and recently stopped. There has been no change in my weight at all. Since I'm not drinking it as much though, I do drink more water instead. I would say one to two a day is completely fine. That's just my opinion.

TimothyFish

WinoGelato wrote: »

TimothyFish wrote: »

I doubt that much sodium is good for you, but they won't hurt your weight loss.

If OP is drinking 3 diet sodas per day that's 120 mg of sodium. Why would that be a concern?

The concern is that most people already consume more sodium than is recommended. Why add 120mg in the form of something that serves no purpose?

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld

TimothyFish wrote: »

WinoGelato wrote: »

TimothyFish wrote: »

I doubt that much sodium is good for you, but they won't hurt your weight loss.

If OP is drinking 3 diet sodas per day that's 120 mg of sodium. Why would that be a concern?

The concern is that most people already consume more sodium than is recommended. Why add 120mg in the form of something that serves no purpose?

It serves a purpose to me. It hydrates me and tastes nice.

Alatariel75

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »

TimothyFish wrote: »

WinoGelato wrote: »

TimothyFish wrote: »

I doubt that much sodium is good for you, but they won't hurt your weight loss.

If OP is drinking 3 diet sodas per day that's 120 mg of sodium. Why would that be a concern?

The concern is that most people already consume more sodium than is recommended. Why add 120mg in the form of something that serves no purpose?

It serves a purpose to me. It hydrates me and tastes nice.

And 120mg is totally negligible. That seems like a very odd reason to advise against diet soda. Almost like you thought it was full of sodium, found out it wasn't, and are now trying to maintain a position without a basis.

stevencloser

TimothyFish wrote: »

WinoGelato wrote: »

TimothyFish wrote: »

I doubt that much sodium is good for you, but they won't hurt your weight loss.

If OP is drinking 3 diet sodas per day that's 120 mg of sodium. Why would that be a concern?

The concern is that most people already consume more sodium than is recommended. Why add 120mg in the form of something that serves no purpose?

IF YOU DRANK WATER INSTEAD IT WOULD BE THE SAME AMOUNT.

Goddammit.

achagpar

TeethOfTheHydra wrote: »

I quit a hard core Diet Coke habit (I mean really hard core) after about 10+ years and just drink water now. I did it because I wanted to get off caffeine and maybe knock off so much artificial sweetener. An added bonus was a lot of $$$ back in my pocket that I had been gladly handing over for so many years. I had previously been successful at losing weight, gaining muscle, and improving my fitness and have subsequently been successful as well. I think every article I've read claiming diet sodas contribute to weight gain are misleading in that they usually say that something about the soda is unsatisfying and thus, the consumer tends to want to binge eat. I don't believe that and it is an indirect factor, at best, anyways. I did not notice any appreciable change in my appetite after quitting. Perhaps others will share some interesting information to contradict this.

I had the same experience. I was a massive Diet Coke addict pretty much all my adult life. I had lost weight on it before so didn't think it affected anything. But this last time, people said "quit diet soda and you'll lose weight". Their theory was not that diet soda makes me hungrier (it doesn't) nor that it has high sodium to retain water (not sure it has high sodium); rather, their theory was my body would hang on to the sugars I ate since it wasn't getting any sugars when I drank what it perceived to be sweet diet soda due to the artificial sweeteners. I'm not sure whether this holds any water (no pun intended), but I switched to water. I lost weight, but don't know whether this was due to quitting Diet Coke or watching my calorie intake/output (recall: I had lost weight previously staying on Diet Coke). The good news: I now drink massive amounts of water, save a tonne of $$, and I think it's part of my new healthier lifestyle.

scarlett_k

I gained weight by eating too much and I'm losing weight by eating less. Doesn't make a bit of difference whether diet fizzy drinks are part of the "less" - I'm still losing weight just fine.

Heather4448

I drink gallons of the stuff and I've lost over a hundred pounds

GottaBurnEmAll

I've lost 90 pounds. Diet soda has never been an issue.

jdlobb

My only concern with diet soda is the potential effects on insulin production, which research has shown can be affected simply by tasting something sweet whether it contains calories or not. But that concern basically disappears if you're consuming them along with food. The only time it would be an issue would be if you drank them alone, between meals.

Maybe it's woo, but not a risk I'm willing to take.

GottaBurnEmAll

It's woo.

kshama2001

Carlos_421 wrote: »

OP, only an excess of calories can cause weight gain. Since diet soda has no calories, it has no impact on your weight.

Diet soda could indirectly impact the OP's weight if she is one of the people that has been shown in studies to have increased hunger due to drinking soda and therefore has difficulty maintaining a calorie deficit.

PaulaWallaDingDong

Diet soda does NOT hinder weight loss, though certain behaviors surrounding its consumption can. If you, like me, do not exhibit said behaviors (craving and eating more sweets or other foods in excess, thinking you've freed up more calories than you actually have and overeating, etc) then you may find it immensely helpful.