zero calorie drinks

arrowprayer

i know they make you hungrier....i know there's a lot of bad stuff in them....
but when it comes to weight loss, what should i know....do they work
whats the worse that can happen

changing4life

the best zero calorie drink you can drink is water. Lots and lots of water. Anything else (besides plain seltzer) is full of chemicals. Water, water, and more water. Once you get used to it, you won't want to drink anything else.

Ready2Rock206

Zero calorie drinks will not make you lose weight. If you're saying you don't want to eat food and just drink 20 zero calorie drinks during the day that's a horrible idea.

AllOutof_Bubblegum

Yes, they are really zero calories. They may have a negligible amount, if you drink 20 of them there might be like 10 calories between all of them. No you will not gain weight the next day, not for the small amount of calories in them.

They absolutely make you hungrier, you are right. Studies have suggested that aspartame and other zer-calorie sweeteners trick your brain into getting hungrier, and craving real sugar. So a high number of people who drink diet sodas are typically more overweight than those who drink regular sodas.

I'm not sure why you're asking this, but this post and your whole profile in general just smacks of eating disorder. I apologize if that is off base, but these types of questions are off-putting and worrying. If you are concerned about gaining weight the next day from a diet soda, that is certainly cause for alarm and you should probably see a therapist for your skewed perceptions and feelings towards food.

Best of luck.

pander101

You might weigh more the next day just from regular weight fluctuation. But there is no hard evidence that any diet pop has caused people to become over weight. If you eat more because of cravings from diet pop then you have gained weight because of the food you ate. Calories in vs. calories out.

mccindy72

are they really zero calories.....if all i had....hypothetically....was like 20 zero cal drings....would i gain weight the next day....
i know they make you hungrier....i know there's a lot of bad stuff in them....
but when it comes to weight loss, what should i know....

When it comes to weight loss, what you should know is that you need to eat food. Drinks are for hydration.

Eat at a calorie deficit, and include any drink calories in that deficit.

When you say "zero calorie" you are truly on a slippery slope, because there are many drinks that are considered in that category. Water, obviously is the main zero calorie drink and should be your first choice, based on need for hydration. Different drinks that are advertised as zero-calorie can have anywhere from zero to ten calories per serving in them. They can be sweetened with anything from aspartame to stevia to a myriad of other natural and/or artificial and/or chemical sweeteners. In small amounts, most of them have been considered to be mostly harmless. In large amounts, they can be harmful to the human body. They also, because they are many times sweeter than sugar, trigger your brain to believe it's receiving sweets when it isn't and cause you to want more, and trigger hunger, causing you to eat more if you aren't careful.

Better idea? Drink water to hydrate, and drink something you enjoy that has calories in it and count those in your calorie goal.

geebusuk

They absolutely make you hungrier, you are right. Studies have suggested that aspartame and other zer-calorie sweeteners trick your brain into getting hungrier, and craving real sugar. So a high number of people who drink diet sodas are typically more overweight than those who drink regular sodas.

Citation please.

Sure, for SOME people I've no doubt this is the case.

It's certainly not for all.

A high number of people trying to lose weight are typically more overweight than those not trying to lose weight.

Very strong correlation there.

Doesn't mean we should hint trying to lose weight causes you to be overweight .

You should be able to treat low calorie drinks pretty much as you would water.
Of course in no way a replacement for food, but a good replacement for higher calorie drinks as part of an overall diet plan - lets you eat more solid food.

While coke zero is really low, the sprite zero I have sitting next to me is listed as 1 calorie per 100g. So drinking 2 litres would give you 20 caloires.

AllOutof_Bubblegum

They absolutely make you hungrier, you are right. Studies have suggested that aspartame and other zer-calorie sweeteners trick your brain into getting hungrier, and craving real sugar. So a high number of people who drink diet sodas are typically more overweight than those who drink regular sodas.

Citation please.

Sure, for SOME people I've no doubt this is the case.

It's certainly not for all.

A high number of people trying to lose weight are typically more overweight than those not trying to lose weight.

Very strong correlation there.

Doesn't mean we should hint trying to lose weight causes you to be overweight .

You should be able to treat low calorie drinks pretty much as you would water.
Of course in no way a replacement for food, but a good replacement for higher calorie drinks as part of an overall diet plan - lets you eat more solid food.

While coke zero is really low, the sprite zero I have sitting next to me is listed as 1 calorie per 100g. So drinking 2 litres would give you 20 caloires.

You are assuming that everyone who drinks diet are trying to lose weight. Many people genuinely enjoy the taste of diet over regular. Myself included.

I didn't say everyone, or "all". I said a "high number". It's not even true for myself, I drink around 5 diet sodas a week, and weight 109lbs, 14%bf. So clearly it's not meant to include everyone. There are exceptions to every rule. I am an exception because I watch my calorie intake like a hawk and log every bite. Foe people that do not log and drink diet sodas, the incidence of being overweight tends to be higher, because aspartame can trigger sugar cravings and increased appetite.

Slacker16

When you say "zero calorie" you are truly on a slippery slope, because there are many drinks that are considered in that category. Water, obviously is the main zero calorie drink and should be your first choice, based on need for hydration. Different drinks that are advertised as zero-calorie can have anywhere from zero to ten calories per serving in them.

Actually, I think five calories is the maximum amount that is legally allowed for zero calorie foods, so a 2L bottle would clock in at a max of 30 calories. No big deal.

OP, here's an even better idea : observe what effects drinks have on satiety and appetite for you and make your choices accordingly.

I never noticed diet soda making me hungry, nor have I ever notices a difference in taste. I have, however, noticed that liquid calories don't fill me up. Ergo, I drink diet soda almost exclusively. YMMV

ETA:

You are assuming that everyone who drinks diet are trying to lose weight. Many people genuinely enjoy the taste of diet over regular. Myself included.

I could be wrong, but I don't think he's assuming that at all. He's saying that overweight people are more likely, statistically, to drink diet soda than people of normal weight thus skewing the results.

AllOutof_Bubblegum

When you say "zero calorie" you are truly on a slippery slope, because there are many drinks that are considered in that category. Water, obviously is the main zero calorie drink and should be your first choice, based on need for hydration. Different drinks that are advertised as zero-calorie can have anywhere from zero to ten calories per serving in them.

Actually, I think five calories is the maximum amount that is legally allowed for zero calorie foods, so a 2L bottle would clock in at a max of 30 calories. No big deal.

OP, here's an even better idea : observe what effects drinks have on satiety and appetite for you and make your choices accordingly.

I never noticed diet soda making me hungry, nor have I ever notices a difference in taste. I have, however, noticed that liquid calories don't fill me up. Ergo, I drink diet soda almost exclusively. YMMV

ETA:

You are assuming that everyone who drinks diet are trying to lose weight. Many people genuinely enjoy the taste of diet over regular. Myself included.

I could be wrong, but I don't think he's assuming that at all. He's saying that overweight people are more likely, statistically, to drink diet soda than people of normal weight thus skewing the results.

You're right, you could be wrong. Kidding.

It just sounded like he was only looking at the assumption that ONLY overweight people drink diet. When I know that many people do it just for the taste. And of couse there are people out there who are overweight and trying to lose who drink regular.

So I guess until (unless?) there's data showing people drinking diet for taste vs. weightloss, matched against data of people who are overweight drinking diet vs. regular, it'l pretty hard to see to what extent who is right. Though there is plenty of merit to both sides of the coin.

mglsts

I'm fairly fit and thin, and I love Coke Zero. It keep me sane while on a cut and actually tends to curb my hunger.

cpdiminish

I totally concur with water being an excellent low-calorie beverage. Just watch out if you get mineral water because all carbonation is acidic and will erode the enamel on your teeth, another reason to go light on sodas.

I'll often drink tea unsweetened and it is easy to get used to the taste, though I sometimes throw in a little bit of unbleached cane sugar for a whopping five calories. Stevia looks promising but hasn't been studied all that much yet and I'm waiting for the final verdict to come in before I get on the bandwagon.

I've also read the studies that have shown that artificial sweeteners are worse than plain sugar when it comes to triggering cravings.

Oh, and splenda is nasty stuff because it doesn't biodegrade, is now beginning to pollute our water supplies. Oh, except for the part that our bodies recognize as being toxic and tucks away into fat cells for safe keeping. I do wish everyone would steer clear of that crap because their usage is effecting everyone.