Diet Soda/Coffee?

turpenoid

I'm in this headspace lately where I feel like I can't drink anything except water. I miss my caffeine! Does anyone else incorporate coffee or diet soda into their daily plan with no adverse results? I've just read quite a bit of contradictory research over the years and would love some personal opinions. I would just stick to tea but I worked at Teavana and I'm frankly just burnt out on the stuff. :drinker:

Veil5577

Yes, I have one LARGE cup of coffee in the morning at work. This contributes to the safety and well being of my co-workers. Because I use a lot of cream and sugar it takes up 288 of my daily calories, but I don't mind that sacrifice.

BigT555

diet soda and coffee both have 0 calories. drink as much as your heart desires without bouncing off the walls from caffeine

agrafina

I drink both coffee and diet soda, and haven't noticed any side effects. There isn't anything in either that would compromise your weight loss, or make you retain water like crazy. Both hydrate you, so drink it if you want to.

coaoalo

I drink diet soda (I'm cutting back from real soda) and coffee. I've found that I do feel better when I drink water rather than soda but soda doesn't make me feel bad at all. Coffee is just amazing and doesn't do anything bad to me.

marissanik

I drink coffee whenever I please. As for soda, I shame it because soda in general is not the best thing you can give to your body. I only have it on cheat days, and I drink one that's called "zevia". I live in Canada so I'm not sure if anywhere else has it.. But it's 0 cal, 0 sugar, about 20mg of sodium and 4g sugar alochols. It's sweetened with Stevia and ingredients are more understandable than soda. It also comes in different flavours, but I normally go for the cola.

marissanik

^ also alternative to soda that I had read about is 100% fruit juice mixed with carbonated water if you just need the soda "effect"

fit_rox

I've cut back on both and noticed that after the initial cravings and "withdrawls", my body is more energized and I don't feel like I need either (which is easy on the wallet too!). I used to drink a lot of diet soda and didn't find any issues with weight, just with general bloating from the carbonation and artificial sugars. My fix for this is mixing club soda, fresh lemon juice, and stevia.

hgycta

I personally avoid soda in general (I don't like the taste to start with, but even if I did I would avoid the diet versions due to the controversial sweeteners used), but I love me some coffee! I won't say anything for soda since I have no experience with it, but I can feel pretty confident in saying there is NOTHING wrong with consuming coffee! It's natural, and the caffeine will actually speed up your metabolism and suppress appetite! Just be careful not to drink multiple cups daily or anything, as you could build up a tolerance and these things may stop happening (and you may crave more when you try to stop). My dad drinks black coffee all the time, but I prefer cappuccinos as I like milk added to mine (not to mention how it's good to add milk to make up for the calcium loss caffeine can provide). On days I want something more indulgent, I'll generally order a Caramel Macchiato made with 2% milk (the standard) at Starbucks. A Venti (largest size) is 300 calories, 13g of protein, and 45% of calcium. Not too shabby for a treat!

BlueBombers

I drink two large coffees a day, no way in hell I'm giving that up.

I've lost 60 lbs.

russkiballerina

Can't live without my huge matcha bowl of green tea awesomeness in the mornings + some coffee during the day - ideally, I should stay away from that (but lol, no).
my nephrologist says if you're cleared of any metabolic issues and distal kidney stuff (and cardiac), then caffeine is actually quite amazing for weight loss, esp. if you're a fast metabolizer.

Now soda...there really isn't a benefit to it at all, carbonation, increases cravings, etc.

parkscs

I usually start the day with a venti americano and follow that up with coffee until around noon. I drink green tea in the afternoon and diet sodas in the evening. You have bigger things to worry about than caffeine in coffee and soda when it comes to weight loss. Focus on your calories, macros and exercise and don't sweat the little stuff.

greeneyes0809

Every single pound I've lost has been fully saturated in delicious, bubbly, aspartame ridden Diet Coke. :drinker:

eta: sometimes it's Diet Dr. Pepper if I'm feeling adventurous

ShellF415

I haven't had any adverse effects from diet soda or coffee.

stephanieharms1290

Diet soda is one of the worst items to have in your diet. It is actually worse than regular soda. With the amount of acids and chemicals in diet soda (artificial sugars), your better off drinking the real thing.

Soda in general is just awful, and really can make a huge impact on results if you can cut it out of your diet. Although everyone is different, I guarentee you will feel much better without in the long run

Coffee on the hand, I am guilty. I have one cup of black coffee every morning, sometimes I add Stevia. Yes, coffee dehydrates you, so if you have a cup, make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the rest of the day! It is certainly a hard habit to kick, but for those of us who wake up at the crack of dawn. need that pick me up by the time we get to work. It does in fact speed up your metabolism, but it can take nutrients out of your blood if you don''t stick to that minimum amount of daily water intake.

FunkyTobias

Diet soda is one of the worst items to have in your diet. It is actually worse than regular soda. With the amount of acids and chemicals in diet soda (artificial sugars), your better off drinking the real thing.

Le sigh

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1308408-why-aspartame-isn-t-scary

kristin_lee76

I think coffee is much better for you than diet soda. Diet soda has chemicals and the carbonation isn't great for you.... I'd stick with coffee. And caffeine has some proven positive side effects - for me, it's a mood boost and I use caffeine for a boost when I am cycling (doing long rides).

kristin_lee76

Agree - and it's proven as well.

FunkyTobias

Diet soda has chemicals

Naina145

I drink about two cups of coffee a day and a can of diet soda without any issues although I still make sure to drink about 64oz of water a day if not more.

BigT555

Diet soda has chemicals

love this picture

Derpes

I drink lots of diet pop and coffee.

earlnabby

I start my day with 2 cups of coffee with a little half & half added to cut the acidity. Most of the time I drink carbonated water (plain or with a slice of lemon or lime) but will have some diet soda if I want it.

I drink what I want and count any calories that may be included. No adverse affects whatsoever.

No_Finish_Line

i drink a lot of coffee and occassionally a diet soda

if diet soda is bad for you, its a general health thing and doesn't really apply to weight loss

earlnabby

and the carbonation isn't great for you.

Huh?????

CookNLift

I persnoally don't really drink much soda any more. I don't like the taste of diet so when I do decide to have some I'll have a regular old soda with full sugar and calories, since it won't kill me, plus i heard the diet crap can actually inhibit weight loss by holding in water weight but that is bro science so I can't prove if it's right or not.

As far as coffee, it has literally like no calories in it, and aside from a little milk in it, I have no problem fitting it into my macros, since it's only like 12 or 15 calories with the milk so it's almost has no impact on my macros and calories. If you drink it with little to no sweetener in it I don't see why it should be an issue. If you use a lot of the heavy duty sweetened creamer or tons of sugar and cream, it can be a little annoying since it's so many calories, but perhaps you could use artifical sweeteners and opt for either

a.) flavored coffee
b.) better quality coffee
c.) use alternatives to sweetened creamers

ajff

Black coffee, dark roast, has always been my luxury. No crying kid or bad day at work can take that way (except for the time one of my students tipped over my travel mug! The room gasped, they knew!!!! But all was fine, I'd drank half anyway, and he cleaned it up!)

In the summer unsweetened iced tea must pulse through my veins for as much as I drink.


I never drank soda, but once I started eating 1500 calories I needed something else. I started drinking fruit flavored seltzer water (0 calories - like Canada Dry). It seemed like a treat and distracted me from wanting to eat everything I saw. Now it is a staple, but I'm going to try and wean myself off it over the summer. Just because I don't want to NEED it.

AlyssaJoJo

I drink a very big coffee every morning with some half and half a .5 tsp surgar and then a diet soda with lunch every day. I love water, but not enough to have that be ALL i drink all day long. I love my health, but in the end I'm not willing to give up every single thing that people deem "bad" for it. There's plenty of people out there with a clean bill of health that drink these things.

heathl39

Soda in gereral is not that great for you. I use to drink so much soda, but over the last year I have cut it down to maybe 2-3 glasses a month and I drink regular soda. I hear nothing good about diet soda and I don't drink enough of it to worry about the calories( just track it) As far as coffee, all day everyday and believe me the world thanks me for it. I am a bit grouchy without it. Moderation is the key.

JGonzo82

I love that Mio stuff (the calorie-free "liquid water enhancer") especially since the water out of the fountain here at the office tastes a little funky - I've found if my water has a bit of flavor, I drink much more throughout the day.
As far as diet sodas go though, the nutrition/training coach I worked with in the past said that he drinks diet sodas & at no point in my regimen except for the very last week did he tell me that they were off-limits. Black coffee was fine too, just no junky creamers/sweeteners/etc in it.

kdeaux1959

I've lost over 100 lbs and never stopped drinking caffeine. While I believe it would be good to limit or moderate my use of caffeine, it has has not kept me from losing weight and I will admit that I drink too much of it for my general health and welfare.