Diet Soda/Coffee?

CurtisR85

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.

Whoa, I can't believe I didn't see anyone else respond to this post yet. Both contain caffeine, which is a diuretic, so it's doing the opposite of hydrating you. It has more potential to dehydrate you, and dehydration can cause water retention.

My personal views are as such. I do have an occasional cup of coffee, which I've considered recently cutting out as well. In the past when I got beyond the addiction, I had much more sustained energy levels because my body is not relying on caffeine for a temporary boost of energy. As far as artificial sweeteners goes, I'm not a fan. When I drink diet drinks, it typically seems to cause water retention and worsens my gynecomastia.

I believe the divide in opinions here lies within the idea that "everyone is different". So, whereas some people have no issues when drinking artificial sweeteners, others may have witnessed lessened results from consuming it.

earlnabby

Both contain caffeine, which is a diuretic

True of regular coffee and cola and a few other sodas. Not true of most sodas

so it's doing the opposite of hydrating you. It has more potential to dehydrate you, and dehydration can cause water retention.

No it doesn't (not enough to be an issue). Debunked many times.

CurtisR85

Both contain caffeine, which is a diuretic

True of regular coffee and cola and a few other sodas. Not true of most sodas

so it's doing the opposite of hydrating you. It has more potential to dehydrate you, and dehydration can cause water retention.

No it doesn't (not enough to be an issue). Debunked many times.

It's all dependent on consumption (and, dare I say, the individual and how their body reacts to it). But, I have witnessed a lot of people who drink diet drinks in excess because "Hey, it doesn't have any calories!" But, no matter how you slice it, I would never claim that a caffeinated beverage "hydrates" you.

I'm not pretending that one here or there will have negative effects (though, one cup of coffee or even one can of pop has increased my frequency of urination), but it's my choice to stay clear of them because, as I said, it's tend to worsen my gynecomastia. This goes back to what I said about how it can affect everyone differently. For me (and others that I've seen) there is more reason to avoid it, for others, it may not be an issue.

BigT555

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.

Whoa, I can't believe I didn't see anyone else respond to this post yet. Both contain caffeine, which is a diuretic, so it's doing the opposite of hydrating you. It has more potential to dehydrate you, and dehydration can cause water retention.

My personal views are as such. I do have an occasional cup of coffee, which I've considered recently cutting out as well. In the past when I got beyond the addiction, I had much more sustained energy levels because my body is not relying on caffeine for a temporary boost of energy. As far as artificial sweeteners goes, I'm not a fan. When I drink diet drinks, it typically seems to cause water retention and worsens my gynecomastia.

I believe the divide in opinions here lies within the idea that "everyone is different". So, whereas some people have no issues when drinking artificial sweeteners, others may have witnessed lessened results from consuming it.

caffeine is a very mild diuretic, i highly doubt the amount of water in a cup of coffee or diet soda is offset by the effects of caffeine

dmsl977

I gave up all soda in December and I've never felt better. I was a Diet Coke junkie for many years, but after reading all the scary things about soda in general, I decided to give it up. I've never been a big coffee drinker, and when I do have it, it has to be completely calorie and sugar laden for me to enjoy it. I will have a tall skinny caramel macchiato on occasion, but I usually don't waste my calories on a beverage. I do love sparkling water flavored with fruit when I want a "soda."

RllyGudTweetr

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.

Whoa, I can't believe I didn't see anyone else respond to this post yet. Both contain caffeine, which is a diuretic, so it's doing the opposite of hydrating you. It has more potential to dehydrate you, and dehydration can cause water retention.

My personal views are as such. I do have an occasional cup of coffee, which I've considered recently cutting out as well. In the past when I got beyond the addiction, I had much more sustained energy levels because my body is not relying on caffeine for a temporary boost of energy. As far as artificial sweeteners goes, I'm not a fan. When I drink diet drinks, it typically seems to cause water retention and worsens my gynecomastia.

I believe the divide in opinions here lies within the idea that "everyone is different". So, whereas some people have no issues when drinking artificial sweeteners, others may have witnessed lessened results from consuming it.

For anyone who drinks caffeinated beverages with any regularity (and doesn't have another underlying medical issue), the diuretic impact compared to a caffeine-free liquid consumption level is functionally nil.

mmsilvia

Personally I am not a soda drinker but, I am a coffee addict. I have cut back to one cup of black (or sometimes sweetened with a little agave) a day. In the begin it was rough going without but, now I don't mind. I really enjoy my one cup a day!! Do what works for you

lizziebeth1028

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:

You'll never get a definitive answer whether yay or nay. Here's my approach. I use moderation 1 or 2 cups of coffee a day with hell yes cream and sugar!!! One diet or regular soda a day. Then I call a day and don't worry about the millions of internet debates on the topic. Moderation.

Madelinec117

Not drink coffee - grounds for disownment in our family. Everyday I drink coffee in the morning then more when I go check on my mother around noon. Since I don't add anything in my coffee, I don't worry about logging it or reducing the amount. Some of the diet sodas have sodium, so that might be a factor for fluid retention. I'll sometimes treat myself to a diet drink after leaving the gym.

criticaltodd

I've recently given up diet soda after having been a steady Diet Coke drinker for years. I don't miss it much.

I enjoy coffee but I don't drink a ton of it, maybe a cup every other day or so in the form of an espresso-based drink, usually a cappuccino or latte.

hfitkin73

I drink one 32oz Diet Coke in the morning. I log it even though it has no calories, so that I can track my sodium intake.

missomgitsica

I drink coffee every morning, with just a little bit of sugar and some no calorie flavor syrup in it. I used to drink soda every morning but the coffee's got way fewer calories. It's been good for me.

zombiesalad

I have coffee daily, 1-2 cups. I've trained myself to stop using sugar in it, so it's only 20 calories a cup with my soy creamer. It took some getting used to, but I'd rather eat food than waste my calories on tons of creamer and sugar.

Eventually I'd like to start drinking black coffee, but I'm barely used to just creamer.

Tiff050709

I use to drink a lot of pop. Vanilla Coke was my fave. I switched to diet and stopped drinking regular pop. I like flavored waters too, especially carbonated ones.
I love coffee. I have a hard time sleeping at night and sometimes I need caffeine to wake up in the morning. Drinking only water would be very depressing, lol.

ahamm002

That trick with the tooth/food being eaten overnight - or over a few nights - by letting it sit in cola, right? Soda's acidic; orange juice will do the same thing. Is it your argument that orange juice is inherently unhealthy?

It's not a trick, it's what any acid does to your teeth. Soda happens to be a strong acid.

In regard to orange juice, I would argue that almost all sugary drinks are unhealthy.

ahamm002

In terms of health benefits of soda, eggs are not inherently healthy or unhealthy nor is soda. What matters for health is your diet and exercise routine as a whole and there's absolutely no reason a healthy diet can't include both eggs and soda.

Oh please, there's nothing inherently unhealthy about soda? Really? Maybe you should ask a dentist! And there's nothing inherently healthy about eggs? Now you're talking just as crazy as the people who are afraid of soda.

That's like saying that there is nothing inherently healthy about broccoli and nothing inherently unhealthy about Honey Smacks (HA!). Sure, I guess you could fit both of them into a healthy diet, but it doesn't mean that they're equivalent in terms of health.

What I'm saying is that construing any particular food as "healthy" or "unhealthy" is an illogical way to look at things, and rather what's important is the macro picture of what you eat (i.e., your diet as a whole). Let's say you define chicken as healthy - what if I eat 4000 calories worth of chicken every day. Still healthy? Honey Smacks (whatever that is) are unhealthy.. okay, cool, but what if I eat them pre-workout, brush my teeth afterwards and hit all my calorie/nutrient goals for the day? Am I damaging my health?

In short, it's not productive to consider any food "healthy" or "unhealthy" in isolation and your time would be better spent focusing on the totality of what you're eating in terms of energy and nutrition. Otherwise, it's very possible to eat an unhealthy diet of all "healthy" foods.

Just b/c a balanced diet is important does not mean that junk food isn't junk food. It's important for your long term health to have adequate protein, lots of fruits and veggies, adequate fiber, adequate healthy fats, adequate potassium, antioxidants, etc, etc. Some foods help meet these nutritional goals, while others are just completely devoid of nutrition.

Chicken does "contribute" to a healthy diet. Honeysmacks do not contribute to a healthy diet. If you eat plenty of "healthy" foods then you can afford to have some Honeysmacks without doing any damage . But it is important to realize some foods are just empty calories, while others are actually nutritious.

parkscs

Just b/c a balanced diet is important does not mean that junk food isn't junk food. It's important for your long term health to have adequate protein, lots of fruits and veggies, adequate fiber, adequate healthy fats, adequate potassium, antioxidants, etc, etc. Some foods help meet these nutritional goals, while others are just completely devoid of nutrition.

Chicken does "contribute" to a healthy diet. Honeysmacks do not contribute to a healthy diet. If you eat plenty of "healthy" foods then you can afford to have some Honeysmacks without doing any damage . But it is important to realize some foods are just empty calories, while others are actually nutritious.

Why do Honey Smacks not contribute to a healthy diet? You simply conclusive state they do not, but in what way do they lack the ability to contribute in any way, shape or form to a healthy diet? Must every food contain ample micronutrients? Is your need for micronutrients on a daily basis infinite? At a minimum, what if you need some carbs - are you seriously suggesting the only "healthy" way to get those carbs is from fruit and veggies and that eating a bowl of cereal is necessarily bad for your health?

Honestly your view on this subject is both overly complicated and yet is overly simplistic in some ways. There are situations where fruit is fine but there are situations where other types of sugars are fine as well. For example, there are situations where you may want dextrose instead of fructose because of how your body processes these sugars differently, and in those situations fruit is a poor choice because of its fructose content. In that example, a candy made of pure dextrose may well one of the best foods to fit your goals, even though you would call that candy "unhealthy." In that scenario, an overly simplistic choice of a "healthy" apple is the wrong choice because of its higher fructose content. On the other hand, you're making dietary decisions needlessly complicated by trying to balance healthy and unhealthy foods (i.e., meaningless labels) with consuming everything in moderation, hitting your macros, hitting your micros, hitting your nutrient goals and so on.

If you're talking to someone who does not track their calories or their macros, I can see a potential use in labeling foods "healthy" and "unhealthy." But to someone tracking everything they eat and their nutritional goals, those terms are simply meaningless labels.

redversustheblue

Diet soda is a sick addiction of mine. It's not likely to harm your weight loss (unless you are like some people and it makes you crave unhealthy foods). However, it's TERRIBLE for you--0 calories in it, and nothing natural about it. It's straight cancer causing chemicals. It's on my to do list to give it up entirely... at some point

Oh please.

redversustheblue

A diet soda is completely void of any nutrition, causes you to crave more foods because it tricks your body into thinking that nutrients are coming but they never do and puts stress on the kidneys from having to deal with all the aspartame and everything else.

LOL. Please cite sources for these ridiculous claims.

Wow...you don't read about nutrition much I guess. I could cite dozens of sources but why bother when you have blinders on.

Lemme guess, rat studies using supraphysiological doses, amirite?

Talk to the hand...

haha, nice middle school comeback. Really supports your claims.