No-calorie Sweeteners/ "diet" sodas...?

sandsofarabia
sandsofarabia Posts: 95 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm curious as to what are the reasons why you shouldn't have either sweeteners like Splenda/Sweet-n-low or diet sodas like Diet Coke...?

I am aware it makes you have an apatite for more sugar but that's something you can technically overcome by just eating what you are supposed to.

For losing weight, what are the reasons its bad for you other than increasing cravings?

Replies

  • lemonsnowdrop
    lemonsnowdrop Posts: 1,298 Member
    There aren't any. Drink them if you want.
  • JaimieAG
    JaimieAG Posts: 48
    I was ADDICTED to mio and have been a frequent artificial sweetener user in the past. Especially when I first started watching calories.

    My experience:

    1. Unexplained weight retention: I noticed when I avoided the artificial sweeteners it was easier to make the scale tip in the direction I wanted it to. I can't explain that phenomenon. It's the oddest thing. Exact same calories (within 300cals over a week's time) and I was a whole pound lighter by the end of the week if I was able to just avoid artificial sweeteners. I have experienced this phenomenon many times as a myfitnesspal user. When I first started they were my go-to because of the diversity of products and how easy it is to swap out a high calorie food item for a low (or no) calorie one. Again, this is something I can't explain and still haven't quite figured out myself but it is true.

    2. Headaches. The first time I started using artificial sweeteners more heavily I was also transitioning away from sugar so the headaches were likely due to the lack of sugar. Then I went from a diet high in natural sugars to a diet that relied a bit more on artificial sweeteners (again, for convenience) and I got the headaches again. It only seemed to occur when I consumed a significant amount of artificial sweeteners. In moderation, I didn't experience this.

    3. Impact on bowl movements. I wont elaborate.

    Overall those are my reasons for avoiding them. Everything in moderation. If you catch me on the street with a diet sunkist I'm not going to apologize. :)
  • shmerek
    shmerek Posts: 963 Member
    There are no scientific reasons not to drink them, they will have zero effect on your weight lose. If you like them drink up, if not don't.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    That is a choice. I have not had a diet soda in 10 years. Approx once a year, I have a full sugar Mountain Dew.
  • BarbieFromHellx
    BarbieFromHellx Posts: 758 Member
    I drink them all the time. Never affected my weight loss one bit, if anything they probably helped as I wasn't taking in as many calories.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,302 Member

    I am aware it makes you have an apatite for more sugar but that's something you can technically overcome by just eating what you are supposed to.

    I haven't noticed any appetite for more sugar when I drink diet sodas.

    I agree with PP's - if you want to drink it, do; if you don't want to drink it, don't.
  • Stella_Mayfair
    Stella_Mayfair Posts: 226 Member
    I drink them, just I TRY not to go gung ho, just like any food. Been missing them lately and been eating real sugar, so idk. I prefer the fake for my health.
  • shadowofender
    shadowofender Posts: 786 Member
    I drink coke zero because at this point I prefer the taste. I have noticed no adverse reactions to it, besides caffeine headaches so I startd only drinking 1-2 cans a day instead of triple that.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    I am aware it makes you have an apatite for more sugar but that's something you can technically overcome by just eating what you are supposed to.

    For losing weight, what are the reasons its bad for you other than increasing cravings?

    I haven't noticed any cravings or appetite for more sugar based on drinking diet drinks. I tried eliminating them for a while and didn't really experience any differences, so I decided it was okay for me to drink them in moderation.

    There are a couple of stickied posts on NutraSweet that you might want to check out.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    I'm curious as to what are the reasons why you shouldn't have either sweeteners like Splenda/Sweet-n-low or diet sodas like Diet Coke...?

    I am aware it makes you have an apatite for more sugar but that's something you can technically overcome by just eating what you are supposed to.

    For losing weight, what are the reasons its bad for you other than increasing cravings?

    Because they taste nasty IMO - outside of that non!
  • highcarbveganzombie
    highcarbveganzombie Posts: 68 Member
    I drink things like Kool-Aid liquid drops and add splenda to my coffee/tea. It's the only one to me that doesn't taste nasty. I see no reason to not ingest them. :)
  • Stella_Mayfair
    Stella_Mayfair Posts: 226 Member
    I drink things like Kool-Aid liquid drops and add splenda to my coffee/tea. It's the only one to me that doesn't taste nasty. I see no reason to not ingest them. :)

    Yes so fing good. plus coke zero. Really no difference than coffee. If u get "caffeine headaches" buy the de cafe colas.

    If the only side effect is water weight, I have that but my body doesn't show it...
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    Agree with the posters. No reason not to drink them.
  • sheltrk
    sheltrk Posts: 111 Member
    This is a "sticky" thread in "General Diet & Weight Loss Help". Seem like it ought to be in "Food & Nutrition" as well!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1308408-why-aspartame-isn-t-scary
  • Rlavigne93
    Rlavigne93 Posts: 119 Member
    I haven't found anything convincing on why they're bad for you. If you drink a lot of any soda, I know the dyes and such can be rough on your kidneys, but that's just a case of moderation. I gave up diet soda a few weeks ago, but that was just for my teeth, not weight loss.

    As for sweeteners in general, some people say bad things about aspartame, and Splenda causes me digestion issues if I eat to much. I'm a major fan of Stevia though!
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    There is no reason not to have them, and they do not make you crave sugar. Canada Dry 10 and Coke Zero ftw!!
  • sandsofarabia
    sandsofarabia Posts: 95 Member
    This is a "sticky" thread in "General Diet & Weight Loss Help". Seem like it ought to be in "Food & Nutrition" as well!

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

    I was hoping nobody called me out on this, I accidentally posted this to the wrong thread and after getting replies I just left it alone.
  • andythecurefan
    andythecurefan Posts: 43 Member
    I think I read once that artificial sweeteners can cause cancer. Don't expect me to post my source or findings. I still drink them even with this warning because these days it seems that anything will give you cancer. So you can live a long life and not do anything, or go out and have truly lived.
  • Atrocity108
    Atrocity108 Posts: 328 Member
    Really, I drink a bottle or two of diet coke a day. Ill get a headache if I drink too much, but I have still managed to drop 97lbs while drinking this.
  • healthyfoxx
    healthyfoxx Posts: 104 Member
    Most bad things are just psychological. Some studies show some people tend to overeat if they drink diet soda, and it is likely caused by people feeling like they can eat more since the sodas are all 0 cal. It's just a trend they've seen, but it certainly doesn't happen to everyone. The drinks themselves don't make you gain weight or anything.

    However, I do tend to feel a lot more bloated when I drink carbonated things of any kind, so I generally don't. I will grab a Cherry Coke Zero if I have a sweet craving that just won't quit, though. :)
  • WombatHat42
    WombatHat42 Posts: 192 Member
    Because they cause the release of insulin since the body can't tell them apart from real sugars so your body says it has too much insulin and tells you to get more sugars. Fake sugars are pretty bad for the body and some studies show people actually gain weight while using them.
  • desidieter
    desidieter Posts: 195
    I think I read once that artificial sweeteners can cause cancer. Don't expect me to post my source or findings. I still drink them even with this warning because these days it seems that anything will give you cancer. So you can live a long life and not do anything, or go out and have truly lived.

    I have heard about the cancer thing as well, but I don't know how scientifically reliable that information is. I think at the end of the day, the stigma exists because of the fact that most of these things are artificial and not 'real' ingredients. It's like margarin. I know some people consume it, and I'm not saying butter is necessarily good for you, but at least butter is made primarily of natural ingredients (well, depending on what type of butter you buy, I guess). As far as my personal health is concerned, I'd rather consume whole/natural products as much as possible, so I avoid non-natural sweeteners as much as possible. But that's just my preference. Everyone is different.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,302 Member
    Because they cause the release of insulin since the body can't tell them apart from real sugars so your body says it has too much insulin and tells you to get more sugars. Fake sugars are pretty bad for the body and some studies show people actually gain weight while using them.

    There is no scientific evidence for any of the above.

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