Diet Soda/Aspartame - The Fat Maker or Diet Helper?

Skinny100

Hi Guys! What do you think of diet soda's and other foods which contain aspartame? I am an avid diet pepsi drinker and am considering quitting. The reason I drink it is because it contains zero calories and I feel like it helps to fill me up. But I always hear about how it actually increases hunger and causes weight gain. What do you think? I know it's FDA approved, but Aspartame is made by Monsanto (who gets away with everything)

drog2323

it's terrible. chemicals etc. I wouldn't drink it. and if so, I would almost go for the real thing or a natural soda like Jones Soda.

yes, it has zero cals...but if you think about, how can it possibly be zero cals and not have a billion chemicals and crap in there.

MrsCon40

I say go with your gut.... I don't consume anything with artificial sweeteners because it's about as appealing to me as artificial color. I'd rather have the real thing!

But, then again, I'm not a soda drinker and I like my coffee black, so it's a lot easier to abstain.

bella8282

For me i found a conection to wanting to continue to eat sweet foods after having artificial sweeteners in my coffee. I dont drink soda's or pre packaged foods very often so i cant speak for all "diet" foods.
But after switching from artificail sweetners to stevia ( i use unprocessed "green"stevia) i swear i found a difference in my appetite!
Mind over matter? i'm unsure, but not putting anything artificial in my body cant be anything but good... right?

photorific

I know it's not helpful for me for me, for 2 main reasons:

1. Generally [diet] soda makes me bloated - not sure if it's the aspartame, other stuff in it, or what - but I always feel yuk after I have much.
2. If I have something sweet - especially diet soda, or other things that are artificially sweetened - I always want more of something sweet.

(I've also heard that artificial sweeteners stimulate appetite...)

JaycrazyRose

I used to drink diet pepsi as well and also diet Sierra mist but since I have stopped drinking soda altogther and started drinking water with some flavoring like Crystal light or 4C totally light Green tea I have been losing weight.

FearAnLoathing

I drink anywhere from 1 to 3 pepsie max a day,ive lost 55 pounds obviously it has no effect on my weight loss.Infact I stopped drinking diet soda for 3 months and nothing changed,I also felt exactly the same as when I was drinking it

wiggleroom

I used to drink diet Coke like crazy. I can't speak directly to whether or not it affected my cravings, since almost anything triggers cravings for me (boredom, stress, frustration, exhaustion...). All I know for sure is that I feel MUCH better now that I don't touch the stuff.

hello_kitty3

I personally couldn't have it if I wanted because whenever I eat or drink something unknowingly that has it I find out very quickly! I get horrible migraines within minutes of consuming it. I also get very sick to my stomach. Its supposedly really terrible for you and can cause a lot of health problems. I say Google it and see what info is out there. Here's a link to a page I found before and was shocked!

http://aspartame.mercola.com/

Rachel6901

My husband convinced me to stay away from things with aspartame, so I found Diet Rite and drink that rarely. When I need a carbonation fix, it does the trick. I hope it is truly what it says it is...0 calories, sodium, caffeine, sugars, no aspartame. I have done only a little research on it at this point.

oxavecamourxo

I like the idea of eating things as close to their natural state as possible.

No artificial sweeteners for me.

I don't really eat that much refined sugar, either. I just skip sweetened foods most of the time. I love fruit.

Cristy_AZ

Honestly I don't know the answer to your question, I'm not a soda drinker, but I thought I'd just throw this out there... I do drink naturally flavored carbonated water. I like the La Croix brand, but there's a lot out there and it's zero all the way across no calories/sodium/artificial anything and it's got that bubbly fill you up feeling to it -- I started it as substitute for beers and for in-between mixed drinks... kinda got hooked!

osmoticferocity

First off, water is a chemical. A highly reactive one, at that. If you don't consume chemicals, you're dead. And somehow reading this thread. Which is a little scary.

Second, aspartame is generally non-toxic but can have side effects. Excess consumption may trigger or exacerbate these. If you have phenylketonuria, you should avoid it. The most common side effect is headache. Aspartame doesn't do anything in your body that other foods don't already do.

In conclusion, I love Diet Dr. Pepper. It has 0 calories and tastes great! But if drinking diet soda gives you a headache, stop drinking it.

LorinaLynn

If diet soda and aspartame causes weight gain, I'd waste away to nothing if I stopped consuming it.

I have some form of diet Pepsi every day, usually with breakfast because I love caffeine and hate coffee, and diluted Crystal Light in my 96-128 oz water I chuggalug daily. (One "packet" per 32 oz.)

jbucci1186

honestly, i consume so much aspartame i bet my urine tastes good. =P

sorry if that's gross, but if that stuff didn't exist i'd probably still be overweight. i don't LOVE diet pop (except i really do) because of the caffeine, but Wal-Mart makes those American Clear or Clear American (whatever) sparkling flavored waters with 0 everything in them and I drink like 5 liters of it a day. Black cherry and Lime are my favorites. I need these drinks to curb my cravings for sweets, plus all it is purified water and less than 2% of the other ingredients.

Anyway, I know people say aspartame is bad for you, but I don't care. I also haven't seen enough proof that it's awful for you, and honestly, I care more about whether or not it'll make me gain weight than kill me!! haha.

Lovelystrumpet

I'd never eat or drink something with so many artificial additives, even if it is zero calories, even if it promised a miracle weight loss! Losing weight is only one part of eating healthy; the main part is what is actually going in your body. I wouldn't like to be be thin if it meant putting all sorts of chemicals in myself. Plus, it may fill you up, but the bloated feeling is disgusting, it's much better to take hunger pangs away with a warm cup of green tea or glass of chilled water.

When I was growing up, my parents were strongly against fizzy drinks and aspartame, and never allowed me to have them. They explained to me why, why it was bad, and brought me up on tea, water, and the occasional smoothie. I will be forever grateful for this, because I know a lot of people who are trying to give up sodas and fizzy drinks and are finding it so hard because it's become a habit, ingrained in their life!

Ditch the fizz, it's just water with needless additives. And drink green tea!

Newkell

I love diet soda especially coke zero. I have gotten to where I generally only drink it maybe a few times a week which for me is a big improvement. I asked someone who was in the nutrition field to give me one good reason why I shouldn't drink it because I would rather have a diet soda over most things. If I am stressed it is like a "comfort" drink for me. Anyway, she said that even though it says 0 calories, it turns to sugar in your system and for that reason you might as well drink the full octane version. She also said something about it turning to formaldehyde in your system. Whether this is true or not it doens't really matter. I know that all those chemicals can not be good for me. My solution is to drink a lot of Luzianne green tea.

katschi

honestly, i consume so much aspartame i bet my urine tastes good. =P

:laugh: My laugh for the day. Thank you!
AWESOME weight loss, btw.

OP ...
I tried eliminating splenda and crystal light and it was a big fail.
I don't drink pop as a rule but I'll have one every so often. I do drink a lot of Crystal Light.
I eat quite well and figure something is going to kill me in the end anyway. For now, I'm using the sweeteners.
I've never noticed a difference in weight loss/gain with either having them or not having them.

dreamtoned10

I love diet coke, I used to drink loads of it,but cut down big time, Ive never noticed any huge difference in health,my skin,how I felt etc whether I drank it or not! I like it now if I want a treat but don't want to waste kcals...Each to their own though!! I know that I'd rather not deprive myself of every nice thing in the world!!! Lol

Jennwith2ns

I have cut way back on aspartame-containing drinks and foods, and feel SO much better. I still have the occasional lo-carb energy drink (bad i know) or diet soda or light yogurt, but the less I have, the better I feel. I no longer get migraines, dizzyness, body shaking or stomach aches like I used to.

taurie

I'm not really a soda drinker, but every now and then I'll have it with some vodka : )

I think as long as we feed our bodies 95% wholesome goodness it can efficiently handle the 5% naughties.