Diet Coke Consumption

tltullis

I was told by a dietitian that it is not good for you. You can not count it as your liquid intake so it is really a worthless substance for your system other than a very enjoyable addiction. She told me for ever 8 oz of pop you drink you must drink 2-8oz cups of water to off set the dehydration that pop causes in your body. I struggle to drink my 8 cups of water per day anyway so I limit my pop intake. I have lost weight drinking pop but I have lost it faster since I quit drinking it. When I do drink it, it is such a wonderful treat!!

mamagooskie

I love my various diet sodas mostly since they keep me from binging on things like chocolate bars, icecream, or just binging on food in general. I have at least 1 glass daily.

So IMO regardless of any negatives that come from the chemicals in the fake sweetners used in them, if It weren't for diet soda I could very well be 143 lbs heavier than I am now.

That being said I also drink 5+ liters of water a day as well.

ShrinkingNinja

Diet cokes make you retain water. Aspartame is like embalming fluid for the living.

One of the hardest things I did was give up my Coke Zero. Doing it though is a huge part of why I am down 94lbs.

Hsindell

This article is from the Huffington Post and there many more found in scientific journals:

Diet soda might not help you stay trim after all, new research suggests.

A study presented at a American Diabetes Association meeting this week shows that drinking diet soda is associated with a wider waist in humans. And a second study shows that aspartame -- an artificial sweetener in diet soda -- actually raises blood sugar in mice prone to diabetes.

"Data from this and other prospective studies suggest that the promotion of diet sodas and artificial sweeteners as healthy alternatives may be ill-advised," study researcher Helen P. Hazuda, Ph.D., a professor and chief of clinical epidemiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio's School of Medicine, said in a statement. "They may be free of calories but not of consequences."

In the first study, researchers collected height, weight, waist circumference and diet soda intake data from 474 elderly people who participated in the San Antonio Longitudinal Study of Aging. They were followed up an average of 9.5 years later, according to the research.

Researchers found that the diet soda drinkers had waist circumference increases of 70 percent greater than those who non-diet soda drinkers. And people who drank diet soda the most frequently -- at least two diet sodas a day -- had waist circumference increases that were 500 percent greater than people who didn't drink any diet soda, the study said.

Artificial sugar didn't produce any better results in the second study in mice. Researchers for this study found that diabetes-prone mice that were fed a diet that included aspartame for three months, had higher blood glucose levels than mice not given aspartame.

This isn't the first news illuminating diet soda's health risks. A study published earlier this year found people who drink the beverage every day have a higher stroke and heart attack risks. And UK researchers found earlier this month that sugary drinks can dull taste buds, leading consumers to crave the sweet stuff even more.
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Studies on artificial sweetners has been on-going for many years and the results are fairly consistent. There is another study that showed increased caloric consumption elsewhere in your diet after ingesting artificial sweetners. It is thought that your body is not fooled into believing you've ingested the sugar but is aware of how many calories your should have consumed with that soda and will make up for it later when you have your meal by making you eat a few more bites.

This makes artificial sweetners incidious additives and the drinks/ food/ etc that use it not worth the risks.

candistyx

Diet coke tastes nice.
None of the research into diet coke accounts for the fact that the people who drink it tend to be dieting and depressing as it is if you take a sample of people dieting generally they will be heavier in 5 years than they currently are.

sinclare

read the ingredients. would you feed any of them to a child or someone you loved?

wean yourself off it. I do sparkling water now 'cause I like the fizzyness, but seriously, diet coke is totally unhealthy for your body.

Some people say the artificial sweetener in it causes cancer...google it and decide for yourself.

Good luck...it is a hard addiction to quit!

laurad1406

ok, i have nothing scientific here, just what worked for ME....I used to drink at LEAST one DC a day, sometimes I could drink a 2 liter no problem...I decided just to see if I could stop drinking it, and to be honest, it was tougher for me than quitting smoking! But it's now been 2 months without a DC....well, about a week after I stopped drinking it, I took 2 sips and felt like my teeth were rotting out of my mouth, it was SO sweet. Other than that, I haven't had any....and I have to admit, I feel A LOT better! I rarely ever get headaches anymore, if I'm in desperate need of some caffeine, I'll have 1 cup of hot tea with a little bit of honey. The DC is just so bad for your teeth and bones, and to be honest, whether it's true or not, all of the articles I read basically scared me into quitting! (you know, how coca cola removes stains from your toilet seat, and blood off of asphalt). I don't care whether it's regular, diet, zero, whatever, I decided it definitely wasn't doing anything POSITIVE for my health, so I cut it out! Good luck on whatever you decide!

springgrl

I am in the 'I know it is not good for me but I drink a few every week cause I like caffeine.' I can't say with 100% certainty whether it has affected my pace of weight loss. I do know with 100% certainty that if I eat too much I gain weight so I focus more on that.

reckjb

Thanks for all of the replies! I have not had it for a week, which has been hard at times. It does taste very sweet after all the water I have been drinking. I did feel like I needed a nap everyday, but I am sure that will pass. My teeth do feel much cleaner! lol

Iceskatefanrn

This is a very personal decision for each person here. I was a DC Addict, would drink a minimum of 12 oz Diet Coke per day, some days it was the 44 ounce for me, PLUS a refill!

As part of the 17 Day Diet I gave it up completely. Now if I drink some (usually 6 oz or less, and have only done this twice in the past 40 days), I get an upset stomach and horrible indigestion! I knew I needed to "get off the Diet Coke", and now I'm so totally glad I did! I feel SOOOOO much better, I'm sleeping better, it's just BETTER to drink water instead of sodas.

Diet Coke is actually quite low in sodium, but there are TONS of other research-supported issues that make one thing clear... at the very least it's simply NOT nutritious, and at the very worst it is linked to a multitude of health problems.

In short, soda of any kind (regular or diet) is NOT good for you. And we all know that. I'm not faulting anyone that continues to drink soda - I just recently gave it up, and you've gotta do what works for you.

So, back to my main point. Giving up sodas OR working them into your plan so you don't have to give them up is a very PERSONAL decision, and I don't fault anyone for making that decision either way. Everyone has to do what works for them.

As for those with weight loss success while continuing to drink soda, that's terrific! Most mention they also drink plenty of water, so that must help.

But it's still not good for you, no avoiding that fact. Does that mean YOU should quit? Again, it's YOUR choice.

I'll just say this - whether you currently smoke or not, I think we all agree that smoking is bad for you. But I'll bet you can smoke and still lose weight, yes? And as for it being bad for you... my mother will be 80 this December, and she has been a chain-smoker since she was 12 years old. She has the lowest blood pressure of anyone in my family. She's down to about half a pack a day now, but she'll never quit. Oh, and she's at a healthy weight for her age. Should she quit smoking? I THINK SO... but it must be HER decision. Will she quit? Absolutely not. Again... HER decision.

One last thing - a friend of mine's husband would give their TODDLER daughter drinks of his Coke during dinner. My friend told me this was an argument she decided she didn't want to get divorced over, so she had given up fighting him on this practice that she detested, but he continued. Once I was joining them for dinner, and when his daughter wanted in his lap, she reached for his glass of Coke and he helped her get it to her lips. As she gulped it down, I shot him quite the look, and he replied "Oh come on, she's had plenty of water today, drinking some Coke won't kill her".

My reply: "OK great, well I can also see she's been breathing plenty of oxygen today as well so let's let her light up a cigarette, one or two won't kill her"....

:drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

Ice

mhazelip

Having over 25 years of blood glucose checks I can confirm diet sodas do not raise blood sugar.

If it were true that Diet Soda's caused weight gained we would need to notify Einstein his theory's have been destroyed. A caloricaly empty food can not create fat. If it were true that Diet Soda's caused a glucose spike I could treat my low blood sugars with Diet Sodas and I am fairly certain that Coke and Pepsi would be selling this to hospitals like mad. If it were true that Diet Soda's create an insulin spike then Type II dieabetics can rejoice by not having to take their perscribed medicene, they could simply drink a diet coke with their donut and they would be fine.

Shalimarmandy

I hate diet coke and I only read this because I was interested in what people might say and now I feel compelled to respond....

I seriously disagree with a lot of what people are saying negatively about DC. Personally I think it tastes like crap which is why I don't drink it but it does not make you fatter! There are no calories and therefore scientifically can't make you fat or fatter. Now the sodium can make you retain water but the caffeine is a diuretic... kind of balances out though the levels of caffeine could outweigh the sodium. And it is physically impossible for DC to raise blood sugar since it has no calories, carbs or sugar.

I saw someone quote the Huffington Post and I'm sorry to point this out and I really am not pointing fingers but the Huffington Post is not a medical journal or scientific resource. In college had I used the Huffington Post as a source for any information I would have been the laughing stock of the college of Health and Human Performance. There are so many "research studies" that say one thing or another about anything in the world - unfortunately health related topics are big money. There are people who really want to know the truth and do what they feel are reliable studies but if you evaluate the actual study you can find inherent flaws in them. And then there are people who want to sell some product and create magical studies that prove how great product A is.

For example a study that say that diet coke drinkers are fatter then non diet coke drinker are they taking into account each groups daily diet? Where the differences caused by the DC or there because of some other reason such as dieters trying to cut out calories somewhere when they can't anywhere else? How many times have we seen the "joke" portrayed on tv and movies where the obese individual orders 5 big macs 5 large fries 2 apple pies and then a large diet coke? Its a joke because unfortunately its true to some degree.

We all need to use common sense when reading the results of research studies especially if the study was done to prove something right or wrong and not to find the truth. If a product has chemicals in it there can be side effects but it needs to be proven in more than one study and the results must be able to be duplicated multiple times for it to be considered scientifically accurate

In the end if DC doesn't effect you negatively mentally (creating cravings) and you aren't attached to it via an IV there really should be an issue with it... Is it better than plain ole' H2O - no - but is it horrible either --- no...

Good luck to you!

***Stepping off soap box... Hope i didn't offend anyone on a personal level***

espinozAgal

I drink Diet DrPepper... about three a week and I don't think it makes a big difference as long as you are not substituting diet soda for water. water is best.. diet soda is not so bad.

stanvoodoo

Gave it up and don't miss it! Can't drink all that soda and the water too..... Water is way better for the weight loss and healthy lifestyle.

If too hard to give up, just cut back and make it more like a treat.

NatalieWiley

I am trying to keep my diet coke intake to restaurants only or if I need a pick me up at work.

veggiepug

I usually have a diet soda once per day with lunch. It helps make me feel more full. I've heard a few different theories about how fake sugars can still cause weight gain (the fake sugars "trick" your brain into thinking it is real sugar, so your body processes it the same way as sugar) but I think this is a bunch of bunk. I've successfully lost weight in the past drinking a lot of diet soda. Is it healthy? Not really, but it's nice to have it as a treat.

I do plan on cutting it out eventually. The fake sugars just aren't good for us, for other reasons. I have to take my obstacles one at a time though, and need to focus on getting my eating under control before I give up soda.

kysue1029

When I started MFP I gave up Dr. Pepper, I didn't really have any cravings. I have lost 17 lbs in less than 2 months. Then for some reason last week, I started to drink DIET Dr. Pepper, and I have not lost anything since then. I am having more and more cravings. I called my husband about 2 hours ago and told him to get rid of all the pop in the house before I get home from work. I hope I start losing again!

fridayjustleft04

The theory on why it makes you gain weight is that it's sweet, which makes you crave sweets, which makes you eat stuff like candy and chocolate, etc. I don't buy into that so much. When I decided I needed to lose weight, I switched from regular to diet soda and obviously I've lost. And if I'm craving something sweet because of my "evil" diet soda, I'll just grab another one :laugh: I still get plenty of water..as long as you don't live off of the soda and you do get water, I think you're fine.

jenluvs2sing

From a diabetic standpoint diet coke (or any artificial sweetner for that matter) has zero impact on blood sugar. Ones body does not crave sweets, however we, mentally do. If drinking a diet coke makes you want to stop a Dairy Queen or Krispy Kreme it is probably a good idea for you to not drink diet code. But the sweetner has nothing to do with it.

Water is of course best. No coloring, additivies, or anything else.

I disagree with the first paragraph. I've read that the artificial sweetener causes an insulin spike and this is what creates your craving for something sugary.

Speaking as a diabetic, you're unfortunately wrong. I've tested myself before and after diet drink consumption and it did not cause my insulin to spike, actually, didn't raise it hardly at all.

As far as whether or not it makes a difference in your weight loss people can come up with studies showing both sides. Frankly, I gave it up because it was getting to be ridiculously expensive and I knew all the chemicals were not doing me any good.

The real bottom line is what you want. If you're exercising and eating right and drinking diet and the weights not coming off try giving it up. Ween yourself though, from experience the loss of caffeine was definitely tough, I had a lot of headaches while doing it, but, again, that was just my body's response. I think everyone is different.

For reference, I also think the sugar craving, at least mine, is psychological. When I REALLY would kill someone for a chocolate bar I eat a bowl of Chocolate Chex, which is my new favorite thing, and it absolutely takes care of the craving for me. Will that work for everyone? Probably not, but, again, everyone is different. I just have a hard time believing anything these days since everything is contradictory. Eating after 8 is bad. No, it's not. You must drink 64 ounces of water a day. No, you don't. Basically, I'm getting really tired of all of it. I drink Crystal Light (yeah, I know, chemicals, but still better than soda I hope) all day, milk as well, try to eat right, but we all slip. So, again, it's up to you...

goldenfemale

I love a pepsi max or coke zero now and again (especially with a shot of vodka). I think a little of anything is not bad, it's when you do something in excess. Nevertheless if you can stop drinking it and won't miss it then go for it.

McMamma38

I enjoy one once a day or less.

ShrinkingNinja

Green Tea (an antioxidant) brewed like good ol southern sweet tea (sweetened with liquid stevia) is my new drink of choice and this one actually helps my weight loss efforts.

amandanzgirl

I used to drink 3 -4 glasses a day, I have cut that back to 1 glass, usually my 'treat' with dinner at the end of day, AFTER I have had a good amount of water all day. Any more than that and I feel bloated.

iTim__

I avoid a lot of sodas not because of the artificial sweeteners, but because of the sodium. Too much sodium is just not good for me and it can cause water retention. There are some really good natural sodas that don't have sodium as an alternative. But, I've also discovered how good my food tastes when I just drink water too.

Hsindell

I never stated that the Huffington post was a scientific journal and agree that it is not an ideal resource but it summarized in a easy-to-read format something that has been repeated in various research.

If someone feels like their weight loss success is tied to consuming artificial sweetners, then the benefits of being fit may outweight any negatives associated with artificial sweetners. I also know that in the past 10 years the research has been confirming that our physiologic response to these sweetners is interesting and possibly in direct opposition (and counter-intuitive) to what is the desired effect, weight loss. In addition, the newer research is showing that people with a predisposition to diabetes mellitus may have an adverse longterm response to these substances.

iTim__

I never stated that the Huffington post was a scientific journal.

And, I never said not to not use it for puppy training. Wait, what?

I love it when these conversations get REAL *eyes widen* passionate. Seriously though, it is so cool that so many people care so much about fitness and heath. I love you MFP (that includes all of you that posted above me and some who will post after this.)

ShellyLee

I have about one can of Coke zero a day. BUT I also drink AT LEAST two liters (8 cups) of water a day, usually more. I don't like tea or coffee... and I don't want to drink all my calories away in juice so I don't have a ton of options.

Eirhren

Hello, my name is Eirhren, and I'm an addict. I'm in the process of giving up on diet pops ( the aspartame is no good). However, I don't know how it affects weight loss. I know what the research says, but when I'm feeling hungry and don't want to eat, I reach for a diet pop. It does the trick for the time being. For me, anyway.