Diet Soda or Water?

butterfly0819
butterfly0819 Posts: 94
edited October 1 in Food and Nutrition
I am getting to the "water" phase but I have days where I just really want to drink diet soda. Will it hurt a healthy lifestyle to drink Diet Soda or will it stop progression on weight loss?

Replies

  • The_Finja
    The_Finja Posts: 38 Member
    It won't hurt the weight loss, but it will make you hungry.
  • brittanyjeanxo
    brittanyjeanxo Posts: 1,831 Member
    You can indulge with a can maybe once a week, but I would stay away from any more than that. Even though it's "diet" it still has caffeine, which can not only dehydrate you, but it can also be addicting. You don't want that!
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    We all have to make choices on what we enjoy, what we want to give up, and what keeps us going. If you really want a diet soda, drink it. It has sodium and carbonation which if you drink enough of it, will affect your measurements. I still drink sodas occasionally, but I don't include them in my normal diet.
  • jagh09
    jagh09 Posts: 555 Member
    Personally, I think artificial sweeteners are pure EVIL. I have a bad sensitivity to them, so I just avoid them all together. There are studies that show that diet soda can have a negative impact on your healthy diet. But, everyone is different. And if you take things in moderation, I think you'll be fine, personally. Limit your intake to 1 per day or less, and I am sure you'll be just fine.

    Otherwise, try things like seltzer with a splash of fresh lemon or lime juice, or a fresh sprig of mint! It's so refreshing and you get the bubbles you love from diet soda. I've also brewed up some decaf herbal tea and mixed it in with seltzter and a wedge of lemon for a little something different than plain old water.

    You can also brew decaf iced tea at home and have that with some lemon. It's a nice change of pace.
  • Qarol
    Qarol Posts: 6,171 Member
    It depends. Lots of people can lose weight successfully and still drink diet soda. But there are some people who have more success cutting it out. I think it's a good idea to not have it every day, and on the days you do have it, only have one or two. But that's what works for me. I'm not a fan of absolutes. What works for me may not work for you.
  • Caperfae
    Caperfae Posts: 433
    Water ... water ... water!!!
  • RachelSRoach1
    RachelSRoach1 Posts: 435 Member
    It won't hurt the weight loss, but it will make you hungry.

    Agreed. Sodium isn't great either.
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
    It won't hurt the weight loss, but it will make you hungry.

    indeed I can never stay under my calories on the days I indulge in a diet coke.
  • AmerTunsi
    AmerTunsi Posts: 655 Member
    I found that even when I have a diet soda just a few times a week it really made a massive difference ... so much so that when I went from having absolutely no soda and only drinking water ... to have it a few a few times a week ... I gained 5lbs! It was really a big blow and an eye opener to how much it really makes a difference. i don't believe all of it was fat, I believe most of it was water retention because of the high sodium content in soda.

    Also, another thing to think about is that now "they" are saying that diet soda could have been a major contributor to the obesity epidemic in the USA because of the artificial sweeteners they use. The body doesn't know how to process these sweeteners and thus just stores it as fat. They suggest that drinking the original formula is better because it can be processed better in the body. I personally won't switch over still because of the calorie count and I would rather just eliminate it!
  • bethdris
    bethdris Posts: 1,090 Member
    I drink a diet soda (about 1/2 can or so) 1-2x a month. Other than that I drink WATER!!! :)
  • techymum
    techymum Posts: 168
    I have no idea about how it will affect your weight loss at this point, but I believe that if you really want it (some could call this a craving), then have it.

    A craving can only lead to be things - over indulging comes to mind first.

    You may find that as time goes on you no longer crave pop in any form. I have never been a big pop drinker, but I did enjoy it every once in awhile. Now I drink so much water that I'm never thirsty, thus no room for pop!

    Good luck :-)
  • katekrise
    katekrise Posts: 178 Member
    For me...it gives me cravings, so I'm trying to have it less. It's hard to quit once you've had it for so long though.
  • hpygirl64ColleenLinder
    hpygirl64ColleenLinder Posts: 146 Member
    Water is your friend... when your body sometimes appears to be hungry, often times it is likely that it is in need of hydration more then food. Diet or soda's of any kind are not natural and not part of a healthy regime. They also cause you to actually crave carbs
    more. I could go on and on... when in doubt it is WATER WATER WATER and eating every few hours to fuel the fire.

    Feel free to friend me for positive food for thought left daily... Colleen (Seattle):heart:
  • carrie1128
    carrie1128 Posts: 267 Member
    I started by cutting back on diet soda a couple of years ago and then eventually found that I hated the taste of it. It makes me thirstier and hungrier. I cut out all artificial sweeteners. Now I drink flavored seltzer water for the fizz craving.
  • MadBabysMama
    MadBabysMama Posts: 373 Member
    I have been a heavy diet soda drinker for years, and I have never noticed it increasing cravings or anything, but of course it is possible. I have cut back to about 2 a day in recent weeks because we're trying to get pregnant, and I have not noticed any big changes either. I don't like water at all but I am trying to drink it. Mostly I notice the difference from the caffeine, I am more sluggish without it, but I hope the withdrawal symptoms will ease over time.
  • silkysly
    silkysly Posts: 701 Member
    I am getting to the "water" phase but I have days where I just really want to drink diet soda. Will it hurt a healthy lifestyle to drink Diet Soda or will it stop progression on weight loss?
    Use those sugar free packets you add to your water. The Great Value ones are quite tasty.
  • The_Finja
    The_Finja Posts: 38 Member
    The artificial sweetener increases you insulin levels which makes you feel great, until you have a sugar crash. I try to stick with water.
  • pipinan24
    pipinan24 Posts: 14
    There was a thing on the television today talking about how bad some of the 'diet' things are that we all fall for and it was said that drinking diet soda will actually increase your waist size quicker than you think. Stick to water!
  • Chunkabutt83
    Chunkabutt83 Posts: 461
    im still addicted to pop, but i switched from 6-8 regular pepsi's a day to 3-4 diet mountain dew, even though i know its not great, its still better than where i was!
  • Maggie_Pie1
    Maggie_Pie1 Posts: 322 Member
    I've lost over 80 lbs, and I haven't given up my vice - Diet Dr. Pepper.

    I do also drink a lot of water. I drink 3 liters of water a day. On top of that, I'll drink anywhere between 4 and 6 cans of diet dr. pepper.

    I'm not a coffee drinker, so I get my 'caffeine fix' through diet soda. It hasn't stopped my progress at all.
  • Maggie_Pie1
    Maggie_Pie1 Posts: 322 Member
    I see a lot of references to high sodium content in diet soda. I'm confused - diet dr pepper has only 55 mg of sodium, which is 2% of RDA. How is that high?
  • RhonndaJ
    RhonndaJ Posts: 1,615 Member
    A lot of people will tell you negative things that drinking diet soda will do to you, and on that I'll say, learn your body's responses. I'm certain it does that to some people, but it doesn't do it to everyone, because I don't seem to have a problem when I drink diet coke.

    Personally, I don't think it'll harm your weightloss, but I do think that if you put the effort into drinking as much water as you should, you'll find yourself drinking less soda.
  • brandiuntz
    brandiuntz Posts: 2,717 Member
    I am getting to the "water" phase but I have days where I just really want to drink diet soda. Will it hurt a healthy lifestyle to drink Diet Soda or will it stop progression on weight loss?

    No, it won't. If you're craving a soda, have one. There is nothing wrong with having an occasional soda, diet or regular. Congrats on incorporating more water in your diet!
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
    Can they cause cravings? I guess so, I haven't noticed it for me personally, your mileage may vary. They are not dehydrating, that's been proven to be overstated. Any dehydrating effects of caffeine are more than countered by the liquid it's in. And the sodium is a myth as well. The one I am drinking right now say 60mg for the whole bottle. That's not high.
  • GG70
    GG70 Posts: 232 Member
    STRAIGHT UP FILTERED WATER ONLY!!! CARBONATED BEVERAGES ARE POISON AND WILL DO NOTHING TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH! You Don't want to JUST lose weight.. You want your body to work to it's fullest potential and be the healthiest it can be!!
  • akork
    akork Posts: 31
    "Any dehydrating effects of caffeine are more than countered by the liquid it's in."

    It isn't dehydrating because the amount of caffeine requires more water than is provided in the soda it is dehydrating because when you drink a cup of soda you will tend to NOT drink a cup of water. As someone who spent a good chunk of their life dehydrated due to drinking to much soda and coffee I can attest to this. Now is the occassional soda going to dehydrate you and destroy your diet? No...the occasional "insert-bad-for-you-thing-here" is not going to destroy your diet. Diet soda certainly isn't GOOD for you though, its just a substitute for what you should be drinking...water.
  • akork
    akork Posts: 31
    "CARBONATED BEVERAGES ARE POISON "

    Thats a huuuuge overstatement.
  • GG70
    GG70 Posts: 232 Member
    the "poison" comment WASN'T LITERAL... it simply does NOT SERVE our bodies and is unnecessary to consume! I was making a point...
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