Calling former Diet Coke Addicts

Paddy31

I was also in a free nutrition seminar at my gym and they told us about a study - long story short, our bodies don't know what to do with aspartame, and it therefore just stays in your body - NOTHING comes out when you sweat, go to the bathroom etc...

This is not correct. Aspartame is metabolised into a variety of compounds including methanol, phenylalanine and aspartic acid. These are dealt with by the body as they are amino-acids or alcohols which for part of a natural diet.

I think this story came from an internet/email hoax in the mid nineties and loads of fitness professionals say this. I've been to a seminar where the speaker said the same thing.

feydruss

I love the stuff, but find that it works as a kind of trigger for me to eat badly (don't know if this reaction is physiological or psychological). If I have it, I want junk food or salty stuff as well, which I then would rationalize by telling myself my beverage had no calories, so it was okay to have that Big Mac. LOL.

Now it's an occasional treat, and only if I'm in a situation where I can't get anything else (like a small bottle in the car with me where there's nothing else to eat). And certainly weight is coming off faster...

mikeyml

Before I started, I used to drink 2-3 24 oz diet cokes while at work and then maybe 1-2 cans when I got home from work. I've never had a problem with diet sodas giving me cravings to eat more or sweet things. But, I don't feel as hydrated when I drink only soda. For the last 8 months I've limited my diet soda intake to no more than 1 a day and the rest of the time I drink water, tea or milk. I can't say it's helped me with weight loss, but I do feel better after drinking water. I couldn't imagine chugging diet soda after a hard workout at the gym or first thing in the morning. I will say this though, I did cut it out completely for about 3 weeks and I felt zero change. At this point, I'm drinking about 2-3 sodas a week and my body seems fine with that.

Vegan_Chick

I was also in a free nutrition seminar at my gym and they told us about a study - long story short, our bodies don't know what to do with aspartame, and it therefore just stays in your body - NOTHING comes out when you sweat, go to the bathroom etc...

This is not correct. Aspartame is metabolised into a variety of compounds including methanol, phenylalanine and aspartic acid. These are dealt with by the body as they are amino-acids or alcohols which for part of a natural diet.

I think this story came from an internet/email hoax in the mid nineties and loads of fitness professionals say this. I've been to a seminar where the speaker said the same thing.

Don't forget formaldehyde, well the methanol can be converted into formaldehyde somehow. I'm no expert but that does not sound like something that will go into my body. Never again, hopefully!

avimoo

i drink about 8 glasses of diet coke every day and i have lost 33 pounds.

kwinty37

I haven't had any soda since April! I have at least one black coffee in the morning, sometimes a latte. The caffeine gets me going. I do mainly water( plain water or propel zero).... sometimes juice or unsweet tea. The main difference I can tell with my body is that i am not as bloated from drinking so much soda.... At one point in time I was drinking at least a 2liter a day!!! I just started my diet hard core this Monday. I am hoping since I cut soda... that a healthy diet will now allow me to drop a few pounds quicker!

Paddy31

Don't forget formaldehyde, well the methanol can be converted into formaldehyde somehow. I'm no expert but that does not sound like something that will go into my body. Never again, hopefully!

Formaldehyde is a normal metabolite of many foods. It lasts about 2 minutes in a healthy body.

AScarbrough19

I was a total diet coke addict. Drank it morning, noon and night. I gave it up cold turkey over 2 years ago. I was at a weight loss plateu at the time and I attribute a 10 lb loss to giving it up! Know I try it on occassion and do not like the taste of it. It's hard to imagine that I drank close to 12 cans a day.

odusgolp

I probably have 6/day. I really need to kick it.

Vegan_Chick

Don't forget formaldehyde, well the methanol can be converted into formaldehyde somehow. I'm no expert but that does not sound like something that will go into my body. Never again, hopefully!

Formaldehyde is a normal metabolite of many foods. It lasts about 2 minutes in a healthy body.

I would never have thought that is a normal process in the body. What other foods? I am curious if you know.

Angelamu77

Diet Dr. Pepper please.... lol

I use to drink about 88-64 oz a day with little water. I cut back to 12oz a day (never more then 2 cans on some days) and make sure I still drink plenty of water. My weight loss has always remainned the exact same pace regardless of how much I drink or don't drink. With that being said I do feel better now that I am drinking more water.

kmturtle3

Also a huge Diet Coke Addict. I used to drink at least 3 a day. I still drink them, probably totals out to about 5 cans a week or so for me. I started on MFP in January of 2011 and started cutting back on Diet Coke right away. I supplement the caffeine need with green tea (LOTS OF IT) and the occasional Monster (talk about robbing Peter to pay Paul :blushing:). I have lost between 65-70 pounds so far, and would like to lose about 20 more.

I think the BIG change is water. I drink so much water. Usually at least 12 8oz glass a day, often times more.

bentobee

I was a huge Diet Coke drinker and have cut waaaaay back. I'll have one when I go to the movies - so like twice a month, if that.
I don't know that it helped my weightloss directly or not, but drinking less DC definitely got me to drink more water, and I'm sure THAT has helped my loss.

Now when I drink one I feel bloated after. Maybe they always made me bloat and I never noticed it because it was my "normal".

Paddy31

Don't forget formaldehyde, well the methanol can be converted into formaldehyde somehow. I'm no expert but that does not sound like something that will go into my body. Never again, hopefully!

Formaldehyde is a normal metabolite of many foods. It lasts about 2 minutes in a healthy body.

I would never have thought that is a normal process in the body. What other foods? I am curious if you know.

Alcohol and fruit. The pectins breakdown to methanol first and then formaldehyde.

Steel6981

Thanks everyone for sharing your experience! I think I'm going to cut back but not expect any extreme miracles. I have been substituting unsweetened tea for the caffiene hit and trying more water. I had heard about the insulin response as well and wondered if I would notice a difference with cravings. Any way I look at it, it can't hurt and may promote healthier habits.

Thanks again for the info!

JS70

I used drink diet mt dew all day long and couldn't stop. All it took was a trip to the dentist telling me my teeth were being ruined by all of the acid in pop. I thought since it wasn't sugar it was ok but the acid is just as bad. After that visit, I quit drinking it completely. I didn't have pop for a long time and now I have an occasional one and it doesn't even really taste good anymore.

Jess5825

I used to drink a TON of diet coke. I'd drink like 2 20 oz bottles at work and more at home. I did that for a long time. I went cold turkey is like September. Surprisingly it was not that hard, I didn't really crave it. After a couple months of not having it, I hads some at thanksgiving and it didn't taste that good to me anymore. I do drink some every now and then, but just occasionally. I actually got a gulp at 7-11 today. Tasted good, but not going to be going back to all the time.

Good luck on giving it up.

As for the poster above. I have very bad teeth, I'm now thinking it is from all the soda I drank. Well along with acid reflux.

Breedy75

Don't forget formaldehyde, well the methanol can be converted into formaldehyde somehow. I'm no expert but that does not sound like something that will go into my body. Never again, hopefully!

Formaldehyde is a normal metabolite of many foods. It lasts about 2 minutes in a healthy body.

I would never have thought that is a normal process in the body. What other foods? I am curious if you know.

Alcohol and fruit. The pectins breakdown to methanol first and then formaldehyde.

Yup

christine24t

I used to LOVE Diet Coke to death. At restaurants, I could drink four glasses of it really quickly. One day, I noticed that I would "gain" a ton of weight after drinking it, so I cut it out. I've only indulged in Diet Coke twice since June! I say limit it and cut it out! If you want caffeine, try tea or coffee.

cbmcphillips

I hate to be a nay sayer but.... you should look at the internet articles about how diet soda affects your appetite. It increases your appetite and the chemicals are not good for you either.

You should also cross reference how diet drinks affect your brain - I had surgery last year - it could have been a lot worse

I have basically gone to water / crystal light - Have only had 3 or 4 sodas in the last month and everyone says I look a lot better too.

Give up the diet drinks - best advice I have