diet pepsiholic

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cbediria
cbediria Posts: 29
in Food and Nutrition
i drink diet pepsi for three reasons:1) i crave the carbonation 2) it helps me feel full for longer. 3 )i'm a litle bit addicted!!

yes, i know this is bad. very very bad. and i am honestly trying to cut back. i buy those little 200ml cans from safeway instead of a normal size can, just to get the taste. ok, so my question is, does drinking diet soda affect your weight in a big way? i know that there aren't any calories or sugar, but i hear that the aspartame stores fat around your belly, making it harder to get fab abs. anyone hear about this? and also....tips for quitting?!

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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,695 Member
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    i drink diet pepsi for three reasons:1) i crave the carbonation 2) it helps me feel full for longer. 3 )i'm a litle bit addicted!!

    yes, i know this is bad. very very bad. and i am honestly trying to cut back. i buy those little 200ml cans from safeway instead of a normal size can, just to get the taste. ok, so my question is, does drinking diet soda affect your weight in a big way? i know that there aren't any calories or sugar, but i hear that the aspartame stores fat around your belly, making it harder to get fab abs. anyone hear about this? and also....tips for quitting?!
    I've been drinking diet Pepsi (2 cans a day) for at least 20 years. I even drank it when I competed, so no fat is stored when your calories are over.
  • tonicia
    tonicia Posts: 145 Member
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    I am 4 days without soda now...I drank a minimum of 3 a day. Always diet. I didn't really notice it holding me back weightloss wise, but I'm probably just in denial on that. haha. I am noticing it affecting my teeth though and I heard an ingredient in it is linkedto mental retardation (that explains a lot lately hahaha) and an increased risk of cancer and tonsss of other things. I honestly hadn't even planned to stop drinking it ...just noticed I had gone a couple days without it and figured why not go more? I would suggest weening in caffeine free more and more so you don't get caffeine headaches, then it's a cinch! = )

    ps. for carbonation try a flavored sparkling water.
  • davejlee
    davejlee Posts: 43 Member
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    One thing to be mindful of is the sodium. On average, 30-40mg per can.
  • quietlywinning
    quietlywinning Posts: 889 Member
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    I have cut way back. I've found that on days I drink Diet Pepsi (or any diet soda, but that is my soda of choice if it's available), I am MUCH hungrier and have a harder time sticking to my calorie limits. I've read that the aspertame increases the appetite, and it does seem to work that way for me.

    I'm slowly weaning myself off the stuff. That is the best way to not get the caffeine-withdrawal headache, for me. The other ways contain calories lol.
  • therealkittymao
    therealkittymao Posts: 194 Member
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    Maybe it's just me, but I find that i am a LOT less bloated when I don't drink diet drinks. I switched to iced tea (homemade brewed, no sweetner) a long time ago and now when I drink a diet pepsi I can REALLY notice how I retain a ton of water and look really swollen. I don't know if this is an age thing, though. I am 38, and you look really young. So it could just be me.

    You might try Mendota Springs sparkling waters. They are REALLY good, and they still have the carbonation. So you could use them if you ever decide to wean yourself off of diet.

    :)
  • Lisa_222
    Lisa_222 Posts: 301 Member
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    A lot of those claims on the diet drinks are unfounded. It has a little sodium, but not that much. I don't see what the big hoo ha is about unless someone is drinking gallons of it. Then it's a caffeine issue. There's nothing better than a good carbonated drink burn when you're thirsty....from one addict to another, lol.
  • realrayne10
    realrayne10 Posts: 388 Member
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    I have been soda free since March 2010. I did it cold turkey. To prevent the caffeine withdrawal I popped two tylenol as soon as I woke up each morning for a week. After that is was a snap. Every once in a while they have the Mexican Coke around here with the real cane sugar....drool, but I have not gone back. I have lost 74lbs total since I made the choice to quit soda.
  • Karabobarra
    Karabobarra Posts: 782 Member
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    The carbonation in soda actually expands your stomache making it larger...you may feel fuller at first but in the long run it was designed to make you eat more. Not to mention the sodium in it helps your body retain water, the artificial sweeteners such as aspertame have been linked to ADD, hyper activity and learning disabilities. There is no nutritional value in soda, it doesn't even hydrate you..in fact between the sodium content and the caffeine, it dehydrates you.

    I used to be addicted to diet coke, I could down 64 oz in a day easily...I have been soda free for over two years now and I don't honestly miss it that much..I get my caffeine from Unsweetened iced tea (not a coffee drinker) and I can say I did notice a huge difference once I broke the habit...I noticed a bigger difference in my kids. It was a good choice in my opinion.

    Hope this helps
  • Karabobarra
    Karabobarra Posts: 782 Member
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    Tips for quitting....

    The biggest thing for me was the caffeine headaches, I used green tea or iced tea or caffeine pills to help.

    I have to quit things cold turkey, I don't do well weining myself off but it only takes 16 days to form a habit so I keep track of the days.

    Good luck

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