Diet drinks (soda/pop)

FaithHopeTrust

Do diet soda/pop drinks cause you to gain weight or anything?
I didn't think they did, but i've been told they do... which seems insane.
anyone know if they do or dont?

stevenleagle

Water has no cals, is better and (if not bottled/bought) cheaper too. Google the pitfalls of diet drinks.

CyberEd312

They haven't hindered my weightloss at all.... and I drink 2 or 3 bottles a day.....

Jeff92se

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/435609-diet-soda

ninerbuff

Water has no cals, is better and (if not bottled/bought) cheaper too. Google the pitfalls of diet drinks.

Googling opinions and non scientific articles isn't proof.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
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Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ComeAroundSundown

I've been drinking coke zero regularly (not every day, but almost) ever since I started losing and I've had no problems. However I also try to drink a lot of water. I don't see how they would cause you to gain weight/hinder weight loss if they are almost completely calorie free. Some people say that they can cause you to retain water due to "high sodium content" but there isn't even that much sodium in them. According to the MFP database, one 375ml can of coke zero only has 41mg of sodium in it.

FaithHopeTrust

I drink mainly diet coke... everyday, at least a litre a day ><

jo31071972

I'm pretty much 'addicted' to Diet Coke and have been for years!! Don't know if it harms weight loss but trying to drink more water than diet coke and limiting myself to one or two cans a day

KaylaBlu2019

The main problem that I have heard is that the artificial sugars in the diet beverages can often trick your body into believing it's real sugar.. thus having the same effects that drink real soda would cause, just minus the calories, ect. So I imagine that could mean higher risk of belly fat, ect.

Also, the effects of diet soda can hinder your weight loss in an entirely psychological way as well.. eating junk food makes you crave even more junk food.

I'm definitely not a doctor but this is what I've heard.. and the craving part is from personal experience.

hillm12345

there are a TON of threads already started on this topic.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/423169-diet-soda-your-thoughts?hl=diet+soda&page=1#posts-5834355

this is just one of the 50 pages out there

jeepzilla

why not just give up the sugar inducing coma drink and just drink water? there are packets you can get to put into the water for flavor...
I havn't had a soda since last january and LOVE it...water everyday..

bookwormie

I don't think diet sodas are all that great for you. And you know, if you're drinking them because you like the refreshing fizziness, seltzer is just water with carbonation. When I'm in the mood for fizzy drinks, I drink seltzer instead of soda.

TheLuSir

It's the sweetener that causes minor setbacks in the weight loss department. Your body breaks that down before fat. Unless you are hitting a plateau, you shouldn't worry about stuff like that.

Still, water is paramount!

LooseWheel

Dont drink your daily intake calouries in any form, juice/fizzy drink/ cordials etc. Just water and maybe tea and coffee is fine. The extra really isn't necessary at all. the worst part of going from fizzy drink to 'diet' fizzy drink is the phenalalyine (I so cant spell that) but I mean the 'fake' sugar they use causes major health probs anyway!! Avoid at all cost. Be strong, get into water, tea and maybe coffee only to a limit. Nothing else is needed by your body. Juice, nope - take real fruit instead as the huge benefit and plus with this is the fibre also. Best of luck, gave it up myself and feel less guilty. I soooo love drinking water now, it's much better.

fmw123

I'm sure its fine in moderation. Not everyday but most days I have a glass of diet/sugar free fizzy drink with my dinner. It hasn't done me any harm...

MaximalLife

Do diet soda/pop drinks cause you to gain weight or anything?
I didn't think they did, but i've been told they do... which seems insane.
anyone know if they do or dont?

No, but I do not drink them, because I prefer just water with lemon.
I do not trust all the chemicals they load it down with. Water is better.

hillar77

even though there are no calories in diet drinks, any carbonated beverage causes excess gas in your stomach, thus causing it to stretch out. I recently had abdominal surgery and was told by my doctor that because of carbonated soda's, most americans stomachs are 1.5 to 2.0 times larger than they should be. A larger stomach means that you eat more before you get full, thus causing you to gain weight.

CJane44

I drink of ton of DC every day, YES every day. And I haven't had any issues losing weight or maintaining my weight loss. If that's your biggest indulgence, don't skimp! That's the way I view it anyway

mezzosoprano89

I don't know if there is actually harm in diet sodas but I stopped drinking soda except when I'm on long travels, like when I drive 3 hours back to school and need some caffeine, but other than that after I stopped drinking them for about a week, I stopped craving them. But I never drank a lot of diet or regular soda, maybe a few times a week at most.

MDWilliams1857

Too much of anything is not good. I dont like diet soda but I drink one can of regular mountain dew everyday with dinner. I still lose weight. Would I lose more if I quit drinking that can of soda? Maybe, but I dont care. I like it and Im not going to live the rest of my life without ever having a soda. So I keep it reasonable. If you really like diet coke, drink it. Just dont drink it by the gallon. You will be fine.

smiles4support

I was the biggest diet coke/diet pepsi drinker. I read many articles on it & how it was bad for your waist line. I still have one on my cheat day occasionally, but I don't think I miss it at all. I've also read that if u are going to have a pop it's better to drink a regular coke/pepsi than the diet one. GOOD LUCK!

d_llopez

Water is just the better decision to go with but that's just me. I use to drink sodas all day long whether diet or regular. Quit them and will only have them on ocassions like christmas, turkey day, etc. Even then i prefer water or even oolong tea which i get in Japan. I'm sure they sell them in the states too. Can't go wrong with water. I don't have that bloated feeling anymore.

beckylawrence70

All soda, weather regular or diet are bad for you, causes belly fat.......I don't drink any soda at all.

sirihermine

I'm a firm believer in the fact that a calorie is a calorie. So 0 or 1 calorie drinks will not get you to gain weight. Some people claim that they're feeling more hungry when drinking diet soda, in that case it's the FOOD they eat as a result of that hunger that makes them gain weight. You can't gain weight from putting something that has zero energy in to your body. I have always had diet sodas (every day) and it has never affected my weight loss.

cryspetstalerson

The carbonation helps settle my stomach some, so I used to drink it a lot. What I am doing now is drinking Club soda (soda water) or Diet Ginger ale and mixing it with a packet of the store brand of Crystal Light. It only has 5 calories in it, and the club soda or Diet ginger ale has no calories. It is awesome and tastes amazing.

Suziq2you

You can find studies that support anything. Weight is gained by over consuming calories (or some medical conditions). Diet soda has zero calories. It cannot make you gain weight. If someone has cravings because of diet soda and falls to those cravings, it is because they did not have the will power to say no, not because they drank diet soda.

CyberEd312

even though there are no calories in diet drinks, any carbonated beverage causes excess gas in your stomach, thus causing it to stretch out. I recently had abdominal surgery and was told by my doctor that because of carbonated soda's, most americans stomachs are 1.5 to 2.0 times larger than they should be. A larger stomach means that you eat more before you get full, thus causing you to gain weight.

I am going to go out on a ledge here and say my large stomach that got me to 560 lbs. wasn't because I drank a few bottles of diet pepsi a day and probably had more to do with the 3 Big Mac, 2 Large Fries and Large strawberry shake ( I ate on a daily basis) or maybe the 21 inch pizza (every other day) a would buy and break done in tupperware bowls and hide in the wall in closet and gorge myself on after eating 3 or 4 meals that day and probably the boxes of Little debbie swiss cakes (2 or 3 boxes a week) oh and the endless bags of Doritoes.... i highly doubt it had anything what so ever to do with me drinking diet soda...... just my 2 cents.......

The_Finja

Diet soda will just make you hungry, so, it wont make you gain weight, but it will make it harder for you as you will crave food.

flimflamfloz

Diet soda will just make you hungry, so, it wont make you gain weight, but it will make it harder for you as you will crave food.

What if I drink it when I am hungry?

nosugarcoating

They won't make you gain weight or hinder your weight loss, but that doesn't mean they're healthy.

I drink a lot of diet soda though - I am trying to cut down on the amount though, because it's not healthy. I use it to satisfy my cravings for sweet, it doesn't give me cravings though, as many people claim it can.

By the way, when I drink water, it is usually carbonated. And in the winter I love to drink fruit or herbal teas to keep me warm (usually 2L / day).

Honestly, I am pretty skeptical of claims that don't seem to make sense to me (if diet soda really caused belly fat, then I should have a lot more belly fat than I do, or if it gave people cravings, my cravings should be really bad most days, but they're not), though it doesn't take a study to convince me that diet soda isn't exactly healthy. It's just a 'healthier' alternative to regular soda for me.

The_Finja

Diet soda will just make you hungry, so, it wont make you gain weight, but it will make it harder for you as you will crave food.

What if I drink it when I am hungry?

If you drink when you are hungry the liquid going in will fill your stomach so you will feel full for a while. But as you body starts to see the fake sugar in you system, it thinks it real sugar and will ramp up. The problem is, that your body is fooled and you insulin levels will be off because your body is trying to breakdown sugar that isn't there and you will crave food instead.