Diet soda... friend or foe?!?

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Replies

  • BrettPGH
    BrettPGH Posts: 4,716 Member
    I don't mean to offend anybody who is in the "process of becoming" like I am, but I noticed that the majority of people on this thread who said "FOE" are in killer shape. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and perhaps that translates to fitness too!

    Best of health,

    Tyler

    Funny, I noticed the opposite.
  • lorishultis
    lorishultis Posts: 95 Member
    Per my Dr different people handle soda differently... For some ppl the artificial sweetener can actually make them hungery or crave sugar so they eat things that are bad choices...
    I dont think 1 a week will kill anyone. I too am doing more water and I add lemon and a spenda packet to mine to break it up. I also drink a LOT of unsweet tea with lemon and splenda and I use the crystal light or generic version flavor packets on occassion.
  • AvsFreak
    AvsFreak Posts: 152 Member
    There have been no studies to show that aspartame causes cancer or any other illness in humans, only rats. And you'd have to ingest an insane amount of it a day. Again, it shows the "everything in moderation" argument. I would be more concerned about getting illness from pollution in the air, fluorescent lighting, cell phones, or all the sodium fluoride they put in the water than the tiny amount of artificial sweetener I get from drinking 2 cans a day.

    And as far has "hindering fat loss goes", I drink 2 cans a day, plus whatever I put in my coffee... still lost 140 pounds.

    If you like it, drink it.
  • IAmABetterMe
    IAmABetterMe Posts: 128 Member
    Foe.... I was an addict! I drank and this is no lie 1 - 2 litter a day........... I switched to water and occasional regular and guess what... I have not gain one ounce! Nothing, Nada, and I have actually lost weight!
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Come on people! We're not here to poke fun or to be rude, we're here to support each other! There is obviously a lot of controversy over this topic and ultimately the decision is our own... the least we can do is offer our opinions and advice without sounding condescending!!!!

    We're not here to support each other. We're here discussing the merits of diet soda. Advice and opinions are meaningless without any facts.

    You said diet coke does not come from the earth or space. You said it in a very condescending way. Now before you backtrack and start with the "we're all in this together" talk I would like to know where you thing diet soda comes from.

    No backtracking here! :smile: Someone else said it was not of this earth and another commented that it doesn't come from space... I mearly tried to clarify that it comes from neither, but from a laboratory. Last I checked, they don't pull aspartame out of the ground (earth) or from the sky... Not that everything I eat comes from the ground... I will admit there's a ton of artificial colors/flavors etc out there that no one can say is healthy... However, if we can all agree that artificial colors and flavors (and I'm making an assumption here that we can all agree on that, my apologies if you disagree) than how can we think artificial sweeteners would be any different?
    Aspartame is phenylalanine and aspartic acid, a protein chain. That exact same protein chain can be found in chicken, beef, pork, soy, nuts, etc. The only reason it's called "artificial" is because they recreate the compounds in a lab setting, it doesn't mean that it's a compound that doesn't exist in nature, or that we don't eat it in normal food.

    Wow, I'll admit, I did not know that! Could it be that because they are found combined, the body treats them in a different manner? For example, I've read (and please do not quote me on this, I am not an expert, just got on a kick about learning about sugars...) that fructose in nature is combined with fruit pectin and remains intact through the digestion process... fructose on it's own is a "poison" and the pectin is the antedote, if you will... So when they say say HFCS is no different from sugar, that's not necessarily true... because it's not combined with pectin. From what I read, the body treats it the same way it treats ethyl alcohol in that it *can* destroy the liver (it just doesn't go to the brain hence no drunk effect). PLEASE do not poke fun, I do not know if this is a fact and I still enjoy foods with HFCS... :smile: Could that be the same with aspartame??
    The stuff you read about fructose is also untrue. Fructose is a naturally occurring monosaccharide that's in thousands of foods, not just fruit. It's converted into glucose by the liver, and the human digestive system is quite well equipped to deal with fructose. The only real negative to fructose is it's an inefficient conversion, so some of the fructose consumed ends up being stored as fat. However, if you are eating at a calorie deficit, or at maintenance, even the fructose that ends up as fat gets burned off, you're body doesn't actually accumulate fat from it.
  • Laura8603
    Laura8603 Posts: 590 Member
    From personal observation OVERWEIGHT people drink diet soda. I think there is a correlation so I avoid all soda.
  • KatieJane83
    KatieJane83 Posts: 2,002 Member
    <<<<<<<<< never once gave up all regular soda, diet soda, or other 'unhealthy' foods, just practiced moderation, and ended up exceeding my original mfp goals.
    I don't mean to offend anybody who is in the "process of becoming" like I am, but I noticed that the majority of people on this thread who said "FOE" are in killer shape. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and perhaps that translates to fitness too!

    Best of health,

    Tyler
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    Bad bad bad!!!!!!!!!!!! But i drink it too :drinker: It makes me feel better about it to limit it to only one glass a day.
  • KickassAugust
    KickassAugust Posts: 1,430 Member
    Everyday for I don't know, 15 years maybe more my Dad drank nothing but Diet 'Crack' and Iced Tea laced with Equal!

    Two years ago he was diagnosed with a stomach full of cancer and died 21 days later....

    Just sayin.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    From personal observation OVERWEIGHT people drink diet soda. I think there is a correlation so I avoid all soda.


    ^^^^^ Pretty sure the OVERWEIGHT people got that way from eating way too much food and consuming way too many calories. IMO...diet pop does not make you fat. Do I think it's good for you? No.. it's full of chemicals but it hasn't stopped me from drinking it.
  • melb2003
    melb2003 Posts: 198
    From personal observation OVERWEIGHT people drink diet soda. I think there is a correlation so I avoid all soda.

    Agree. There was a recent study released that said that people who drink diet pop are more likely to be over weight than people who drink regular. I just made the switch to water and stuck with it.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    The ways they make it 0 calorie is disgusting...If it's not from the earth you shouldn't be putting it into your body. Why not try some Green Tea or flavored Green Tea. No Calories, and has properties that help boost Metabolism and weight loss.

    + it tastes good.

    I agree! Your liver is not meant to filter out this stuff...
    Yeah, it chooses what it wants to filter out.......................:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    53128470574386924_gGsgLOHH_f.jpg
    Lol, this is for regular soda.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    Sodas = foes. No matter how you look at it, they're chemicals. Drink water or juice.
    And juice and water are not? They are both "chemically bonded".

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • The ways they make it 0 calorie is disgusting...If it's not from the earth you shouldn't be putting it into your body. Why not try some Green Tea or flavored Green Tea. No Calories, and has properties that help boost Metabolism and weight loss.

    + it tastes good.

    I take exception with this. There's nothing wrong with partaking, in moderation, of things that modern science has provided. Many things "not from the earth" extend our life expectancy many times that of our pre-civilization ancestors. Just because something is made of science instead of patchouli doesn't mean it's evil. But everything in moderation. A few diet sodas aren't going to harm you.
  • Mom0fTwo
    Mom0fTwo Posts: 326 Member
    sometimes i just get sick of drinking water so 1-2 times a week i will have a diet drink of some kind, hasn't hurt me, but if it is an addiction then clearly it is not worth it
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    I don't mean to offend anybody who is in the "process of becoming" like I am, but I noticed that the majority of people on this thread who said "FOE" are in killer shape. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and perhaps that translates to fitness too!

    Best of health,

    Tyler
    Good to know that I'm the exception...................along with my clients.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • jenlarz
    jenlarz Posts: 813 Member
    From personal observation OVERWEIGHT people drink diet soda. I think there is a correlation so I avoid all soda.

    Then again, from personal observation only I see overweight people drinking diet soda with their Big Mac's and large FF. Just sayin.j
    I'm in the moderation mindset. and most definately friend if it also contains Captain Morgan on a Friday night :)
  • Ravenesque_
    Ravenesque_ Posts: 257 Member
    one thing i will say is that an excess of carbonated drinks play HAVOC with your teeth.
  • HausOfTina
    HausOfTina Posts: 92
    you are all talking about diet soda like it's the devil.

    Drink in moderation.
  • jamielynas
    jamielynas Posts: 366 Member
    I drink tons of the stuff!
  • aliciagetshealthy
    aliciagetshealthy Posts: 946 Member
    for the OP to summarize, after 8 pages of opinions... see Lab Rat's very first post :bigsmile:
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    From personal observation OVERWEIGHT people drink diet soda. I think there is a correlation so I avoid all soda.
    So you don't see overweight people drinking coffee, juice, tea, milk, water? Heck if you did, then you should avoid those too.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • melb2003
    melb2003 Posts: 198
    [/quote]Lol, this is for regular soda.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    [/quote]

    Although weight-loss articles often suggest drinking diet soda in place of full-calorie counterparts, health experts warn that the beverage's long-term side effects may not be worth the short-term benefit of consuming fewer calories.
    Loss of Calcium

    According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), high level of phosphates from diet soda leeches calcium out of the bones. Daily consumption of diet soda makes you three to four times more likely to suffer from a stress fracture and at an increased risk for osteoporosis.
    SplendaTruth.com SPLENDA® Sweeteners Safe & Healthy. Consider the Facts & Evidence. www.Splendatruth.com
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    Dehydration

    Caffeine from diet soda triggers the kidneys to increase urine production, which results in an increased loss of water in the body. Dehydration can lead to dizziness, headaches, racing heartbeats and even death.
    Aspartame

    The low-calorie sweetener, aspartame, is found in most diet sodas. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) claims the ingredient is safe to consume; however, several side effects involving the ears, eyes, chest, skin, neurological system, gastrointestinal system and metabolic system, as well as psychological conditions, have been linked to its use. Hugo Rodier, M.D., author of "Sweet Death," suggests that drinking beverages containing aspartame leads to weight gain.
    Benzene

    In 2005, the FDA received reports that the carcinogen benzene was present in soft drinks containing benzoate salts and ascorbic acid. An FDA study found that the level of benzene in most drinks was below the U.S. standard for drinking water. The World Health Organization confirms that benzene causes cancer and that no safe level of exposure to benzene can be recommended.
    Bottom Line

    Drinking diet soda to lose weight may reduce your calorie intake, but it offers no nutritional benefits and could lead to negative health consequences over time. The ACSM recommends drinking water or mixing juice and water at a 1:1 ratio.

    Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/18690-side-effects-drinking-diet-soda/#ixzz1tv4vkDH9
  • sarahbetherck
    sarahbetherck Posts: 270 Member
    I have a good friend who gave up Diet Coke (on the advice of her Dr. and numerous "healthy" friends) for a month and she didn't see/feel a difference so she went right back to it.
    I got talked into quitting it by the crazy hot dude at the nutrition store. (Total sucker for advice from a hot guy) and I feel better and I am not craving sweets like I used to.
    I don't know that I'm gonna go around telling everyone to quit it but I'm glad I did!
  • Saruman_w
    Saruman_w Posts: 1,531 Member
    IMO, I would stay away from it. Sure it may be low in calories but it's full of chemicals and junk your body doesn't need. Water is healthier
  • dmchiz
    dmchiz Posts: 184 Member
    for the OP to summarize, after 8 pages of opinions... see Lab Rat's very first post :bigsmile:



    THIS!!!!!! :wink:
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
    :
    I don't mean to offend anybody who is in the "process of becoming" like I am, but I noticed that the majority of people on this thread who said "FOE" are in killer shape. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and perhaps that translates to fitness too!

    Best of health,

    Tyler
    Good to know that I'm the exception...................along with my clients.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    LOl Tyler, maybe you need to improve on your eyesight too - I have seen as many strong fit and healthy people on here drinking diet soda as I have seen flabby soft and pudgy people advocating against it.... Might have to look futher and observe a little better...
    I'm off to the vending machine for a diet pepsi! All in moderation!:flowerforyou:
  • WaxMama
    WaxMama Posts: 369 Member
    Come on people! We're not here to poke fun or to be rude, we're here to support each other! There is obviously a lot of controversy over this topic and ultimately the decision is our own... the least we can do is offer our opinions and advice without sounding condescending!!!!

    We're not here to support each other. We're here discussing the merits of diet soda. Advice and opinions are meaningless without any facts.

    You said diet coke does not come from the earth or space. You said it in a very condescending way. Now before you backtrack and start with the "we're all in this together" talk I would like to know where you thing diet soda comes from.

    No backtracking here! :smile: Someone else said it was not of this earth and another commented that it doesn't come from space... I mearly tried to clarify that it comes from neither, but from a laboratory. Last I checked, they don't pull aspartame out of the ground (earth) or from the sky... Not that everything I eat comes from the ground... I will admit there's a ton of artificial colors/flavors etc out there that no one can say is healthy... However, if we can all agree that artificial colors and flavors (and I'm making an assumption here that we can all agree on that, my apologies if you disagree) than how can we think artificial sweeteners would be any different?
    Aspartame is phenylalanine and aspartic acid, a protein chain. That exact same protein chain can be found in chicken, beef, pork, soy, nuts, etc. The only reason it's called "artificial" is because they recreate the compounds in a lab setting, it doesn't mean that it's a compound that doesn't exist in nature, or that we don't eat it in normal food.

    Wow, I'll admit, I did not know that! Could it be that because they are found combined, the body treats them in a different manner? For example, I've read (and please do not quote me on this, I am not an expert, just got on a kick about learning about sugars...) that fructose in nature is combined with fruit pectin and remains intact through the digestion process... fructose on it's own is a "poison" and the pectin is the antedote, if you will... So when they say say HFCS is no different from sugar, that's not necessarily true... because it's not combined with pectin. From what I read, the body treats it the same way it treats ethyl alcohol in that it *can* destroy the liver (it just doesn't go to the brain hence no drunk effect). PLEASE do not poke fun, I do not know if this is a fact and I still enjoy foods with HFCS... :smile: Could that be the same with aspartame??
    The stuff you read about fructose is also untrue. Fructose is a naturally occurring monosaccharide that's in thousands of foods, not just fruit. It's converted into glucose by the liver, and the human digestive system is quite well equipped to deal with fructose. The only real negative to fructose is it's an inefficient conversion, so some of the fructose consumed ends up being stored as fat. However, if you are eating at a calorie deficit, or at maintenance, even the fructose that ends up as fat gets burned off, you're body doesn't actually accumulate fat from it.

    Why thank you for sharing that knowledge! I love the commercial where the guy says he can't eat the fruit pop because it has HFCS in it and she says "So?" and he says "So, umm, uh" and she says "Exactly! It's okay in moderation!" What they don't tell you is that it's in nearly everything from cereal to soda to bbq sauce to salad dressing... kind of hard to have it in moderation unless you're eating a raw diet!!! Thanks again!
  • JoolieW68
    JoolieW68 Posts: 1,879 Member
    Well h3ll, if I knew not drinking diet soda would have made me lose weight a long time ago I would have poured it all down the drain. I mean, it was my only vice (just ignore all the fried food, candy, ice cream, and non-activity), so it HAD to have made me fat. Probably created the cellulite on my thighs and shrunk my clothes while I was sleeping.

    :laugh:

    Lots of amusing threads on the boards today.

    And for the record, I have stopped drinking it every day and am drinking only water. But there is a great possibility that I will have some over the weekend with some rum (just for color, mind you, no need to dilute the rum).

    Oh, I think I'll go start another thread about how liquor will kill you quicker.
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