Diet drinks

nataliexxxx
nataliexxxx Posts: 262
in Food and Nutrition
Will I lose weight faster if I cut out diet coke and other diet drinks?

Replies

  • xMillyLouisex
    xMillyLouisex Posts: 171 Member
    im bumping this cz i wana know the same thing :)
  • AtroposZ
    AtroposZ Posts: 7
    There's no hard and fast exact answer, although some studies in the last few years have shown that the artificial sweetener in the diet drinks confuses the body with the sweet taste. Sweets, to the body, usually signal calories. When you dont actually get those calories, you could experience increased hunger, which would make you over-eat, giving you too many calories or poor choices, etc etc. On the other hand, for some people giving up soda cold turkey is too hard, and if it's a case of regular or diet, diet is way better.

    There are also some different medical studies that say different things about the varities of artificial sweetener. Most diet sodas use aspartame/Equal, Coke Zero (and I think one of the 'newer' diet Pepsis, cant recall which) uses a sucralose/Spelenda mix, and if you have a Safeway by you, their "Refreshe" house brand uses a mix of real sugar and I *think* splenda, but it could be Stevia. You can find google these and read up on them, but the bottom line is everything is still a potential/study, and the FDA says theyre safe for consumption with no crazy known side effects.

    When it comes down to it, water is of course best and healthiest. But it's also the most boring and I dont know about you, but after I drink a glass of water I get absolutely starving (there's also a "study" that hypothesises when the stomach feels the fullness from a big glass of water and then doesnt have any calories/food to burn, it causes the same sort of brain confusion that artificial sweeteners cause - but it's all still a study, lol).

    My suggestion is notice how you feel after you drink a soda. Do you start binge eating from overwhelming hunger a short time later? Or does it not effect you at all? Another thing to keep in mind is how much you drink. Diet soda is literally nothing but chemicals, and if youre drinking multiple cans a day, it's time to wean yourself onto a different beverage. Perhaps brewed iced tea? Green tea is especially healthy, and if you sweeten it with a little honey instead of equal or splenda, youre doing great.

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/457927-will-diet-coke-raise-blood-sugar-levels-up-in-diabetics/

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diet-soda/AN01732
  • avocado12
    avocado12 Posts: 197 Member
    From personal experience, no
  • xMillyLouisex
    xMillyLouisex Posts: 171 Member
    it normally stops me from bingeing, if im really hungry but dont 'need' anything to eat il have a diet coke and will feel million times better so i suppose theres no harm! thanku :)
  • nataliexxxx
    nataliexxxx Posts: 262
    it normally stops me from bingeing, if im really hungry but dont 'need' anything to eat il have a diet coke and will feel million times better so i suppose theres no harm! thanku :)

    Me too it actually makes me feel more full:) thanks
  • pkw58
    pkw58 Posts: 2,038 Member
    I agree with the other posters, who knows how it really effects your body. And with that, let's face it, our body would rather have water. I quit a nasty 12 cans a day diet coke habit in 2005 that resulted in an immediate loss of 13 pounds in 3 days. My skin got much clearer - I replaced the diet coke with upping my coffee intake from 1 to4 cups a day and my water from zero to 8. So too many variables to really blame the diet coke on the water retention vs lowering caffeine and replacing it with water. It's like replacing cupcakes with a zero fat vanilla greek yogurt…
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    No, unless the diet drink causes you to over-consume calories.
  • bhankiii
    bhankiii Posts: 217 Member
    Diet drinks are full of so many chemicals it's hard to predict how they'll affect any particular person. And on this site you'll hear people swear both yes and no. Try giving them up for a few weeks and see for yourself. You can replace them with low or no calorie alternatives - unsweetened tea, a glass of water with a little pure unsweetened juice in it, coconut water, a good sparkling mineral water, etc.
  • AtroposZ
    AtroposZ Posts: 7
    I quit a nasty 12 cans a day diet coke habit in 2005

    Holy cow!! I bet your teeth cried out in relief :) That's crazy that it affected you enough to cause a 13 lb in 3 days reaction


    Hey, OP - If you have to go with something sweeter but not (as) artificial, you can cut juice 50/50 with water (or plain club soda if you miss the fizzies) . You'll notice a difference at first but you'll quickly get used to it. It's kind of like switching from 2% milk to fat-free, same "whoa, this is..odd" reaction. Just make sure you get 100% juice (not "juice cocktail", that's like 10% - unless youre getting the lite/diet, in which case we're back to the sweetener issue) and be darned sure you take it easy. Juice has a lot of calories for a drink and no fiber or such to accompany it. Hey! Get your own juicer and try that, fresh apple and orange juice is awesome.

    I know this wasnt a "soda alternatives" thread, I kinda lost track of my ramblings :)
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    it normally stops me from bingeing, if im really hungry but dont 'need' anything to eat il have a diet coke and will feel million times better so i suppose theres no harm! thanku :)

    Me too. Diet drinks have no calories so it in itself has little affect on weight. If its aspertame you're worried about, Sobe has none and is a kick @ss diet drink.
  • cjc166
    cjc166 Posts: 222
    In all seriousness, you'd be better off in the long run if you didn't consume that chemical concoction.
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    In all seriousness, you'd be better off in the long run if you didn't consume that chemical concoction.

    Chicken breast and fruit contain more components of aspertame then one can of diet coke. How you like dem blueberries?
  • cjc166
    cjc166 Posts: 222
    In all seriousness, you'd be better off in the long run if you didn't consume that chemical concoction.

    Chicken breast and fruit contain more components of aspertame then one can of diet coke. How you like dem blueberries?
    Sure they do, they contain carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen atoms. That hardly makes them aspartame.
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    In all seriousness, you'd be better off in the long run if you didn't consume that chemical concoction.

    Chicken breast and fruit contain more components of aspertame then one can of diet coke. How you like dem blueberries?
    Sure they do, they contain carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen atoms. That hardly makes them aspartame.

    :happy: just pointing out that chemicals to a degree are in everything. A can of diet coke included in a balanced diet isn't something to get crazy about.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    IMO and based on my own experience. No. If you like them ..then why deprive yourself. They're zero calories! I have never gained any weight from them nor have they made me crave sweets. That's my 2 cents.... before this thread dissolves into the war between the Diet Drink Drinkers and the people who shun artificial sweeteners.
  • fatboypup
    fatboypup Posts: 1,873 Member
    short story .. when i lost 100lbs last year I cut out diet soda completely, only drinking 0 cal energy drinks like monster zero. When I gained back nearly 50lbs this year I was on the diet sodas. You be the judge everyone is different you have to find what works for YOU.
  • ILoveTheBrowns
    ILoveTheBrowns Posts: 661 Member
    some afternoons when im hungry ill grab a little 12 oz coke zero.......holds me over until dinner
  • lupo316
    lupo316 Posts: 26
    I occasionally drink a Diet Lipton Green Tea, has zero calories and whatnot. My understanding based on what I've read is that, while it in itself does not cause weight gain, the chemicals and sweeteners in it cause 2 things to happen: 1) Sugary cravings can be more unbarable and remain because of the sweetener and 2) The sweetener does cause your body to increase whatever hormone it is in your body that slows down the metabolism, thus slowing down your fat burning or storing fat (I can't remember which)

    Sorry I'm contributing and not 100% sure of what I'm stating but as a general rule, having one every now and again is no big deal. The real detriment is when you drink the diet drinks primarily which causes you to consume less water.
  • PhilyPhresh
    PhilyPhresh Posts: 600 Member
    personally I don't see the rewards to drinking diet coke, and if there are no rewards, there is no worth... I doubt it would hinder your weight loss (other than the fact that I think aren't they high in sodium? I really don't know) but they are definitely anything but good for you...
  • JessG11
    JessG11 Posts: 345 Member
    I have been told yes and no...but from my own personal experience, I drink more water when I limit my diet coke intake. Which of course makes me feel better. I try to only get one a day. Sometimes I may have a few more, but not until after I get all my water in. And I know it's bad...the chemicals. Which is another reason I try to limit. But it's a change I'm not yet ready to tackle. I will soon though.
  • SlimPossible8
    SlimPossible8 Posts: 71 Member
    Diet Coke with Splenda is fine for you. Splenda is the only no calorie sweetner that will not make you crave more sugar! Its the only diet drink i drink and if i go out i do not get a soft drink. And dont believe you will get cancer from eating/drinking splenda...you only will if you injest about a ton each year....so you are safe. Im pretty sure if you injested that much of anything you would get some sort of cancer.

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