Diet Soda / Crystal Light

TotallyTina

I can't cut my diet soda cravings. I have started to drink coffee with stevia in the mornings, and then try to limit myself to one diet MD or diet coke a day ... is Stevia any better for you than the aspartame? I have never ever been a real soda or real sugar eater - i always get diet everything!! do you think if i cut this it would help me lose weight? Thanks - Tina

Tracy_03311981

I think it's great that you cut down dramatically. In fact, artificial sweetners, besides being awful for you, acutally make you crave more sugar!
Stevia is much better for you than aspartame! I cut my sugar by more than half and lost 5 lbs in a week!
Your doing great by making such a big change, keep it up!

Musikelektronik

Oh boy, here we go again.

Penfoldsplace

Giving up diet soda will not help you lose weight they are only a few calories a can. Some people give it up if they are concerned about the ingredients or are sensitive to aspartame.

I have been drinking diet sodas all through my weight loss so far and had no problem.

_skittybang

Besides making you incredibly fat...

Diet soda can kill you, too.




Proof is in the pudding, sugar. Sugar is in the pudding, too.

mlcastle

have a watch/read - http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/ask-jillian-how-can-i-kick-my-diet-soda-habit-for-good.aspx?xid=nl_LosingItWithJillianMichaels_20120906

ShaneOSX

Fair warning, this thread will be a battle between organic evangelists and people who actually trust the FDA/Government/Corporations.

Stevia has no known negatives. It's been consumed since the 13th century. In my opinion, Aspartame is in fact dangerous, and I would take the calories of regular soda over the toxicity of artificial sweeteners.

One great option is to buy a Sodastream, buy the natural flavors, and make your own soda.

They also make Stevia sodas, but I personally think they taste terrible. Crystal Light is also pretty bad for you re: toxicity, since you mentioned it in the thread title.

Katalyst77

Giving up diet soda will not help you lose weight they are only a few calories a can. Some people give it up if they are concerned about the ingredients or are sensitive to aspartame.

I have been drinking diet sodas all through my weight loss so far and had no problem.

Its all crap! Give it all up! If you switch to unsweetened iced tea it will definitely help you lose weight! I save soda for when I am having pizza... they go together like beer and cigarettes! LOL! When I do indulge I like pepsi throwback. It tastes better, and is made with actual sugar... The regular sodas are all made with that high fructose crap, which is just as bad as artificial sweeteners... I think Stevia is probably somewhat better but it still seems like cheating...and you know what they say...

brancamfitness

Fair warning, this thread will be a battle between organic evangelists and people who actually trust the FDA/Government/Corporations.

Stevia has no known negatives. It's been consumed since the 13th century. In my opinion, Aspartame is in fact dangerous, and I would take the calories of regular soda over the toxicity of artificial sweeteners.

Fair point about who to trust. However I will say most studies point to no harm at moderate dosage. The ones showing the worst effects were not only tested on rodents, but also a serving that would be similar to a human drinking 28 cans or so a day (highly doubtful).

In the end it's one of those things people like to point the finger at for blame for their weight gain (or the culprit for not seeing the weight loss they want). However true accountability needs to be had here in regards to overall nutrition.

jeditemple

Hey Tina, I don't know much about Stevia, but I do know that diet drinks (with aspartame) have been studied quite a bit regarding weight control. The studies have shown that diet drinks have a tendency to increase your appetite, boost stroke risk and deplete calcium. And the average soft drink throws in around 50mg of sodium too. While I personally don't think 1 drink (per day) will affect you either way, consuming several a day might lead to a problem. But since sodas don't have add any positive benefits to your health, you should cut it at your own discretion. For me, I treat myself to one diet soft drink per day. The rest of the time I drink plenty of water. I haven't noticed any weight gain with that plan. And honestly, you've gotta treat yourself sometimes.

Jester522

My own copy-pasta from a similar threads:

Truvia/Stevia in certain recipes I have and even then I'm conservative. Diet sodas/drinks may give you the benefit of zero sugars and low carb but the other lurking evils are super high sodium content and aspartame. So you may sneak your way out from an uncalled for insulin spike in an insulin resistant state but hold a little extra water and, if your frequent with it, face high BP. Also, to clear things up, aspartame and sucralose are different. I (try to) avoid aspartame and opt for sucralose when faced with a decision, so Splenda over Equal. Aspartame breaks down in the system leaving a by product of formaldehyde - BUT the amount is so insignificant it's not even worth mentioning. Health safety concerns surrounding aspartame are hype:
http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/aspartame.asp

After a while I cut ALL sweeteners and sugars when in competition prep as they will ruin the definitive look of abs. To some degree, the body still treats these compounds like sugar and tries to metabolize them as so.

Water, tea, black coffee, red wine, and occasionally vodka or scotch whiskey. But there's a lot bigger health concerns with being overweight then drinking diet soda.

daisiemae123

Anything is bad for you in excess, and a study can be found somewhere to tell you that just about everything is bad for you. When I was pregnant I had a nutritionist in practically the same breath tell me that I shouldn't drink bottled water because of bpa in the plastic but I shouldn't drink tap water because of minerals and toxins. Ummm, so what am I supposed to drink? Good for you for cutting down on your soda and artificial sweeteners. I have never noticed a difference in weight loss or hunger whether I drink them or not. I gave up soda and switched to seltzer and water because I wanted to, not for any other reason. I don't think one a day or even two is going to hurt.

DMW914

Have you heard of or tried Zevia? It is a natual soda made with Stevia and they have a Cola & Caffrine free Cola flavor. I just recently added them to my diet because I'm trying to watch my sugar & sodium intake and this brand has ZERO of anything & they taste pretty good. If you can stand the aftertaste of Suclarose (Splenda) or Aspertame (Equal) then you should be fine Zevia as it does have a lil' bit of an aftertaste depending on which flavor you buy. I like Grape, Cream & Orange cause they have the least aftertaste to me so far... I haven't tried the other flavors yet as they're always out of stock by the time I get to the store. I will admit they may be a lil' pricey too but better than the rest of the junk soda's out there. You can find them at Whole Foods or a natural food grocer or check out http://www.zevia.com/stores/locator/

TotallyTina

THANK YOU!! I need some motivation. Haven't had one yet today - only Coffee with Truvia

lenniebus

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lenniebus

I am a big one for moderation--and making the most sensible choice. i do think Stevia is a little better, so opt for that when I can, but do drink diet sodas (in moderation). I am trying to limit...but, to be honest...it's probably not the most unhealthy thing a put in my body.

philOHIO

There is NOTHING wrong with Crystal Light. Not any different than Kool Aid, and people have been drinking that for almost 100 yrs.

dodihere

I will have a diet soda as a treat. Otherwise I drink water. I once hated water.

LorinaLynn

Diet sodas/drinks may give you the benefit of zero sugars and low carb but the other lurking evils are super high sodium content and aspartame.

And this right here is where the "diet soda is evil" people lose me. They're just regurgitating things they've heard, without doing any research for themselves.

Diet sodas typically contain 25 -35mg of sodium per serving. That's about the same as the sodium content in three raw baby carrots.

SOME people do have negative reactions to aspartame and those people should avoid it. I have a negative reaction to Ivory soap, so I don't use that particular brand. I'm not out trying to tell the rest of the world to avoid Ivory because it's 99.44% pure and the other .56% is the blood of unicorns.

lsapphire

I can't tolerate much aspartame. I drink one can of pepsi one a day and flavored water ( I use to drink at least a 6pk of soda a day)

Crochetluvr

Diet sodas/drinks may give you the benefit of zero sugars and low carb but the other lurking evils are super high sodium content and aspartame.

And this right here is where the "diet soda is evil" people lose me. They're just regurgitating things they've heard, without doing any research for themselves.

Diet sodas typically contain 25 -35mg of sodium per serving. That's about the same as the sodium content in three raw baby carrots.

SOME people do have negative reactions to aspartame and those people should avoid it. I have a negative reaction to Ivory soap, so I don't use that particular brand. I'm not out trying to tell the rest of the world to avoid Ivory because it's 99.44% pure and the other .56% is the blood of unicorns.

LOVE IT!!:laugh:

Kelley528

I only drank diet soda and crystal light my whole life because my sister is diabetic and those were the only types of sweet drinks that were kept in the house. My mother and sister were big soda drinkers so it always seemed like diet soda was the only drink we ever had. Carbonation bothered me alot as an adult so I decided to quit diet soda and drink only natural drinks or juices---not carbonated, chemical nonsense.

When i quit drinking diet soda I wound up losing 10lbs over 3 months. I did not change anything else about my diet and I didnt change my exercise habits--the only change was soda. The fact that diet soda has zero calories and that cutting it out of my life still led me to lose 10lbs over 3 months says alot about what type of garbage it is.

I used to feel bloated all the time, retained so much water that sometimes I had to wear bigger clothes on some days. The soda was gone and all that went away.

This was 7 years ago.

My opinion, just because diet soda doesnt have any calories doesn't mean its harmless to your body and diet.

SopranogirlCa

LorinaLynn, I love your repy. Well done!

taylor5877

I'm a toxicologist and I drink about a gallon/day of crystal light and 1-3 sodas per week.

TotallyTina

haha well put!!

misspastry

There is NOTHING wrong with Crystal Light. Not any different than Kool Aid, and people have been drinking that for almost 100 yrs.

shicken684

Giving up diet soda will not help you lose weight they are only a few calories a can. Some people give it up if they are concerned about the ingredients or are sensitive to aspartame.

I have been drinking diet sodas all through my weight loss so far and had no problem.

Its all crap! Give it all up! If you switch to unsweetened iced tea it will definitely help you lose weight! I save soda for when I am having pizza... they go together like beer and cigarettes! LOL! When I do indulge I like pepsi throwback. It tastes better, and is made with actual sugar... The regular sodas are all made with that high fructose crap, which is just as bad as artificial sweeteners... I think Stevia is probably somewhat better but it still seems like cheating...and you know what they say...

Do you even know what you're talking about? First off there is zero scientific evidence showing artificial sweeteners do any harm to the human body in the doses we consume. The only study where it showed an increase in cancer was when they gave rats the equivalent of 100 diet cokes a day for their entire lives. The reason high fructose corn syrup is bad for you is because its insanely cheap. Companies now have a very cheap way to add sweetness to their products. So now sugar is in more foods, and in higher amounts. Once again, no peer reviewed scientific study has shown HFCS is any more harmful than normal sugar.

I don't have much knowledge on Stevia but it seems to fall under the neutral phase where there hasn't been enough research to form a conclusion. Now this is all for the average person. If you are sensitive to any of these sweetners then they are not for you. I have issues with Stevia so I can't drink/eat it or my stomach hates me for a day or two. Also about artificial sugars causing you to crave more sweets is somewhat true. The human body is hard wired to crave high calorie foods. That's why sugar and fat taste so good. So that one comes down to will power. For me, a coke zero or some zero sugar jello is a nice healthy way to calm my sugar cravings without eating actual sugar.

Conclusion, if you do not have an allergy or sensitivity to artificial sugar, then they are going to be much better than real sugar.

imhungry2012

Flavored seltzer/club soda is what I switched too and I love it. Giant brand raspberry lime is my go to when I am craving something bubbly. Much better choice than diet soda!

bulbadoof

Everything that I could have said has already been said; it's a decision you'll have to make on your own.

I will say that I notice I eat more overall and I get mild headaches when I drink diet soda, but that's just a personal reaction and I couldn't use that information to tell somebody else whether it's good or bad.

ahamm002

I would avoid artifical sweeteners b/c they make you crave sugar. The fact that you're still craving diet coke shows that they have semi-addictive qualities. Drink water, black coffee, or tea. They all have health benefits instead of negative health consequences. And if you stick with them, you will eventually learn to love either black coffee or tea (no matter how much you may think you hate them now).

cmcollins001

Diet sodas/drinks may give you the benefit of zero sugars and low carb but the other lurking evils are super high sodium content and aspartame.

And this right here is where the "diet soda is evil" people lose me. They're just regurgitating things they've heard, without doing any research for themselves.

Diet sodas typically contain 25 -35mg of sodium per serving. That's about the same as the sodium content in three raw baby carrots.

SOME people do have negative reactions to aspartame and those people should avoid it. I have a negative reaction to Ivory soap, so I don't use that particular brand. I'm not out trying to tell the rest of the world to avoid Ivory because it's 99.44% pure and the other .56% is the blood of unicorns.

.56% blood of unicorns...hmmm

Note to self: Hey, Voldemort, immediately have one of the Death Eater minions go to the store and buy tons of Ivory Soap. It will keep you alive even though you are an inch from death.