Diet Soda and Weight Loss
lesliefoste
Posts: 137 Member
I know that I shouldn't drink diet soda because it's bad for me. I'm considering giving it up (again...ahem) but was curious if anyone has seen a marked improvement in their weight loss as a result of giving up diet soda (or any beverage that's artificially sweetened)? I've read articles that say diet soda is connected to weight gain, but I'm looking for real people who can confirm that quitting has helped them lose weight. Thanks in advance for your input!
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my greatest success didnt come until i gave up all forms of soda and juices. my primary beverage is water now. i may have a little green tea or a honest drink every now and then but water is my go to beverage0
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Diet soda is only linked to weight gain because it fools you into thinking you have something sweet and can cause you to crave more sweets. The actual soda doesn't cause the weight issue itself.0
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Yah, I already drink nothing but water, diet soda, and sometimes skim milk. That's why I'm skeptical that giving up only diet soda will make a difference. Plus, I drink water throughout the day (I'm a teacher, so I talk all day), and when it's time to eat, I always hate the idea of more water. I never drink soda unless I'm eating something; usually 1 can per day. I gave it up earlier this year for a month, and saw no changes- good or bad.0
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I've read about a lot of people drinking diet sodas and still losing weight. Even though its 0cal I still think everything should be in moderation. If its one can a day you drink I don't see how it can be that harmful. I tell my mom that too because she can't seem to stop drinking diet soda's either. She's a big fresca drinker. I quit drinking soda and didn't switch to diet because I can't stand that artificial sugar taste.0
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I gave up diet soda and it made a huge difference.
Here is a Yale Study on the effects of artificial sweeteners found in diet sodas and the effect they have on the body:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2892765/
The interesting part of the research is the use of artificial sweeteners and the effect on the cravings the body produces. I will take a few quotes...
"Aspartame also increased subjective hunger ratings compared to glucose or water."
"In another study, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, and saccharin were all associated with heightened motivation to eat and more items selected on a food preference list [35]. Aspartame had the most pronounced effect, possibly because it does not have a bitter aftertaste."
"Sweetness decoupled from caloric content offers partial, but not complete, activation of the food reward pathways. ... Animals seek food to satisfy the inherent craving for sweetness, even in the absence of energy need. Lack of complete satisfaction, likely because of the failure to activate the postingestive component, further fuels the food seeking behavior." In simpler words, we don't get no satisfaction from the artificial sweeteners so we continue eating!
"Lastly, artificial sweeteners, precisely because they are sweet, encourage sugar craving and sugar dependence. Repeated exposure trains flavor preference [54]. A strong correlation exists between a person’s customary intake of a flavor and his preferred intensity for that flavor. Systematic reduction of dietary salt [55] or fat [56] without any flavorful substitution over the course of several weeks led to a preference for lower levels of those nutrients in the research subjects. In light of these findings, a similar approach might be used to reduce sugar intake. Unsweetening the world’s diet [15] may be the key to reversing the obesity epidemic." The food you eat trains your brain to crave those foods!
Now when I want a bit of soda, I get a sparkling water, add a bit of lemon or lime. My cravings for sweet things has gone way down and is usually satisfied with fresh fruit.0 -
Come on now! I think were scraping the barrel talking about giving up calorie free drinks to help us loss weight! I don't think so....0
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bump0
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Come on now! I think were scraping the barrel talking about giving up calorie free drinks to help us loss weight! I don't think so....
That is not what the research shows. Did you read what I posted? The research shows that the brain, when given artificial sweeteners, is looking for the satisfaction of the real sugar and when it doesn't get the satisfaction, it will release chemicals that will cause you to crave more sweets until it is satisfied.
I am saying that giving up diet sodas (artificial sugar), and sugar in general, will decrease your body's cravings for sugar.0 -
diet soda satisfies my sugar cravings.
Take that, correlation-causation!0 -
I drink 2 - 4 diet sodas a day. Hasnt hampered any of my goals.0
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Yeah definitely scraping the bottom of the barrel folks... Calorie free soda does not cause you weight gain, I have on average 2 to 3 diet pepsi a day and have for years now and have managed to lose a few pounds.....0
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OP, as you can see there are opinions on both sides of the debate and you should make decisions based on what you think is best for your body!
Good luck with your weight loss goals!0 -
Even if it causes you to crave sweet things, if you're counting calories of everything anyway, it -shouldn't- make a difference, unless you're having trouble sticking to calories.
That said, I'm really hoping it's the magic formula, because I'm a huuuuge diet coke addict (drink it like water. Drink water as well, but dc is my go to drink, will easily polish off 2 litres a day), and two days ago, I woke up and accidently quit cold turkey, because it just seemed repulsive to me (I think maybe a side effect of mostly eating clean nutritional foods these days). If it's the magic super key to weight loss, I'll be very happy. (Somehow, I don't think so.)0 -
diet soda hasn't hampered me either.... and after drinking, i have never went searching for candy or donuts to satitsfy some sugar urge. If anything it has kept me from adding 150 calories to my meal in place of regular soda.0
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I gave it up part way through my loss for reasons other than weight loss. My rate of loss has not changed. I gave it up because I was concerned about the acidic nature of it affecting my teeth (I was drinking up to 10 a day). And I am leery of the BPA lining the cans as I already have hormonal problems from PCOS and figured additional potential endocrine disrupters were not something I needed in my life.0
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There are also studies showing no change in hunger and a separate study showing no significant insulin response. Ill link when I'm at my desk, posting from phone right now.
Additionally, given that were in an environment where intake is closely tracked, one could easily see whether or not diet soda leads to calorie overconsption. Chances are this is highly individual.
Outside of the possibility that it could cause over-eating, diet soda is not going to cause weight gain.0 -
I don't drink tons of diet soda, but I do have maybe 3 10 ounce bottles of Coke Zero a week and I also use a fair amount of Splenda in coffee, on grapefruit, etc. This satisfies my sweet tooth and doesn't seem to be either provoking wild sugar cravings or hampering my weight loss. In fact, I've lost 17% of my body weight, so I'm not planning on changing anything.0
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The diet soda itself cannot cause weight gain, it's 0 calories.
If it makes you crave more sweets and eat more, then it could be percieved as an indirect "cause" of weight gain, but in that case it isn't really the soda that caused the weight gain, it's your lack of willpower to put down the donut...0 -
Honestly, OP, I think this is something you need to figure out for yourself. Personally, diet soda doesn't affect my cravings at all, but sugar free sweets make me crave sweets even more. I've had to experiment with what I can and can not eat. There are certain foods that I simply can't eat because they trigger bingeing (like sweetened cereals and donuts). I really believe that it's different for everyone and that most studies are basically just propaganda.0
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There was this weird drink my grandma used to drink called "Fresca" and it's like a grapefruit flavoured carbonated drink with no calories, sugar, anything and it makes you feel really full. Whenever I get hungry for something sugary or unhealthy this usually knicks the craving!0
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I am drinking a diet ginger ale right now...its the only diet soda like the taste of. I only drink a couple cans a week and I have had no problem with my weight loss. I know there are people that drink several diet sodas a day but I never did that.0
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I am saying that giving up diet sodas (artificial sugar), and sugar in general, will decrease your body's cravings for sugar.
I like diet sodas (Coke Zero Cherry, for the win) but I have them maybe once a week. They don't make me crave other things, but I do notice I'll go through a fridge pack pretty quickly so maybe I do.
However, I'm on a keto diet, so I don't really crave them that often anyway. It's a nice treat once in a while.
You're right about giving up sugar decreasing my want for it!0 -
Yeah definitely scraping the bottom of the barrel folks... Calorie free soda does not cause you weight gain, I have on average 2 to 3 diet pepsi a day and have for years now and have managed to lose a few pounds.....
Pfft... it's only water weight you've lost.
Just kidding! You're awesome!0 -
I stopped drinking all carbonated drinks and only drink water (alcohol during special occasions but in moderation) in March (started this journey in Feb) and have since lost 70lbs so, yeah I think it helps lol My skin has completely changed for the better ^u^ Good luck doll!0
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I used to drink one or two cans of diet soda a day as my free calorie treat. It also had a slight caffeine kick that helped stave off hunger for a couple of hours. I read the carbonation depleted calcium from the bones, and also boosted insulin since our brains only process sweet as real food. When the insulin levels rise with no sugar to process, you crave real sugar/carbs. I was afraid that when I stopped the diet drinks I would gain weight because I might want the calorie drinks. I didn't gain anything by quitting, and had no problem finding other drinks to enjoy. I might have one diet drink a month now, but it doesn't even taste that good after breaking the habit.0
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I know that I shouldn't drink diet soda because it's bad for me. I'm considering giving it up (again...ahem) but was curious if anyone has seen a marked improvement in their weight loss as a result of giving up diet soda (or any beverage that's artificially sweetened)? I've read articles that say diet soda is connected to weight gain, but I'm looking for real people who can confirm that quitting has helped them lose weight. Thanks in advance for your input!
how does science explain a weight gain created by something with no calories?0 -
diet soda satisfies my sugar cravings.
Take that, correlation-causation!
This. I want a diet cream soda now.0 -
But, what about the thousands of studies that have shown the exact opposite of what you posted? Should we just ignore that mountain of evidence in favor of a few select quotes?Come on now! I think were scraping the barrel talking about giving up calorie free drinks to help us loss weight! I don't think so....
That is not what the research shows. Did you read what I posted? The research shows that the brain, when given artificial sweeteners, is looking for the satisfaction of the real sugar and when it doesn't get the satisfaction, it will release chemicals that will cause you to crave more sweets until it is satisfied.
I am saying that giving up diet sodas (artificial sugar), and sugar in general, will decrease your body's cravings for sugar.0 -
yes. because alarmism is scary. so it must be true.
also, I've read that all people that drink water ... eventually die.0 -
I know that I shouldn't drink diet soda because it's bad for me. I'm considering giving it up (again...ahem) but was curious if anyone has seen a marked improvement in their weight loss as a result of giving up diet soda (or any beverage that's artificially sweetened)? I've read articles that say diet soda is connected to weight gain, but I'm looking for real people who can confirm that quitting has helped them lose weight. Thanks in advance for your input!
Diet Soda has sodium... however it has about aas much sodium as a pretzel. If you want to stay away from artificial sweetners or dark liquids... or carbination, then it makes sense. But if its something you enjoy, use in moderation and see as a reward or even something you just refuse to budge on then there is no sense in cutting it out for sodium reasons. Although it does have other ingredients, soda (just like other beverages) is mainly water. It's the amounts of the other ingredients that can slow down your diet so just be sensible... just like you would with sodium in your diet. Not bad for you, but use it sparingly
Read more on this topic - http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/diet-sodas-and-weight-gain-not-so-fast0
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