Diet Pepsi Not Helping

Kim1731
Kim1731 Posts: 11 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Experiment: see if I stop drinking Diet Pepsi will I lose weight?

Answer YES

Avid Diet Pepsi drinker, 1-2 20oz bottles per day. I would feel bad and get grouchy if I did not have my Diet Pepsi. It was bad, plus I had an idea that it could be causing me to gain weight. So it took a few weeks, who am I kidding; it took a month and a half to break the habit.

I started by exchaning my Diet Pepsi bottle with a water bottle. Each time I replaced Diet Pepsi I would extend the switch for an additional day. Example: off one day, on one day, off two days, on one day, off three days, on one day, off four days, on one day, off five days, on one day and so on. Now I am off Diet Pepsi and if I get to where I need something to boost my tired eyes, I have ice tea.

So this weekend we were out and about far away from home and we ended up needing to eat out. I thought hum, a diet coke for lunch will not hurt that much. What happened? When I did my daily weigh in first thing in the morning I weighed in 3 pounds heavier then the day before. It takes about two days for the weight to come back off. I'm shocked that my body is so sensitive to diet soda. Who would have thought?

Has anyone else had these kinds of responses to diet soda?
:huh:
«13

Replies

  • withchaco
    withchaco Posts: 1,026 Member
    3 pound weight gain following a meal eaten out? My bet is water weight from all the sodium. Most restaurants have sodium-packed menus.

    Sometimes I drink diet coke/ diet pepsi. Doesn't seem to affect my weight. But who knows, maybe you're allergic to something in it.
  • needamulligan
    needamulligan Posts: 558 Member
    3 pound weight gain following a meal eaten out? My bet is water weight from all the sodium. Most restaurants have sodium-packed menus.

    Sometimes I drink diet coke/ diet pepsi. Doesn't seem to affect my weight. But who knows, maybe you're allergic to something in it.

    Exactly!
  • BIRT1956
    BIRT1956 Posts: 31 Member
    I don't drink diet Pepsi but I do drink diet Coke, several or more day. I haven't noticed weight gain from drinking it. Maybe it's not the diet Pepsi so much as it is the food you eat when you eat out. Restaurant food is notorious for having lots of sodium. I ate lunch at Texas Roadhouse today and when I logged my meal it was well over 1,800 grams of sodium. I know when I weigh myself in the morning it is going to show as a gain. :grumble:

    But I realize that it is just water weight and will drop off in a few days. It takes 3500 calories to gain an actual pound so I know my diet Coke isn't the culprit.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    whitebreadloaf.jpg
  • neohdiver
    neohdiver Posts: 738 Member
    I thought hum, a diet coke for lunch will not hurt that much. What happened? When I did my daily weigh in first thing in the morning I weighed in 3 pounds heavier then the day before. It takes about two days for the weight to come back off.

    That's not a real weight gain. A 3 lb gain requires eating 10,500 more calories than your body needed to function. Losing it in two days requires a similar deficit of 7,000 calories. Pretty much Impossible to do in a 2 day period.

    When your weight fluctuates on a day to day basis, it isn't real weight gain - it has to do with the weight of the food in your body and not yet eliminated, or water retention.
  • stephanie1133
    stephanie1133 Posts: 211


    So this weekend we were out and about far away from home and we ended up needing to eat out. I thought hum, a diet coke for lunch will not hurt that much.


    If everything else would have been the same in your diet except for the diet soda, I would think you had something there. But you ate out, that right there may have done it, sans diet soda. Like the others said, anyway it goes, it is probably mostly water weight (unless you really really over did it at lunch) and has little or nothing to do with the diet pepsi.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    Agree with everything said above. BUT . . .

    Diet soda, which tastes sweet even though it isn't, triggers a heightened insulin spike, just like real sugar. Just thinking about food does, being close to meal times, etc. So you're going to have a similar physiological response to it. In fact (just thinking) perhaps more so, as you don't have real sugar in your blood to sequester. Which is why diet soda doesn't help dieting.
  • Awkward30
    Awkward30 Posts: 1,927 Member
    whitebreadloaf.jpg

    I bet that wouldn't happen if you switched to wheat.

    You're welcome.
  • maxonehiphop
    maxonehiphop Posts: 139 Member
    the "diet" soda isn't responsible for your "gain"

    I drink in excess of 12lbs of water a day. My weight fluctuates a similar (to 12 not 3) amount each day. It's not fat gain
  • neohdiver
    neohdiver Posts: 738 Member
    Diet soda, which tastes sweet even though it isn't, triggers a heightened insulin spike, just like real sugar.

    It actually doesn't cause an insulin spike: http://examine.com/faq/do-artificial-sweeteners-spike-insulin.html#ref8

    (I went to verify my understanding because (1) my spouse is a diabetic, and if artificial sweeteners caused an insulin spike that would be problem and (2) I know I react very differently to sugar v. artificial sweeteners (sugar triggers cravings; artificial sweeteners do not))
  • MemphisKitten
    MemphisKitten Posts: 878 Member
    Diet soda and artificial sweeteners cause our brains to crave sugar, so we eat more. Artificial sweeteners are one of the main reasons we are all FAT!!
  • Amy911Gray
    Amy911Gray Posts: 685 Member
    Mine is bread and tortillas. One serving=3 pounds!
  • etoiles_argentees
    etoiles_argentees Posts: 2,827 Member
    Diet soda, which tastes sweet even though it isn't, triggers a heightened insulin spike, just like real sugar.

    It actually doesn't cause an insulin spike: http://examine.com/faq/do-artificial-sweeteners-spike-insulin.html#ref8

    (I went to verify my understanding because (1) my spouse is a diabetic, and if artificial sweeteners caused an insulin spike that would be problem and (2) I know I react very differently to sugar v. artificial sweeteners (sugar triggers cravings; artificial sweeteners do not))

    soooooo...what are you looking for by posting this?
  • Gwen_B
    Gwen_B Posts: 1,018 Member
    That is very possible. Read this:


    CBS) Sorry, soda lovers - even diet drinks can make you fat.

    That's the word from authors of two new studies, presented Sunday at a meeting of the American Diabetes Association in San Diego.

    "Data from this and other prospective studies suggest that the promotion of diet sodas as healthy alternatives may be ill-advised" Dr. Helen Hazuda, professor of medicine at University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, said in a written statement. "They may be free of calories, but not of consequences."

    Consequences like weight gain.

    For one study, researchers at the center followed 474 diet soda drinkers, 65 to 74 years of age, for almost 10 years. They found that diet soda drinkers' waists grew 70 percent more than non-drinkers. Specifically, drinking two or more diet sodas a day busted belt sizes five times more than people who avoided the stuff entirely.

    And as waist size grows, so do health risks - including diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other chronic conditions.

    http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20075358-10391704/new-study-is-wake-up-call-for-diet-soda-drinkers/
  • redrdghood40
    redrdghood40 Posts: 13 Member
    I have seen a lot of articles on this lately. I quit drinking diet soda almost 2 1/2 yrs ago. I never noticed any weight drop though.
  • tacticalhippie
    tacticalhippie Posts: 596 Member
    This past year, I gave up diet sodas for lent.
    For the first time, I started seeing the scale move.

    I may drink a can every day or two but I used to knock down at least a half a 12 pack a day.
  • cmcorn26
    cmcorn26 Posts: 253 Member
    It does it to me too! I haven't been able to completely break the habit, ugh! Might use your method! Thank you!
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Diet soda and artificial sweeteners cause our brains to crave sugar, so we eat more. Artificial sweeteners are one of the main reasons we are all FAT!!

    Where do you get this information from?? What is your proof source for this?
  • Austin1988
    Austin1988 Posts: 243 Member
    I drank a diet coke and ate some corn. The next day, I gained 47 lbs.
  • Sublog
    Sublog Posts: 1,296 Member
    I drink diet pepsi's every day during my entire weight loss, didn't seem to hamper my results one iota! It has no calories!
  • magj0y
    magj0y Posts: 1,911 Member
    Diet soda and artificial sweeteners cause our brains to crave sugar, so we eat more. Artificial sweeteners are one of the main reasons we are all FAT!!

    Where do you get this information from?? What is your proof source for this?

    Articifical sweeteners in drinks can cause us to crave sugary foods. (whether you eat that food or not, it up to you, but it is sabatogory)

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/77144-crave-sweets-after-eating-meal/
    Paragraph 7

    http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/27/are-sugar-substitutes-worse-than-the-real-thing/
    Q #4

    http://www.medicinenet.com/artificial_sweeteners/page11.htm
    paragraph 3




    But more importantly. Soda rots your teeth.

    **Edited because I used wrong word.
  • brainfreeze72
    brainfreeze72 Posts: 180 Member
    I would agree that it is probably water retention from the sodium in the restaurant food. I much prefer to cook at home and make lower sodium alternatives to traditional recipes.

    An MFP friend once pointed out how high my sodium intake was. I was more careful after that and the first week dropped 5.8 pounds. I'm sure most of that was water weight since I was getting my sodium under control. The next week my weight evened out and I lost nothing then was back to my regular 1#-ish per week weight loss after that.

    I try to look at online nutritional information ahead of time if I know I'm going to a particular restaurant so I can make a more informed decision.
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
    i quit drinking Diet Coke in March and have never felt better. It was the most addictive substance I've ever been involved with and I don't want to disclose more than that. I have dieted with and without stopping Diet Coke and I'll tell you what, my binge-ing has almost completely stopped. I was a major binge eater for years. I've tried everything. It stopped when the Diet Coke stopped. I think that stuff really upsets your body in ways that you can't specifically trace to the substance but are definitely REAL. I also have way more energy and less digestive issues.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Diet soda and artificial sweeteners cause our brains to crave sugar, so we eat more. Artificial sweeteners are one of the main reasons we are all FAT!!

    Where do you get this information from?? What is your proof source for this?

    Articifical sweeteners in drinks can cause us to crave sugary foods. (whether you eat that food or not, it up to you, but it is sabatogory)

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/77144-crave-sweets-after-eating-meal/
    Paragraph 7

    http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/27/are-sugar-substitutes-worse-than-the-real-thing/
    Q #4

    http://www.medicinenet.com/artificial_sweeteners/page11.htm
    paragraph 3




    But more importantly. Soda rots your teeth.

    **Edited because I used wrong word.

    Seriously? You are posting Livestrong and CNN articles as proof sources?? How about a peer reviewed study maybe??
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    I drank a diet coke and ate some corn. The next day, I gained 47 lbs.

    FTW!!
  • neohdiver
    neohdiver Posts: 738 Member
    Diet soda, which tastes sweet even though it isn't, triggers a heightened insulin spike, just like real sugar.

    It actually doesn't cause an insulin spike: http://examine.com/faq/do-artificial-sweeteners-spike-insulin.html#ref8

    (I went to verify my understanding because (1) my spouse is a diabetic, and if artificial sweeteners caused an insulin spike that would be problem and (2) I know I react very differently to sugar v. artificial sweeteners (sugar triggers cravings; artificial sweeteners do not))

    soooooo...what are you looking for by posting this?

    I'm big on information accuracy. Artificial sweeteners don't cause an insulin spike - I was pretty sure they didn't, I checked, and provided a discussion which links to several reputable research articles documenting that it doesn't. Just providing accurate information to address a commonly held misconception.
  • stephanie1133
    stephanie1133 Posts: 211
    Artificial sweeteners are one of the main reasons we are all FAT!!

    I never had artificial sweetener until I started losing weight and replacing real sugar (calories) with it. I was always under the impression I was fat because of the crap ton of food I ate coupled with my sedentary lifestyle.

    Not saying artificial sweeteners are the best thing to put in your body, but I DEFINITELY think the assertion that it is one of the main reason "we" are "all" fat, is fairly ridiculous. Plus fear mongering and all that. I have artificial sweetener ALL the time, and I am consistently losing weight! Maybe I'm special though! I like to think so anyway.
  • foxontherun03
    foxontherun03 Posts: 34
    Glad to see everyone is a diatitian. I would say that it is possible for peoples' bodies to respond in different ways.

    Personally when I drink a diet drink I crave more sweets. So, it is best if I can stay away from them.

    We all can figure out what does and doesn't work for our own weight loss. Best of luck!
  • etoiles_argentees
    etoiles_argentees Posts: 2,827 Member
    Diet soda, which tastes sweet even though it isn't, triggers a heightened insulin spike, just like real sugar.

    It actually doesn't cause an insulin spike: http://examine.com/faq/do-artificial-sweeteners-spike-insulin.html#ref8

    (I went to verify my understanding because (1) my spouse is a diabetic, and if artificial sweeteners caused an insulin spike that would be problem and (2) I know I react very differently to sugar v. artificial sweeteners (sugar triggers cravings; artificial sweeteners do not))

    Got it. :)

    soooooo...what are you looking for by posting this?

    I'm big on information accuracy. Artificial sweeteners don't cause an insulin spike - I was pretty sure they didn't, I checked, and provided a discussion which links to several reputable research articles documenting that it doesn't. Just providing accurate information to address a commonly held misconception.
  • lilpoindexter
    lilpoindexter Posts: 1,122 Member
    I went to a restaurant that had combo meals on Friday...I didn't want to say just give me a water, because I would feel like i wasn't getting my full money's worth for the combo meal...The diet coke still tasted like a gross diet soda, but it was a nice change of pace from water. I think I will be drinking that stuff on days out...but not everyday...it still tastes like yucky diet soda.

Categories