Diet Soda: Thoughts?

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  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    I just ate poptarts...and they may not be as healthy as something else..but it fits into my calorie goal and I'm okay with it :flowerforyou:

    So if you want to drink diet soda...then drink diet soda.
  • bcf7683
    bcf7683 Posts: 1,653 Member
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    Diet Coke. Mmmm :drinker:
  • MightyDomo
    MightyDomo Posts: 1,265 Member
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    If you search the nutritionals there isn't much to say it is bad but would you really want to be sticking more unnatural food/drink into your body than you have to? I certainly wouldn't which is why my main and almost only drink that I normally have is either milk or water. And water is usually 90-100% of my liquid intake.
  • escloflowneCHANGED
    escloflowneCHANGED Posts: 3,038 Member
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    I miss Skittybang...
  • Kellbellftw
    Kellbellftw Posts: 89 Member
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    If I'm thirsty for something carbonated I reach for flavored sparkling water or flavored seltzer water! Something Natural is a brand of sparkling water I see around at most convince stores. The strawberry peach flavor is delicious! I know it's only 30 cals a bottle, but I don't remember other facts or ingredients off the top of my head.
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
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    what i've heard is that the artificial sweeteners trick your body into thinking that you're eating real sugar, so it reacts as if you had ingested calories when you really didn't, which throws off your metabolism. i don't know if that's actually true or not. i've heard people say that such and such lost 10 lbs just by quitting drinking soda, but i don't really see how that can be either. i know that i started cutting back on soda and lost a lot of weight, but that is probably due more to a better overall lifestyle and relationship with more healthyfoods overall than to getting rid of soda altogether. most people on here will tell you to drink it in moderation and you'll be fine. you can also search for it in the message board history...there are quite a few discussions on this.

    This isn't correct. Artificial sweeteners having no calories can't act like foods that do have calories. The problem arises with people who justify eating a bit more because the diet soda is calorie-free (or trace calorie, to be technical). If you don't eat extra foods while drinking it, then you won't gain weight.

    The only reasons I can think of for avoiding diet soda is if you have some stomach issues from it or if you drink it in amounts that can erode your teeth.

    And if you drink it, log it. If you track your sodium, that is.
  • apriltrainer
    apriltrainer Posts: 732 Member
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    I don't drink diet soda much...maybe once a week on the weekends. Nothing has happened. My metabolism didn't break...I didn't bloat. I didn't burp. I think if it doesn't hurt..why not.

    My great grandma was a smoker who died at 100. My aunt was a vegan who died at 32.

    OF course those are extreme examples. No need to be holier than thou with nutrition. I used to be one of those holy rollers..until I binged hardcore and gained 50 freaking pounds with all the restrictions I put on myself. Now I will have a diet soda...once a week. That's it. And that's because normally I don't have a taste for it. But I go to movie night with my son on the weeknds. I like to have a diet coke with my movie.

    My metabolism didn't break because I had a diet coke. I actually look pretty freaking good for my age. It's all the other crap people eat with the diet coke on the regular, that will get you the weight gain.
  • stacygayle
    stacygayle Posts: 349 Member
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    I stopped drinking soda in August. My drink of choice was Coke Zero also.....loved it. I was getting heartburn all the time so I thought I'd cut out soda to see if that helped. It didn't. I didn't lose any weight by quitting. I tried to drink a diet coke recently and found that I no longer like it, so i just don't drink it. I do have an occassional diet sierra mist or diet root beer but again, they don't taste as good as they used to lol. I never thought diet coke was that unhealthy but aspartame has been known to trigger migraines and since stopping the diet coke it has helped with my headaches. One or 2 a week isn't going to hurt you.
  • kluvit
    kluvit Posts: 435 Member
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    Some will say that it promotes cravings, but I lost all of my weight without giving up or cutting back on it. I typically drink 24-48oz of Diet Dr Pepper or Coke Zero per day, plus about 24-32 oz. of Crystal Light. For me, lifetime success requires that I don't feel deprived, so I chose not to "give up" everything I enjoy. It's up to you...if you lose weight better without and don't feel deprived, then go for it, but if you enjoy it and continue to lose steadily, I don't see an issue with it. There are many more serious/problematic "vices" than diet soda! :drinker:
  • sa11yjane
    sa11yjane Posts: 491 Member
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    like you, i know that it's not healthy BUT a can mid-pm a few days a week often fills me up and satisfies my craving for something sweet and has therefore got to be better than choosing something unhealthy to eat.....everything in moderation??? x
  • misfit34
    misfit34 Posts: 104 Member
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    I do drink diet soda, it is not a daily habit. Coffee is my daily habit. But I see nothing wrong with soda from time to time, or daily if that is your preference. I do make sure that I get in my water and that the soda is not a substitute for that.
  • NRSPAM
    NRSPAM Posts: 961 Member
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    My opinion is this. I have continued to drink diet soda the whole time, and have still managed to lose 60lb's. Technically, it could increase water retention, due to the sodium. And I have heard that it can cause you to crave sweets. There are a lot of articles out there about this subject, but I can't give it up. As long as you're still getting your water in, or close to it, and you don't drink a ton of it. I say go for it. It's basically a personal choice. I try to keep it to 1-2/day. Sometimes 3, for me. If you're able to give it up, then go for it, but I personally don't want to, and I haven't had to. I've also heard that the carbonation can cause bloating, and make your tummy look bigger. I have had a hard time getting rid of all my post baby belly, but I'm pretty sure it's just fat, and not from the soda. Good luck to you!!!! :happy:
  • kluvit
    kluvit Posts: 435 Member
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    YUM!!! Haven't had one of those in a long time, and now I'm craving one. I'll burn some extra calories heading to the convenience store downstairs in search of one during my afternoon break. So, in this case, diet soda will actually help me! :)
  • morf13
    morf13 Posts: 151 Member
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    Everybody has their own take on artificial sweeteners. Personally,I like aspartame (the blue packs)as opposed to the others like Splenda (or the yellow packs,pink packs,etc). I remember when I switched from sugar sweetened drinks to diet drinks. The change was hard,but worth it. Now,if i drink soda or tea with sugar in it, i cant drink it,it tastes so bad. I love my morning coffee,and I have always liked it with lots if cream,lots of sugar,(now its not sugar,its the blue packs). In a 24 oz coffee,I might out 10 packs of the blue stuff in there.( I know,sounds crazy). I am trying to slowly work my way down from there.

    I hear all kinds of rumors and theories about how bad artificial sweeteners are,most,are not proven, But I KNOW FOR A FACT,that SUGAR IS THE ENEMY,and we know what it can do. So,I have cut that out,and if artifical sweetener is my vice,so be it,but I still want to cut it down. My wife slowly lowered her way down to zero packs in her coffee,but I will never be able to do that.
  • catrunsintowindow
    catrunsintowindow Posts: 77 Member
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    Substituting diet soda for regular soda has been shown to help with short term weight loss. In that sense, you're in the clear!

    However, long term studies tend to show that drinking diet sodas are correlated with increased BMI over non-drinkers - even given that diet soda drinkers had a LOWER caloric intake than non-drinkers. The mechanisms for this are unclear- it could be explained by people who drink diet sodas tending to be overweight in the first place. There's some evidence that people who drink diet sodas tend to get more calories from fats than from proteins or carbs, which negatively affects weight maintenance. Because of how our bodies perceive artificial sweeteners, it could **** with RMR and make it harder for you to lose weight. It's also been shown in some (admittedly, not all) studies to increase appetite, hunger, and food intake. So if you're struggling to maintain a diet already, it may be something to avoid.


    Take a look at this study for more information:
    Fueling the Obesity Epidemic? Artificially Sweetened Beverage Use and Long-term Weight Gain (pages 1894–1900)
    Sharon P. Fowler, Ken Williams, Roy G. Resendez, Kelly J. Hunt, Helen P. Hazuda and Michael P. SternArticle first published online: 6 SEP 2012 | DOI: 10.1038/oby.2008.284
  • SlinkySpencer
    SlinkySpencer Posts: 139 Member
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    I don't think the occasional diet soda would hinder your weight loss, but I'm one of those people who craves more food after eating something sweet. I also crave more food if I eat potatoes or white bread. I guess we all have our triggers, and if diet soda isn't one of yours, more power to ya.

    Someone asked about the caffeine. I was reading up on that last week (I don't have my sources, sorry), but every article seemed rather contradictory (some tout it as helping with your energy and speeding up your metabolism, while others bring up the cortisol=belly fat issue). I think caffeine is one of those things that is good for some people (like people with migraines), bad for others (like people who gain all their weight in their tummies). I've been off of coffee and sodas for the last three weeks, so I've have only a small caffeine intake, and I've been sleeping much better at night. (And losing weight steadily, but I don't know if that's related at all.)
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
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    Drink it, love it, enjoy it.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    Okay, let me first start out by saying that I KNOW DIET SODA IS NOT HEALTHY. I know it is a load of chemicals and artificial sweeteners that my body does not need. I know this. But I also know that once or twice a week, around lunch, it is exactly what I want: It satisfies sweet cravings, it gives a pep of caffeine that's not as twitchy as a third cup of coffee, and I really like carbonation.

    My question is NOT is diet soda healthy, it is ONLY- how does it affect weight loss? Now, regular soda is obviously a sugar-loaded weight loss-killer, but what do you all think about diet soda and its effect (if any) on weight loss? On the one hand, it is zero calorie (and we've all heard calories in, calories out!), but on the other I have read a few semi-reputable sources (women's magazine articles, etc) that say even diet soda can contribute to difficulty losing weight.

    I'm curious what you all think. Other addicts out there? My drink of choice is Coke Zero.

    Given equal intake of calories, diet soda will not effect weight loss.

    Also, the dose limits at which bad things may start to happen are ridiculously high. I wouldn't even go so far as to label it unhealthy without applying that context.

    ^^this
  • Kellyeee2013
    Kellyeee2013 Posts: 221
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    Advice from a personal trainer: NO DIET SODA. Not sure the science behind it, but was informed it is bad for weight loss.
  • n0ob
    n0ob Posts: 2,390 Member
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    cherry coke zero FTMFW....


    that's what I think.

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