Diet Sodas- Is It Affecting My Weight Loss?

diet sodas made me want to eat more. Stopped drinking sods, sparkling water, or any carbonated beverages and I feel better. Definitely less gas and bloating.

Edit : I drank soda like water...and I drank soda MORE than water.

It'a probably all in my head but when I drink my usual amount of Diet Dr. Pepper (easily 2 L per day) I crave more high fat foods, burgers, fries, chips, bacon to name a few. When I'm limiting myself to one 20oz drink a day with meals I find it much easier to chose and enjoy turkey sandwiches and salads. And of course the weight falls off.

I'm just starting my weight-loss journey but my parents (about 10 years back) both decided to kick start they're diet/exercise regimen and have both lost TONS of weight, all while enjoying diet soda. They ONLY drink diet, but they both probably have a can a day (maybe somedays more, somedays none). Both have never had a problem with weight loss.
Not an expert here, just sharing what I have seen.

Caffeine doesn't cause fluid retention.

"Evidence

Lawrence Armstrong, Ph.D., Professor of Environmental Physiology in the Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Connecticut, sought out to explore the connection between caffeine and fluid retention. Through his research, Armstrong found that caffeinated beverages retain just as much fluid inside the body as drinking water. Male volunteers were split into one of three groups: pill containing no caffeine, caffeinated beverage or pill containing caffeine. The fluid electrolyte balance as well as kidney functions were observed and found no difference whether caffeine was taken in or not.
Coffee and Diuresis

According to Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D., at MayoClinic.com, caffeinated beverages may be able to hydrate you just as well as water. However, she notes that extremely high intake of coffee can lead to dehydration. An increase in urine output can occur if you consume more than 500 to 600 mg of coffee per day, about four to seven cups. "

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/489327-caffeine-water-retention/#ixzz2KNWB8cA7

Maybe, maybe not. You should try to cut down and see if it helps with your weight loss or not.

I found that when I got really light (don't worry, I have porked it back on), I felt like diet drinks and artificial sweetners caused me to bloat and have stomach pains a lot. I cut them right down - like from having about 1L a day of coke zero or sprite zero, along with sucaryl in my hot drinks (maybe 5 to 10 tablets a day) to having no sweetners, and only one diet can of drink every two days. I felt much better in my tum tum with the reduced amount. I didn't change my diet at all apart from this, although I did cut back on cabbage too, in case that was adding to the problem.

Some people have no problems, some people it really affects.

That's 40 miligrams per 8 ounces, not per bottle. So in a 20 oz bottle, that's actually 100 miligrams. The MAXIMUM recommended sodium for an adult is only 2,300 miligrams. Almost everything we eat naturally has sodium in it - let's not even get into processed food! - so, personally, I tend to avoid getting it through foods or beverages that have zero nutritional value. Who want's to retain water, lol?

Water retention is needed for muscle repair. I want to retain water.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Well giddy up - if I "want" to retain water, I'll drink water, not a chemical concoction with no nutritional value. And yes, I know chemicals are unavoidable in water too, but I can use a Brita filter to cut back on it.

I'm certainly not saying no on should EVER have a soda - diet or other wise - but, PERSONALLY, I think that if I'm making a real effort to live healthier, taking soda out of the equation is the logical place to start.

Diet Soda is not good for you!

You mean not good for YOU. I'm cool with it.

It is full of chemicals!

Name anything you eat or drink that isn't chemically bonded.

Also it can make you gain weight.

It can't "make" you gain weight. You do that from your own eating and calorie intake choices.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

I have seen your comments on other posts, but your responses here are definitely questionable. I can't believe that someone who works in health and nutrition would be an advocate for diet soda. Yes, the soda itself is ZERO calories, but for many of us, the ingredients in the ZERO calorie drink, TRIGGER PHYSICAL cravings for other sugar and carb loaded food. I am so happy to have stopped drinking it, almost a year ago and I KNOW that it has helped me make better choices and eating healthier overall.

I have to be honest...I didn't read all the replies.

Clean eating/drinking is better for you. It can affect different people in different ways, using artificial sweeteners, but it can't be called "healthy".

When you get to the point where your eating is under control, and you've made some much healthier changes to your diet, then start to cut back a bit. I've found small changes spaced out time-wise stick better....

Oh dear Lord, you're right, that is a LOT of soda. I doubt that it would keep you from losing weight since it's 'mostly calories in/calories out that works... but it does suck the calcium out of your bones, ruins your teeth and has sodium in it. You need an intervention! But, that's just my opinion. Maybe you can just cut back a little bit each week? That is if you want to! Good luck!

good question maytes.. maybe?

I tried to cut it out for 4 days but the urge to drink again was HUGE... really HUGE

I am more concerned about my teeth but my weight loss also came to a stop...

even though I am way below my RMR/BMR

the studies are more confusing than helping I guess

I cut back, but i didn't stop. No issue with weight loss.

Op, a zero calorie drink is not going to effect your weightloss as long as you are eating at a defecit, i drink a coffee every day too with semi skimmed milk and with a sweetener (aspartame based, oh noez iz gonna die coz chemicalz) comes to 16 calories, with 2 sugars it comes to 40 calories. It is personal choice whether you give up drinking the diet sodas, although stopping them altogether may cause headaches from caffeine withdrawl. The current recomendation for fluid consumption is just that 8-10 glasses of fluid a day, it doesnt have to be water.

I have done my research on aspartame and have come to the conclusion that it is perfectly safe to consume, as anyadverse effects were on lab rats/mice and that was in doses the equivelent of 600-700 cans of diet soda a DAY......

Im confused regarding all the posters that say about the sodium in diet sodas though, as i am now looking at a 2ltr bottle of pepsi max that states on the nutrition label sodium/salt per 250ml NIL.........

Op, a zero calorie drink is not going to effect your weightloss as long as you are eating at a defecit, i drink a coffee every day too with semi skimmed milk and with a sweetener (aspartame based, oh noez iz gonna die coz chemicalz) comes to 16 calories, with 2 sugars it comes to 40 calories. It is personal choice whether you give up drinking the diet sodas, although stopping them altogether may cause headaches from caffeine withdrawl. The current recomendation for fluid consumption is just that 8-10 glasses of fluid a day, it doesnt have to be water.

I have done my research on aspartame and have come to the conclusion that it is perfectly safe to consume, as anyadverse effects were on lab rats/mice and that was in doses the equivelent of 600-700 cans of diet soda a DAY......

Im confused regarding all the posters that say about the sodium in diet sodas though, as i am now looking at a 2ltr bottle of pepsi max that states on the nutrition label sodium/salt per 250ml NIL.........

I've never had a soda with high sodium in, in fact pepsi max = 0 sodium and coke zero =trace and diet coke =trace. Maybe it's different formulations in different countries or something? Otherwise it seems weird that's a reason not to drink them.

Many diet sodas contain a substantial amount of sodium which in turn causes the body to retain water.

There was an interesting story on NPR last night about how diet soda affects weight loss. Apparently it changes bacteria "distribution" (not sure about the right word) living in the guts and the scientists were claiming that it might cause type 2 diabetes and might make weight loss harder.