Diet coke and Coke Zero

Think about your long term health when drinking chemically sweetened beverages. Here are a couple of articles you might be interested in reading.

Diet drinks increase ones pallet for overly sweetened foods/drinks:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39543011/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/

Health risk of diet and regular sodas:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2339241420070723
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/34040.php

I take the articles regarding aspartame causing cancer with a "grain of salt". I on occasion drink diet beverages, maybe 1-3 times a month. I do limit what type of artificial chemicals I put in my body. If it's produced synthetically and there's no nutritional value then your body/liver has to work harder processing these chemicals out of your system. If you are drinking 1-3 diet sodas a day then there's a significant chance for these chemicals to build up in your body. Remember, you can't sacrifice the health of your inside for that of your appearance. Make your inside happy and healthy and it will flow to the outside.

Good luck to you on your journey.

Gotta agree with those who talk about the bad chemical sweeteners in diet sodas. From a chemical standpoint, you're actually better off drinking the regular stuff, though obviously it's not a better choice from a weight-loss standpoint. Drinking diet pop and other chemically sweetened drinks may offer you "zero calories," but they do not offer you "zero side effects." These companies want people to stay hooked to their product because it gives them a lifelong customer - same with McDonald's, hence the reason they start marketing their product to children about as soon as they can walk. You say you "cannot" give up the diet sodas, but I have to tell you that those chemicals are not good for your body, and the very best way to hydrate yourself is by drinking a lot of water.

Also - aspartame can affect the hormones that control your appetite, so just an FYI there. It can throw things off balance and make you produce more of the hormone that incites hunger and less of the hormone that tells you that you're full.

I drink diet pepsi alot 2-3 cans a day. but i have heard that it can effect your wieght loss something about hte carbs and it keeps u blotted. i know i went 2 weeks without one pop and i felt so different and i lost like 4lbs..but i just can't give it up either i get this really bad headache.

I think diet sodas (and sodas in general) are OK in moderation. As long as you go into something with your eyes open, you can avoid some of the pitfalls.

Caffeine does leach calcium and iron, and other nutrients from your body, so you might want to take a multivitamin or extra supplements.
Also in studies on lab rats, rats that were fed artificial sweeteners were fatter than those who weren't. But that's because they ate more. For some reason, artificial sweeteners increase your craving for sweets, and keep you from getting satisfied. This is one of the reasons why you should drink diet drinks in moderation, and make sure that you are not overly restrictive or overly allowing sugar in your diet.
There are a lot of other small side affects to take into consideration. But as long as you keep it in moderation, it shouldn't hurt you that much. Take it to the extreme, and you'll have to put in a lot of work to compensate.
Caffeine is the most addictive substance known to man (yes, its more addictive than heroine). So if you want to quit all together, you have probably 2 options. Quit cold turkey and feel miserable for about 2 weeks, or slowly wean yourself off.

If it's the bubbles you love and you want to cut back to just one a day, you could drink flavored carbonated water. 0 calories, 0 sodium, 0 sweeteners. I can't stand artificial sweeteners. They have a bitter aftertaste for me, so I drink the carbonated water for my bubble fix (La Croix or Mendota Springs in the US).

another carbonated water i LOVE is the (gasp) Walmart brand American Clear or whatever it is. They only cost like seventy cents for a bottle with 32oz in it! Key Lime is the BESTTT

I was JUST researching this issue the other day. I think there are studies on both sides. I decided to cut out diet sodas 3 weeks ago because I thought it was worth a try. I also cut out alcohol and fast food. I work out 5 days a week, sometimes a 'work-out' is just walking my dog. I've lost 7-8 lbs in three weeks following this strategy. I think it basically boils down to 'eat less, move more.'

Something that helped me kick my coke zero habit (2-3 a day) was the crystal light packets you put in water. Also, the Nestea Diet Green tea is really good. Target has Sugar Free Hawaiin Punch packets in their dollar aisles so I stock up on those b/c the Crystal Lights are expensive!

Another tip is try to hold off on drinking the diet soda during the day (or limit your drinking) and then let yourself have it at night as a 'dessert.' That way you're tricking your body into thinking it's getting something good and you feel satisfied and are less likely to crave a sweet.

Disclaimer: I'm NOT a professional trainer or health expert, I'm just your average joe and these seemed to help me and I thought I'd share just in case! (this is the first time I've ever 'blogged' before, sorry if it's long!)

i love diet pepsi...

I say one step at a time. Get to where you are able to manage your new dieting routine first, then start to cut back on them, then only allow yourself to have it once in awhile. I have actually found that after almost 4 weeks I don't really crave coke zero like I used to, weird huh? I have started putting bottled water in the freezer for 30 mins and the ice cold water is a nice treat to have.

Anyway - I think your reasoning for drinking it is sound.....although all the chemicals in it really isn't good for the body - but what IS good for the body nowadays!