Zero Calorie Soda, Good or Bad?

MericoX
MericoX Posts: 199 Member
edited September 22 in Food and Nutrition
Yesterday and Saturday, I did poorly managing my calories (not eating alot during the day and waiting until supper to use up my calories) and got a headache each day. The only thing that really helps - along side a pain reliever - is soda. I've almost gotten to the point of cutting soda completely out of my diet.

I broke down, and chugged down two of my moms Zero Calorie sodas, thinking why not, there's no calories in it. But I was wondering how it really pans out in the end? Am I screwing myself over with adding more sugar into my diet?

Replies

  • eillamarie
    eillamarie Posts: 862 Member
    If it doesn't have a tone of sugar it has a tone of artificial sweeteners which may be even worse! If it works for you I'd say 1. go see the doctor obviously; 2. use it only if nothing else is working for you that day.
  • jellyfishjen
    jellyfishjen Posts: 1,787 Member
    Try to spread your calories out over the day. It will help with your metabolism. I eat 5 -6 times a day. Breakfast,snack, lunch, snack, dinner and if need be and calories left snack. Drinking lots of water will combat the headaches. Its not easy. But the result will be worth it. I started at 121kgs so have a lot to lose. Also try and choose Low GI foods / wholegrains. I only have zero calorie soda as a treat. I jazz up my water with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Good Luck.
  • photo_kyla
    photo_kyla Posts: 322 Member
    Slightly random question, but are you sure the headache came from the calories (or lack thereof)? Are you sure it wasn't caffeine deprivation? I used to drink a lot more caffeine than I do now. Now if I have it, often I will get a headache the next day that requires caffeine to get rid of. You mentioned that it got better after drinking a soda. If it was a cola, it probably was caffeinated.

    Fun fact: Excedrin is just asprin and caffeine together
  • HealthyishWithMaggieG
    HealthyishWithMaggieG Posts: 397 Member
    Slightly random question, but are you sure the headache came from the calories (or lack thereof)? Are you sure it wasn't caffeine deprivation? I used to drink a lot more caffeine than I do now. Now if I have it, often I will get a headache the next day that requires caffeine to get rid of. You mentioned that it got better after drinking a soda. If it was a cola, it probably was caffeinated.

    Fun fact: Excedrin is just asprin and caffeine together

    I understand what she's getting at. I'm the same way and rarely drink soda (before MFP or after starting). I have a VERY difficult time eating when I first wake up. I get physically ill, if I eat before my body's fully awake (couple hours). If I get started working on the computer before I eat (I work from home), I lose track of time and sometimes get a headache from not eating.

    Sometimes, I can get rid of the headache by eating. If that doesn't work, I will take 1 Excedrin (taking the recommended dose of 2, makes me jittery). If that doesn't knock out my headache within about 10 or 15 minutes, I'll drink either a Mtn Dew Code Red, regular Mtn Dew or a Dr Pepper. I know, they're horribly high in HFCS. But, I rarely (once or twice a month) drink it anymore. And, worst case scenario, if I know the headache isn't going to go away by taking the first couple steps, first, I'll go straight to Excedrin Migraine and a soda. Knocks it out in about 15 minutes.

    The extra caffeine in the soda is just the boost to work with the medicine (and caffeine in it) to get it to work faster.
  • TaraMaria
    TaraMaria Posts: 1,975
    Hey there!

    I get headaches, almost hypoglycemic like ones from managing my calories poorly. It has to be the right conditions but it happens. Is it possible though that since you've just started out on your journey that your body maybe be detoxing a bit from the lack of sugar during the day? Doesn't mean it needs it, just means it wants it. Just like that really cute pair of boots I saw last week...:grumble:

    ANYHOW...Zero Calorie soda is one of those things. Ha ha! Have you ever heard about how diet pop is bad because of the high sodium? I just replied to another one of your posts about JUST counting calories but my biggest beef with Dt. Pop is the high sodium count. I know that when you look at the can and it says 0 calories and then says 30 or 35 for sodium you are going to say Tara lost her mind. But anything that has "higher" sodium then it does calories is not a healthy choice. Its an unhealthy balance. Like pickles. Ha ha!

    I've also read that Diet soda triggers the same insulin response as regular pop, but I have no idea if this is true or false as I am not a doctor. This was just in an article I read. Do a search on the forum for Diet pop or soda, ha ha! You will get TONS of results and articles! :o)
  • Bzbear2
    Bzbear2 Posts: 109
    Well obviously diet soda has NO sugar! Or else it would have calories!

    I drink it - but not too often. Interestingly, I find that the more I workout, the more my body craves WATER instead of soda! I find myself not wanting it at all! Weird.

    I say it's another case of everything in moderation. You are certainly not doing your body good by drinking gallons of artificially sweetened, artificially colored beverages.
  • hjorden
    hjorden Posts: 12
    They've also found that if you drink a lot of artificially flavored sodas since artificial sweeteners are over sweet you're less sensitive to natural sweetness like in fruit.
  • kwardklinck
    kwardklinck Posts: 1,601
    I agree with spreading the calories out. I do best if I eat at least 800 calories before 3:00 every day. My metabolism responds better when I eat every few hours. As far as diet sodas and artificial sweetners, I haven't given them up. I have cut back but I'm a caffeine addict and I can't see ever giving them up completely.
  • cjusticeg
    cjusticeg Posts: 90 Member
    Diet pop is horrible for you, actually, all pop is. I try to stay away from it at all costs. It sounds like maybe you have a caffeine addiction? If that's the case, maybe drinking tea would help with the headaches, and would be much better for you.
  • joeybaby66
    joeybaby66 Posts: 14
    M,

    Go over the foods on the program. For each one pick out foods for each meal, including snacks. try to eat every 2.5 - 3 hours. at the end of the day the total of all should be your daily allowance. If you eat within the 2-3 hours, you won;t gourge at dinner. The other person was right, dump the soda. Too many artificial ingredients. Look at my food diary to get an idea. you don't need to mimic mine, but it may help. you can do it. One day at a time M
  • TateFTW
    TateFTW Posts: 658 Member
    I never got the whole "ditch diet soda" thing. When I lost 100 lbs 5 years ago I drank a ton of diet, caffiene free soda. Because I wasn't exposed to caffiene as a kid, I'm very caffiene sensitive. I'm also used to caffiene free soda anyways, so no big deal to stay away from that. Diet soda, for me, is something I'll drink in the evening when I'm hungry or whenever I need something sweet. Right now I have a couple fridge packs of diet A&W rootbeer in my fridge, and I probably have 1/day on average.

    I don't have as much as I did back in the day, and if I had it to do over again I'd drink way more water (that's what I drink with most meals at home now), but I never have any issues with diet soda.
  • TuDominicano
    TuDominicano Posts: 120 Member
    zero calorie sodas should be limited. like it was said, it's what they put in it. I love drinking Coke Zero, but i try to drink them only on the weekends. Diet drink and zero calorie drink has Aspartame, which on some people triggers migraines. Best bet, have a Xenergy drink. The best there is out there.
  • mizzmorales89
    mizzmorales89 Posts: 23
    I think diet sodas are fine as long as they aren't the only thing you are drinking. I might have a can of diet soda about once a week and I don't see anything wrong with it.
  • Lisa__Michelle
    Lisa__Michelle Posts: 845 Member
    On Dr. Oz he said that Zero Calorie soda causes you to gain weight because the sweetness in the sweeteners tricks your brain into thinking sugar is getting ready to be absorbed in the body. When the calories/sugar never come, your body starts craving sugar and causes you to crave food or sweets of any kind. With that said, I don't think there is anything bad with have maybe 1 or even 2 cups a week but I would try to eliminate soda as much as you can.

    HOWEVER, even if you eliminate diet and regular soda because of the sweeteners, there are still A LOT of artificial sweeteners in our everyday foods, especially yogurts (greek yogurt doesn't have any but I do not like the thickness of it lol). You have to read the chemicals that are in things. There are sweeteners in bread and all kinds of food. So even if you eliminate diet soda for that reason, unless you read the ingredients in all your foods that are not fresh foods (meats, produce) then you are still getting in A LOT of artificial sweeteners.
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