Diet Soda and weight gain

MsBrdlv
MsBrdlv Posts: 77 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have been losing steadily since joining MFP a little over 30 days ago. Last night we had Subway for dinner and I decided to have a medium diet coke with my meal. My question is related to the scale this morning........... I am up 2 pounds from yesterday!! Nothing has changed in my diet (calorie count for the day was still right where it should be). Can drinking a diet soda make you retain enough water to cause the gain? Is that normal?

Replies

  • loztredders
    loztredders Posts: 142
    I'd hazard a guess at the sodium content of the subway causing the water retention rather than the soda.
  • beachlover317
    beachlover317 Posts: 2,848 Member
    More than likely the sodium. It's in the sandwich not the diet soda. Drink water - it wil go again.
  • sjeagle30
    sjeagle30 Posts: 292 Member
    A diet soda only has like 40mg of sodium so I doubt it was that. Just the normal fluctuations of day to day water retention. I drink a couple diet sodas a day and have continued to lose weight. I know water is the best choice but I can only take so much water!
  • monty619
    monty619 Posts: 1,308 Member
    it was the subway and not the diet coke... any large amount of carbohydrate will cause water retention if you were not at your highest glycogen levels before... its not like its bad type of water weight either, if you have been at a carb reduced state the carboHYDRATE will hold water within muscle cells and liver cells which is called glycogen, it all depends when you eat carbs or not... and by the way, the more glycogen your body holds the better it increases metabolism with a higher bodyweight.

    diet coke gets two thumbs down tho, anything that can burn the rust off metal gets two thumbs down from the human body.

    water retention thru sodium is truely miniscule.. no way 2lbs of water thru sodium where 1g of carbs can hold 4g of water in the body.
  • Nastasha915
    Nastasha915 Posts: 124 Member
    I'd hazard a guess at the sodium content of the subway causing the water retention rather than the soda.

    I was going to say the same thing. I was probably the sodium in the sandwich. Even the healthiest sandwiches have alot of sodium.
  • MsBrdlv
    MsBrdlv Posts: 77 Member
    Thanks for the quick replies everyone, it is much appreciated!
  • MsBrdlv
    MsBrdlv Posts: 77 Member
    water retention thru sodium is truely miniscule.. no way 2lbs of water thru sodium where 1g of carbs can hold 4g of water in the body.

    Yikes! Guess I need to be more careful about what types of carbs I eat, and really make them COUNT towards nutrition.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    One can of diet soda will not make you gain weight. It's normal for your weight to fluctuate a few pounds up or down. If anything sodium was the culprit.
  • BrettPGH
    BrettPGH Posts: 4,716 Member

    Yikes! Guess I need to be more careful about what types of carbs I eat, and really make them COUNT towards nutrition.

    Don't freak too much. A little sodium and some bread is not a problem. Drink water and you'll be fine. I eat Subway and drink Diet Coke on a regular basis and they've helped me lose weight, not hurt me.
  • DieVixen
    DieVixen Posts: 790 Member
    no
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
    Subway is CHOCK full of sodium. It wasn't the diet soda. It was the Subway.
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    I'd hazard a guess at the sodium content of the subway causing the water retention rather than the soda.

    Yup
  • MsBrdlv
    MsBrdlv Posts: 77 Member
    Don't freak too much. A little sodium and some bread is not a problem. Drink water and you'll be fine. I eat Subway and drink Diet Coke on a regular basis and they've helped me lose weight, not hurt me.

    Thanks!
  • xoxobollywood1991
    xoxobollywood1991 Posts: 75
    Better stick to water! ;) I've been where you're at!
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    Subway is CHOCK full of sodium. It wasn't the diet soda. It was the Subway.

    They advertise 25% less sodium now too.

    *Blood veins shrivel and die*
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    More likely the sodium in the sandwich. Subway does have some good choices, at least fat/calorie-wise. But that doesn't make it good in the sodium (I'll admit, I love me some Subway from time to time!!).

    I drink diet soda regularly (too often, I'm sure) and I don't think it affects water retention. In fact, caffeine is a mild diuretic, though I wouldn't recommend using it for that purpose.
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
    I'd hazard a guess at the sodium content of the subway causing the water retention rather than the soda.

    I was going to say the same thing. I was probably the sodium in the sandwich. Even the healthiest sandwiches have alot of sodium.

    This.

    I find diet soda increases my appetite and I find it next to impossible to stay within my calories for the day.
    So between that and the ucky chemical. It's my beverage of last resort.
  • monty619
    monty619 Posts: 1,308 Member
    water retention thru sodium is truely miniscule.. no way 2lbs of water thru sodium where 1g of carbs can hold 4g of water in the body.

    Yikes! Guess I need to be more careful about what types of carbs I eat, and really make them COUNT towards nutrition.
    no thats not the point... that type of water retention is good its within the muscle cells and makes muscles look fuller, and pulls the skin tighter.
  • karen6266
    karen6266 Posts: 2
    I'm so glad to hear you say that about the Diet Coke's. I have been on my journey going on week 3. I have lost 4 lbs. I went from 5 of the 20oz Diet Cokes to 1. I want them so bad. I have been drinking my water but I hate water!!!!!!!! I need support really bad and reading some the posts have really helped.
  • gibbsterp08
    gibbsterp08 Posts: 7
    One thing I have noticed is that if I drink too much at night (by that I mean any liquids) I will see a slight weight gain no matter how well I have done. I have tried to stop having anything to drink after 8 pm so that hopefully the water weight doesn't effect my weigh in the next morning.
  • bionicrooster
    bionicrooster Posts: 353 Member
    I drink one or two diet cokes everynight, along with a little bacardi its much lower in calories than beer :-) Hasn't affected me at all. Lunchmeat on the other hand, kills me. But I try to keep my sodium under 2000mg.
  • JBApplebee
    JBApplebee Posts: 481 Member
    It's not the diet soda. Several years ago when I tried to lose weight, the first thing I did was switch to diet pop. The first week I lost 5 pounds, and changing to diet pop was the only change I made. I didn't watch what i ate or exercised at all, so I don't think the diet pop was the culprit.
  • JBApplebee
    JBApplebee Posts: 481 Member
    I'm so glad to hear you say that about the Diet Coke's. I have been on my journey going on week 3. I have lost 4 lbs. I went from 5 of the 20oz Diet Cokes to 1. I want them so bad. I have been drinking my water but I hate water!!!!!!!! I need support really bad and reading some the posts have really helped.

    I add crystal light on the go packets to my water. That way there's a variety & not just plain water all the time. Lemon tea, peach tea & raspberry lemonade are my favorites & they're only 5 calories per packet.
  • chachita7
    chachita7 Posts: 996 Member
    Sodium...ups and downs of sodium = water retention... no possible way you had 7000 calories in your diet soda ;) which is what you would need to gain the 2 lbs...
  • bane0317
    bane0317 Posts: 60 Member
    I found out last year that I cannot do pure "diet" stuff anymore. When I cut out diet soda and a lot of the other strictly artificially sweetened items I found that my sweet craving died off. I have been able to add back some of the other things but cannot stomach a diet soda except on a rare occasion. I can do the 1/2 and 1/2 stuff. by this I mean like the Country Time Lemonade and the Kool Aid packets that contain some real sugar and some artificial sweetener without inducing cravings.
  • Stahlratte
    Stahlratte Posts: 1
    I know it's an old post, but wanted to add something.

    1) Forget about "diet" coke or ANY soda whatsoever. Drink WATER, tea, some coffee (without sugar!).

    2) Subway sandwich is FASTFOOD. Period. It's better than Big Mac, but still contains too much processed food and sodium.

    3) Cut sugar and sweats from your diet. You'll be craving for them in the beginning, but you won't be thinking of them in a month time. In cases you feel you really need something sweet, drink some water with some glucose powder mixed into it. Glucose is also critical for your body after ANY exercise, either weight-lifting of cardio.
  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,300 Member
    Also, I see daily fluctuations depending on what and when I eat, hormones, and a number of other things of up to 5 lbs. A diet soda is not going to make you gain "real" weight. It has no calories (or a miniscule amount). You gain fat by being in a calories surplus. Period.
  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,300 Member
    I know it's an old post, but wanted to add something.

    1) Forget about "diet" coke or ANY soda whatsoever. Drink WATER, tea, some coffee (without sugar!).

    2) Subway sandwich is FASTFOOD. Period. It's better than Big Mac, but still contains too much processed food and sodium.

    3) Cut sugar and sweats from your diet. You'll be craving for them in the beginning, but you won't be thinking of them in a month time. In cases you feel you really need something sweet, drink some water with some glucose powder mixed into it. Glucose is also critical for your body after ANY exercise, either weight-lifting of cardio.

    And yes, I did get drawn into a zombie thread but I am glad I did so I can laugh at this post and flat out tell people that NONE of this is needed to lose weight. Ignore it and then some.

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