Diet Soda....is it really any good?

Jessk63
Jessk63 Posts: 51
edited September 26 in Food and Nutrition
I am soooooo hooked on Diet Pepsi and lots of other forms of diet soda....people tell me its so bad and worse then regular soda....will I be more successful in dieting if I just cut the habit and give up my favorite beverage?
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Replies

  • stephfilako
    stephfilako Posts: 113 Member
    It is a hard habit to break! I have cut WAYYYYYY back! Im trying to include a LOT more water. For me I love the bubbles though. So sometimes I drink club soda and do pretty good. Im with ya! I'll quit with you if you like :)

    Steph
  • moody1011
    moody1011 Posts: 1 Member
    I'm wokring with a nutritionist/dietician and she of all people doesn't have a problem with a can once a day...
  • Meganne1982
    Meganne1982 Posts: 451
    i love diet soda, but i'm pretty sure the aspartame will give me a tumor that will kill me one day. i've accepted my fate.
  • ksloop00
    ksloop00 Posts: 144
    I've cut out all pop, except diet coke ( I gotta have it) and I've lost 26 ibs in a month! The sodium is the only thing that's bad in diet pop. I also drink lots of water. But that's just me. Anything is fine in moderation. Hope I helped!
    Kim
  • bmontgomery87
    bmontgomery87 Posts: 1,260 Member
    23jn6mu.jpg
  • jaylyn2004
    jaylyn2004 Posts: 8 Member
    i love my diet cokes. i drink 2 a day :(......it is my cheat. i am trying to cut to one a day. drinking tons of water :)
  • Jenn728
    Jenn728 Posts: 683 Member
    I cut out all soda. It wasn't easy but I've been 3 months without it and I've found some herbal teas I like to drink instead.
  • robbiedolly
    robbiedolly Posts: 8
    I'm a Diet Pepsi addict. However I'm now at 1-2 cans a day, but drink lots of water as well!! I've heard bad things about the aspertame, yada yada yada...I figure I've given up lots of stuff, if I can't have a yummy can of Diet Pepsi, than seriously just kill me now!!! :P
  • lrichardson2360
    lrichardson2360 Posts: 225 Member
    I don't drink any kind of soda anymore. It's a lifestyle choice, however I firmly believe in everything in moderation. Yes, the sodium is high in diet soda, but if you're only having one a day, I see no reason why you have to give it up.
  • elemstuck
    elemstuck Posts: 24
    Diet Mt. Dew is what gets me through the day. I usually drink at least one 24 oz. bottle and I have lost 17lbs in the past 7 weeks.
  • Leannek74
    Leannek74 Posts: 374 Member
    I loved my Diet Pepsi and Diet Dr Pepper. I drank about 1-3 cans a day and considered it my 'guiltless' treat.

    Then I stopped drinking it just to see what would happen. Well I went through some SERIOUS cravings, almost like quitting smoking...

    And then something magic happened...

    I began dropping my extra pounds, without any extra effort! Really, even my hubby noticed! I also feel less bloated and my joints aren't as stiff in the morning!

    Forget the science behind it, just try giving it up for a month... it's worth a try, and I for one will NEVER go back! I've been off it since October and will have a regular pop once in awhile (once a month or so) and feel great and lost 10 pounds beyond my original goal!
  • kimmerroze
    kimmerroze Posts: 1,330 Member
    I've cut out all pop, except diet coke ( I gotta have it) and I've lost 26 ibs in a month! The sodium is the only thing that's bad in diet pop. I also drink lots of water. But that's just me. Anything is fine in moderation. Hope I helped!
    Kim

    Sodium is not the only thing...

    There are tons of terrible statistics against it, granted all statistics must be taken with a grain of salt, but thats not to say that the statistics are VERY VERY REAL.

    One thing I have read over and over again is that The chemicals in diet pop are a leading contributor to the fat around your mid section. having fat around your stomach is the most detrimental to your health. So by quitting diet pop you will quit contributing to the fat around your stomach.

    Its bad for you. Plain and simple. If you were to quit and break the addiction to the caffeine you will find that you don't really NEEEEED it. works that way with all addictions.
  • ChristineM1953
    ChristineM1953 Posts: 135 Member
    I rarely drink anything but water, and I don't even miss the soda now. I probably drink a diet coke about once a month with pizza now. You are better off without it! My vice is coffee - I gotta have at least once cup a day.
  • Becky1971
    Becky1971 Posts: 979 Member
    I'm in the process of cutting it out, I have before. SO right now, I have a diet caffeine soda every other day (this is a small fountain filled with ice first, it's just to help alleviate my headaches) and then I have a diet caffeine free every other day. I am convinced that my diet caffeine has been a huge factor in my struggles the last 6 months, since I went back to drinking it. I have many side effects from the caffeine, and ones from the aspartame, and some of them I don't know which is causing them.
  • keith0373
    keith0373 Posts: 2,154 Member
    i love diet soda, but i'm pretty sure the aspartame will give me a tumor that will kill me one day. i've accepted my fate.

    I share your fate!
  • Boladefuego326
    Boladefuego326 Posts: 143 Member
    I drink diet ginger ale possibly once every 3 days...I guess as long as you don't chug a can 3 times a day you're ok
  • kellykaye_xo
    kellykaye_xo Posts: 66 Member
    I think it's the aspartame that's really bad. Gives you some serious brain fog...

    I made a choice to give up diet sodas for the most part and try to stick with water. I wasn't getting my water in that I needed because I was always sipping diet coke. They are very addictive and hard to give up. I also gave up sugar at the same time I stopped diet coke and thought it was harder to give up diet cokes. After a while though water starts to taste better and you start to actually crave it....
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    A. Your body doesn't need the caffeine. The more caffeine you consume the more your body builds up a tolerance to the beneficial aspects (reduced hunger, increase in metabolism) and thee more it reacts to the negative effects (stress on the body increasing the production of cortisol).

    B. Artificial sweeteners are potentially dangerous. Even if they aren't, the brain treats them the same as it does natural sugar. That means that when you consume artificial sweetener your body still releases insulin which stops your body from burning fat and makes your liver and kidneys use sugar from your blood for energy instead. This can cause low blood sugar which will make you eat more.
  • Jennwith2ns
    Jennwith2ns Posts: 296 Member
    Even if just trying to cut out the diet soda to get rid of the Aspartame in your body is beneficial to you. That stuff is POISON. I felt like crap all the time until I quit diet/sugar-free/fat-free things loaded with the stuff.

    The first few days will be ROUGH. I felt awful like I was coming off of drugs or something. But then you start to feel so much better and realize how much it was affecting your overall health. SO glad I quit it. I will occasionally have a diet-something but I try really hard not to.
  • DianeAuger
    DianeAuger Posts: 28
    Yes very bad for you..your body doesn't know what to do the artificial sweeteners in the diet soda so it stores it is what I've read. People have actually gained weight drinking too much diet soda. Try this for one week-avoid all artificial sweeteners or any food or drinks that have them and I'll bet you lose weight. My daughter told me about the dangers of these sweeteners and I lost 5lbs by just not adding them to my coffee and I stopped drinking diet soda. I have taken to drinking ice water (this will boost your metabolism) with slices of cucumber. It sweetens the water naturally and is good for you.
  • stephstrege
    stephstrege Posts: 62 Member
    23jn6mu.jpg

    LOL!!
  • KeyMasterOfGozer
    KeyMasterOfGozer Posts: 229 Member
    There were studies in the 80s showing that Aspartame causes cancer in rats, but they injected those rats with enough to be equivalent to you drinking 50 gallons of soda a day for many years.

    There are literally tens of millions of people who drink diet sodas everyday, and have been for 30 years. We are not seeing some huge cancer epidemic. I don't think it's something to worry about.

    That said, moderation is the key in all things.
  • michelle4271
    michelle4271 Posts: 194 Member
    I too loved my soda, Coke drinker her. Its been almost 18 years,,,yes you've read that correctly, 18 YEARS, since I've even had a sip of coke. I now only drink water and will on occasion have a sprite/ sierra mist if I'm not feeling very good tummy wise (its my comfort food from when I was a little girl - never like ginger ale haha).

    I stopped drinking soda because it is very acidic and will rot away the enamel of your teeth...now I know there is pleanty of other things I'm eating that will do the same thing, but I was ok with making this change.

    I have also learned that more than 3 "diet" beverages (doesnt matter what, just "diet") can lead to increased risk of heart disease. Again, I am probably eating pleanty of other things to compensate for this too, but its where I was/ am willing to cut back.

    It all boils down to moderation, too much of anything is not a good thing, and if its not one thing that will "do you in" it will be another.

    I have befriended a personal trainer here on MFP and she drinks a pepsi (dont think its diet) every day, has something to do with the simple/ complex carbs and weight lifting and the ease your body has in consuming and using what it can provide for you.

    So back to your original question, is it bad for you? depends on who you ask.
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
    20 glasses a day at the expense of drinking good for you water = bad
    1 or 2 glasses a day as well as drinking good for you water = not bad

    Everything in moderation.
  • getNskinny2day
    getNskinny2day Posts: 74
    I'm hooked on diet coke and diet pepsi, but studies are showing how bad it is for your heart and body in general. I actually went to a dietician last year and the guy told me "drink as much diet coke as you want! have 50 cans a day, it doesn't matter since it's calorie free!".. Umm... Do you have to get certified to be a dietician? Because that dude needs to lose his license!

    http://abcnews.go.com/Health/HeartHealth/diet-soda-linked-heart-attack-stroke-risk/story?id=12868269

    Check this link out. Now I'm not saying I never drink diet sodas, because quite frankly that would be a total lie, but drink them in moderation! I can't even drink regular now because I am hooked on the taste of diet, but I try to limit myself to 1-2 cans per week.
  • BaronessBlixen
    BaronessBlixen Posts: 56 Member
    If you can handle the controversy behind artificial sweeteners (I personally have nothing to do with them) and don't care what all that carbonation is doing to your bones - sure! :) I gave up soda many years ago and haven't looked back. Most people don't miss it. Water water water, or herbal tea. No calories, it will fill you up, and it won't increase your appetite as diet soda can do.
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
    Last year I read a study done on women. The results: Women who drank 3 diet sodas a day had a 30% decline in kidney function. They assume the same would apply to men.

    It was only one study but have heard of people having seizures, convulsions, etc. from drinking too much diet soda.

    I have also read that it can increase appetite. Your body thinks its getting something with nutrients and it doesn't so the craving kicks in.

    Moderation.

    Its amazing that even stuff that's good for you can be bad in excess. Too much sugar can hurt you but a little won't. Too much exercise could hurt you. Too much salt can hurt you but the body still needs some sodium. You can eat the same thing for years and all of a sudden you develop an allergic reaction to it (it's good to vary your veggies instead of eating the same kinds over and over - I have a hard time on this one).

    I drank both. I gave up all. Will have a real soda every once in a while. Other than Taco Bell's Baha Blast I don't like any of them anymore.
  • Rainbow_Brite86
    Rainbow_Brite86 Posts: 313
    I have cut all soda out of my lifestyle. But it took a long time, now it's been over 2 yrs and no longer miss it, heck we have root beer in the fridge and haven't even touched it :D
  • StabR80
    StabR80 Posts: 320 Member
    I LOVE my diet soda ANY diet soda is a friend of mine! The "best" one I have found for you is "Diet rite" sweetened with splenda, no sodium and no caffeine. Of course LOTS will sy even this is not good for you BUT I ould rather chug a 2 liter of Diet Soda then eat a double cheese burger and get fatter. IMO :)
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
    I too loved my soda, Coke drinker her. Its been almost 18 years,,,yes you've read that correctly, 18 YEARS, since I've even had a sip of coke. I now only drink water and will on occasion have a sprite/ sierra mist if I'm not feeling very good tummy wise (its my comfort food from when I was a little girl - never like ginger ale haha).

    I stopped drinking soda because it is very acidic and will rot away the enamel of your teeth...now I know there is pleanty of other things I'm eating that will do the same thing, but I was ok with making this change.

    I have also learned that more than 3 "diet" beverages (doesnt matter what, just "diet") can lead to increased risk of heart disease. Again, I am probably eating pleanty of other things to compensate for this too, but its where I was/ am willing to cut back.

    It all boils down to moderation, too much of anything is not a good thing, and if its not one thing that will "do you in" it will be another.

    I have befriended a personal trainer here on MFP and she drinks a pepsi (dont think its diet) every day, has something to do with the simple/ complex carbs and weight lifting and the ease your body has in consuming and using what it can provide for you.

    So back to your original question, is it bad for you? depends on who you ask.

    I have read numerous times that having your post workout protein with something sugary is good. The sugar will send that protein straight to the muscles immediately.
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