I've just been told Diet Coke makes you fat

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  • 3rdof7sisters
    3rdof7sisters Posts: 486 Member
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    Nysportsred wrote: »
    It might have that impact on certain people, but not all?

    ....................more self control issues re: "bad foods"..................gotta blame something, or someone else

  • humpbackgirl
    humpbackgirl Posts: 63 Member
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    maybe because i've grown up with diet soda but diet soda never made me fat. i lost 6.2 kgs and i drank alot of diet soda
  • LogR4Life
    LogR4Life Posts: 62 Member
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    Anything in moderation . . . .
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,575 Member
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    mskimee wrote: »
    I've just been told Diet Coke makes you fat (I love Diet Coke)...by a friend who is currently choking down salmon (she detests salmon, but its "good for you" and she does this every January for the whole month. There is also a lot of kale, which she also hates but is "good for you"). She is easily 3st overweight, but apparently my calorie and sugar free drink is going to make me fat because the "chemicals in it make you fat so you drink more and can't lose weight". I'm not sure if this is a rant or a smh moment, but dear god, I just had to tell someone!!

    Hopefully you know enough to pay no attention to such nonsense. Right?
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,126 Member
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    mskimee wrote: »
    Bookworm1860 wrote: »
    Unfortunately there is some research showing this to be true, beyond the whole tricking the brain and causing cravings thing. It seems one of the aspartame metabolites may actually change/interfere with metabolic pathways causing fat gain. The study was done with mice but unlike most rodent studies they exposed them to an amount equivalent to what many people consume instead of something equivalent to us drinking 20 gallons in a day. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161122193100.htm
    Typed as I slug down my morning diet Coke, which I'm trying to wean myself off of :'(

    I read that as the mice gained weight as they ate more as they craved more due to drinking the Diet Coke. So if I stay within my calorie goals, it seems logical to me that it won't make me gain weight, but possibly make me crave food that will make me gain weight. As long as I don't eat over my target, I should be all good. What I get from the study (I could be totally wrong though!!) is that the drink won't make you gain weight, but the possible cravings resulting from the drink might do.

    Anyway I'd prefer that to choking down food I detest for a month every year! :p

    Good thing you are not a mouse.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    This is an opinion piece but it discusses a lot of studies, etc.

    https://theoutline.com/post/842/diet-coke-is-not-killing-you
  • Alyssa_Is_LosingIt
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt Posts: 4,696 Member
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    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    TheLongshot wrote: »
    Honestly from experience I have a hard time dieting when drinking diet coke/pepsi. It makes me want to eat things to go with it like chocolate or cakes. I'm doing a lot better since I knocked it on the head.

    Just my personal experience.

    I'm just over here wondering how cake and soda are being grouped together.
    Cake and chocolate need milk, not pop.

    I thought exactly the same thing when I read it! I never liked soda together with sweet stuff. By itself or with something savory.
  • Commander_Keen
    Commander_Keen Posts: 1,181 Member
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    mskimee wrote: »
    I've just been told Diet Coke makes you fat (I love Diet Coke)...by a friend who is currently choking down salmon (she detests salmon, but its "good for you" and she does this every January for the whole month. There is also a lot of kale, which she also hates but is "good for you"). She is easily 3st overweight, but apparently my calorie and sugar free drink is going to make me fat because the "chemicals in it make you fat so you drink more and can't lose weight". I'm not sure if this is a rant or a smh moment, but dear god, I just had to tell someone!!

    So.. there are a few different studies out there on this.
    1 -- thought process is this, they can order more food because they are having a coke.
    2 -- Thought process is that artificial sweeteners triggers something in the brain to eat something.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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    malgamin wrote: »
    I have heard this also but not for that reason. I have heard somewhere that the sweet taste of diet coke tricks your brain into producing certain chemicals within your stomach/ intestines to help process the sugar that is about to receive, however, when no sugar comes into your stomach the chemicals released act negatively in some way.

    Personally I think it's all twaddle as I have a can at lunch and still manage to lose weight but even if it detrimental to you at least it's not full fat coke which would be far worse.

    Others may know more than I

    Here's a study about it, talking about the concerns with artificial sweeteners and food reward pathways. I don't believe it happens to everyone, much like some people feel full eating more fat while that does nothing for others. But since we accept that not everyone gets the same "food reward signals" from the same types of food, there could be something to this.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2892765/
  • boothekm1
    boothekm1 Posts: 60 Member
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    Yes this! ^^^^^^
    Zero calorie drinks make us think we can eat more. It's nothing more complicated than that. Plus there are some chemicals in diet drinks that may lead to cancer....but that's if you drink gallons of it a day for years.

    I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just make sure to get in your 8 glasses of water daily too.
  • bizgirl26
    bizgirl26 Posts: 1,808 Member
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    I used to be addicted to diet coke . Although I don't believe all the hype I am trying to eat less chemicals period. I do have 1 can of the Coca Cola Life . Still a lot of junk but no aspartame and 70 calories a serving . I feel better about it even if its still junk

  • 3rdof7sisters
    3rdof7sisters Posts: 486 Member
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    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt wrote: »
    boothekm1 wrote: »
    Yes this! ^^^^^^
    Zero calorie drinks make us think we can eat more. It's nothing more complicated than that.

    This can be counteracted by simply counting your calories. Though if you find it gives you cravings, cut it out.
    Plus there are some chemicals in diet drinks that may lead to cancer....but that's if you drink gallons of it a day for years.

    Really? Have any research to back that up?
    I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just make sure to get in your 8 glasses of water daily too.

    Diet soda is 99% water and can count toward your daily fluid intake. The "8 glasses a day" is an arbitrary guideline that doesn't apply to a lot of people. You can be hydrated from just about any liquid except hard alcohol, and we can even get water from the foods that we eat.

    and, you can get water from foods too..........just saying............8 cups is an arbitrary figure (check out Mayo Clinics view, they know a little bit about health)

  • Zoey2715
    Zoey2715 Posts: 4 Member
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    I don't know if Diet Coke makes you gain weight, but I am sure the chemicals it has does not help you in losing weight. With a lot of sodas (even diet) there is a fair amount of sodium that can cause bloat and water retention. Plus, the artificial sweeteners in diet sodas and other "sugar free" foods teaches your body and your mind to crave "sweet" stuff. I was addicted to Sweet-n-Low and why not -- it is four times as sweet as normal sugar! Unfortunately, it caused my insulin (the fat storage hormone) to spike higher and longer than the real white table sugar. Today I only use sugar cubes in my coffee -- one cube per cup -- and it has helped me reduce my sugar cravings immensely! I am of the opinion that for your long term health, it is better to train your body and mind to want less sweet stuff by eliminating the consumption of ALL artificial sweeteners and stick with real sugar (or honey) if you must add sweetness to your drink.
  • boothekm1
    boothekm1 Posts: 60 Member
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    Actually yes...my oldest brother is a physician and youngest is a nurse practitioner. So yes I've done some research. However, I am in no way a medical/health expert. This is why my comments were more general and not full of percentages and statistics like some "know-it-alls" like to give on here. I was simply offering friendly advice based on experience.

    The point of my water comment is my preference...I completely understand that different bodies require different amounts to stay hydrated. In my experience (I'm a diet coke-aholic), I stay on track better when I drink around 64 ounces of water on top of however many diet cokes I drink a day.

    Come on...the point of my post was clearly NOT an argument.
  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,365 Member
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    Zoey2715 wrote: »
    I don't know if Diet Coke makes you gain weight, but I am sure the chemicals it has does not help you in losing weight. With a lot of sodas (even diet) there is a fair amount of sodium that can cause bloat and water retention.

    Actually, 1 can of Diet Coke has only 40 mg of sodium (and your daily recommended allowance is 2300 mg) so I don't think you are going to have water retention problems from that tiny amount.

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