No Calorie Sodas and Weight
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lemurcat12 wrote: »GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »People think gut bacteria affects what foods you crave, but that assumes -- wrongly, IMO -- that people cannot control what they choose to eat.
Gut bacteria also affects how you digest what you eat, but often that has more to do with what you do eat Don't eat many veg/much fiber, and it's hard to digest it, as you lack the right bacteria. That changes over time.
Suggesting that drinking diet soda just makes you fat unrelated to calories makes no scientific sense, is unsupported, and sounds like an excuse/denial of the reality of excess calories.
I personally have had periods where I drank quite a lot of diet soda and periods (like now) where I rarely drink it, and I've never found that it affects what I crave (what foods I eat do affect what I crave -- I crave what I'm in the habit of drinking).
Some find that drinking lots of sweet things make them unable to appreciate non sweet tastes, but that has always seemed odd to me and was never my experience -- I suspect it has more to do with not developing your palate to consume other things more generally or perhaps huge excess over a long period of time or something. (When I consumed the most diet soda I also generally didn't care for many super sweet foods and strongly disliked sweet wines, sweet dressings, etc., and enjoyed fruits and veg perfectly well.)
This whole idea of having a "sweet taste" and being sensitized to it is just weird to me.
The other day, I bit into a stalk of celery and it was incredibly sweet for celery.
I drink diet soda all the time, criminally over-sweeten my morning tea, and yet I can pick up on the nuances in vegetables and nuts that makes one sample sweet vs. another that's maybe bitter or earthy.
Yeah, whenever people say they couldn't appreciate fruit until they quit soda or diet diet or added sugar, I always find it puzzling. I was chopping some onion and ate a slice this morning and noticed again how sweet onion is even though I actually had a diet coke yesterday, oh no! (Onion having plenty of sugar is, of course, why it carmelizes easily).
I also had some cherries yesterday which were, of course, extremely sweet (and delicious).
I don't get it either. And unlike you, I really like very sweet things. I'm not currently eating them since I'm trying to optimize satiety while on a deficit, but I'd be a classic case for supposed de-sensitized taste buds.
Nope. Mine work just fine. I'm going to go pour some diet cranberry ginger ale since I'm all out of Diet Dr. Pepper.7 -
I will have a Coke Zero or Diet Dr. Pepper once in w blue moon these days but I prefer either coffee and tea without sweetener. The one thing I have noticed is by not drinking super sweet drinks I don't crave sweets as much as I used too when I was drinking diet soda daily. Plus aspartame gives me headaches like no other. I don't think it makes you gain weight but I do think they make you crave other bad foods and rationalize eating them because you are having a zero calorie drink. I drink a lot of water plus a glass of hibiscus tea just for something different. Diet soda might be good for some people but my overall health has been better since I stopped drinking them so frequently.0
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I will have a Coke Zero or Diet Dr. Pepper once in w blue moon these days but I prefer either coffee and tea without sweetener. The one thing I have noticed is by not drinking super sweet drinks I don't crave sweets as much as I used too when I was drinking diet soda daily. Plus aspartame gives me headaches like no other. I don't think it makes you gain weight but I do think they make you crave other bad foods and rationalize eating them because you are having a zero calorie drink. I drink a lot of water plus a glass of hibiscus tea just for something different. Diet soda might be good for some people but my overall health has been better since I stopped drinking them so frequently.
For some people, aspartame is a known migraine trigger. But that is a special case.
I am very glad it's not one of my triggers.3 -
I will have a Coke Zero or Diet Dr. Pepper once in w blue moon these days but I prefer either coffee and tea without sweetener. The one thing I have noticed is by not drinking super sweet drinks I don't crave sweets as much as I used too when I was drinking diet soda daily. Plus aspartame gives me headaches like no other. I don't think it makes you gain weight but I do think they make you crave other bad foods and rationalize eating them because you are having a zero calorie drink. I drink a lot of water plus a glass of hibiscus tea just for something different. Diet soda might be good for some people but my overall health has been better since I stopped drinking them so frequently.
That may have been your experience but it definitely hasn't been mine. I don't feel the need to rationalize any foods that I chose to eat, that seems pretty distorted to me. I have a healthy relationship with food though.
And what exactly is a 'bad' food?
edit-clarity5 -
Wow, all these the responses are great!
I would like to clarify a bit (defend myself? Haha) and say that my Coke Zero is also my coffee/tea. I've never liked coffee or tea (I can drink some herbal teas that are basically just warm fruit water) and can't force myself to like it or drink it. So, admittedly, Coke Zero is my "morning coffee". I also drink about 6 cups of water a day (trying to get more in but damn it's hard!) so it's not like I'm only having soft drinks.
I'm not sure if I'll get blasted for this or not, but I also drink Coke Zero at times when I normally would have grazed or snacked. Like, when I'm not hungry but would have eaten something just to keep my hands busy (?). Now I grab a Coke Zero. Maybe not the healthiest choice in the world, but better than taking down half a bag of chips while watching tv, or nibbling away at a cheese & cracker platter at a party. Calorie wise, at least...6 -
Wow, all these the responses are great!
I would like to clarify a bit (defend myself? Haha) and say that my Coke Zero is also my coffee/tea. I've never liked coffee or tea (I can drink some herbal teas that are basically just warm fruit water) and can't force myself to like it or drink it. So, admittedly, Coke Zero is my "morning coffee". I also drink about 6 cups of water a day (trying to get more in but damn it's hard!) so it's not like I'm only having soft drinks.
I'm not sure if I'll get blasted for this or not, but I also drink Coke Zero at times when I normally would have grazed or snacked. Like, when I'm not hungry but would have eaten something just to keep my hands busy (?). Now I grab a Coke Zero. Maybe not the healthiest choice in the world, but better than taking down half a bag of chips while watching tv, or nibbling away at a cheese & cracker platter at a party. Calorie wise, at least...
Sounds like you've got a good system going. I too also drink low calorie/no calorie drinks when I have a desire for something sweet. It's not 'unhealthy'...there's no calories in it.3 -
Wow, all these the responses are great!
I would like to clarify a bit (defend myself? Haha) and say that my Coke Zero is also my coffee/tea. I've never liked coffee or tea (I can drink some herbal teas that are basically just warm fruit water) and can't force myself to like it or drink it. So, admittedly, Coke Zero is my "morning coffee". I also drink about 6 cups of water a day (trying to get more in but damn it's hard!) so it's not like I'm only having soft drinks.
I'm not sure if I'll get blasted for this or not, but I also drink Coke Zero at times when I normally would have grazed or snacked. Like, when I'm not hungry but would have eaten something just to keep my hands busy (?). Now I grab a Coke Zero. Maybe not the healthiest choice in the world, but better than taking down half a bag of chips while watching tv, or nibbling away at a cheese & cracker platter at a party. Calorie wise, at least...
I do this too, only with Diet Coke (well, before I got preggers, anyway)
And if anything, I've always been MORE sensitive to sweet things than my non-soda drinking friends. They eat things that I can't stomach due to the sweetness...3 -
I'm not sure if I'll get blasted for this or not, but I also drink Coke Zero at times when I normally would have grazed or snacked. Like, when I'm not hungry but would have eaten something just to keep my hands busy (?). Now I grab a Coke Zero. Maybe not the healthiest choice in the world, but better than taking down half a bag of chips while watching tv, or nibbling away at a cheese & cracker platter at a party. Calorie wise, at least...
Why would you get blasted for that? I do the same with coffee or (sometimes) tea.5 -
Your old trainer was clueless.thecrushinator wrote: »My old trainer told me that the reason behind diet soda causing weight gain was that the artificial sweeteners spike blood sugar more than regular sugar does, making people less insulin sensitive and then seeking even more sugar when you sugar crash. Also it (might just be me) turns you into a Macy's parade float.6 -
Wow, all these the responses are great!
I'm not sure if I'll get blasted for this or not, but I also drink Coke Zero at times when I normally would have grazed or snacked. Like, when I'm not hungry but would have eaten something just to keep my hands busy (?). Now I grab a Coke Zero. Maybe not the healthiest choice in the world, but better than taking down half a bag of chips while watching tv, or nibbling away at a cheese & cracker platter at a party. Calorie wise, at least...
I do this all the time. Diet Coke and a pickle. Haha. It gets the job done when you're out of calories but need something crunchy and satisfying.3 -
YearOfTheDragonLeo wrote: »because chemicals are bad, and diet soda is fake sugar/chemicals???
I was drinking cherry coke zero for 2 years before I figured out the "food poisoning" symptoms were really that and not the food.
LOL...you are kidding right?? I've heard that H20 chemical is a real killer !!6 -
Diet Sodas IMO are like crack for your brain.
"Diet sodas are designed to trick the brain into thinking it’s getting an extra dose of glucose (the brain’s fuel), but eventually the trick is on us because the brain adapts to not receiving the added glucose by overcompensating in other ways (leading to a variety of effects still under investigation).
Diet sodas could imbalance the bacterial jungle in our guts—the microbiome—causing unpredictable results. Since there’s a bacterial superhighway from gut to brain, which we know interacts with key neurotransmitters, this theory may eventually tell us more of a much bigger brain story.
Different artificial sweeteners in diet drinks have different effects, and there’s debate about which causes what. This study didn’t narrow down the exact types of artificial sweeteners that were consumed, so it’s an open question how one may have affected the brain differently than another."
Ref: https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2017/04/27/why-is-diet-soda-so-bad-for-your-brain/#1705e3305fad32 -
Diet Sodas IMO are like crack for your brain.
"Diet sodas are designed to trick the brain into thinking it’s getting an extra dose of glucose (the brain’s fuel), but eventually the trick is on us because the brain adapts to not receiving the added glucose by overcompensating in other ways (leading to a variety of effects still under investigation).
Diet sodas could imbalance the bacterial jungle in our guts—the microbiome—causing unpredictable results. Since there’s a bacterial superhighway from gut to brain, which we know interacts with key neurotransmitters, this theory may eventually tell us more of a much bigger brain story.
Different artificial sweeteners in diet drinks have different effects, and there’s debate about which causes what. This study didn’t narrow down the exact types of artificial sweeteners that were consumed, so it’s an open question how one may have affected the brain differently than another."
Ref: https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2017/04/27/why-is-diet-soda-so-bad-for-your-brain/#1705e3305fad
You cut out a key sentence right before those paragraphs of predicted calamity: "So far nobody knows for sure, although a grab bag of theories are out there, such as: ..."
None of those have been established, those are people just spitballing. The truest line: "We can’t draw solid conclusions from this study."19 -
Diet soda has had no effect on my weight. I rarely drink it, though. It bloats me up a pant size temporarily - all that carbonation, I guess. Maybe I just need to be burped like a baby when I drink it...?3
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Diet Sodas IMO are like crack for your brain.
"Diet sodas are designed to trick the brain into thinking it’s getting an extra dose of glucose (the brain’s fuel), but eventually the trick is on us because the brain adapts to not receiving the added glucose by overcompensating in other ways (leading to a variety of effects still under investigation).
Diet sodas could imbalance the bacterial jungle in our guts—the microbiome—causing unpredictable results. Since there’s a bacterial superhighway from gut to brain, which we know interacts with key neurotransmitters, this theory may eventually tell us more of a much bigger brain story.
Different artificial sweeteners in diet drinks have different effects, and there’s debate about which causes what. This study didn’t narrow down the exact types of artificial sweeteners that were consumed, so it’s an open question how one may have affected the brain differently than another."
Ref: https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2017/04/27/why-is-diet-soda-so-bad-for-your-brain/#1705e3305fad
I see a lot of buzzwords, and not much science, in there.
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I've searched online and in these forums to see what the popular opinion on this subject is. So many articles claim that no calorie sodas lead to weight gain and/or obesity. But I just don't understand how if you are running a calorie deficit.
What are your opinions?
I drink a fairly large amount of Coke Zero each day so this topic is important to me haha. Do I actually have to drink just water to lose weight?!
I use to but the caffeine for me stimulated appetite. I was told this by several Doctors but I was in denial...sooooo
I switched to decaffeinate brands but the carbonation also began to play havoc something else I was told ......soooo
I use the Walmart Brand of sugar free water flavors and now dieting is way easier. I even occasionally just drink water to cause well I run out of packets. lol
I still do on occasion drink a decaffeinated soda but to tell you the truth they just don't appeal to me anymore except as an occasional treat almost like a dessert.1 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »The statistics are clear. People that drink diet drinks over water tend to weigh more. I hope that someday the reason why is found.
Study after study cannot be biased/ pushing an agenda. What agenda? To stop drinking diet drinks? Coke would fight tooth and nail against this.
I can even go to a family gathering and notice those that are drinking a diet drink weigh more than those drinking a water bottle. The statistics are not lying.
I've already noted this, but one study I looked at it implied that there is a psychological component whereby people think they're being good by drinking a diet soda and that, that somehow offsets the other copious amounts of calories they're taking in. It's not the soda itself. The studies aren't lying, they just don't tell the whole story which is typical of a correlation study.
This is pretty observable when dining out...someone with a huge double cheeseburger with bacon and extra large french fry...but it's all good because they're at least drinking a diet soda. Or I'm at a BBQ and someone has 4 different kinds of meats on their plates and a pile of beans and potato salad...but hey...they're drinking a diet soda.
It's not the beverage...it's everything else people are doing or not doing.
I could easily be that guy with the bacon cheeseburger, fries, and a diet drink. If I have room in my day for the bacon on my cheeseburger or a regular soda, I'm taking the bacon every time.
Me to, I love bacon0 -
TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »To drink water all day your tastebuds must be shot. Those people will eat less. That's my observation.
Those that crave diet sodas have a craving for taste.... they like food more... they tend to weigh more.
Sorry, that's generalization! You might as well say that people who drink soda don't know what real tastes are like and are too used to artificial crap. While those that enjoy drinking water like real, pure tastes. I guess there might be some truth in both, and in a few other similar statements.0 -
200lbs lost drink lots of coke zero every day.14
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When dieting I consume a huge amount of "zero calorie" drinks and food product, I've never logged them and I have always made the progress I expected.
If you have a low TDEE I would advise tracking these foods as the occasional 4-5 calories can add up if you have large quantities,3 -
estherdragonbat wrote: »I guess I must be an outlier, then. Dropped nearly 70 lbs in 8 months and if anything, I've upped my diet soda consumption.
Nope, me too. 100lbs down and at least 500ml of diet soda a day.2 -
I have lost 16 pounds in seven weeks and I drink two diet pepsi's a day-I do not feel any different and they are my rewards to myself and I can enjoy them guilt free. I do monitor my sodium intake, so if I have met my sodium intake for the day I will skip them, but it isn't very often I do that. I do not find my hunger changes, Infact I find the soda's carbination filing if I am between meals and often use it after eating a meal to curb hunger.3
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Iheartrunning36 wrote: »I have lost 16 pounds in seven weeks and I drink two diet pepsi's a day-I do not feel any different and they are my rewards to myself and I can enjoy them guilt free. I do monitor my sodium intake, so if I have met my sodium intake for the day I will skip them, but it isn't very often I do that. I do not find my hunger changes, Infact I find the soda's carbination filing if I am between meals and often use it after eating a meal to curb hunger.
why are you worried about the sodium in diet pop?? the coke zero im drinking now has 30mg of sodium which is 1% of your daily total??4 -
Muscleflex79 wrote: »Iheartrunning36 wrote: »I have lost 16 pounds in seven weeks and I drink two diet pepsi's a day-I do not feel any different and they are my rewards to myself and I can enjoy them guilt free. I do monitor my sodium intake, so if I have met my sodium intake for the day I will skip them, but it isn't very often I do that. I do not find my hunger changes, Infact I find the soda's carbination filing if I am between meals and often use it after eating a meal to curb hunger.
why are you worried about the sodium in diet pop?? the coke zero im drinking now has 30mg of sodium which is 1% of your daily total??
To put this in context, a tsp of salt (tsp, not tablespoon) has about 2300 mg of sodium.
So 30 mg is 1.3% of a tsp of salt.
I don't log salt, but I recklessly toss in pinches here and there while cooking that easily dwarf what's in a can of diet soda. (And that's without considering what's naturally in the water you might otherwise be drinking.)5 -
I drink a ton of Diet Pepsi, it's aspartame free which is good and it's not the best thing in the world for me but it didn't magically cause me to gain weight, crave stuff, and it didn't expand my stomach either3
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chelseahatch24 wrote: »TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »To drink water all day your tastebuds must be shot. Those people will eat less. That's my observation.
Those that crave diet sodas have a craving for taste.... they like food more... they tend to weigh more.
taste buds are shot? Seriously? Not quite....
To be fair, If you smoke a lot, you start to lose the ability to taste and smell things. My father reached the point where he would put so much hot spice in his foods because that was the only thing that would trigger "taste" to him anymore.
once he quit smoking after 5+ years his ability to taste did start to come back.2 -
Poisonedpawn78 wrote: »chelseahatch24 wrote: »TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »To drink water all day your tastebuds must be shot. Those people will eat less. That's my observation.
Those that crave diet sodas have a craving for taste.... they like food more... they tend to weigh more.
taste buds are shot? Seriously? Not quite....
To be fair, If you smoke a lot, you start to lose the ability to taste and smell things. My father reached the point where he would put so much hot spice in his foods because that was the only thing that would trigger "taste" to him anymore.
once he quit smoking after 5+ years his ability to taste did start to come back.
Bizarrely, I find that eating quality spicy foods enhances my ability to detect subtle flavors0 -
Poisonedpawn78 wrote: »chelseahatch24 wrote: »TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »To drink water all day your tastebuds must be shot. Those people will eat less. That's my observation.
Those that crave diet sodas have a craving for taste.... they like food more... they tend to weigh more.
taste buds are shot? Seriously? Not quite....
To be fair, If you smoke a lot, you start to lose the ability to taste and smell things. My father reached the point where he would put so much hot spice in his foods because that was the only thing that would trigger "taste" to him anymore.
once he quit smoking after 5+ years his ability to taste did start to come back.
I've definitely heard of this with the whole smoking thing! Crazy!0
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