diet coke, sugar free desserts etc.

I dont have a problem with diet drinks However soda is bad for you its more the carbination than anything else actually. They do have a new study out saying that artifical sugars deaden your sweet taste receptors and when you do eat something with sugar people usually ended up eating twice what they normally would to get the same sweet taste.

Diet products have been known to actually hinder weight loss...

I dont have a problem with diet drinks However soda is bad for you its more the carbination than anything else actually. They do have a new study out saying that artifical sugars deaden your sweet taste receptors and when you do eat something with sugar people usually ended up eating twice what they normally would to get the same sweet taste.

Our stomach acid is far more acidic than the stuff in soda, so the soda is nothing compared to what is naturally in our stomachs anyway.

As for ended up eating twice as much...just don't eat that much then. Show willpower.

Soda or diet soda by themselves are not detrimental to health or weight loss, especially when consumed in moderation.

Diet products have been known to actually hinder weight loss...

Have you got any proof of this? Any real proof other than just correlation, and that shows the actual diet product itself hinders the loss, rather than just silly people thinking they can eat more calories because they have had a diet product?

I mean it can take rust off a car battery.

How much aspartame may people consume?

The FDA uses the concept of an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for many food additives, including aspartame. The ADI represents an intake level that if maintained each day throughout a person's lifetime would be considered very safe. The ADI for aspartame has been set at 50 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) of body weight.

How much aspartame are people actually consuming today?

The FDA monitors the amount of aspartame that Americans consume through ongoing dietary surveys. The average daily intake of Americans is less than 2 percent of the FDA guideline for acceptable consumption. The most frequent consumers of aspartame are consuming only 4 percent to 7 percent of the ADI.

Many people report that if they regular consume products containing aspartame, such as Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi, over time the symptoms, especially headaches, become progressively worse, often beginning within an hour of consuming the aspartame. At the office here, several people have commented that they have noted these same symptoms. Since aspartame is combine with caffeine, it is difficult to know which (or both, or neither) are related to the symptoms.

I'm in the uk and here there is calorie info for diet cola and it does say that is has 1 calorie in a 330 ml can. I've seen lots of people say that in the US the labeling info isn't as strict as over here so bare that in mind if your having multiple cans/ bottles a day.

I think you will explode before you go over your calorie-limit with 1 cal per can ;-)

I am not sure that this is true, but my Dr a long time ago said that sugar-free -anything- is like a place holder. It doesn't have the calories but it causes your body to still crave the sweet flavor. Your brain thinks it's getting the sugar so it will continue to cause you to want it. He said the best bet is to go through the two weeks or so of withdrawal so that your brain doesn't want ti anymore.

It worked for me for several things. I loved chocolate but no longer crave it. I stopped drinking soda 20 years ago and still don't crave it. I don't eat meat very often and don't crave it. It sounds good once in awhile, but I never 'have' to have it anymore.

You are right you shouldn't have too much of it. I have known a lot of people who have gained weight drinking the sugar subsitute drinks and desserts. All sugar subs should be avoided. There are lots of articles on the net about the effects of sugar subs. You are best to eat the regular items and in moderation and count the calories. I think that's the big trick, since it's 0, we tend to reward ourselves with more. I'm all about quanity, so diet and sugar free items are not my choice anymore. I just skip it all together. I might have a diet coke once a month as a treat.

Good luck Smiley! It's a hard long road we are on, but we can do it.