Diet soda ?

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Replies

  • rllewell
    rllewell Posts: 234
    I simply look at it this way. Is there anything good about drinking a soda? No. Is there any nutritional value in drinking a soda? No. Am I improving my health and nutrition by drinking a soda? No.

    So to answer the original question of "Is it really that bad?" Yes.
  • kimmie185
    kimmie185 Posts: 550 Member
    Diet Soda has a lot of sodium in it, so it creates some water retention. That is water weight.

    Diet soda does not have a lot of sodium.

    agreed, a typical 16 oz bottle has around 25mg of sodium which is not a lot
  • Suziq2you
    Suziq2you Posts: 396 Member
    I simply look at it this way. Is there anything good about drinking a soda? No. Is there any nutritional value in drinking a soda? No. Am I improving my health and nutrition by drinking a soda? No.

    So to answer the original question of "Is it really that bad?" Yes.
    That could also be said of water, tea, coffee, etc. It could also be said of marshmallow creme, and that makes me sad.
  • ScatteredThoughts
    ScatteredThoughts Posts: 3,562 Member

    Celery does not have sugar. The name of the book is "Sugarettes". He explains in GREAT detail how the body works, and how SUGAR or ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS react in the body. If the book is at your local library or cheap on Amazon.com, it is good reading. The question is asking about "Diet Soda". People will do what they want and will suffer or rejoice the consequences. Thanks for your question.

    Does the author provide sources for his information? I am not inspired by the credentials he presents on the Amazon page for the book.
  • chellabella26
    chellabella26 Posts: 45
    I have to admit that I always find it interesting that people always talk about how the artificial sweetener in diet soda is so bad, but I never see these lengthy debates over the artificial sweetener in yogurt, only how great it is to eat yogurt.

    I think that if you like/love soda, but don't want to waste 200+ calories in a beverage AND you are smart enough to know that drinking diet soda doesn't mean you get to binge on a hot fudge sundae then you will be OK.

    I prefer the taste of diet soda and I never had cravings for sugar or fat as a result of drinking diet soda. My only issue was that I wasn't drinking any water and I was getting dehydrated. I still drink a diet soda with dinner and my diet is going great! I must say that I haven't even wanted any "sweets" (aside from my coffee:wink: that's another issue:tongue: ) and I am losing weight and a pretty steady rate.
  • paulieinnz
    paulieinnz Posts: 1
    Hi, I actually do the blood type diet, which really works for me for health reasons more than losing weight. Soda can hugely affect A blood types, as it stalls acid in stomach that digests food, which can hinder weight loss. If your O blood type, change to seltzer water.
  • RonSwanson66
    RonSwanson66 Posts: 1,150 Member
    I simply look at it this way. Is there anything good about drinking a soda? No

    Hydration is good
    . Is there any nutritional value in drinking a soda? No.

    Water has no nutritional value either. So, by your logic, water is bad.
    Am I improving my health and nutrition by drinking a soda? No.

    It depends. If, by drinking a diet soda, this helps you consume fewer calories then you may be improving your health.

    So to answer the original question of "Is it really that bad?" Yes.

    NOPE.

    Even if soda does nothing inherently positive for heath, this would make it NEUTRAL.

    Neutral =/= Bad.
  • RonSwanson66
    RonSwanson66 Posts: 1,150 Member
    Hi, I actually do the blood type diet, which really works for me for health reasons more than losing weight. Soda can hugely affect A blood types, as it stalls acid in stomach that digests food, which can hinder weight loss. If your O blood type, change to seltzer water.

    The blood-type diet is nothing but pseudoscientific nonsense.
  • debilang
    debilang Posts: 876 Member
    Many artifical sweeteners cause insulin levels to rise in your blood. This creates problems when all you are doing is drinking a soda with no other foods. Up goes insulin and this means that any sugar in your blood will move into cells, reducing your blood sugar. Th end result of eating artifical sweeteners, especially when it is a soda, is lowered blood sugar. When you have low blood sugar, you are going to be hungry and crave more food. Ref: Sugarettes - Dr. Scott Olson ND

    Interesting, but completely ignores the way the body works. You could apply this same argument to any low/no calorie food. Eating anything at all causes insulin to rise. If blood sugar gets low, glucagon is released, which burns fat to raise blood sugar and stabilize it. So, if anything, the end result would be no change in blood glucose levels.

    Does his statement apply to eating a snack of plain celery? It's roughly the same amount of calories, and you get an insulin response, so, according to his logic, celery should make you hungry and craving food. Good thing ghrelin controls hunger and not insulin.

    Celery does not have sugar. The name of the book is "Sugarettes". He explains in GREAT detail how the body works, and how SUGAR or ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS react in the body. If the book is at your local library or cheap on Amazon.com, it is good reading. The question is asking about "Diet Soda". People will do what they want and will suffer or rejoice the consequences. Thanks for your question.

    That's my entire point. When you eat ANYTHING, sugar, fat, protein, vegetables, you still get that same insulin response, where levels rise in anticipation of digestion and elevated glucose in the blood. According to the quote you posted, that means any time you eat any food that doesn't contain sugar, all on it's own, you will get low blood sugar and crave food. It doesn't hold up to how the body actually works. Besides, as I already said, the body doesn't think that artificial sweeteners are sugar, it sees them molecularly, for what they are. Protein, usually.

    Excuse me, the quote was about "artificial sweeteners"...not ANY FOOD. The quote says "Many artificial sweeteners cause insulin levels to rise in your blood. THIS CREATES PROBLEMS WHEN ALL YOU ARE DOING IS DRINKING A SODA "with no other foods"...the end result of eating artificial sweeteners, especially when it is a SODA, is LOWERED BLOOD SUGAR." And what does "lowered blood sugar cause? CRAVINGS. H-Factor said if you don't give into the cravings you can still lose weight...but those are the consequences we have to deal.
  • chellabella26
    chellabella26 Posts: 45
    I simply look at it this way. Is there anything good about drinking a soda? No. Is there any nutritional value in drinking a soda? No. Am I improving my health and nutrition by drinking a soda? No.

    So to answer the original question of "Is it really that bad?" Yes.

    I look at it this way. Do I enjoy it? Yes. Is it adding any calories to my diet? No. Do I feel like I am still getting a treat while I am restricting/changing everything else in my diet? Yes.

    So is it really that bad? No.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,026 Member
    I simply look at it this way. Is there anything good about drinking a soda? No. Is there any nutritional value in drinking a soda? No. Am I improving my health and nutrition by drinking a soda? No.

    So to answer the original question of "Is it really that bad?" Yes.
    Subjective. For many diet soda satifies their sweet tooth. With no calories, that's good. Nutritional value? Water has none either. Improving health? It's proven if you lose weight your lower your risks for diseases and ailments. Again this is for DIET soda.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,026 Member
    It's a can/bottle of chemicals and non-food ingredients, how can it be good for you? Adding all those chemicals into your system impeeds your systems from working properly.
    Everything we eat is CHEMICALLY broken down to it's simplist components. Breast milk has phenylalanine in it. How can that be good for a child is your analogy here. Protein drinks have chemicals in it. Do they impead your system from working properly?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • adam4life
    adam4life Posts: 22
    TBH you'd be better off drinking 1 normal coke and sacrificing the calories than you would be from a diet-coke. The same reason you take the real sugar over the fake sweet-n-low. You don't know whats really in it. It's not that great for you. I found myself still getting a soda gut from diet so I gave it up all together and loving the results.
  • LiveEnjoyEndure
    LiveEnjoyEndure Posts: 98 Member
    I have not had time to read all the posts, so sorry if I am repeating what has already been said.

    Craving and motivation are the opposite edges of a double edged knife. Our craving and motivation are there because we have programmed or trained ourselves to want/desire certain things.

    Does drinking sweet things make you crave sweet things, well of course it does! Doesn't matter if it is low in carbohydrate or high in carbohydrate. People struggle to change because they have spent so many years training themselves to 'like' certain things. You can untrain yourself too, and that is where motivation comes in...

    You will find some people swear by nutrasweet and other people say it is evil. Well scientifically the jury is out at the moment. People can cite all kinds of evidence but to my knowledge there is no agreement ... yet.

    I personally choose (motivated to eat) whole foods and try to avoid processed foods, it makes me feel better about myself. I don't eat meat or fish, it makes me feel better about myself. I am not about to convince anyone different. I am highly motivated not to drink low carb sweeteners because it makes me feel better. I have eaten very little nutrasweet in the last year and I now do not enjoy the taste of it anymore... and I feel good about that :) It has saved me a lot of money too because filtered city juice is so cheap! I feel good about that too... So my motivation increases and my cravings decrease. I now crave plain old water... but that's just me ;-)
  • debilang
    debilang Posts: 876 Member

    Celery does not have sugar. The name of the book is "Sugarettes". He explains in GREAT detail how the body works, and how SUGAR or ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS react in the body. If the book is at your local library or cheap on Amazon.com, it is good reading. The question is asking about "Diet Soda". People will do what they want and will suffer or rejoice the consequences. Thanks for your question.

    Does the author provide sources for his information? I am not inspired by the credentials he presents on the Amazon page for the book.

    Thanks for the question. Dr. Scott's sources are 4 pages long. If you don't want to pay for the book, go to your local library. We all take information as it fits our needs. Being a skeptic is good...but you need to be able to judge by actually taking his book apart...and that takes reading it. I ordered the book because I am a Sugarholic. I happen to want to stay around in good health to watch my two new grandchildren grow up. I already had one heart attack. I will not go on being a statistic, and I will keep his book in my reference library. :smile:
  • Articeluvsmemphis
    Articeluvsmemphis Posts: 1,987 Member
    I prefer water - pure water contaminated with pollution run off with a twist of pesticide laced lemon.

    :drinker: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Many artifical sweeteners cause insulin levels to rise in your blood. This creates problems when all you are doing is drinking a soda with no other foods. Up goes insulin and this means that any sugar in your blood will move into cells, reducing your blood sugar. Th end result of eating artifical sweeteners, especially when it is a soda, is lowered blood sugar. When you have low blood sugar, you are going to be hungry and crave more food. Ref: Sugarettes - Dr. Scott Olson ND

    Interesting, but completely ignores the way the body works. You could apply this same argument to any low/no calorie food. Eating anything at all causes insulin to rise. If blood sugar gets low, glucagon is released, which burns fat to raise blood sugar and stabilize it. So, if anything, the end result would be no change in blood glucose levels.

    Does his statement apply to eating a snack of plain celery? It's roughly the same amount of calories, and you get an insulin response, so, according to his logic, celery should make you hungry and craving food. Good thing ghrelin controls hunger and not insulin.

    Celery does not have sugar. The name of the book is "Sugarettes". He explains in GREAT detail how the body works, and how SUGAR or ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS react in the body. If the book is at your local library or cheap on Amazon.com, it is good reading. The question is asking about "Diet Soda". People will do what they want and will suffer or rejoice the consequences. Thanks for your question.

    That's my entire point. When you eat ANYTHING, sugar, fat, protein, vegetables, you still get that same insulin response, where levels rise in anticipation of digestion and elevated glucose in the blood. According to the quote you posted, that means any time you eat any food that doesn't contain sugar, all on it's own, you will get low blood sugar and crave food. It doesn't hold up to how the body actually works. Besides, as I already said, the body doesn't think that artificial sweeteners are sugar, it sees them molecularly, for what they are. Protein, usually.

    Excuse me, the quote was about "artificial sweeteners"...not ANY FOOD. The quote says "Many artificial sweeteners cause insulin levels to rise in your blood. THIS CREATES PROBLEMS WHEN ALL YOU ARE DOING IS DRINKING A SODA "with no other foods"...the end result of eating artificial sweeteners, especially when it is a SODA, is LOWERED BLOOD SUGAR." And what does "lowered blood sugar cause? CRAVINGS. H-Factor said if you don't give into the cravings you can still lose weight...but those are the consequences we have to deal.

    I understand the quote was about artificial sweeteners, do you understand that artificial sweeteners act the exact same way any food in your body acts? Because that's the point I'm making. It's no different than anything you eat. It does not cause cravings or low blood sugar any more or less than anything else you will eat throughout your day.
  • emily2tx
    emily2tx Posts: 77
    What my nutritionist told me is:

    Diet soda has artificial sweetener that is many times sweeter than natural sugar and sugar is a natural energy source for your body (obviously over indulging is not good). So when you ingest Diet sodas with no natural energy source for your body it starts to crave the energy it thought it was getting, so you tend to overeat and crave high calorie (carbs and sugars) as a result. I have switched to water and occasionally crystal light tea which still has artifical sweetener.

    This is what my body does, so I don't drink sodas anymore! I feel better too - during workouts especially!
  • 1sweetpea70
    1sweetpea70 Posts: 48 Member
    Im a diet coke fanatic and while i'll admit it makes me poochy in my tummy area, i've never had an issue with losing weight while drinking it. Do i think it's bad for me? Yes. Does knowing that make me wanna give it up? No. I enjoy an ice cold diet coke several times a day. I also drink tons of water. There are worse things i could be putting in my body.
  • Marmalina
    Marmalina Posts: 35
    if you like a little fix in your drinks try soda water! There are even some brands that add some lemon flavour. I find with plain water it feels like my food just lays in my tummy..i need a little fiz. Just be sure that the brand you're getting is sodium free. :)
  • committomittxoxo
    committomittxoxo Posts: 339 Member
    I AM NOT A DIETITIAN... but....

    TBH you'd be better off drinking 1 normal coke and sacrificing the calories than you would be from a diet-coke. The same reason you take the real sugar over the fake sweet-n-low. You don't know whats really in it. It's not that great for you. I found myself still getting a soda gut from diet so I gave it up all together and loving the results.

    I agree with this.. And for the insulin argument.. Insulin DOES signal your body to store fat.

    And BTW.. It depends on the effectiveness of your liver. Your liver is responsible for breaking down fat and filtering out harmful substances. Bottom line, read the ingredient labels.. if you don't know what it is than either does your liver. If it has to work too hard to breakdown artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, etc... then it doesn't have time to breakdown fat. Your best bet is to eat ONE ingredient foods. Eggs, chicken, steak even... I'm not saying Diet coke will make you gain weight, it might not even make it harder to lose, but if you can't pronounce the ingredients... then it doesn't belong in your body.

    And by all means.. if you disagree, have at it. But if you're going to seek out a professional opinion, speak to a DIETITIAN.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,026 Member
    TBH you'd be better off drinking 1 normal coke and sacrificing the calories than you would be from a diet-coke. The same reason you take the real sugar over the fake sweet-n-low. You don't know whats really in it. It's not that great for you. I found myself still getting a soda gut from diet so I gave it up all together and loving the results.
    Actually we do know what's in it. And I do know that normal Pepsi has 150 calories per serving compared to zero from Diet Pepsi. I didn't give it up and haven't had any soda gut problem as you can see.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • RonSwanson66
    RonSwanson66 Posts: 1,150 Member
    if you can't pronounce the ingredients... then it doesn't belong in your body.

    So you're saying that people with a background in chemistry can drink diet soda, since they can pronounce the ingredients, but those without such and education cannot?
  • committomittxoxo
    committomittxoxo Posts: 339 Member
    And because I know Sir ninerbuff is going to attack what I just said...

    To be sure.. what I'm saying is, stay away from ANY sugars, and ANY processed foods for your BEST chance at losing weight and keeping it off. If you like Diet Coke, which I LOVE, then f'ing drink it. If you deny yourself what you want, you run the risk of giving up on weight loss goals. I'm simply saying that optimal weight loss and future success will come from cutting out processed foods and sugar.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,026 Member
    I agree with this.. And for the insulin argument.. Insulin DOES signal your body to store fat.

    And BTW.. It depends on the effectiveness of your liver. Your liver is responsible for breaking down fat and filtering out harmful substances. Bottom line, read the ingredient labels.. if you don't know what it is than either does your liver. If it has to work too hard to breakdown artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, etc... then it doesn't have time to breakdown fat. Your best bet is to eat ONE ingredient foods. Eggs, chicken, steak even... I'm not saying Diet coke will make you gain weight, it might not even make it harder to lose, but if you can't pronounce the ingredients... then it doesn't belong in your body.

    And by all means.. if you disagree, have at it. But if you're going to seek out a professional opinion, speak to a DIETITIAN.
    Read about phenylalanine. Read what whole foods actually have it. Phosphoric acid is not only in soda, but in beer, cheese, jams and jellies. Sodium isn't dangerous if taken in low amounts.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • committomittxoxo
    committomittxoxo Posts: 339 Member
    if you can't pronounce the ingredients... then it doesn't belong in your body.

    So you're saying that people with a background in chemistry can drink diet soda, since they can pronounce the ingredients, but those without such and education cannot?

    If it makes you feel better... sure
  • committomittxoxo
    committomittxoxo Posts: 339 Member
    And I love Ron Swanson.
  • EricMurano
    EricMurano Posts: 825 Member
    It's probably bad for you but if I drink soda it has to be diet.

    I should probably give it up and just drink water but that's a big ask right now
  • rjmwx81
    rjmwx81 Posts: 259 Member
    Does drinking sweet things make you crave sweet things, well of course it does!

    It doesn't for me. I don't have much of a sweet tooth. I can't remember the last time I had chocolate, doughnuts, or a piece of cake, and I drink quite a bit of diet soda each day. I drink it for the caffeine and the carbonation. Not because it tastes sweet. So there goes that theory.
  • gnrshelton
    gnrshelton Posts: 358 Member
    The reason why people say you gain weight with diet soda is that you are still drinking something sweet making you want more sweet. It's not the soda itself that hurts only if you go for the real sweet. The other problems that might be associated with the soda is the citric acid can erode your teeth and the sodium some sodas have might make you retain water. I drink diet soda every day and it has never hindered my weight loss.
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