Diet sodas. Yes or No?

Ingredients in Eggo Nutri Grain Waffles:

WATER, ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, VEGETABLE OIL (SOYBEAN AND PALM OIL), EGG WHITES, SUGAR, WHEAT BRAN, DEXTROSE, CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF LEAVENING (BAKING SODA, SODIUM ALUMINUM PHOSPHATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), MODIFIED CORN STARCH, SALT, CALCIUM CARBONATE, DRIED BLUEBERRIES, APPLE FIBER, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, MALTODEXTRIN, CELLULOSE GUM, MALT FLAVORING, CITRIC ACID, WHEY, SOY LECITHIN, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, REDUCED IRON, NIACINAMIDE, BLUE #2 LAKE, RED #40 LAKE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), CALCIUM PANTOTHENATE, FOLIC ACID, VITAMIN B12

Um, hello?? I think it's funny that people who bash soda or diet soda because of the "chemicals" would have this in their diary! This is just one example. Saw SO many more hypocritical diaries, lol!

I will have my one Pepsi One a day, thank you very much! Hasn't stopped my loss at all.

I'm amazed at how some people feel the need to personally attack others for their choices. The OP asked a question and I answered it with information I've read. I didn't say don't drink the ****, I gave information on what is in it and pointed out helpful suggestions for people who want soda but want to avoid the chemicals. I am not perfect nor do I always make perfect choices but if you were in my position of being broke and just having moved home, you'd also forgo your beliefs if it meant not eating over eating.

I think it's funny that you went to such great lengths to point out a shortcoming in another person. What does that say about the type of person you are? I am not preaching nor saying anything badly about people and their choices.

Think not only before you act and speak, but also before you type. Not only are you being rude and inconsiderate but you are intentionally hurting people without caring. Also, if you look at the rest of my diary you will see that for the most part I eat clean natural healthy organic home made/grown food.

So what, someone who strives to learn and choose the best path for them is not allowed to have mistakes and setbacks?

It is a terrible thing that our generation has lost the moral foundation of respect for others as well as any charm, ettiquette, or social graces.

Name one sentence from the person you quoted that was a personal attack.

The information you gave was bad. People pointed that out. You may not like that, but it's how we learn. It's important to counter misinformation. Otherwise we'd all be freaking out if we ate after 6pm and trying to eat 6 small meals a day.

It's fine to be wrong, there's nothing better than learning from your mistakes. But you can't tell people "Agree with me, even when I'm wrong, or keep your mouth shut." That helps no one, least of all you.

We are all here to learn about nutrition and healthy living. So learn.

To Brett: For one, you cannot prove that any of the information I gave was wrong. If the jury was out on it, we wouldn't be having this debate.
Two, I did not ask anyone to shut their mouths and not voice their opinion. I pointed out how rude it is to specifically isolate one person's diary and find one entry in it that wasn't healthy and post it up for everyone else as an example. That is not what this site is about. It is not about individually attacking someone and yes, in my opinion when you lack a generalization, it can be considered a personal attack. My point was there was no reason for it. I was not degrading or belittling anyone on here which so many others seem to have no issue doing.

And yes, I do consider prepackaged food extremely unhealthy but as I said before, given the situation I am currently in where I do not currently have the financial means to provide all of the healthy organic farm grown natural food I want, choosing the prepackaged nutrigrain waffles in my parent's freezer was much better than for example picking up a dollar menu item from McD's on my way to work.

As far as name one sentence? She went to my diary, picked out part of my breakfast entry for yesterday, and posted the ingredients to it followed by a comment which if isolated from the fact of the former would be benign. However, she singled one person out and that person was me. That is by definition a personal attack.

To Brett: For one, you cannot prove that any of the information I gave was wrong. If the jury was out on it, we wouldn't be having this debate.
Two, I did not ask anyone to shut their mouths and not voice their opinion. I pointed out how rude it is to specifically isolate one person's diary and find one entry in it that wasn't healthy and post it up for everyone else as an example. That is not what this site is about. It is not about individually attacking someone and yes, in my opinion when you lack a generalization, it can be considered a personal attack. My point was there was no reason for it. I was not degrading or belittling anyone on here which so many others seem to have no issue doing.

And yes, I do consider prepackaged food extremely unhealthy but as I said before, given the situation I am currently in where I do not currently have the financial means to provide all of the healthy organic farm grown natural food I want, choosing the prepackaged nutrigrain waffles in my parent's freezer was much better than for example picking up a dollar menu item from McD's on my way to work.

As far as name one sentence? She went to my diary, picked out part of my breakfast entry for yesterday, and posted the ingredients to it followed by a comment which if isolated from the fact of the former would be benign. However, she singled one person out and that person was me. That is by definition a personal attack.

No one had any clue it was from your diary until you stated that it was. While you may consider such a thing a "personal attack" I think it provides good food for thought for a person who may think diet sodas are terribly unhealthy because of "chemicals" (I so hate people using that word in this way) but take in the same amount of processed additives in other foods.

Like I said before, this could be a wonderful learning opportunity for you. You watched some biased documentaries that filled your head with bad information. You could use this as a chance to learn. But instead you'd rather be hung up on people being polite and not telling you what you don't want to hear.

Good luck to you. I have a feeling you're going to need it.

I drink water 99% of the time, but if I'm craving soda I drink diet. I just prefer it.

COKE ZERO!!! it doesnt have all the crap in it diet coke has,,,, and it wont make u hungry its like under 2 calories a can

My whole life, I rarely drank soda. If I'm eating out at a place that has a fountain, I usually get Diet Coke. For some reason, fountain Diet Coke tastes WAYYY better than canned or bottled diet coke.

If it's non-fountain, regular soda all the way! Tastes SOOOOO much better IMO.

Just wanted to know your thoughts on whether diet sodas were a good thing or not. Sure a regular soda has plenty of sugar, but at least you know what you're dealing with and so does your body. Diet sodas have sweeteners and supposed negative effects on your health.
Have I answered my own question?

Personally, no. Based on no scientific studies, but my own experiences giving up soda, which may or may not apply to you.

First, you're taking in chemicals and/or relatively new plant derivatives. I'm not opposed to chemicals and/or plant derivatives, but the only benefit you are getting is that something is tasting sweeter. In my personal risk/reward scale, that's a poor reward to gain for adding the risk. When I want sweet, I'll use an established sweetener. In ten years, if the new stuff hasn't become a boogeyman, I'll consider it. Feel free to be my food tester if you like.

Second, the key to losing the cravings for sweet is to stop eating sweet stuff all the time, at least in my experience. Drinking a couple of sodas a day led me to the expectation that there would be a near-constant flow of sweet things and basically changed sweet from a treat to a continuous expectation and therefore craving. Eliminating the sweet for just a few short days led to treating sweet as an occasional treat. I enjoyed it more as I expected it less.

Your mileage may vary. I highly doubt there's anything in any soda that will do you any harm, I just choose not to take even that small risk for no real benefit. And you may react to a continuous flow of sweet in such a way that you find it easier to avoid that donut or pastry when offered. It's just what worked well for me, and some savory food for thought.

I'd suggest trying to give it up for, say, 2 weeks. You might be very surprised to find that it tastes like horrible malted battery acid and fresh clear water suddenly becomes deeply appealing to you. I sure was!

Or you might find that you derive no benefit whatsoever from giving it up, and go back to drinking it. Again, it's probably not hurting you and if you find it beneficial to your avoidance of sugary items, or even to your well-being and happiness, that's a benefit.

It's up to you, and unless someone asked, I wouldn't judge them for drinking diet soda. But me personally, I am not a fan. I don't like the controversy surrounding Aspartame and articial sweeteners. To me, diet soda doesn't taste so good that I'm willing to take the risk.

I still have a diet coke or two when I am craving it but I have never had it make me more hungry. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that my "binge" foods were all carbs and cheese rather than sweets. Maybe it only makes people hungry who have a sweet tooth?

I hate this topic because nobody is ever going to agree.