Soda Drinkers

Presley0381
Presley0381 Posts: 88
in Food and Nutrition
I used to be absolutely addicted to Sprite! And before that it was Coca Cola but never at the same time ha ha. Anyway, I made the decision to cut it out all together but still find myself craving one every once in a while. I know from what people have told me they had better weight loss succes when they didn't drink it but how have your results been drinking products with no calories. Like Sprite Zero, Coke Zero etc. Do those drinks affect your weight loss even though there are zero calories, sugars, and carbs causing stalls etc? I hope I made sense :happy:
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Replies

  • dayone987
    dayone987 Posts: 645 Member
    You will likely hear some say how diet drinks and artificial sugars make you gain weight but there are many people here who have lost weight while drinking diet soda. And before anyone mentions the sodium most diet drinks have only 50 mg of sodium.
  • albinogorilla
    albinogorilla Posts: 1,056 Member
    i drink diet soda, crystal light, etc every day, 1-2 servings
    no calorie options will help in maintaining a deficit AKA help you to lose weight


    others might debate that the chemicals are bad, but can't provide a study to prove it
  • sweetyedie
    sweetyedie Posts: 104 Member
    It does affect some people and yet others lost. So I guess all our bodies are different.

    My theory is everything in moderation. I used to drink tons of diet soda and had a negative reaction to the aspartine in them.
  • crazy8ts
    crazy8ts Posts: 360
    I used to be a bit of a soda addict... and gave it up completely at the beginning of the year. Never liked any of the diet sodas... and the only way I could let go of my beloved Dr. Pepper and Cherry Coke/Pepsi... I convinced myself that it's all poison... no value to my body whatsoever...

    So my current obsession is crystal light...
  • caslyn3
    caslyn3 Posts: 70 Member
    Personally, I don't think drinking diet soda makes you gain weight. It is ordering a Big Mac, Large Fry and a Diet Soda that people are referring to when they say, "I gained weight while drinking that stuff". My co-worker/friend eats horribly! But will not drink a regular soda to save his life. He has gout right now btw.. I don't understand him. Anyways, I have never like Dr. Pepper, always a Mt. Dew girl.. but I absolutely love Diet Dr. P. I enjoy it more than a nice cold reg. mt dew, especially knowing I am not taking in 220 calories! I want to give them up all the way and drink only water, I love water... but I have only managed to cut it down to 1, 20 oz a day.
  • Ashleacurtice
    Ashleacurtice Posts: 54 Member
    I LOVE my diet sodas...I mainly drink Diet DP and Diet Big red 1 - 2 a day...I drink water the rest of the time. I dont think its affects weight loss, But that is just my opinion.
  • kalyn_QT
    kalyn_QT Posts: 273 Member
    i loved dr. pepper. but i realized it was just true empty calories so i cut them out. after i hit my goal weight i might work one dr. pepper in a week (if i still like it). but right now the only thing i drink is water, protein smoothies, and occasionally milk. only been developing a lifestyle change for the last 2 weeks and so far so good.

    as for the zero calorie sodas..its adding sugar and carbs which could (in the long run) hurt i would think if you drank it a lot.
  • jiggalude
    jiggalude Posts: 53
    I used to go through a 12 pack of Diet Coke in 2 days, now I will drink 1 can a day with my lunch. The problem with the soda for me wasn't the calories, but that I'd want something "snacky" with it. The healthiest route you can go is more water. I've replaced all of my soda (except the 1 can) with water and some occasional crystal light.
  • beatingobesityforlife
    beatingobesityforlife Posts: 121 Member
    coke zero has never affected me
    but regular sodas and diet sodas have a negative effect on me due to the symptoms i get from drinking em like sweating and irregular heartbeats and getting dizzy, and I am not sure why I do..but I am trying to stick to water, sparkling water(gives that soda sensation), and coke zero(on occasions)..Ive gone off course today and yesterday and I can definantely feel it. Not trying to convince you of anything, but its what I experience from drinking them. I hope you find out what works best for you =)
  • mmreed
    mmreed Posts: 436 Member
    depends on the rest of your diet style - if you are purging sugars, then the fake sweet stuff will keep you craving longer before breakign the sugar addiction Sweetness in some folks increases hunger.

    Plus the artificial sweetners arent good if you are following more of a whole foods approach.

    so it really depends on your bigger picture goals....
  • xTwK
    xTwK Posts: 121
    There's NOTHING wrong with diet sodas, there's zero calories after all; it would be near impossible for something with zero calories to stop fat loss.
  • itsafrappe
    itsafrappe Posts: 162 Member
    i have actually heard studies have shown that the artificial sweeteners actually cause you to crave fatty foods so the drink itself may not be bad but may cause unnecesary cravings. i have found replacing soda with vitamin water zero has worked for me. there is a lemonade one that i really like and the acai-blueberry-pomegranate is really good. plus it uses natural sweeteners but is still sugar free
  • matchbox_girl
    matchbox_girl Posts: 535 Member
    I just drink Diet Mt. Dew. That's the only one though because I don't like the taste of other diet sodas. It's still zero cals and it's a nice treat. It doesn't seem to affect my weight loss, and it's much more fun to document a zero cal soda than a 300 cal one.....I love me my soda pop!

    Also, there is no legit study to prove that diet pop makes you gain....it has been helping me lose.
  • dayone987
    dayone987 Posts: 645 Member
    i have actually heard studies have shown that the artificial sweeteners actually cause you to crave fatty foods so the drink itself may not be bad but may cause unnecesary cravings. i have found replacing soda with vitamin water zero has worked for me. there is a lemonade one that i really like and the acai-blueberry-pomegranate is really good. plus it uses natural sweeteners but is still sugar free

    I'm glad you found something you like but even "natural" sweeteners have/are sugar.
  • jutymo
    jutymo Posts: 162 Member
    I decided to change my eating habits and knew soda has no nutritional value whether it is diet or regular soda. I was also one that loved a certain soda (Code Red Mt. Dew) but couldn't drink it alone; had to have "something" with it. And it was never something good. So I stopped all soda and have had less than 10 total since January. It has become a "special occasion" item for me and I'm trying to stop even that. There's just no valid reason to drink soda IMHO. It's a crutch for me and if I didn't stop, I'd just slowly get back in the habit I'm afraid. I'm a Red-o-Holic and diet doesn't cut it for me so it's none whenever possible for me, diet or regular.

    I had almost 100 days Red-Free when I fell off the wagon. I'm now back on track, Day 6 Red-free....
  • saustin201
    saustin201 Posts: 270 Member
    Everyone of is different. Some people can lose weight while drinking pop, others need to stop.

    I used to drink 1 can per day of reg. coke. I intended to cut back on it to 2 cans per week. Well, I keep forgetting to buy it and I ran out in early May. I've had a gulp of my hubby's Dr. Pepper about once per week, but I've found myself just fine without it. I never thought I could give up my pop. But it appears I did. I don't really miss it that much.

    If you want to try to cut it out completely, start by cutting back to every other day for a few weeks, then to twice per week for a few weeks, then once per week and then eventually don't buy any more and see how you do.

    Good Luck. You Can Do It.
  • itsafrappe
    itsafrappe Posts: 162 Member
    i have actually heard studies have shown that the artificial sweeteners actually cause you to crave fatty foods so the drink itself may not be bad but may cause unnecesary cravings. i have found replacing soda with vitamin water zero has worked for me. there is a lemonade one that i really like and the acai-blueberry-pomegranate is really good. plus it uses natural sweeteners but is still sugar free

    I'm glad you found something you like but even "natural" sweeteners have/are sugar.

    it uses stevia which as far as i understand is not sugar and there are no sugars listed on the nutritional guide
  • matchbox_girl
    matchbox_girl Posts: 535 Member
    i have actually heard studies have shown that the artificial sweeteners actually cause you to crave fatty foods so the drink itself may not be bad but may cause unnecesary cravings. i have found replacing soda with vitamin water zero has worked for me. there is a lemonade one that i really like and the acai-blueberry-pomegranate is really good. plus it uses natural sweeteners but is still sugar free

    This is actually true. The sweetener in diet pops tricks your mind into wanting MORE sugary things because it's not satisfied. Jillian Michaels put something about it in her book. However, that doesn't happen to everyone. It didn't happen to me.
  • tangoa24
    tangoa24 Posts: 27
    i LOVE soda too! specifically coke and sprite, and sometimes you get a craving that just has to be met. instead of drinking diet (which i think tastes artificial and leaves a weird coating in my mouth) i get the baby cans! they're only 90 calories a can, and i get the satisfaction of that coke taste without nearly as much guilt or bloating. they're a little pricey for the size, but the portion control aspect is worth it for me.
  • wodforbacon
    wodforbacon Posts: 40
    Regular Soda = High Fructose Corn Syrup = Poison
    Diet Soda = Aspartame (or any other fake sweetener) = ???

    I am leery of anything remotely sweet with 0 calories. Even without a whole lot of (conclusive) studies, I would say stay away from it. Whether or not it helps or hurts a diet? I will never know because I think "diet" anything tastes horrible.

    BTW, the sodium is added to make you thirstier so that the companies get richer from you buying more and more of their poison.
  • dayone987
    dayone987 Posts: 645 Member
    i have actually heard studies have shown that the artificial sweeteners actually cause you to crave fatty foods so the drink itself may not be bad but may cause unnecesary cravings. i have found replacing soda with vitamin water zero has worked for me. there is a lemonade one that i really like and the acai-blueberry-pomegranate is really good. plus it uses natural sweeteners but is still sugar free

    I'm glad you found something you like but even "natural" sweeteners have/are sugar.

    it uses stevia which as far as i understand is not sugar and there are no sugars listed on the nutritional guide
    Right, sorry I forgot about stevia; i was thinking it used sweeteners like honey etc.
  • MsMargie1116
    MsMargie1116 Posts: 323 Member
    I drink the Clear American flavored drinks from Wal-Mart... I really like them, and really satisfy my desire for a "Soda"... :smile: But usually it's only I've had all my regular water. :wink:
  • smantha32
    smantha32 Posts: 6,990 Member
    I do have adverse reactions to the aspartame eventually if I drink too much of them, but I have lost weight drinking diet sodas.

    I've noticed however, that when I plateau, if I ditch them and drink just water I start losing again.
  • danimal5867
    danimal5867 Posts: 390
    The first step I made in my quest to get healthy was to eliminate all carbonated beverages. I had managed to gain 100 pounds while drinking diet sodas (I prefer the taste of artificial sweeteners to high fructose corn syrup). I still drink various artificially sweetened beverages but they are of a healthier variety. I drink a lot of green tea as well as various other non-calorie enhanced water products.
  • pupcamper
    pupcamper Posts: 410 Member
    I don't really worry too much about what 'they' say but I know I feel very bloated if I drink soda so I tend to steer clear of it - diet drinks seem to make me feel worse that the full fat version etc. I still crave it once in a while so I will have it but find that a few sips gets rid of my craving (unless ofcourse I add something else to it!!) :drinker: .

    Try not drinking it for a couple of weeks and then have some and see if you notice a difference, if you do then decide whether it is worth it for you!! :wink:
  • melissa_leah
    melissa_leah Posts: 107
    It's still 0 calories, so yes you can still lose weight, but some people say that artificial sweeteners make you feel more hungry... but oh well haha it's up to you! I still drink diet soda every once in a while but try to stick with water. I love fresca :)
  • knk1553
    knk1553 Posts: 438 Member
    Try limiting yourself, or my great alternative to sprite when I'm craving it is the key lime flavored carbonated water! I find that I don't really so much crave soda, but carbonation, so the carbonated water does the trick! I haven't really noticed much of a difference in my weight from drinking diet soda versus regular soda, i know if I drink regular I drink less because I hate drinking away my calories. I think each person will tell you something different and different results
  • mdsjmom98
    mdsjmom98 Posts: 333 Member
    I've heard several things. One being that if it's a caffeinated soda that it makes you retain more water. Based on that, as long as you keep it de-caff you should not have any problems. I've also had a friend tell me that as soon as she quit drinking diet soda, she lost weight better. I'm not sure I understand that, but everyone is different. I do notice that I personally retain more water when I drink a regular diet coke as opposed to a caff free diet. Again, all a matter of listening to your own body.
  • Sharon009
    Sharon009 Posts: 327 Member
    I drink diet drinks everyday. But I make sure to drink at least 8 glasses of water, pure water. I had no problems losing weight. My mom said it causes cellulite but I totally dont believe that because I had cellulite at 16 and I was super thin and she never let me have soda of any kind. My niece had cellulite on her little chubby legs at 4 yrs of age. So it may not be the healthiest thing to drink but it doesnt cause you to gain weight.
  • Sharon009
    Sharon009 Posts: 327 Member
    Try limiting yourself, or my great alternative to sprite when I'm craving it is the key lime flavored carbonated water! I find that I don't really so much crave soda, but carbonation, so the carbonated water does the trick! I haven't really noticed much of a difference in my weight from drinking diet soda versus regular soda, i know if I drink regular I drink less because I hate drinking away my calories. I think each person will tell you something different and different results

    This, I crave carbonation so a club soda and lime will do.

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