Diet Soda

Does it impede weight loss?

Possibly.  Probably?

Most of the on-line sites I have gone to offer evidence that drinking very much diet soda actually triggers the brain to want more calories and thus can cause weight gain.  I personally have not felt that, since I drink quite a bit of diet soda and lost 45 pounds.  But almost all the articles I have read on-line suggest dieters would be better off not drinking diet soda, especially not as part of a weight loss regimen.

I have heard that artificial sweeteners make you crave sweet foods, because your body expects sugar but doesn't get it. I'm not sure if I believe that or not, but in any case it would only impede weight loss if you actually followed through on the cravings.

I've heard other stories about diet soda impeding weight loss, but I definitely don't believe anything other than the sweetener-sugar craving theory.

I drank the odd can of diet soda while dieting and it never did me any harm weight-wise, and certainly saved calories from regular soda. However, I've now given it up for non-weight loss reasons; namely, all the crappy chemicals in general that you will find in it!

I prefer to eat unprocessed foods and diet soda stuck out like a sore thumb amidst all the real, low and non-processed foods I eat. I happen to think our bodies work better with real food and less additives and chemicals in our system, regardless of whether those chemicals halt weight loss or not.

You will get all kinds of feedback on this subject. My personal opinion after reading/researching and personal experience are that artificial sweeteners are damaging to your health. I personally lost weight when I stopped using them. They don't just impede weight loss but your over all health.

http://purehealthmd.com/nutrition/healthy-eat ing/sweetners/avoid-artificial-sweeteners.htm l

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/ 080210183902.htm

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/story?id=427 1246&page=1

http://www.emaxhealth.com/11/586.html

I have heard its bad for you, but I drink it anyway. Mainly I heard the aspartame is bad for you. There are soda sweetend with splenda though, and thats seen to be not as bad, but don't ask me why. If you really have a problem with those artifical things, there is a soda called "zevia" sweetend with stevia. Google it, they have a website. I however dont have a problem with artificial sweetners. If they make me crave more sweet things, then I have more artificial sweetner, ha

They impede weight loss in the sense that you tend to eat more after you've had one right?

Original Post by shells156:

They impede weight loss in the sense that you tend to eat more after you've had one right?

 No, not just that. See the links in my previous post for an explanation.

You're going to hear everything about artificial sweeteners, just like littleshellys said, and lots of people will try to make you swallow their opinions...The problem is, it sounds like a great advantage, so people want it. It's new and unnatural, so people fight it. Most sources telling you how horrendous it is... don't actually say much. And here are the rest of us, completely unsure what to think.

For me, I'm for them. I prefer something that's also caffeine free though, I don't see why I need that. I think it's a good starting point for avoiding normal soda. It will still rot your teeth, but all things in moderation, right? I imagine that it will affect some people's appetite differently than others, so watch it. For example, aspartame gives a strange aftertaste that is not appetizing. The last thing I had besides water is 25-calorie hot cocoa. That was a couple hours ago I think. Go figure.

I eat whole and unprocessed foods for about 85% of my daily food intake, and I drink water for liquids too. But I don't think a can of diet soda a day is that bad... I drink 1 can of Coke Zero a day, just for the pleasure - I haven't drank the regular coke for so long that it seems like a taboo for me!

I don't think it will impede your weight loss, just as long as you don't replace water with diet sodas... I know for sure that when I used to do that, it makes me crave for more sugar and junk, and I feel dehydrated too.