Soda...weight loss hindrance?

So I haven't had soda in a very long time and recently just started drinking it again.  I only drink soda without any calories, but will it still hinder my weight loss?

Here's an article for you. It's not really 100% known on whether it makes it hard for people to lose weight or not.

http://beehive.ivillage.com/ivillage/archives /2008/02/can-diet-soda-make-you-gain-we.html

I try to drink water only, and if I have a diet soda, not more than once a day. Sometimes the sweetness satisfies my cravings for sugar.

I've been doing a 5k training. The same workout and same calorie intake WITH soda. . .I didn't lose any weight.

Same training, same calories NO SODA since Saturday - 2 workouts and a little 30 min stroll and I've lost a pound.

Something in it DEFINITELY makes it harder to lose weight. 

For me I KNOW soda makes me retain water. My weigh in day is on Friday morning so Friday/Saturday/Sunday I drink a couple of Coke Zeros a day to get my fix and watch the water % on my scale go up every weekend. As innacurate as that sucker is I get the same results every weekend. Usually by Tuesday or Wednesday my water is back down to normal and that's when I lose weight. It's too consistent with me to be coincidence.

its different for everyone,see how it works for you.i does not affect me,but  i also do drink my 64 oz of water everyday .i've lost a total of 20 lbs.

I lost 40 lbs while drinking lots of diet soda.  it doesnt hinder weightloss at all, i promise.  how could it, it has ZERO calories.   some people say it makes them crave more sugary things but I definitely don't find that, in fact diet soda helps me get through a sweet craving without eating lots of (or any) calories. 

so far i have to agree with mialondon.  the carbonation fills up my stomach and it does satisfy sweet cravings.  i've actually continued to lose weight, but i'm still a bit concerned about the long term effects (long term being like a month). 

I'm also training for a 5k...will soda hinder my stamina? i guess instead i should ask if it has had an effect on anyone else's stamina?

I think it depends on the person.  I had a harder time trying to lose weight when I was consuming artificial sweetners.  Now, I just try to watch my calories and avoid the sweetners, and I am finding myself to be more successful. 

Try it out for a few weeks and see what you think.  I drink a bottle of Vitamin Water with lunch (it only has 125 calories in 20 oz), and then I usually drink lots of water the rest of the day.  Good luck!

I drink a sugar free soda sometimes at night to stave off the munchies. Works for me. But I drink a lot of fluids during the day.

I've heard that the aspartame in soda is proven to mess with your metabolism so you don't lose.  Now, sugar-filled soda, if I was gonna be completely safe, I'd go with that as an occasional treat because at least we all know what sugar does.  Not to mention that aspartame causes brain tumors.  My uncle got cancer from drinking too much diet soda.  THAT was a wake-up call to my family.

What I drink that I really enjoy is one Fuze green tea/white tea/black & green tea every day.  It's a big bottle with 2 servings at 60 calories a serving.  I usually drink the whole thing at lunch, although sometimes I take it on the go while I hike.  Green tea boosts your metabolism, as does acai berry (which is included in the Fuze blend).  I get it in my dining hall, but you can buy it at the store.  I'm not real into drinks with calories in general other than milk (ie. I mostly drink water) but the benefits of green tea speak for themselves so I make a point to have that.  It's got loads of antioxidants.

If you do drink soda ('cause it's awesome and we all will sometimes) probably only go for around 1 a week.  Good luck!!

I've lost 190lb+ while drinking a lot of diet soda. It's not hurt my weight loss efforts at all. Most days it has made up all of my liquid hydration, other days maybe half or a third.

I have lost 70 pds in the last few months and drink lots of Diet Pepsi. No problem. I mean, I don't drink, don't smoke, and now don't eat any cookies or donuts, no one is taking away my last vice. :-)

50 pounds lost in under 3 months, I have diet mountain dew, diet coke zero, diet other things, tc drink mixers that go in a water bottle and no problems.

I have to argue both sides here.

Yes, it has been proven to increase sweet cravings and you know, the whole cancer thing is a bummer.

But on the other side, the carbonation helps me feel full, and it is something sweet that has 0 calories.

I think it is a personal preference, and I don't think that it will hinder your weight loss unless you find yourself going for that cookie after you drink anything "diet".

So what I'm getting from this is that if it does affect my weight loss, it will be minimal.  There are worse things I could do.

Like shortcut2k said, it probably depends on the person. I have found that for me soda is first and almost exclusive on the DO NOT CONSUME list. It always seems to make me crave more sweets in the form of more soda and other junk food. Once I cut soda out of my diet I drink plenty of water and eat more fruits and veggies than artificial sweets, but once I add soda back in it all goes down hill again.

During the week I try to drink soda (diet) and intake most of my carbs earlier in the day, which I find doesn't cause any issues with weight gain.  I also drink at least two liters of water a day. 

On the weekends I do eat more carbs and drink more diet soda, drink less water, and my weight goes up slightly.  It usualy comes off a day or two into the week.

I'm sure the sodium in the soda help to retain water.