I was addicted to Diet Dr Pepper - I drank about a six pack a day for nearly 5 years. When I was skinny (~130-135 lbs), I did not gain weight drinking all that soda. However, when my metabolism slowed down, and I started gaining weight, I wondered about the effect the diet soda may be having on me - but I didn't stop drinking it. I liked it too much. :)

I decided to stop drinking the stuff last summer (August 2009), when I came to the conclusion that it just couldn't be good for me to drink so much soda all the time. I had been trying (rather unsuccessfully) to lose weight since early 2009, and decided to just cut it out all together and see what happened. Long story short, I didn't lose weight by eliminating the soda from my diet - but I did feel better. I can't really explain it, but I've not been as tired, I sleep better, etc. I have occasionally given in to temptation, but I would estimate that since August 2009 I've had a soda less than 10 times.

As for weight loss - I've been calorie counting since June 30, 2010, and have lost almost 20 lbs! Again, I'm not sure if the absence of diet soda has helped at all with my diet, but I'm not about to tempt fate and start drinking it again!

I have lost 90 lbs drinking water & crystal light mainly. Both have "zero" carlories but do contain aspartame. I drink diet coke only when I go out to eat. I'd have to say it can't make too much of a difference, at least not in my case anyways....

I used to be majorly addicted to diet coke. I wasn't drinking 2 litres a day or 8 cans a day but I'd drink at least a glass every day. I would never have regular coke because I didn't like the taste compared to the diet. Then I read in Prevention that one of the syrups they use to colour both regular and diet coke was proven to increase belly fat. Since that is a major problem for me I cut it out.

Did I lose any belly fat? no. Did it affect my weight or craving for sweets in the slightest? no.

after a year or so I went back to diet pops but had lost my taste for diet coke. Now I drink diet sprite. But still one or two glasses a day. Again, I havn't seen any difference in my ability to lose weight or my cravings for sweets.

still, 2 litres or multiple cans a day is a lot to drink of anything.

I think I remember seeing somewhere that aspartame is certified as a biological weapon.
I don't think it impedes weight loss, but I often notice that soda drinkers
don't make the best food choices - so I think its a big generalization. Maybe
soda drinkers in general lose less weight but it does not mean that it will
happen to you. Soda can be pretty acidic though and hard on the tummy.
I used to have a massive diet coke habit, I stopped drinking it when I heard
aspartame can make anxiety worse. Did not make a difference for me but I figured oh what the heck I already gave it up why go back. At the time it was the ONE healthy thing I ever did for myself.

I too am a diet coke addict and I won't give it up. For all those 'bad' research findings there are also ones that show no significant difference and the FDA has found no solid reliable research to show its bad for you or weight loss or they would have banned it or put a warning label on it.

But even if they do, this is my ONE vice. I don't drink alcohol, I don't smoke, I don't do drugs, I don't drink coffee or tea. Never have, never will. Of all those things I think Diet coke is the least of all the evils.

So yes you will find tons of "research" online saying its bad for you but nothing has been determined accurate or reliable. So if you think it will help stop it and see if it does.

I've been drinking diet coke since the 3rd grade and yes I'm overweight now but I've been in the 120s-130s drinking it too. As long as you don't see it as 'free calories' to indulge elsewhere I think its fine. I also think the fact that it makes some people hungry is a personal thing. I've never found that it makes me hungry. Every body is different so its all trial and error.

Sorry if my post seems rude, this is just one of my pet peeves. I'm sick and tired of people 'informing' me of how bad diet coke is for me. ARGH! lol

Originally Posted by TornadoSiren:
Ohh..a pet subject for me! I drink coke zero. I will not give up my coke zero. I have lost 71 pounds in 9 months, in a nice steady downward slide, with not a single plateau. I drink at least 2 coke zeros per day, and sometimes 3 or 4. yes..water would be better for me, but I like my carbonation burn and my caffeine. Supposedly the artificial sweetener in diet sodas makes you crave real sugar. This may be true, I can't say for sure. I sometimes crave sugar, but that could be just because I want sugar. But if I could not control my cravings, I would not be where I am now, regardless of whether I drink diet soda or not. So, as I said in one of my very first posts on 3fc, keep your damn hands off my coke zero.
Keep your hands off my coke zero, and I promise not to snigger at your cottage cheese. ewwwww

HERE HERE!!! :D If you don't touch my Diet Coke I won't touch your Coke Zero!!! :D