Hi everyone,
I am in my third week of the protocol and I am doing great (down 13 in two weeks)!! I understand that I am not suppose to have diet soda on the diet but I recieved a sodastream maker and was wondering if any knows if this is different....can I have a small amount of the diet flavors or even the seltzer flavors. Thanks for any information you might have. My diet couch is out of town until Tuesday so can not ask her at this time.

Soda is soda so no, you can't have it.

Actually, that seems to be a complicated question. From what I've read, it seems to be about the different sweeteners (aspartame is bad, sucralose and stevia are not so bad) and acids (phosphoric, citric, carbonic, etc.) There doesn't seem to be a conclusive agreement, and the coaches don't all seem to be in agreement either. If you search this forum for old threads on the subject it's very informative.

WHY IS DIET SODA DISCOURAGED DURING IDEAL PROTEIN DIET?
Very interesting insights from the "Ideal Protein Nova Blog". There is a science behind why this diet works and the things you can do to take best advantage of it.

All diet drinks (i.e. sugar-free, carb-free) are NOT recommended on the diet. The problem that can arise is imbalances in acid/base regulation. The protocol is very alkaline and this is why we do not see complications common to other "protein type diets." Some diet drinks (Crystal Light for example) are mixed with water and these are acceptable. Many others (flavored Aqua-fina, Dasani, etc.) contain a lot of phosphoric acid. This is a very strong acid and will play havoc with the body's bicarbonate buffering system. This goes for diet soda's too, particularly the brown ones.

Flavored seltzers are usually OK, just read the label and make sure it is carb-free and contains no phosphoric acid. This protocol provides so many health benefits besides weight loss, it would be a shame to compromise some of the benefits by consuming these products. Also- remember, an extra cup of water for every coffee you drink!

So what CAN you drink? Drink unsweetened Herbal Tea. Add 2 bags to a large pitcher (1.5 liter) or container and seep for about 10 minutes. Use a funnel to pour into an empty 1.5 liter plastic soda bottle. I usually make 3-4 batches in one night of different flavours, so there is a wide variety of choice throughout the week. It also helps you crave drinking more.

Thank you so much for your responses!! I really want to be as perfect as possible on this diet....this will be the last diet I will ever need :0) I appreciate the time you took to answer my question!!

SO for Xmas I gave my husband a soda stream machine and we made our first bottle of unflavored seltzer. I drank a fair amount and felt terrible afterwards. Is the IP related?