Hi all, I drink Diet Coke constantly! I never drink any sugary drinks on a basis, just one (Lemonade) maybe once a month. But, my questions are....

Is Diet Coke bad for you?


Is Diet Coke a good thing to drink while on a diet/losing weight?


I have heard soo many things about Diet Coke, I'm really not sure if they are true or false. I have heard it makes you eat more to it can shut your kidney's down..? I don't really know, I am kinda addicted to the stuff. But I do know that when I stopped drinking Mountain Dew and switched to Diet Coke, I DID NOT lose any weight at all, don't know why. Anyways, thanks so much for reading and if you can help me out a bit. Did you use to drink a lot of Diet Coke? If so, how and why did you quit?

Thanks,
~Christie

Hi Christie!

I am not a professional so I can only give you my personal opinion. There are a lot of chemicals in it - it's hard on your body, teeth and internal organs and that is a fact. However, lots of things are, one every once in awhile I am sure won't kill you

I cut it out of my diet completely. I found that it triggered wants and needs for other things that I associated with it - like salty snacks. My skin is better, I am going to the bathroom more regularly and I don't miss the aftertaste in my mouth. In my case I drank Coke Zero (which is just as bad). It wasn't easy cutting it out, but after a few days it was fine.

Not sure if that helped, but everyone has their own opinion. I only drink water now with lemon or lime in it for a bit of taste - or if I am really bored, chew gum and then drink water.

My advice - get rid of it. It will definitely improve things for you regardless.

Steinunn

Thanks so much for the advice!
I have noticed too that I use the bathroom a lot when I drink it and I DO crave salty snacks/foods A LOT!
I will start drinking water, I'll try the lemon in it also (because I just can not stand the taste of water plain).
Thanks again!!
~Christie

This is just my opinion and its based on things I've read. No soda (or pop as I call it) is great for you. There's no real difference in diet or regular pop. Diet pop has lots more sodium than regular and can cause you to retain water. But, everything in moderation is fine. I'm a Pepsi addict myself.

I'm also thinking about making some Lipton Tea, sweetened with Splenda.
What do y'all think?
Is Splenda bad also?

I do drink the lipton Splenda iced tea on the weekends because my habit before was to make up a big pitcher of sweet tea on the weekends and drink it. (My Dad is from Oklahoma so it's sweet tea, all the time, in our family).

As for the diet Coke, I'll drink one occasionally with lunch but I cut down on my habit of drinking it constantly at my desk because it was giving me false feelings of hunger and making me want to eat. It wasn't that difficult to give up and I'm glad I did it.

I drink Diet coke and Coke Zero, I love it, I drink water through out the day and at lunch and dinner I want a coke or unsweet tea, but mostly coke. it has never set off cravings for me but does satisfy my sweet cravings and when I drink carbonated drinks, I eat less. So for me, I would never give it up. I can go days with out it, if I'm out but I really enjoy having it around.

I have an occasional diet soda - sometimes I will grab a can when I am getting in my car for a drive. And sometimes I will order some at a restaurant. But I've never been the sort to just drink it all day long. I drink water all day long.

I've never seen the occasional diet soda as having any impact on weight loss.

I can have *one* glass (not a supersize!) of Diet Coke, once or twice a month maybe, and be ok (I keep waiting to lose the taste like others report, but I think it might take years for me ). But if I have it often, or in a large quantity at once, all sorts of things spiral down from there.

Even though it has no calories, eating / drinking anything in excess, I think, reinforces habits I'm trying to overcome. Also, the taste of it just goes well with junk food. But in contrast, when I have iced tea instead, I start thinking of what whole grains and veggies I can eat. And of course it's just not food. It's not good for me. And I just don't like being addicted to anything. That's hard on the ol' self-esteem. And I can spend the money on getting my healthy foods in higher quality, and contribute less to the coffers of a giant corporation.

The only real problem I see with Diet Coke is that the sweet taste can trigger a signal to your brain that sugar is coming, which then prompts your body to release insulin. Of course, since you're drinking aspartame, the sugar never comes. That imbalance can actually stoke your appetite so that you crave sweet things, which is why some people struggle with weight loss while they're drinking Diet Coke.

Since I'm taking a whole foods approach to my diet, I'm trying to wean myself off of Diet Coke and all other fake sugars (which are definitely not whole foods) and use a small amount of the natural stuff (honey, agave nectar, and maple syrup) instead. As for you, if you can handle having the occasional Diet Coke without any trouble, there's little reason to worry.

Thank you all for the replies!!
I made some tea last night and I'm going to try to drink tea at my meals, and water through out the rest of the day with maybe some lemon or something else natural in it. It's going to be hard to open the fridge and see those Diet Cokes there (my husband drinks them) but I will have to remind myself how they are not so good for me or my goals. Also, my husband ALWAYS wants me to make a pound cake for him, that's another hard test I'll be going through. Wish me luck all! Has any one else had this sorts of things in the house for others and just had to stay away from them? If so, how did/or what did you tell yourself when you saw them and had to resist?
I think that will be the biggest challenge to me.

Aspartame gives me migraines. I used to drink Splenda coke but I just got tired of it. For fizz I drink no sodium club soda or Hansen's diet soda. My tummy needs fizzy drinks sometimes or I get sick after eating.

I mostly drink filtered water, but I drink tea and coffee too.

The sodium in any kind of soft drink makes me retain water and feel bloated. I drop my weight a lot faster and I feel better when I only have one or two a week or better none. I think they are addictive because they are my biggest weakness.

Oh my gosh, it's been so long since I've had a migraine that I forgot to mention this! I've taken a grand total of 2 migraine pills since I (mostly) gave up diet Coke. I still drink it sparingly; I had one on the weekend and again today for lunch. But since I quit drinking 2 cans each and every morning, my migraines are gone. I'm pretty sure it's the aspartame. I also cut back drastically on sugar at that time as well, so I can't be sure.

It may not negatively affect weight loss that much (depends on the person and whether they crave sugar afterward -- I don't), but it's definitely not good for you, so just try and avoid it and drink something else.