[Princess0113]

for me, i avoid diet sodas just because they make me retain water. only one a day isn't bad, but when i drink it all day all that sodium affects the scale! i don't think drinking it affects my actual fat loss though. (and i'm not one to avoid artificial sweeteners - even if they're bad for me i just can't seem to eliminate them!)

[Ija]

Every now and then I have a diet Coke when I feel like I'd go crazy without it, but I keep it to no more than one or two cans per week. Artificial sweeteners are just not good for you, and being healthy means more than just losing weight.

The linked aspartame study was, of course, not peer-reviewed so it's hard to say whether the methods or conclusions are appropriate. However, if the differences between the aspartame-treated group and the controls were that significant, I'd be hesitant to quickly dismiss it.

[motomom2]

I had been in the Diet Pepsi over water way of thinking for many years. Even before I committed to weight loss, I quit drinking as much. I like to use it with my mixed drinks (I still do drink it when I drink alcohol) but never during the week or on weekend days.

What motivated me is that it does make me feel like I am retaining water. Also my habit was to sip throughout the day. How awful that is for my teeth is a motivator for me to not be a soda sipper throughout the day.

It took me such a long time though, to come to this. There was such a mental connection to it. I felt like I was giving myself a big ol' pat on the back when I cracked one open every few hours.

Good Luck to anyone trying to quit the diet colas!

[dgramie]

I use to have a diet soda by me at all times. I drank them all day long and didnt really eat. I would eat dinner with my family but i was living on soft drinks. I started having alot of kidney problems and gave up soft drinks. I will have one every few months but its a very rare thing. I use to joke that i needed to be hooked up to the iv of diet pop.
My kidney specialist told me that diet drinks are worse for you than reg. He also told me that my soft drinks might be making me gain weight. I now try to drink nothing but water. I really never crave them anymore. It was really hard at first giving them up. My kidneys thanks me for drinking water!!!

[ttugurl]

Question, well kinda: Back when I used to be on Atkins I read on a message board that Aspartamine, the sugar subsitute found in diet sodas stalls weight loss??? Anyone ever heard of this??? And that if your going to try a diet anything make sure it has splenda and not aspartamine (or however you spell it)

[chickybird]

An interesting article I just read. Not sure if it was in-depth enough to be really useful, but...
http://health.yahoo.com/experts/heal...the-diet-soda/

[chickybird]

Good lord, I'm sorry about the multiple posts! My computer when deranged for a moment. Sorry chickies!

[jaimejean478]

Thanks for all the great feedback... I've always been on the fence about it, also treating it as my afternoon sweet/pick-me-up treat. I had never heard anything about the artificial sweeteners and appetite issues, so I'll be looking a little more into that! Especially taking an inventory of the foods I consume that have that junk in it.

[Gale02]

Kaplods,

In the foot notes of the study it said that 3 rats in the control group developed observable tumors.

I don't drink (or eat) artificial sweeteners partly because I don't like the taste, partly because I'm a little leery of them, and finally because they cause digestive fireworks for me (ew.)

[FlabbyHarry]

judging by whats been said i would say personaly that just maybe have them once in a blue moon lol, well maybe take yourself off them slowly...