I also saw another study on aol.com today that said that diet soda drinkers that went cold turkey lost five pounds in a month without doing anything else.
Well, you're going to get mixed opinions on this. I will say that, from a scientific standpoint, the only way you can make ANY claims about diet soda CAUSING metabolism to slow is by putting a bunch of people in a lab, controlling ALL other variables, giving some diet soda and some water, measuring metabolism before and after. This study most definitely didn't do that, so it can only establish CORRELATION, not CAUSATION. Correlation means that people with one characteristic (ie, drinking diet soda) have a higher statistical probability of having another (ie, being overweight), but can't determine WHY or establish one or the other as being the CAUSE.
The WebMD article even points out this limitation. It is just as likely, given the data, that the people who were becoming overweight were more likely to drink diet soda, because they were trying to cut back on calories. Remember, all they've demonstrated is that weight and diet soda tend to go together...not that one causes the other.
I have seen some interesting research that shows that, for some people, diet AND regular sodas may increase cravings and decrease satiety, causing those people to tend to eat more. I have never experienced this, even when drinking lots of diet drinks, and I definitely don't experience now at my 2-3 diet sodas a week. But many here on the board will tell you that they HAVE experienced it. This factor could play into this as well - of COURSE people tend to be heavier if they're eating more. To someone on a controlled plan, though, this would make little to no difference...if they stick to their plan despite maybe having a few more cravings, they won't have that "increased calories from eating more" effect, and therefore won't gain weight either.
So take heart. The study doesn't say ANYTHING about diet soda slowing metabolism. It just says that drinking diet sodas is correlated with being heavier.
Eh, I wouldn't sweat it. I've drank swimming pools of it this year and have still managed to lose 124+ pounds.
Health wise? It's not the best choice. But neither were my buffalo chicken strips, candy bars and chips when I was heavier. I do what I can, I do what I do.
I've lost 80 pounds while drinking diet soda. I know it's not good for me, but I don't think it made it harder to lose weight. I think it might make me retain water. On days after I haven't had any I tend to weigh less. I don't sweat the water weight much though. I just want to see an overall downward trend on the scale.
I can't drink diet or regular soda or I'll gain, but that's just my body. I agree with everyone else, you have to find out what works and what doesn't work for you. I experiment all the time, it's fun! Hang in there!
Mmm... diet dr pepper with dinner every night. I dont find that it causes me to indulge in other sweets though. I hadden't thought about it slowing your metabolism down, but they come out with new "facts" all the time about diet sodas and it's usually proven wrong.
I drink it in moderation. Usually once or twice a week. I have not found that it affects my weight loss at all. I have lost 38 pounds and still managed to have a Diet Coke every once in a while -- I just stopped drinking them all day long because of the other health dangers.
Fowler is quick to note that a study of this kind does not prove that diet soda causes obesity. More likely, she says, it shows that something linked to diet soda drinking is also linked to obesity.
"One possible part of the explanation is that people who see they are beginning to gain weight may be more likely to switch from regular to diet soda," Fowler suggests. "But despite their switching, their weight may continue to grow for other reasons. So diet soft-drink use is a marker for overweight and obesity."
I don't see anything there that says that diet soda causes obesity OR that it slows your metabolism.
I drink diet soda every day and as you can see from my ticker, it hasn't cause me to gain weight or stop losing.
Diet Coke is my only vice, I tried giving it up, but I found that I kept eating other things to try to compensate for it (if that makes sense), so I actually did not lose as well when I tried totally eliminating Diet Coke. Now I restrict it to no more than 1 drink a day.
I'm giving it up again. It's been over a week now. I cracked open a can the other day...had one sip. It tasted so icky I couldn't drink it and grabbed some water instead.
For me...when I do not drink diet soda...I lose more weight. Different for everyone, I know...but that's how it works for me.
I think I'm going to allow myself to drink it (it really is an important part of my diet and satisfaction), but I'm going to replace a few drinks a day with water. I think part of the problem is I'm addicted to the caffeine a bit. (Not like "addicted", but you know)
Oh no! My true love, diet soda!!
