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traineo Community / Diet & Nutrition Tips / Diet Soda / I read it mentally results in weight gain, how about physically?
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T K M
traineo Regular
Posts: 53
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 # Posted: 29 Nov 2007 00:32


Okay so the ONLY thing that I read about diet soda is this..

That because it has 0 calories people subconsciously eat MORE which results in weight gain, they think that because there drinks are 0 calories that they can add more into their daily intake..

I'm not like that..

Now, does the actual diet soda physically lead to weight gain?

Say I am still working out, watching calories, not cheating, etc. but have maybe one diet soda a day?

This is not bad right?
Jennifer Lambert
traineo Newbie
Posts: 4
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 # Posted: 29 Nov 2007 01:11


Great question. I too would like to know the answer to this. I would think you are fine but I'll be curious to see what others say. Best of luck.
Melissa Goetsch
traineo Regular
Posts: 26
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 # Posted: 29 Nov 2007 01:11


I have heard that people who drink diet soda tend to be over weight where people who drink regular soda are not. Which would make sense to me because why would you drink diet soda if you didn't need to?
Elicia :)
traineo Fanatic
Posts: 117
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 # Posted: 29 Nov 2007 01:24


Here's the case with diet soda:
1. It is sweetened with artificial sweeteners which are anywhere from 3-6x as sweet as sugar. Meaning - sugar is 100% sweet, splenda is 600% sweet. This has increased our conception of what sweet is. So studies are saying that our "sweet" tooth now needs more sweet to recognize the taste. This is leading to weight gain because people are drinking a ton of diet soda, increasing their tolerance to sweetness, and therefore needing more of a sweet food to recognize the sweetness. I hope i made sense and didn't confuse you!

2. I did hear that most of these studies were done using fast food restaurant soda consumption. Overweight people tend to frequent fast food restaurants more than people of a healthy weight. And most people get diet soda to make up for the calories they are eating in the fast food.

So no, drinking the actual soda does not lead to weight gain. I am a diet coke addict, I have one a day and there is nothing wrong with that. It could be worse right!
Dave Nicholson
The Master
Posts: 2094
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 # Posted: 29 Nov 2007 01:44


It is nice to have a dietitian as a regular on the boards

Though I use artificial sweeteners in my coffee every morning, I do prefer to limit my intake of those kinds of chemicals. Funny that after studies that say they may cause cancer, the companies respond that that doesn't happen unless the chemicals are at a higher temperature - which just happens to be right around body temp... Don't believe everything you read, but I'm just as happy drinking water most of the time!
T K M
traineo Regular
Posts: 53
Post History
 # Posted: 29 Nov 2007 01:46


Yeah... I kind of figured it wasn't bad..

I think they just say to stay away from it because yeah, it does increase your sweet tooth..

And also I see it all the time, people will go out and order a bunch of food and get a "diet coke" to go with it...

Or in that song by Mika... "..diet coke and a pizza please?" lol

I just love Fresca, and Diet Coke Plus... they are a good change from all the water I drink (like 2 liters or more a day)
Splint Chesthair
Fitness Guru
Posts: 471
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 # Posted: 29 Nov 2007 02:53


There seem to be a lot of conflicting data. I read one report that said the sweet taste messes with our insulin levels and causes the body to store real food as fat.
Rick Hampton
traineo Newbie
Posts: 13
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 # Posted: 29 Nov 2007 04:58


A year ago, I drank coffee all morning with sugar in it, a regular Coke for lunch, sweet tea (made with either sugar or Splenda) for supper, and coffee with sugar in the evening. I only drank water when I was doing something that made me sweat. Then, I made a commitment to only drink water for 11 days while I was doing a nutritional cleanse. After the 11 days, I started preferring water. Sometimes I will have a cup of coffee (with a little sugar) after an evening meal, but that's about it.
THE NEW ME
The Master
Posts: 2856
Post History
 # Posted: 29 Nov 2007 05:31


i heard diet coke causes bone loss.
Rick B
traineo Newbie
Posts: 20
Post History
 # Posted: 29 Nov 2007 18:19 - Edited by: kuruma1


It's malarchy. A bit of sensationlism attached to something mundane in hopes to add a little ironic shock to the folks that would otherwise ignore their drink o' choice.

Do SOME people justify their super size meals because they got a diet Coke... I'd say that's very likely. But that has nothing to do with the Coke.
Dave Nicholson
The Master
Posts: 2094
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 # Posted: 29 Nov 2007 18:38


note also that the caffeine is a diuretic - it is metabolized into Theobromine in the liver, so drinking it is not like drinking flavored water as it does not hydrate efficiently.
Splint Chesthair
Fitness Guru
Posts: 471
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 # Posted: 29 Nov 2007 23:00


I heard Diet Soda once led the Hunnic Empire on a brutal rampage through the Balkans and Gaul and leaving a trail of cruelity and destruction all the way to the gates of Constantinople and Rome.

...or maybe that was Atilla.
Dave Nicholson
The Master
Posts: 2094
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 # Posted: 30 Nov 2007 01:58


Atilla lite, perhaps?
Fred L
Fitness Guru
Posts: 753
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 # Posted: 30 Nov 2007 02:54


Quoting: jenngetfit
i heard diet coke causes bone loss.


I heard they use Diet coke to clean blood off of streets.

In all seriousness, I have cut diet sodas out of my diet. I keep hearing "bad" things, so I have eliminated it.
James Kinney
traineo Newbie
Posts: 2
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 # Posted: 30 Nov 2007 03:00


if you're truly dedicated to losing weight or getting into shape, every kind of soda should be cut from your diet.

However one diet soda a day really isn't going to hurt any steady diet.
Kevin Reape
traineo Newbie
Posts: 7
Post History
 # Posted: 4 Dec 2007 02:02


I agree with James, if you are serious about dieting, you shouldn't drink soda - diet or not.

People say diet soda causes cancer and is worse for you, but at the same time people say its better because there isn't calories or sugar. But of course there is just sugar substitutes. I imagine their both the same, and not good for the body.

However if you exersize regularly you can probably afford a soda a day, or something like that.
DC Fries
traineo Newbie
Posts: 14
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 # Posted: 5 Dec 2007 19:46


I once read a fascinating article about diet soda. Here is the link. In a nutshell, it says diet soda is a diet killer.

Sadly for me, as the name denotes - I am hopelessly devoted to my diet coke.

dietcokeandfries.blogspot.com
Crystal Mace
traineo Newbie
Posts: 4
Post History
 # Posted: 6 Dec 2007 03:54


I've been a Diet Coke addict for about a decade. I finally stopped drinking it this last month as an experiment to see how I feel. I find that I am getting fewer, and less intense cravings for sugar and I've actually lost some weight. After cutting DC from my diet i read an article that stated diet soft drink drinkers tend to be overweight because your body craves the calories it isn't getting and you end up eating more.
Shawn W.
Fitness Guru
Posts: 490
Post History
 # Posted: 6 Dec 2007 05:47


Diet cokes dont affect me imho, but i keep them as a treat or when i'm at a resturaunt where the water and tea both taste nasty...

IMHO (again its worth maybe 2 cents) Skip the coke if you can. I didn't drink any for years while competing in track and I felt a big difference after a few weeks of drinking them while doing track in college.
chris veneracion
traineo Regular
Posts: 29
Post History
 # Posted: 6 Dec 2007 10:13


i usually drink diet soda (diet dr. pepper is a fave) for the caffeine... but not very often, maybe 3-4 a week. as far as i can tell, it hasn't really hurt my weight loss

i was wondering, are there any "safe" drinks i can consume for a pick me up?
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