Diet Soda: Good or bad for fat people?

[EersSkins05]

(Sorry if this topic has been posted before- I searched and could not find)

So I'm sure most people saw the controversial study a few weeks back linking consumption of diet soda to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Understandably there were some disagreements over the methodology of the study, but I don't think anyone's ever really thought that drinking diet soda was necessarily good for you. Just that it was better than the alternative.

I'm a fat person trying to be less fat that consumes around 2-3 cans of Diet Coke per day. I know that water would be better for me, but Diet Coke represents a calorie-free alternative to eating a snack or dessert.

So is it better for me to go with the calorie free soda that curbs cravings and helps me to lose weight, or should I forego it altogether?

[Enter Apotheosis]

So is it better for me to go with the calorie free soda that curbs cravings and helps me to lose weight, or should I forego it altogether?

The best thing to do (and the obvious answer) is simply to forego it and find a way to handle your cravings in a more productive manner.

[bushwack]

Soda, regular or diet, is bad for any person, skinny or fat. Drinking water is much healthier and also saves a great deal of money compared to drinking gallons of soda or tea every week.

[Duckus]

I am no expert at all, but 3 cans seems like a lot. That would be 21 cans of soda a week. I don't think you need to cut it completely out, but I would cut that in half. Moderation is the key to life.

[Conn]

I've read that diet soda can actually cause Diabetes down the road, because the "fake" sugar in it causes your body to think it has enough insulin, when it doesn't. So prolonged drinking of diet sodas can actually mess up your insulin production.

But that's all paraphrasing, and I wouldn't swear on any of it.

[Special K]

I was talking to one of the physicians at the practice I was working at earlier this year and he was discussing recent studies that showed a correlation between diet soda intake and increased risk of weight gain. I believe he said something about the aspartame in the diet soda causing an increase in cravings. I forget, I wasn't really paying attention as I continued to drink my coke zero

What I would suggest, is maybe try to cut down on the diet soda to like, one per day. And pound as much water as you can.

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

Gaining fat is all about not burning as many calories as you consume. Losing fat is the opposite. On the calorie front, you are good. There's the argument towards it causing cravings; I just stay away from this stuff. Personally cut out soda from my diet by switching to zero calorie sports drinks, and even those I've pretty much erased from my diet. Also a regular black coffee drinker.

Water is the essential fuel for man. Consuming it improves pretty much all functions. Don't sip it, chug it.

[Koolblue13]

Aspartame is awful stuff.

http://aspartame.mercola.com/

All those risks and it can actually cause you to gain weight. Drinking diet soda makes no sense.

[Sticksboi05]

If you really cared about losing weight, you'd cut out soda period.

---------- Post added February-27th-2011 at 08:28 PM ----------

Gaining fat is all about not burning as many calories as you consume. Losing fat is the opposite. On the calorie front, you are good. There's the argument towards it causing cravings; I just stay away from this stuff. Personally cut out soda from my diet by switching to zero calorie sports drinks. Cheap, tasty, better for you. Also a regular black coffee drinker.

Water is the essential fuel for man. Consuming it improves pretty much all functions. Don't sip it, chug it.

You actually can drink too much water.

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

You actually can drink too much water.

Thanks for the biology lesson.

[Corcaigh]

And once you get in the habit of drinking water, soda tastes like chemical ****.

[MattFancy]

I've basically cut out soda and fast food/junk food from my regular eating habits and I've lose 10 pounds over a year. So try not to drink any type of soda

[Corcaigh]

You actually can drink too much water.

Outside of running a marathon when you're not conditioned to do it and not taking electrolytes to compensate, when does that really happen?

[Koolblue13]

Outside of running a marathon when you're not conditioned to do it and not taking electrolytes to compensate, when does that really happen?

When you're 100 feet under water, without scuba gear or doing X?

[Corcaigh]

When you're 100 feet under water, without scuba gear or doing X?

The problem then is not too much water. It's not enough air.

[Enter Apotheosis]

Gaining fat is all about not burning as many calories as you consume. Losing fat is the opposite. On the calorie front, you are good.

There are two problems with this blurb:

1. The calories in vs. calories out view of dieting is far from a perfect model of how the human body handles food. It is obviously very practical and is a useful tool to have at your disposal but you can't neglect its limitations.

2. Gaining or losing fat is not what caloric intake actually correlates to. Were you to replace the word fat with the more general weight your statement would be far more accurate.

And once you get in the habit of drinking water, soda tastes like chemical ****.

It's amazing just how much your ability to detect crap in food improves once you've largely abandoned it.

Outside of running a marathon when you're not conditioned to do it and not taking electrolytes to compensate, when does that really happen?

When you're doing it as part of a radio show challenge or a frat initiation.

[GoSkins0721]

Outside of running a marathon when you're not conditioned to do it and not taking electrolytes to compensate, when does that really happen?

Not very often. But the 1 time in 1 million that it does happen, it makes the front page.

To the OP, as has been mentioned, diet any soda probably isn't good for you. I had a coworker that stopped all carbonated drinks, bread and pasta for ~90 days and lost 35 pounds. He continued the same regimen for another ~90 days and lost an additional 25 pounds.

Any food with HFCS (High Fructose Corn Sugar) is bad for you. Most processed products include HFCS (including non-diet soft drinks).

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

There are two problems with this blurb:

1. The calories in vs. calories out view of dieting is far from a perfect model of how the human body handles food. It is obviously very practical and is a useful tool to have at your disposal but you can't neglect its limitations.

2. Gaining or losing fat is not what caloric intake actually correlates to. Were you to replace the word fat with the more general weight your statement would be far more accurate.

I'd like for you to elaborate on both points, if you could. What else, other than fat, do excess calories turn in to? I can only speak as a person on a low calorie/high protein diet that exercises regularly. Not a nutritionist, but have ones around me that preach what I've said about calories. That simplistic formula, along with hard work, has worked for me.

[Sticksboi05]

Thanks for the biology lesson.

Did you really get mad at that ?

---------- Post added February-27th-2011 at 09:09 PM ----------

The problem then is not too much water. It's not enough air.

This made me laugh.

[Mooka]

The studies are too inconclusive on just diet soda. The end result is that diet soda does not help lose weight and its not healthier, but not from drinking the diet soda itself. Something about the artificial sweeteners and lack of calories tricking your body causing you to eat more in the end.

Compared to 3 regular sodas a day, I'm sure diet soda will help you lose weight. But like you said, none of it is actually good for you.

[ixcuincle]

People trying to lose weight probably shouldn't be drinking any type of soda, diet or not.

[Koolblue13]

Eating right is so easy to do.

[Heidenreich]

I lost 50 lbs two years ago with a diet change (elimination of sweets/chips/etc) and exercise. The one thing I didn't give up was my pepsi. I still drink it like it's my job. I also drink a ton of water, but I love the taste of Pepsi more than anything.

The problem with diet soda is twofold. The artificial sweeteners (already discussed), and the people who order a **** load of food at restaurants (super sized, etc) then have a diet coke. That's not helipng......

[d0ublestr0ker0ll]

Did you really get mad at that ?

Sorry, thought you were trolling for a smartass reply. I'll write the knowledge you dropped on the front of my nutritional tips notebook.

[Thiebear]

i know the juices i see in the stores for the children have as much sugar as an energy drink.