Drink Diet Coke to Gain Weight
Submitted by boredatwork on Wed, 06/15/2005 - 15:41
Tagged:
I thought this was interesting for those Diet Coke drinkers.
Anyway, according to this study it seems those drinking diet soda tend to gain more weight then those drinking the real stuff. When you read all the facts things change a bit since Diet Coke and most other Diet Sodas have little to no calories which will not cause weight gain. Basically the study says most Diet Soda drinkers use it to let them eat heavier on the other stuff.
Not sure this study was worth the money they probably spent on it, but interesting.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/health/3221547
Archive story: http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2005_3878177
Comments
RE: Drink Diet Coke to Gain Weight
For the most part I would say they are right. Someone gave me this lecture or linked me a story similiar to this. I don't think it "research" behind it, more just an observation by someone.
For me personally, I just got "addicted" to the taste of DC. It has only been recently that I can even stand to drink a regular Coke. After you drink DC for a while and get use to the taste, redular Coke tastes like you are sucking on a carbonated sugar cube... Oh wait... That would be pop rocks.
RE: Drink Diet Coke to Gain Weight
Agreed, I drink the heck out of DC and its not for diet reasons, its just because I cant stand the heavy syrup and sweet taste, it just seems like drinking sugar sludge compared to DC.
RE: Drink Diet Coke to Gain Weight
I think these survey things are interesting because they can be so misleading.
I too drink Diet Coke because I prefer the taste, but I think that is an aquired taste. I initially started drinking it (ok Tab actually) in college because I was cruising through softdrinks at a high rate and concerned about the calories of coke. So I actually started drinking it because I was concerned about weight. I imagine that a large percentage of people who drink it are (or at least were initially) conscious about weight. Meaning they were worried about gaining. We already know most people in this country are overweight - so I guess on average who is drinking regular coke anymore? Kids who probably did not get included in this study and even if they did their metabolism rate is so much different than adults it would skew the data, or maybe people who have a high calorie burn (real distance runners) who don't care about the caloric intake, or maybe skinny people who never needed to worry about weight gain, and lastly big fat people already who don't care about consuming additional calories (this group is interesting becuase if the weight gain calc was on a percentage of weight then a 350lb guy putting on a few pounds every year might not show up in the data) Also what about the people who were drinking coke, then realized they had a weight gain problem and switched to diet coke midstream. What camp do they fall into?
I think that is the current nature of our culture. Take a complicated, intricate problem and find some super simplistic test and then draw a bunch of lame ass conclusions.
RE: Drink Diet Coke to Gain Weight
I had a dream to go from 170 to 125.
I kept a book. I did get to 125 and I do feel I succeded when I tore myself away from my beloved diet coke. This was back in 2001 and whenever I am serious the first thing that goes is the diet coke.
RE: Drink Diet Coke to Gain Weight
I am so interested in hearing your philosophy as to why you think diet coke played a part.
Diet Coke = bad
I'd spent the last 4 years trying to lose weight while training for marathons. I guzzled Diet Cokes at a rate of 5 - 7 per day. Yes, I was addicted.
Meanwhile, I did 5K's, 10K's, and half marathons in between the marathons. I was about 210 pounds. Whenever I dieted, to lose weight for a marathon, I would end up losing about 3-4 pounds in week 1, then it stopped after the first week and I'd either stay the same, or GAIN a pound. After 3-4 weeks of dieting with nominal results I would get frustrated and quit dieting. Even after cutting calories down to 1500-1800 and running about 25-30 miles a week (or 5-6 hours of running).
I finally decided to cut out the diet pop, thinking it had to be something in my diet keeping me from losing weight.
Almost immediately after I quit Diet Coke, my diet of 1900 calories per day, and 5 hours of workout a week showed positive results and I broke my weight loss plateau. I felt better immediately. My energy went up, I didn't feel blah after work, my weight loss started at a rate of 3.1 pounds per week with NO PLATEAU. It went straight down for 13 weeks. I also didn't have a strong urge for snacks during the day. I'd still have a snack or too, but I wouldn't be ravenous for something. For some reason, whenever I drank a diet coke, I'd get hungrier. It wasn't really noticeable until AFTER I quit.
If you're having trouble losing weight (while exercising and dieting) I strongly recommend testing yourself. Stop drinking diet pops or artificial sweeteners for 2+ weeks and see what happens. You also MUST count calories. When you count them you'll be surprised how much you eat (if you don't know). I'll never go back. Diet Yuck.
Thanks so much for your
Thanks so much for your story!! I'm in 100% agreement with you - its diet pop, alcohol and the overly prepped/manufactured foods that put the weight on. Eat simple, track it, exercise.
A while back I decided enough was enough - my 5"10 curvy frame was packing 180+ pounds ... to be truthful, I jumped off the scale before I saw which '18_' it landed on. Freaked, I instantly remembered what has worked for me years before: bring my diet back to basics and add frequent/daily exercise. So I started. Simple foods, nothing processed, no alcohol ... I measured quantities of everything, kept a food journal and kept my diet under 1600 calories a day.
In the first two weeks, the weight >FELL< off. I mean every other day was another pound. After two weeks, I'd dropped 10lbs. I was laughing. Doing so well, I decided I could add alcohol back in ... glass of wine while prepping dinner, glass of wine eating dinner. And of course, another glass on those nights I was stressed. BIG MISTAKE. My weight plateaud. It even went UP TWO POUNDS. I wanted to eat a donut to console myself (ok, maybe a box) but refrained. It took my body another two weeks to recover. Then to fill that gap, I went back to my beloved diet root-beer. Fizzy, sweet, frothy, cold ... this was my second mistake. After a week of drinking it, the scale kept going up and up. Upon cutting it out, the weight loss resumed within 48 hours.
If you think of dieting/proper eating like 'dumbing your diet down' OR that "keep it simple stupid" concept - you'll succeed! ... Munch on sliced tomatoes with salt on them, sauteed prawns with lemon and green onion and garlic over basmati rice. Cabbage rolls with EXTRA EXTRA lean ground beef, baked salmon (30 mins on 400, not covered) ... turkey breast instead of salami in your sandwich, pickles for a snack in stead of chips! Pass on that complicated greasy spoon diner down the street and eat sushi - just keep it simple. Your stomach will reduce in size and your pallette will become more aware & sensative to flavors. Food is truly a beautiful thing. The pleasure I get from a good meal, from a plate of, a bowl full of, something tossed with ... YUM! Just rememeber to keep it simple.
PS ... yes, 41 lbs lost to date!
Diet Coke = bad
I am convinced. I've been doing LA Weightloss for a year. Lost 80 lbs then hit the wall. No matter what, I can't break through this plateau. I cut carbs, I cut fat and sugar to almost zero, cut all the white breat and junk food, just eating fresh and fine and feeling awesome for a 61 year old ex-fatboy. I think I will toss the DC for a month and see. I do 3-4 per day and none on weekends. I admit I don't see anything in DC that would explain why it adds weight, but I dont' care. If it works.....ya, hoo!
your experience is so
your experience is so relevant to me....after losing about 40 kg four years ago i maintained a weight of 55kg for 3 years. In the last 6 months i have gained 15kgs without changing my diet or exercise routine (at least 7 hours brisk walking per week). I have seen a doctor and dietician who are both at a loss to reasons why....
perhaps hypothyroid (family history)
perhaps low protein
then a flash of inspiration from my dietician.
cut out the diet coke if possible....today is my first day without it so i will see how things go but i found your story so helpful and would love to hear how you are now going.
RE: Drink Diet Coke to Gain Weight
re:170 down to 125
DIet Coke & Weight Gain
Sweet tastes promote the release of insulin, which causes glucose (blood sugar) to be stored as fat. This is an adaptive response, because for millions of years sweet tastes have meant that blood glucose levels are about to rise, and when there is excess sugar it ought to be stored for times of fasting, when food is not readily available. Artificial sweeteners have the same effect on insulin: sweet diet drinks will increase insulin and thus the storage of fat. In this case, though, no sugar is provided by the beverage, so the drinker stores away glucose already present in the blood, glucose that is needed for energy. The result is a decrease in blood sugar, and a corresponding increase in hunger. The drinker eats more, and gains weight.
insulin release by
insulin release by pancreatic b cells is primarily triggered by low glucose concentration in the blood. and, if there should be an insulin promotion in the body, between the two extrahepatic tissues, skeletal muscles have priority over fat tissue in glucose uptake. so if someone is feeling hungry due to false "sweetness", and they are consuming calories, chances are someone dieting and exercising will burn off these extra calories b4 it becomes stored as fat. the trick in losing weight via diet and exercise is keeping a consistent routine of more calories used than consumed. this requires discipline. If your someone who loves soda but cant take the chance of uptaking such high amounts of sugar in regular soda, then this "hunger" from aritificial sweeteners should be ignored. consider it another one of the many sacrifices when trying to lose weight.
I think this must be true
That insulin thing makes alot of sense. I was a Diet Coke addict....when I had my last baby I noticed something in the Diet Coke was making him fussy after nursing, so for the last five months I have been relatively clean of drinking Diet Coke.
For the past week I have been back into drinking it again. I think the baby may be tolerating it slightly better although I think the caffeine is getting to him. Anyway, I have noticed myself being a bottomless pit this week! Any dieting has gone out the window and I've been cramming chocolate down my throat like its going off the market next week. Its absolutely insane. I really think its the Diet Coke, esp since I've been off of it longer than I ever have for years. Pretty scary when you think of it.
it made me gain weight too and cellulit
I eat radically healthy, no cooked oils, no processed flour/sugar, organic natural and local fruits, veggies and protein, all in balance. My one vice was a diet coke addiction (as in abuse). My weight is 132 and stays that way when I eat as above (which is very consistent the last 3 years). When I consume 3 to 5 diet cokes per day (eating nothing more or less than the other times) I gain 5 to 7 pounds. No joke, and it stores as cellulite. Yuck. Whatever the science or research, my own consistent and truthful observation (I'm not eating Ben and Jerry's and haven't had a "sugar product" in years) is that I gain weight from the very single factor of adding 3 or more diet cokes per day, for a run of like two to three weeks or month. The pounds come on. I also get numbness and tingling in my hands and forget things, it's toxic junk, too bad I love it so much! I'm on 1 per day now, out of plastic. My ayurvedic nutritionist says at least to buy it room temp in cans and pour it into a ceramic mug. I love her. . .
weight gain too
This is very interesting. I, too , am a very healthy eater. I've been an exercise instructor and personal trainer for many years and haven't had any pop, diet or otherwise, for about 15 years. This year I decided to change careers and have been going to nursing school. I guess the stress got to me about 2 months ago and I suddenly got an urge for a diet coke. My diet hasn't changed any-lean meats, 90% vegetables, some fresh fruits and whole grains- I workout for 1-2 hours / day, but suddenly the weight started creeping up. I've gained 7-8 pounds in the last two months, which is quite a bit on my 5'3" frame. I couldn't figure out what was going on. I know that stress and lack of sleep play a big part but I've been experiencing these all year. Now, the diet coke and weight gain seem to have happened at the same time. That is why I'm even at this web site. I decided to search and see if any studies have been done on weight gain and diet pop or if anyone else has experienced this as well. I guess it's time to get clean again and go back to just water. by the way, I've still been drinking about 3 liters of water/day so it's not that I've replaced water with pop. Nor have I increased my caloric intake. Weird.
I just quit!
It was amazingly difficult...I've never been a smoker, but I can imagine the experience is similar. It shocked me that it was so hard, I mean, it's just soda, right? You can read my story/testimonial here...
http://hubpages.com/hub/How-I-Quit-Diet-Coke-Kicking-Aspartame-to-the-Curb
It's really very simple
This whole discussion lacks any scientific basis.
This study performed by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that aspartame (sweet taste but no energy content) did not cause the body to produce insulin (they used MRI to detect hypothalamic response).
Environmental and health factors aside, all you need to diet is a calculator and nutritional data for everything you eat. Every single diet out there comes down to this by either controlling what you eat so you don't have to do the math, or by applying more complicated formulas to be marketed as a plan. If you set caloric intake goals and meet them on a daily basis, you will lose weight. If you adjust your caloric intake goals as your weight drops, you won't plateau until you reach your healthy weight.
For the responders with the ultra healthy diets, remember that even fruits and vegetables have a small amount of calories and need to be counted just like any other food you eat. If you grab a handful of carrots for a snack every time you have a diet coke and you're drinking 7 a day that can maybe add up to 100 extra calories per day which can have an affect on you over time if you're super healthy. Even if that's not the case there has to be some kind of lifestyle change or extra stress or even a health issue that came along with the diet coke vice that caused the mysterious weight gain.
The diet that has worked for me over the years is what I call the 'QFE' diet, "Quit F****g Eating!" When I control my portions and watch what I eat, I lose weight. If I start eating too much again, I gain it back. Exercise just speeds up the process, and diet coke has no effect, as it contains no energy content.
re: diet coke
I think you may have missed the point of this forum's topic.
The point I believe is that most of these seriously addicted people
are sharing symptoms, sounding alarms and questioning conventional
wisdom. Questioning conventional wisdom, where we would we be without
challenging current beliefs(taking thalidimyde for morning sickness, no
doubt). Yes, it is easy to espout cliche diet advise. Got any more
snarky advise for people trying to control their weight. How about advise for
the heroin addicts or victims of abuse of any sort. We here in redneck
country salute you.
diet coke drinker since the mid 80's.
google russel blaylock and excitotoxin.
Actually I think Jason is
Actually I think Jason is right on. He isn't addressing the "sharing" and "sounding," but he is pointing out facts. Questioning conventional wisdom is fine, but the questions have answers in reality, based on evidence, if you investigate. (Even in the case of Thalidomide, it was SCIENCE that intervened, not some grass roots campaign to "question" it.)
Our current culture of question everything is what is missing the point. Yes, you should question, but you also have to be willing to let the answers to your questions, the factually based answers (those obtained by research and science, the scientific method, our best understanding of "truth"), stand for something.
Here is what I mean, put a bit more articulately: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T69TOuqaqXI.
jason must be wrong.
jason must be wrong. everysort of coke is harmful. but diet coke makes us put on weight because it opens up our appetite. regular coke since it has many sugars in it. it doesn't. is like when you eat a lolypop and then you dont want to eat food anymore.
maybe dieting has also to do with calories. hovewer, here we talk about people's appetite as well. our point is that drinking DIET coke increases people's appetite... i dont know.. for me , what happens is that normal coke does not increase my appetite but diet it does.
coz when i need something sweet, if i drink the died coke for one second i feel satisfied but then again it comes back stronger...and eventually i burst out on eating.
i know coke in general is very very very bad and fattening. (diet is worse than the regular.) However, i made a very harmful experiment. i said i am going to drink only normal coke without food when i am hungry..i did that for one week and i lost weight. this make me think that sugars themself dont coz a lot of fat production. but the problem is when they are combined with fat..or proteins. when we combine coke with food is fattening. when we drink it alone it is harmful, but maybe not that fattening.
really, it is not really an issue of carolie intake ... because some foods/drinks may increase or decrease your metapholism as well becuase they have effect on our hormones. These things are relevant, and also depend on the individual organism as well. i will make you one last question. why people who are given cortisone , which has zero calories, gain weight even when they dont eat????????????????
In addition,
i am sad to say that i am the exception to the rule regarding coke. i now how harmful it is. but i need coke and this is the reason why:
i am one of the few people who suffer from high levels of prolactine,and hence regular coke helps me lose weight instead of gain.
my problem is that i have high levels of prolactin, somethng that makes me put on weight. But coke, as other drugs do, help in the production of dopamine, which is a blocker of prolactine from the hypothalamous. high levels of prolactine, can ruin one's sexual life and make them put weight.
when i drink coke, the dopamine produced in my body makes me feel good.... and also the dopamine reduces automatically the prolactine in my body so i feel sexier, my metabolism rises, and i feel hence, better. this gives me strenght to reduce the amounts of my food intake..and i lose weight.
be careful. this does not apply to people whose prolactine's levels are healthy becuase low levels of prolactine can have similar effects too. !!!!
our prolactine should be on the normal levels for our metabolism to function well.
i am sad coz i know how bad is for my health, there are a lot of chemicals that coz cancer in coke. these are the flavouring and colours.e.g. E150d.
also, as i said before,
i try to drink coke without food..because when sugar is combined with fat it is turned to fat more easily.
another issue is the cafeine in the coke. i dont really know what cafeine does, and if the cafeine makes me feel good or bad. but my doctor told me not to drink cafeine because it gives me migraines. but, caffeine helps me study to be honest. and hence i feel happier again. and happiness is the most improtant thing for me to be healthy. my dietician told me that caffeine dicreases metabolism and helps gaining weight. and increases appetatite.
i dont know if my doctors has right on the long term. but i feel surely that on the short term when i consume caffeine, my metabolism increases. it is true, i can feel it.
my physiotherapist told me that caffeine makes the blood cells harder and so they cannot absorve oxygen quickly and so our heart has to work faster so as to inctrease the movement of oxygen in the blood and promoute the oxygen consumption by the cells. so, it looks like caffeine on the short term makes your body overworking. but on the long term it may plug you down. so we should not drink it every day but only when we need to stay awake at night or concetrate to study.
do you think that caffeine increases your appetite?? it decreases mine when my coffee has sugar in it. which is again, a property of sugar and not of caffeine. sugar can decrease your appetite on a short term basis.. after 20 minutes you will feel hungry again,...so you have to take some sugar again and not eat. but on the long term this procedure may cut down your appetite..but on the other hand on the lond term it can make you a diabetic. this is since , the glances that produce insulin will get tired.. and will stop functioning properly if they have all the time to produce insuline in order to regulate the socks of sugar in your blood.
if would like to find something, like coke but without the caffeine try it and see if i am going to feel even more better.?? any suggestions??
TO CONCLUDE:
any way i am being stupid..
i am doing a diet.. by drinking only coke.. i will lose weight i know but on the long term i will become a diabetic.
dont try to do that .. at least i have some more reasons for that:
1) HIGH PROLACTIN (COKE HELPS COZ IT PROMOTES THE PRODUCTION OF DOPAMINE)
2) HYPOGLYCEMIA ( I AM ALL THE TIME HUNGRY COZ I NEED SUGAR INTAKES, SO I KILL MY HUNGRINESS WITH COKE.)
3) I FOLLOW AN ECXUSTING STUDYING SCHEDULE AND I NEED THE CAFFEINE TO CONCETRATE AND PRODUCE WORK WITH FEW HOURS OF SLEEP.
I LOOKS TO WORK NOW FOR ME.. I HOPE I WILL QUIT ON IT SOON, SINCE I GRADUATE IN ONE MONTH.. WHEN I GRADUATE I WILL QUITE BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. BESIDES I DONT LIKE MUCH THE TASTE OF COKE, I AM JUST TRYING TO FIND A SOLUTION NOT TO GAIN WEIGHT AND STUDY. THIS METHOD APPLIES ONLY TO PEOPLE WHO STUDY AND HAVE HIGH PROLACTINE. NO ONE ESLE.
Please Help
hey bro nice to read your comments here!
but could you please tell me that i am 22 years old and my weight is 52 Kg so how to gain main weight it is not enough for me.
did i drink diet coke regular ?
please please reply me as soon as possible.
Thanks
I agree with this study just
I agree with this study just becasue of personal experiences. I've lost 10 pounds over two months, started drinking diet coke and then last month lost nothing. Now I know the coke was a bad idea and I'm cutting it out and hopefully my weight loss will pick up again
DC doesn't cause weight gain-Lack of will power does
I drink an epic amount of DC every day as I'm basically addicted to the caffeine in a big way and have been since I was a kid as my parents have always drank a lot of it.
I'm a big guy but I'm currently in the middle of losing weight, I've lost 12lbs in 2 weeks, drinking as much DC as ever. Yes I do probably feel more hungry because of the DC.... but here's an idea, don't go to the kitchen.. don't toast that bagel... dont cut that slice of pie, dont scoop that ice cream into the bowl.
If you like DC, drink it, just be aware that if you have no will power you will be eating like a rhino! If you have willpower then great, you'll be fine!
Diet Coke
I have drank diet coke for several years now. I admit I am addicted and must have at least a can a day or I go crazy for a sweet beverage. I try to make it the whole day without one, but I can only drink so much water. I have read many stories of people who lost weight cutting diet coke from their diet. I guess it must be true. I have found that after a DC I am hungry for something. Why is everything that tastes good bad for you? As a kid I drank probably around 5-7 regular cokes or mt. dews everyday. So I feel I have improved. The thing is I weighed less when I was drinking 5-7 regular sodas a day. Makes no sense to me. Anyone weigh less when they drank regular sodas? And I do exercise by running about 25 mile per week.
Loseing weight.
I think a lot of diet plans are complete bollox and I don't believe that drinking diet drinks/ low cal drinks gains weight on people.
I recently and still am dieting in the last 3 months I have dropped from 253 pounds down to 218 pounds or over 18 stone to just over 15 1/2 stone, almost everyone who knows me has seen a huge difference.
I have not exercised once in the 3 months, this will start when under the 210 pound threshold, all I have done is completely changed my food, my drinks have always been full fat coke etc etc, but I have started to drink low cal stuff but not all the time.
At first my weight loss was very fast, but after a couple of months my body has decided to harvest my food more effectively so it's about 2 to 3 pounds a week now.
Calorie intake is about 1,200 to 1,500 calories per day, my weight is checked in the same place and same time every day.
The only thing that I don't do is drink a lot maybe 1 litre per day of mixed drinks.
Diet coke - losing weight
I have been dieting (protein diet) for several months and lost quite a few kilos early then levelled out. I started exercising more and will switch to calorie counting now as the protein diet won't work as well with exercisin (!) Now the next step I am trying is to stop DC! After quite a few days of headaches (simmilar to not drinking enough water while playing sport) I have now found sleeping a bit easier and hope to start losing weight again real soon! I will keep watching this discussion. :-)
A GALLON of DC a day! WITH Kidney Disease!
Well, I just read the Nurses' Health Study & that's how I came to find this page/discussion. I drink an AVERAGE of a gallon of Diet Coke a day, thinking it had no effect on me, BUT I do have Stage II Kidney Disease (supposedly caused by too much Ibuprofen over my 54 years of life). I see a Nephrologist semi-annually, but just read this diet soda/kidney disease research study that came out a couple of days ago. Just Google it... www.rodale.com has a good layman's description. I'm replying here because I'm very much like you with the exercise to keep off the excess fat, and that's one reason I started drinking DC many years ago. Previously, my Doc said the DC isn't affecting me negatively...I DO also drink about a gallon of water a day. I always figured that by keeping my gut full of non-caloric liquids, it helped me keep my weight down & the exercise is somewhat fueled by the caffeine. I always remain skeptical of these "new" research studies, which all-too-often result in furious activity to change the world, then are found to be later flawed. I'll be concerned, and may moderate my habits, but as far as I'm concerned, I'll need to see more discussion/research to make drastic changes!
YEAH I AGREE... DC INCREASES
YEAH I AGREE...
DC INCREASES APPETITE.
IF YOU WANT TO DRINK IT AND YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG ENOUGH TO FIGHT YOUR INCREASED APPETITE.. THEN WELL DONE DUDE.
I THINK THAT YOU ARE SO MUCH ADDICTED TO CAFFEINE THAT CUTTING IT OFF, WILL MAKE YOU WANT TO EAT AGAIN. YOUR CASE IS DIFFERENT MAYBE. IT REMINDS ME OF HEAVY SMOKERS WHO CUT DOWN ON SMOKING AND IN ORDER TO SATISFY THEIR ADDICTION THEY TURN UP EATING FOOD INSTEAD. SO THEY GAIN WEIGHT WHILE TRYING TO CUT DOWN.
REGULAR COKE HELPS ME LOSE WEIGHT..WHEN I DO NOT EAT ANYTHING ELSE WITH IT. EVEN IF I DRINK THE REGULAR ONE. TODAY I DRANK 3 BOTTLES.DIDNT CONSUME ANYTHING ELSE.SO IN TOTAL 600 CALORIES.. THAT'S NOTHING COMPARED TO THE GDA* (*GUIDANCE DAILY AMOUNT). BUT NOT MANY PEOPLE CAN DO WHAT WE DO..
THIS IS MAYBE COZ I HAVE HIGH LEVELS OF PROLACTINE. ( I AM AN EXEPTION TO THE RULE)
MAYBE YOU HAVE HIGH LEVELS OF PROLACTINE TOO?? HAVE YOU CHECKED THAT?
Diet Coke
I lost over 100 lbs- no specific program, just getting back to healthy habits I'd followed when I was younger and thinner (prior to the accident that helped me gain in the first place). I drank diet sodas here and there and didn't feel a negative effect. I'd estimate an average of one every other day, but would consume a few in a single day on occasion. Most of them, however, were caffeine-free. I cut out most caffeine years ago and for that I definitely *do* feel a difference. Everyone is different, however.
I was recently diagnosed as borderline diabetic, so I need to monitor my blood sugar closely. Typically, I can maintain it between 125 and 150. Twice now, after drinking diet coke and eating nothing, my sugar spiked to nearly 200. Something is definitely wrong there. Both times, however, was a fountain drink, so it was caffeinated. I'll be testing it out again with caffeine-free DC to see if it makes a difference.
If I Can Quit Diet Soda, ANYBODY Can -- TRUST ME
Just wanted to chime in with my own diet soda story -- Diet Pepsi was my drink of choice but I liked them all. I'd go through a 12 pack a week but then have several to supplement -- 2 12 oz cans before lunch, a 20 oz (or bigger if at a fast food place) at lunch, a 20 oz "pick me up" before working out and often a 20 oz "clear" diet soda like 7up or Sprite (so it didn't keep me awake of course) in the evenings.
I had started noticing that anyone I knew who was "addicted" to diet soda (myself included) was overweight, and thought that was weird. But I wasn't ready to quit just yet....
I had a surgery and decided to quit right after surgery for a couple of reasons -- it felt wrong to be worrying about when I'd get my Diet Pepsi while in the hospital. I was so concerned I'd go a day without one and have withdrawals. I realized Diet Pepsi wasn't going to help me heal any faster, either. So while I was on painkillers and feeling like hell all over anyway, I decided it was the right time to detox from soda. I never noticed a withdrawal symptom due to everything else going on. So it was surprisingly easy this way.
I can't say I've noticed a ton of weight loss cutting out the soda. But I am rarely bloated. If anything, I have more energy, which is surprising. Always thought I needed the caffeine to get going -- yet I don't, and I feel better without it. My entire body seems to be running smoother.
I haven't had a diet soda for 10 months. I have had a couple of ginger ales and 2 diet 7ups in this time. The diet sodas are so bad, I can't quite drink half. I can't believe I guzzled so much for so many years (from about 13 years old to 35). I am too afraid to touch a dark soda, diet or otherwise. I am too afraid to even try one after 20+ years of addiction. You know what? I don't miss it. I thought I would. I don't. There have been a few times that I've wanted one, but powered through it and it was OK. A few times I still accidentally order one at the fast food window, but immediately change that to water or unsweetened tea. And I estimate that I'm saving hundreds of dollars a year. I have noticed the difference in my pocketbook.
So if I can do it, you can to!
It is true..
Studies at Purdue University last February supported this notion. They fed a group of rats with artificial sweetener and another group with sugar. The ones with the artificial sweetener in their diet gained MORE weight than those with real sugar. The researcher believed that the artificial sweetener confused the body and messed up the metabolism. Google it, I'm sure you will have no trouble finding it.
Diet Coke = Depression, Addiction and Weight Gain
Diet Coke has been a "faithful friend" that got me through college exams and stressful work schedules over the past 15 years. At times, I was drinking 5 - 7 diet sodas daily. Three years ago I gave up DC for 1 year when I decided to get fit and be healthier. I started working with a nutritionist and fitness trainer (who's also a former Mr. America). I learned to eat "clean" -meaning avoiding processed foods, white flour, sugar. At first, I thought my trainer was nuts to suggest I quit Diet Coke. But I missed the bigger impact it was having on my health. When I finally cut it out, yes, I started to lose weight and feel great. But more importantly, my appetite was under control, cravings in check, great energy, fewer body pains. I thought it was just due to the weight loss...until I started drinking Diet Coke again and noticed the return of the headaches, cravings, appetite, brain fog and bloating. I also noticed it seemed linked to mild depression that had gone away and returned. I was not even aware of it until I quit and started drinking it again.
My OB/GYN is also an endocrinologist and she indicates I'm allergic to artificial sweetners. I've noticed Splenda and Aspartame make me very sick. She confirms what others say about the inflammation and insulin response and cravings related to artificial sweetners.
I'd say this isn't just limited to Diet Coke or artificial sweetners. A majority of boxed and pre-pared foods have so many artificial additives. I'm just rejecting all this processed Franken-food junk. Coupled with our stressful lifestyles it must all take a toll.
I agree with other posts that moderation is a piece of this. Moderation just hasn't worked for me because with Diet Coke or anything with artificial sweetners. I've even noticed that if I eat something with a lot of sugar in it, I'll have a reaction that feels similar to being drunk. Yes, I'll consume these items, but I am aware of any consequences, usually headache. I typically on use stevia as a sweetner as a result, or sugar in small quantity.
The biggest things I've learned in this experience are that eating clean, getting enough sleep, moderate exercise are the 3 keys to maintaing healthy weight. Diet Coke once in awhile, just like other indulgences, is fine. Everyone is different so some may tolerate more. This is just my experience, for what it is worth. Hope it helps someone else.
LET ME ADD THAT IT IS NOT THE
LET ME ADD THAT IT IS NOT THE COKE ITSELF THAT CAUSED YOU DEPRESSION AND GAIN WEIGHT. IT IS SOMETHING THAT HAS CONTRIBUTES NEGATIVELY ON THE WHOLE UNHLEATHY LIFESTYLE OF A STUDENT. WE STUDY ALL THE TIME, WE DONT EXERCISE. WE EAT READY MADE FOOD, SWEETS, WE DONT GET ENOUGH SLEEP..THEN WE NEED CAFFEINE TO ENDURE ALL THAT..AND THEN WE BLAME IT ONLY ON THE COKE. IT IS ALL TOGETHER. I THINK. NOT ONLY THE COKE. ALSO, HAVE YOU BEEN DRINKING COKE ON ITS OWN. OR HAVE U BEEN COMBINING IT WITH FOOD?? I HAVE A SUSPICION THAT WHEN YOU COMBINE IT WITH FOOD IT IS DISUSTRUS. WHEN YOU DONT, NOT THAT MUCH.