Someone mentioned in a post that eliminating diet colas will help you lose weight quicker. Is this true? Has anyone else noticed quicker weight loss when not drinking diet soda's? I have one or two cans of diet coke per day. EEEEK!! I gave up smoking and drinking years ago, so diet coke was my one "bad habit" but I'd gladly give it up if it helps with weight loss.
question
- Thread starter lwseymour
- Start date
competition bound
Cathlete
RE: Lisa
Hi Lisa!! I read in the protein power book that diet colas cause a surge of insulin (the fat storing hormone) in the body. It said that the body reacts to diet cola just like it would regular. I have 3 diet cokes a day and when I read this I stopped drinking them. While I did feel better energy wise, I didn't notice any weightloss at all. Therefore, because I love the taste and missed the caffine(I know, Bad Aimee!!) I went back to drinking it. I have not experienced any weight gain. Maybe they were talking about people who drink a ton of it.? I don't know. All in all, there was no change in my weight. Hope this helps!
Aimee
Hi Lisa!! I read in the protein power book that diet colas cause a surge of insulin (the fat storing hormone) in the body. It said that the body reacts to diet cola just like it would regular. I have 3 diet cokes a day and when I read this I stopped drinking them. While I did feel better energy wise, I didn't notice any weightloss at all. Therefore, because I love the taste and missed the caffine(I know, Bad Aimee!!) I went back to drinking it. I have not experienced any weight gain. Maybe they were talking about people who drink a ton of it.? I don't know. All in all, there was no change in my weight. Hope this helps!
Aimee
Weight loss issues aside, diet colas are horrible for your entire body. NutraSweet/aspartame is one of the most sordid, ridiculous stories of corruption in the FDA I've ever seen or heard of.
In the mid 70d, the FDA declared aspartame unsafe and shelved it indefinitely. Many years later, the company that makes asaprtame (Searle) tried to get it passed again, and this time the FDA approved it. "Coincidentally" a handful of high level FDA officials took very high paying jobs at Searle instead. If that's not curruption, I don't know what is.
And I do know my mom's best friend had a series of miscarriages when trying to have a baby, and she read an article someplace about a possible connection between NutraSweet and pregnancy problems so she eliminated it in desperation. Months later, she got pregnant and finally carried a baby to term. Coincidence? I doubt it.
NutraSweet it made up of 3 natural ingredients bound together by an unnatural chemical process and one of the 3 ingredients is methanol, or wood alcohol, which when heated to the 98 degree temperature of a human body, becomes formaldehyde. No kidding. Not a debatable issue, that's just a chemical fact. So we ingest this ingredient one way, it becomes a different substance and formaldehyde is toxic and builds over time. It isn't flushed away so as you drink more and more or eat more and more of it, it just builds in your tissues and you get slow toxicity.
So, when faced with the choice to avoid this poison like the plague and know you're eliminating lots of possible problems, or drining or eating it to save a few calories, I know what choice I made. If you want to treat yourself to a regular soda once in a while (and then it really is like a treat) that's far far healthier for you than drinking diet colas. Drink water whenever you are thristy before reaching for anything else. I grew up in a house where we drank nothing nut sodas and Crystal Light. I hated water. Now we drink nothing but water and sometimes, like at a movie, I'll treat myself to a Pepsi and it's like a fun thing. Like drinking a glass of wine to other people, I suppose.
That's my two cents. Take it or leave it but be healthy!
In the mid 70d, the FDA declared aspartame unsafe and shelved it indefinitely. Many years later, the company that makes asaprtame (Searle) tried to get it passed again, and this time the FDA approved it. "Coincidentally" a handful of high level FDA officials took very high paying jobs at Searle instead. If that's not curruption, I don't know what is.
And I do know my mom's best friend had a series of miscarriages when trying to have a baby, and she read an article someplace about a possible connection between NutraSweet and pregnancy problems so she eliminated it in desperation. Months later, she got pregnant and finally carried a baby to term. Coincidence? I doubt it.
NutraSweet it made up of 3 natural ingredients bound together by an unnatural chemical process and one of the 3 ingredients is methanol, or wood alcohol, which when heated to the 98 degree temperature of a human body, becomes formaldehyde. No kidding. Not a debatable issue, that's just a chemical fact. So we ingest this ingredient one way, it becomes a different substance and formaldehyde is toxic and builds over time. It isn't flushed away so as you drink more and more or eat more and more of it, it just builds in your tissues and you get slow toxicity.
So, when faced with the choice to avoid this poison like the plague and know you're eliminating lots of possible problems, or drining or eating it to save a few calories, I know what choice I made. If you want to treat yourself to a regular soda once in a while (and then it really is like a treat) that's far far healthier for you than drinking diet colas. Drink water whenever you are thristy before reaching for anything else. I grew up in a house where we drank nothing nut sodas and Crystal Light. I hated water. Now we drink nothing but water and sometimes, like at a movie, I'll treat myself to a Pepsi and it's like a fun thing. Like drinking a glass of wine to other people, I suppose.
That's my two cents. Take it or leave it but be healthy!
RE: question for Lex411
Lex,
I've never been able to drink anything with Nutra-sweet in it, without barfing it straight back up. (That's made for a couple of embarrassing boo-boos at restaraunts, but that's another story.) I've never been able to figure out what makes me do that.
But, I'm also allergic to formaldehyde. (The year I had to take high school biology was a VERY bad year for me.)
So, I'm thinking maybe you've answered a long running mystery for me. Do you know, off the top of your head, any sites I can go to so I can print out references on this?
If you don't have them handy, no biggie. I can hunt them up later. I just want more info to give to one of my diet Coke sucking buddies.
Thanks!
Laura (LCC)
Lex,
I've never been able to drink anything with Nutra-sweet in it, without barfing it straight back up. (That's made for a couple of embarrassing boo-boos at restaraunts, but that's another story.) I've never been able to figure out what makes me do that.
But, I'm also allergic to formaldehyde. (The year I had to take high school biology was a VERY bad year for me.)
So, I'm thinking maybe you've answered a long running mystery for me. Do you know, off the top of your head, any sites I can go to so I can print out references on this?
If you don't have them handy, no biggie. I can hunt them up later. I just want more info to give to one of my diet Coke sucking buddies.
Thanks!
Laura (LCC)
RE: Nutrasweet
FYI, one of the by-products of the breakdown process of Nutrasweet in the body is....formaldehyde. That might explain your barf problem.... My doctor (allergist, DR. Berlin Ackles) also told me that it is even worse for me than sugar. He says none of the artificials can be synsethized by the body and are just bad for you.
I know a woman who has a brain tumor from it. Lots of studies show particular problems with growths in the brain, uterous, and fibrous tissues like muscles. It can also cause moodiness. I had a hard time coming off of it, even knowing all this! I just love it. I think it's addictive. Even now, I occasionally have a diet pepsi and I just get so mad at myself when I do.
You gotta remember, too, that with the exception of Diet Rite, all those diet colas also have tons of sodium and other chemicals in them. Sometimes people when they first switch from sugar cola to diet will loose weight, but the long term usually gives just as many problems, only different.
Check out WebMD.com.
A suggestion for you as an alternative.... fresh fruit fizzies! YOu don't even really need a juicer for this, but I have one. YOu just put the juice from one fresh piece of fruit (orange, apple, pear, lemon, you name it, only takes about an ounce to flavor) in soda water! In the summer I put fresh blueberries and mint. Yummy! My doctor also recommends a natural sweetener called FOS. It comes in a powder, usually can get it at the health food store. It isn't as sweet as cane sugar or artificials, but it does help if you just need to have someting sweet. He says it is much better for you. Honey is a healthier alternative too.
Yikes, so much information you probably didn't want. But I hope it helps you!
FYI, one of the by-products of the breakdown process of Nutrasweet in the body is....formaldehyde. That might explain your barf problem.... My doctor (allergist, DR. Berlin Ackles) also told me that it is even worse for me than sugar. He says none of the artificials can be synsethized by the body and are just bad for you.
I know a woman who has a brain tumor from it. Lots of studies show particular problems with growths in the brain, uterous, and fibrous tissues like muscles. It can also cause moodiness. I had a hard time coming off of it, even knowing all this! I just love it. I think it's addictive. Even now, I occasionally have a diet pepsi and I just get so mad at myself when I do.
You gotta remember, too, that with the exception of Diet Rite, all those diet colas also have tons of sodium and other chemicals in them. Sometimes people when they first switch from sugar cola to diet will loose weight, but the long term usually gives just as many problems, only different.
Check out WebMD.com.
A suggestion for you as an alternative.... fresh fruit fizzies! YOu don't even really need a juicer for this, but I have one. YOu just put the juice from one fresh piece of fruit (orange, apple, pear, lemon, you name it, only takes about an ounce to flavor) in soda water! In the summer I put fresh blueberries and mint. Yummy! My doctor also recommends a natural sweetener called FOS. It comes in a powder, usually can get it at the health food store. It isn't as sweet as cane sugar or artificials, but it does help if you just need to have someting sweet. He says it is much better for you. Honey is a healthier alternative too.
Yikes, so much information you probably didn't want. But I hope it helps you!
kathryn
Cathlete
This is going to be vague, because I'm relying on my shaky memory, but I remember (vaguely!)reading about a study where half of the participants received a certain amount of calories in the form of diet cola, and another group received them in the form of food, in addition to their regular diet. The people who drank the colas ended up consuming more calories overall (they drank diet cola in addition to their regular food intake) while the people who ate the food calories ended up eating fewer overall calories (they ate them in place of some of their regular food).(And doesn't it always seem that the people in the grocery stores who buy diet pop also have a cart loaded with junk food, sugary, fattening pastry, and other empty-calorie foods?)
My personal theory is that your body doesn't register certain things, like diet cola, most "diet" foods, candy and junk foods, as nourishement,(because it contains none) and still craves food. I know I can go through a bag of potato chips with speed and ease, and still not feel satiated, but if I eat a baked potato, I feel satisfied.
As someone else said, diet colas/diet drinks are not at all good for you. As a substitute, try this: a glass of water (boring, I know) with a few drops of stevia extract (liquid) in. Stevia is a natural herb that is extremely sweet. It also doesn't cause a rise in blood sugar the way many other sweeteners do. It's approved by the FDA as a supplement, but not as a food additive (this is basically a political issue, and not a health issue--if stevia were used in food, sugar manufacturers, diet sweetner producers and the like would lose a lot of business). As I said, it's EXTREMELY sweet, so just 3-5 (max) drops of extract in a large glass of water is enough. Go easy at first--if you put in too little, you can always add more, but if you put in too much, it goes beyond sweet into being cloying and weird. Also, I'd steer clear of the powder (unless it's the "sugar packet" like powder that's mixed with something else to cut the concentration), because it's darn hard to get a small enough amount.
My personal theory is that your body doesn't register certain things, like diet cola, most "diet" foods, candy and junk foods, as nourishement,(because it contains none) and still craves food. I know I can go through a bag of potato chips with speed and ease, and still not feel satiated, but if I eat a baked potato, I feel satisfied.
As someone else said, diet colas/diet drinks are not at all good for you. As a substitute, try this: a glass of water (boring, I know) with a few drops of stevia extract (liquid) in. Stevia is a natural herb that is extremely sweet. It also doesn't cause a rise in blood sugar the way many other sweeteners do. It's approved by the FDA as a supplement, but not as a food additive (this is basically a political issue, and not a health issue--if stevia were used in food, sugar manufacturers, diet sweetner producers and the like would lose a lot of business). As I said, it's EXTREMELY sweet, so just 3-5 (max) drops of extract in a large glass of water is enough. Go easy at first--if you put in too little, you can always add more, but if you put in too much, it goes beyond sweet into being cloying and weird. Also, I'd steer clear of the powder (unless it's the "sugar packet" like powder that's mixed with something else to cut the concentration), because it's darn hard to get a small enough amount.
RE:Never knew all this about nutrasweet
THanks for enlightening me about this issue. I have been a diet pop(soda) drinker for a long time. I usually have one a day maybe. I plan on looking up this info on the WebMD.com site to get more info.
I hope there is a way to get it out of your system too.
I just thought of the kids now. If the kids have pop, I usually give them a diet one too. It is probably even worse in their bodies. Oh My !
Lynn W
THanks for enlightening me about this issue. I have been a diet pop(soda) drinker for a long time. I usually have one a day maybe. I plan on looking up this info on the WebMD.com site to get more info.
I hope there is a way to get it out of your system too.
I just thought of the kids now. If the kids have pop, I usually give them a diet one too. It is probably even worse in their bodies. Oh My !
Lynn W
RE: question for Lex411
Wow, how interesting!! I have to tell my boyfriend, he and I are always telling people about Nutrasweet and the formaldehyde aspect and people usually look at us like we're nuts. Do you mind if we use you as an example of a possible connection?
I don't remember specific sites, a few years back we both did a ton of internet research and printed out about 50 pages of various info. Some of it seemed like bogus urban legends, some of it was very compelling and seemed more unbiased and scientific. I thought the factual info about the company and the FDA bigwigs, the job changes and all that, was really scarey because it's true.
The way I see it, at the very least there is no harm in not ingesting it and sticking with natural sweeteners when you need them; like barley malt and rice syrup, which also gives your body some vitamins along with the sweet taste and is absorbed more slowly into your bloodstream so you don't get the negative physical effects you do with sugar.
Sorry I can't lead you directly to a site, we should have saved that stuff, but we've moved twice since then. I'm sure if you do some general surfing, you'll find lots of info. It just takes some sifting through it all.
Take care!
Wow, how interesting!! I have to tell my boyfriend, he and I are always telling people about Nutrasweet and the formaldehyde aspect and people usually look at us like we're nuts. Do you mind if we use you as an example of a possible connection?
I don't remember specific sites, a few years back we both did a ton of internet research and printed out about 50 pages of various info. Some of it seemed like bogus urban legends, some of it was very compelling and seemed more unbiased and scientific. I thought the factual info about the company and the FDA bigwigs, the job changes and all that, was really scarey because it's true.
The way I see it, at the very least there is no harm in not ingesting it and sticking with natural sweeteners when you need them; like barley malt and rice syrup, which also gives your body some vitamins along with the sweet taste and is absorbed more slowly into your bloodstream so you don't get the negative physical effects you do with sugar.
Sorry I can't lead you directly to a site, we should have saved that stuff, but we've moved twice since then. I'm sure if you do some general surfing, you'll find lots of info. It just takes some sifting through it all.
Take care!
RE: Stevia?
I've got some good info on Stevia for you!
"It's an herbal sweetener and acts as an antifungal, anti-inflammatory and antibiotic agent. It lacks calories, is heat stable (so it's ideal for cooking and baking) and enhances the flavor of whatever it's used in.
I helps balance the pancreas, the important gland that regulates blood sugar and that is expecially off kilter in people with Candidias (yeast imbalance). In Brazil and China, it is recommended for people with diabetes and hypoglycemia. It helps regulate the digestive tract to produce healthy stool and greatly increases energy.
In animal studies in both the US and Brazil, stevia produced a significant reduction in cavities. When used with flouride, it is even more effective.
Equally important, stevia inhibits thos sugar cravings. Just a pinch has the same impact as a cup of sugar.
Stevia is a small shrub found primarily in China and South America. It is up to 300 times sweeter than sugar, yet it's entirely natural and has the aforementioned medicinal properties."
(I took that directly from a book I love, The Body Ecology Diet, available at Whole Foods, thank you very much)
So, how's that for some info. I personally only like the liquid stevia, not the powders, for overall taste. I use it in tea, hot or cold, on puffed millet cereal or hot rice cereal...it's really yummy. And I have made my own soda to bring to the movies by taking Pellegrino sparkling mineral water, squeezing in fresh lemon and lime juice, or even unsweetened cranberry extract, and the adding a few drops of stevia. I sneak it in a thermos and it's really good! There's even a recipe for homemade ginger ale using stevia in that book that I made and it was way yummy.
It's about $10-15 for a little bottle of the liquid but it lasts forever since you only use a drop or two at a time. So try it out sometime.
I've got some good info on Stevia for you!
"It's an herbal sweetener and acts as an antifungal, anti-inflammatory and antibiotic agent. It lacks calories, is heat stable (so it's ideal for cooking and baking) and enhances the flavor of whatever it's used in.
I helps balance the pancreas, the important gland that regulates blood sugar and that is expecially off kilter in people with Candidias (yeast imbalance). In Brazil and China, it is recommended for people with diabetes and hypoglycemia. It helps regulate the digestive tract to produce healthy stool and greatly increases energy.
In animal studies in both the US and Brazil, stevia produced a significant reduction in cavities. When used with flouride, it is even more effective.
Equally important, stevia inhibits thos sugar cravings. Just a pinch has the same impact as a cup of sugar.
Stevia is a small shrub found primarily in China and South America. It is up to 300 times sweeter than sugar, yet it's entirely natural and has the aforementioned medicinal properties."
(I took that directly from a book I love, The Body Ecology Diet, available at Whole Foods, thank you very much)
So, how's that for some info. I personally only like the liquid stevia, not the powders, for overall taste. I use it in tea, hot or cold, on puffed millet cereal or hot rice cereal...it's really yummy. And I have made my own soda to bring to the movies by taking Pellegrino sparkling mineral water, squeezing in fresh lemon and lime juice, or even unsweetened cranberry extract, and the adding a few drops of stevia. I sneak it in a thermos and it's really good! There's even a recipe for homemade ginger ale using stevia in that book that I made and it was way yummy.
It's about $10-15 for a little bottle of the liquid but it lasts forever since you only use a drop or two at a time. So try it out sometime.
Hi Everybody,
I have had diabetes for 35 years (insulin-dependent) and have never noticed diet pop to raise my blood sugar. And you would think it would have if it's true that diet pop has this effect. However, I don't drink it very often, simply because I don't like the taste. I do use stevia. You only need a very little bit otherwise it tastes bitter. I do use Nutra Sweet and have never noticed any side effects, but there is so much controversy about it that I am not going to use it anymore after I finish with my current box. There is a new product which I've tried called Splenda. It is made from natural sugar but has no calories and is completely safe. It tastes just like sugar. You can even cook with it.
I have had diabetes for 35 years (insulin-dependent) and have never noticed diet pop to raise my blood sugar. And you would think it would have if it's true that diet pop has this effect. However, I don't drink it very often, simply because I don't like the taste. I do use stevia. You only need a very little bit otherwise it tastes bitter. I do use Nutra Sweet and have never noticed any side effects, but there is so much controversy about it that I am not going to use it anymore after I finish with my current box. There is a new product which I've tried called Splenda. It is made from natural sugar but has no calories and is completely safe. It tastes just like sugar. You can even cook with it.
Hi Lex,
This is very interesting. The FDA/Searle story is kind of horrifying. It is scary that stuff like that goes on all the time (cashing in on government contacts).
I personally think diet sodas are a pretty bad drink choice. Why not go with water most the time and have the occasional real soda? I guess soda drinking was never a habit I picked up. When I was a kid it was o.j., milk, or water. ALWAYS milk with dinner (now my parents always had plenty of beer and wine for themselves...)
This is very interesting. The FDA/Searle story is kind of horrifying. It is scary that stuff like that goes on all the time (cashing in on government contacts).
I personally think diet sodas are a pretty bad drink choice. Why not go with water most the time and have the occasional real soda? I guess soda drinking was never a habit I picked up. When I was a kid it was o.j., milk, or water. ALWAYS milk with dinner (now my parents always had plenty of beer and wine for themselves...)
suzannaerin
Cathlete
splenda, beverages
Hi, I'm a former diet pepsi one/diet coke addict. Six cans a day! For Lent, I gave up Nutrasweet, and switched to Splenda, seltzer water, & Diet Rite (the no-aspartame kind). It was a good decision. Although I've heard mixed things about Nutrasweet, I just decided to adopt healthier habits and cut back on the diet sodas. Seltzer water--w/a slice of lemon or lime--is an excellent substitute if you're a soda addict. Good luck, Suzanne
Hi, I'm a former diet pepsi one/diet coke addict. Six cans a day! For Lent, I gave up Nutrasweet, and switched to Splenda, seltzer water, & Diet Rite (the no-aspartame kind). It was a good decision. Although I've heard mixed things about Nutrasweet, I just decided to adopt healthier habits and cut back on the diet sodas. Seltzer water--w/a slice of lemon or lime--is an excellent substitute if you're a soda addict. Good luck, Suzanne
RE: splenda, beverages
Just thought everyone would be interested to know that something like 50 to 75 percent of ALL calls made on the FDA complaint hotline are about aspartame. I forget the exact number but I believe it is definitely more than half and it is the number one complaint in history.
I worked in a hospital in Cardiac Rehab and one of the nurses absolutely believed that diet soda was unsatisfying and caused food cravings and weight gain. It made sense to me.
I basically take the approach that I absolutely refuse to be a guinea pig for some company so they can make a profit at the possible expense of my health. It's not worth it!
Cyndie
Just thought everyone would be interested to know that something like 50 to 75 percent of ALL calls made on the FDA complaint hotline are about aspartame. I forget the exact number but I believe it is definitely more than half and it is the number one complaint in history.
I worked in a hospital in Cardiac Rehab and one of the nurses absolutely believed that diet soda was unsatisfying and caused food cravings and weight gain. It made sense to me.
I basically take the approach that I absolutely refuse to be a guinea pig for some company so they can make a profit at the possible expense of my health. It's not worth it!
Cyndie