• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

I don’t get people who drink diet soda

DragoonKain

Neighbours from Hell
It’s really not any healthier for you than regular soda and it certainly doesn’t taste better. If you’re that desperate to lose weight or not put on weight than don’t drink soda or lose weight like a normal person, by, you know, exercising now and again. If you like the taste of soda then just drinking a fucking soda. Drinking diet soda is like eating a double whopper, but asking them to hold the Mayo to cut out a few extra calories. And the diet soda thing might be worse, because whatever small amount you gain in the sugar department, you’ll get hit with extra carcinogens.
 

MastAndo

Gold Member
I grew up as a soda fiend and started drinking the diet kind years back as a way to cut back calories - in addition to other things, not so I could have extra fries. At this point, I can't drink regular soda. It tastes like sugary death to me and hurts my teeth.
 

Golgo 13

The Man With The Golden Dong
Uh, wrong? Refined Sugar consumption can be directly related to not only morbid obesity but also heart disease, diabetes, and most forms of cancer. Diet Soda certainly isn’t the healthiest but the minor effects of Aspartame on your digestive biome pale in comparison to the catastrophic effects of regular soda.
 

Nester99

Member
I think you are underestimating the damage sugar can do.

Train your tastebuds to enjoy water again. Best thing you can do for your health.
 

JayK47

Member
I agree. I simply stopped drinking soda. Way too much sugar. Diet tastes bad and I am pretty sure it is worse for you. The sugar alternatives are pretty much worse than sugar in every way.
 

DragoonKain

Neighbours from Hell
Uh, wrong? Refined Sugar consumption can be directly related to not only morbid obesity but also heart disease, diabetes, and most forms of cancer. Diet Soda certainly isn’t the healthiest but the minor effects of Aspartame on your digestive biome pale in comparison to the catastrophic effects of regular soda.
Hmmm from what I read, studies showed that diet soda for things like heart disease is hardly better at all. Maybe there are other studies out there contradicting that.
 

QSD

Member
It’s really not any healthier for you than regular soda and it certainly doesn’t taste better. If you’re that desperate to lose weight or not put on weight than don’t drink soda or lose weight like a normal person, by, you know, exercising now and again. If you like the taste of soda then just drinking a fucking soda. Drinking diet soda is like eating a double whopper, but asking them to hold the Mayo to cut out a few extra calories. And the diet soda thing might be worse, because whatever small amount you gain in the sugar department, you’ll get hit with extra carcinogens.
This is about soda. People don't 'decide' on drinking soda by drawing a graph, extrapolating a cost/benefit analysis, and weighing the pros and cons. You are assuming rationality where there is none.
 
Diet soda is definitely better than regular soda... not taste wise... but as far as trying to manage your weight. Still horrible for your teeth though. When the science news some years back was all about how drinking regular soda wasn't any worse than diet because blah blah insulin levels blah blah the real sugar will make you eat less food so it balances out in the end... I gave it a try. Drank some liquid calories, got reacclimated to the extra sweet taste, didn't try to consciously change my diet and wouldn't you know it the weight started climbing back up.

The healthiest weight I had in my life was largely based on artificial sweeteners, some diet soda at the time (just when I'd go out for meals), but more so flavored water with Splenda and the like.

I think you are underestimating the damage sugar can do.

Train your tastebuds to enjoy water again. Best thing you can do for your health.
That's not a thing. At least for me. I've been on plain cold bottled water for years now after giving up soda in all its forms. Still tastes bad. Without unsweetened iced tea I'd have completely lost my mind by now.
 

Reallink

Member
It’s really not any healthier for you than regular soda and it certainly doesn’t taste better. If you’re that desperate to lose weight or not put on weight than don’t drink soda or lose weight like a normal person, by, you know, exercising now and again. If you like the taste of soda then just drinking a fucking soda. Drinking diet soda is like eating a double whopper, but asking them to hold the Mayo to cut out a few extra calories. And the diet soda thing might be worse, because whatever small amount you gain in the sugar department, you’ll get hit with extra carcinogens.

It would take more exercising than most people have free time to burn off 500+ Calories/day from drinking Cokes at each meal, break, or snack. Soft drinks seriously are the number 1 reason most people are fat and diabetic, they're completely empty calories with virtually no nutritional value. Followed closely by junk food snacks like chips and candy bars.
 
Last edited:

nush

Gold Member
I lost 60 pounds switching to Diet/Zero Sugar sodas, so you can think what you want about it. I still get to enjoy my soda, but without all the needless sugar and calories. It was a positive change in my life, and I’m damn proud of it.

Bullshit, unless you were just chugging liters of regular soda on the daily.

Just soda that was making me a fat fuck, that was it, everything else was vegetables and regular exercise.
 
I lost 60 pounds switching to Diet/Zero Sugar sodas, so you can think what you want about it. I still get to enjoy my soda, but without all the needless sugar and calories. It was a positive change in my life, and I’m damn proud of it.
Weight loss via chronic diarrhea is pretty dangerous.
 

DavidGzz

Member
When you don't know wtf you're talking about and decide to make a thread. It doesn't contain calories. I drink it so that I can eat something else in place of the calories a normal soda would provide. Something with more nutrition towards my goals like another protein source.
 

DavidGzz

Member
Bullshit, unless you were just chugging liters of regular soda on the daily.

Just soda that was making me a fat fuck, that was it, everything else was vegetables and regular exercise.

A normal soda is 250 calories. Eat 4 times a day and that's 1000 calories. Add that up in a month and you have a 30k calories surplus around your organs and stomach etc. Simple math.
 

DragoonKain

Neighbours from Hell
Btw, I should clarify a couple things too. If you're trying to lose weight or you've lost weight on diet soda, I'm happy for you, but I doubt that was the only change to your diet, and it's still better if you want to lose weight to cut soda out completely. There are plenty of flavored "essence" sparkling waters that are 0 everything and don't use any sweeteners, if you need something with flavor.

But if you like soda that much just drink a regular soda, I'm assuming you only consume like one 16 oz can every 1-2 days. If you're drinking like a full 2 liter bottle a day, then your solution isn't going to diet, your solution is to stop consuming so much of it in the first place.
 
Last edited:

nush

Gold Member
A normal soda is 250 calories. Eat 4 times a day and that's 1000 calories. Add that up in a month and you have a 30k calories surplus around your organs and stomach etc. Simple math.

I'm not American, what's a "Normal" soda.
 

DragoonKain

Neighbours from Hell
Read this earlier in the year and it's only one study, but it showed people who drink diet soda gained weight. Could be a plethora of reasons, like they felt better drinking 0 calorie drinks so they consumed more, or it's insulin-related, but it's interesting nonetheless.

 

DragoonKain

Neighbours from Hell
I'm not American, what's a "Normal" soda.
I assume he means 20 oz bottle.

If you're drinking one 20 oz bottle of soda per day(or more), the issue isn't the calories of the soda, the issue is you're drinking way too much of it. It's like pizza, burgers, anything else. If you consume it everyday, that's the problem, not the product. Most things in moderation can be consumed without destroying your health.
 
Last edited:
If you want to lose weight then yeah it’s no good if that’s all you drink. I drink it cause i was addicted to full sugar drinks so when I want a drink of juice I go with diet. If I’m drinking 2L water a day and want something different I’ll get diet juice.

it’s just a slightly more healthy alternative And like anything else it’s only meant to be consumed occasionally and in moderation. If you think you’re gonna lose a load of weight by just changing to diet then you’re not doing it right. To be fair when I cut out sugar I did become a lot less bloated but losing all the weight I did was by drinking lots of water, eating healthier, and exercising. Cutting out sugar drinks was just a small step.
 
Last edited:

DavidGzz

Member
Btw, I should clarify a couple things too. If you're trying to lose weight or you've lost weight on diet soda, I'm happy for you, but I doubt that was the only change to your diet, and it's still better if you want to lose weight to cut soda out completely. There are plenty of flavored "essence" sparkling waters that are 0 everything and don't use any sweeteners, if you need something with flavor.

But if you like soda that much just drink a regular soda, I'm assuming you only consume like one 16 oz can every 1-2 days. If you're drinking like a full 2 liter bottle a day, then your solution isn't going to diet, your solution is to stop consuming so much of it in the first place.

Sweeteners are one of the most studied things out there. You'd have to drink an astronomical amount to see any adverse effect. I think I remember reading you need the equivalent of 24 24-packs a day for a long time. I follow some bodybuilders who drink a 2 liter every day. For some in contest prep it's almost the only thing with any flavor they have in the last couple of weeks lol. Anyway, for me it can actually curve hunger. I'll have a can once or twice a day when cutting.

I do agree that people who go to fast food places and get one while also swinging by DQ for dessert aren't going to make any headway if trying to lose fat. I get one when I go to McDonald's so that my meal is 800 calories instead of 1200. For people diligent about counting calories, flavored water and diet soda are great. Low sugar gum, skipping breakfast etc are other tools that can help.
 

DavidGzz

Member
Read this earlier in the year and it's only one study, but it showed people who drink diet soda gained weight. Could be a plethora of reasons, like they felt better drinking 0 calorie drinks so they consumed more, or it's insulin-related, but it's interesting nonetheless.


I think it's similar to people who go for a jog. They relax when it comes to energy consumption because they feel like they deserve it or that their jog burned way more calories than they think. Also, cardio can make one hungrier the same way sweating makes one thirsty. But correlation does not equal causation when it comes to studies. It wasn't the diet soda directly but maybe indirectly. For the reason I stated.
 

JimmyRustler

Gold Member
Uh, wrong? Refined Sugar consumption can be directly related to not only morbid obesity but also heart disease, diabetes, and most forms of cancer. Diet Soda certainly isn’t the healthiest but the minor effects of Aspartame on your digestive biome pale in comparison to the catastrophic effects of regular soda.
What he said. LOL at it not making a difference.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
I love pop, but how is a normal serving 16-20 ounces?

a normal serving is a can which US/Canada is standard at 355 ml which is 12 ounces. A can of regular is about 140-170 calories depending on which one it is.

16-20 ounces means a 500-600 ml bottle. That’s not a normal serving.
 
Last edited:

DavidGzz

Member
I love pop, but how is a normal serving 16-20 ounces?

a normal serving is a can which US/Canada is standard at 355 ml which is 12 ounces. A can of regular is about 140-170 calories depending on which one it is.

16-20 ounces means a 500-600 ml bottle. That’s not a normal serving.

When I'm hanging with my D&D group or at work my co-workers and friends are always with a 20oz bottle of either Mountain Dew or Coke. That's pretty standard in vending machines. At fast food restaurants the norm is 32 oz. Either way, a can at 140-170 extra calories per meal is a lot over time.
 

DavidGzz

Member
Uh, wrong? Refined Sugar consumption can be directly related to not only morbid obesity but also heart disease, diabetes, and most forms of cancer. Diet Soda certainly isn’t the healthiest but the minor effects of Aspartame on your digestive biome pale in comparison to the catastrophic effects of regular soda.

Let's not go crazy here. I do believe you should avoid drinking your calories but all of that is caused by obesity which can be avoided when people are cognizant of their calorie intake. Drinking your calories is only one of several reasons people are over consuming energy.
 

DragoonKain

Neighbours from Hell
Sweeteners are one of the most studied things out there. You'd have to drink an astronomical amount to see any adverse effect. I think I remember reading you need the equivalent of 24 24-packs a day for a long time. I follow some bodybuilders who drink a 2 liter every day. For some in contest prep it's almost the only thing with any flavor they have in the last couple of weeks lol. Anyway, for me it can actually curve hunger. I'll have a can once or twice a day when cutting.

I do agree that people who go to fast food places and get one while also swinging by DQ for dessert aren't going to make any headway if trying to lose fat. I get one when I go to McDonald's so that my meal is 800 calories instead of 1200. For people diligent about counting calories, flavored water and diet soda are great. Low sugar gum, skipping breakfast etc are other tools that can help.
I think in general, if you're drinking say one can of coke every 1 to 2 days, you aren't going to put on weight by that alone unless you have a catastrophic metabolism disorder. If that's all the soda you consume, then and you're putting on weight, it's likely just your overall caloric total, soda included, but everything else.

If you're drinking 8 cans of soda a day though, in terms of just weight gain, yeah I assume diet will make a difference at some point, but I'm going on the assumption that people aren't going to be guzzling this stuff in excess, and will consume soda like you are supposed to consume fast food. Once in a while.

In that case, I don't think diet makes a difference. But again, if you're consuming massive amounts of soda, so much that you need diet, then I think that should send alarm bells in its own right.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
To me it comes down to how much water retention pop does and how much of those ~40 grams of carby sugar stick as weight gain.

a pound is 454 grams and assuming each gram of sugary carb is 1 gram, you’d have to drink a lot of pop to gain weight as only some of that 40 grams of sugar will stick assuming they aren’t working it off.

however I have no idea if pop makes you retain water which makes it worse
 
Last edited:

DavidGzz

Member
I think in general, if you're drinking say one can of coke every 1 to 2 days, you aren't going to put on weight by that alone unless you have a catastrophic metabolism disorder. If that's all the soda you consume, then and you're putting on weight, it's likely just your overall caloric total, soda included, but everything else.

If you're drinking 8 cans of soda a day though, in terms of just weight gain, yeah I assume diet will make a difference at some point, but I'm going on the assumption that people aren't going to be guzzling this stuff in excess, and will consume soda like you are supposed to consume fast food. Once in a while.

In that case, I don't think diet makes a difference. But again, if you're consuming massive amounts of soda, so much that you need diet, then I think that should send alarm bells in its own right.


I think if someone switches to not drinking their calories it's always a good thing. I can drink 1-2 sodas or have 1-2 protein bars with much more nutrition. No matter what, it's always a good idea to make that switch no matter how many you drink.


To me it comes down to how much water retention pop does and how much of those ~40 grams of carby sugar stick as weight gain.

a pound is 454 grams and assuming each gram of sugary carb is 1 gram, you’d have to drink a lot of pop to gain weight as only some of that 40 grams of sugar will stick assuming they aren’t working it off.

however I have no idea if pop makes you retain water which makes it worse


There are 3500 calories in a pound of fat. 40 g of sugar is 160 calories so a couple of sodas aren't going to do much alone. The problem is that most people who drink sugary sodas have no idea how nutrition works and are definitely not watching their energy intake. The soda is just one component in an overall shit diet. Calorie dense foods that aren't satiating are usually coupled with said soda. Instead of 2500 calories a day which would have people at a pretty normal weight(2k for females), most people are consuming 3500+.
 

godhandiscen

There are millions of whiny 5-year olds on Earth, and I AM THEIR KING.
I drink Diet Coke because I like the taste :/
I actually cannot stand any other soda.
 
Top Bottom