Fasting 5:2 - would Diet Coke impact this?

[flympssta]

I'm wanting to give 5:2 or 4:3 a try. Would drinking Coke Zero on my fast days be ok?

Coke Zero has artificial sweeteners so it isn't healthy, even though it is zero calories. You would be better drinking water to keep yourself hydrated.

Thank you for your reply. I get that water would be the healthier choice by a long shot but would I lose weight by drinking Coke Zero when I'm fasting if I'm not eating

Dieting is a bit like a recipe, you adapt a little to suit you.
Can't tell you if it's officially allowed but if having it helps stop you feeling you are going without (and therefore giving up) I would still have it.

Diet soda has links to weight gain and metabolic syndrome, which can make diabetes worse or increase the risk of it developing. Some sweeteners in diet soda even cause insulin spikes in the blood which worsens insulin sensitivity over time and can eventually raise blood sugar levels.

It won't affect your weight loss, there's no calories in it.

Some people seem to react to sweeteners by craving food, making fasting much harder. Some people say that it’s to do with insulin leaves peeking after sweeteners but I haven’t looked at the evidence on that. For many people it won’t make any difference though. I would be cautious about having lots of caffeine without eating.

Diet coke won't affect weight loss doing 5:2, no. I did it years ago. Lost 2 stone and kept it off and drank diet coke.

It's not harmless but it's not as bad as replacing 2 meals a day with a shake or substituting real food for UPF such as diet foods or low fat crap.

Having said that Climbles and OnedayIwillfeelfree are both correct in what they say.

Any 'diet' product is bad for you.

I actually realised that I preferred sparking water and a slice of lemon. Has the same 'mouthfeel' as diet coke and tastes a lot nicer!

I had to cut it out as it was slowing my weight loss, I am not a dietician so don't know exactly why but it was noticeably slower if I drank diet coke/Pepsi max then if I stuck to water with slice of lemon/lime or black tea and coffee.

For some people, the sweet taste (even without sugar) can trigger an insulin release.

In a nutshell, insulin stops your body from burning fat.

I read obesity code and Jason Fung states that have if something like a coffee with milk won't affect your fasting period

But as PP point out diet sodas have a poor effect on you insulin.

I think it's individual- I had a continual glucose monitor and Diet Coke didn't spike my blood glucose or insulin- annoyingly something like a flat white when fasted did up my glucose levels.

No, artificial sweeteners cause a massive insulin spike, so even if they contain no calories, they have the same effect on your body as if they do.

I continue to drink Diet Coke and also coffee with a splash of lactose free milk when dieting or fasting. Maybe I would lose weight faster if I didn’t but I certainly still lose weight.
It’s not perfect but it’s the compromise that means I can be disciplined over everything else.

They really advise against it, I stick to water or even fizzy water with a slice of lemon and I drink loads of decaff or earl grey tea with a tiny splash of unsweetened soya milk as this doesn't affect my blood sugars at all (diabetic).

I disagree I think a can of Diet Coke stops cravings and fills me up.

Full of shit that kills you but I’ve put worse things in my body. I’ll live.

Its a choice, if you want to drink it, then drink it, but the question was, not it contribute to obesity/diabetes, etc, and the answer to that is yes.

Depends on your body. It may or may not. It doesn't cause weight gain or spike insulin for me (I prefer Coke Zero) and helps me feel full or like I've had something when I'm hungry and can't/don't want to eat. I've had it for years and only now want to stop and try more water just because. Have always been a size 12-14 since dc. Size 16 at my heaviest and I wasn't drinking Coke then (just bingeing on other foods cos I didn't care). Was a size 10 - 12 pre-dc.

It doesn't have calories in it. The only thing that affects weight loss is calories. 5:2 works for you because it's a helpful way for you personally to reduce the number of calories you eat. Some people count them, some translate them into syns or points, you eat less two days a week. Calorie free food and drink won't impact it.

Some people find that sweet tasting thing like Diet Coke make them crave sweet food and eat more of it. If you were counting calories you'd track that, so it might be something to be mindful of on your higher food intake days especially.

There is a lot of negative evidence on the impact of diet drinks on hunger regulation
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/10/07/1044010141/diet-soda-may-prompt-food-cravings-especially-in-women-and-people-with-obesity

Artificial sweeteners can also be harmful to your gut microbiome which is key to losing weight as well as a huge number of other health benefits.

The artificial sweeteners trigger an insulin surge - this is the cause of obesity and diabetes. Your body cannot distinguish between sugar and artificial sweeteners, because they both taste the same, they both trigger the same response. The fact that the drink has no calories is irrelevant here.