Diet Coke - help me settle this argument!

[GreenEyedBlonde]

I love Diet Coke I just absolutely love the stuff. I need to lose around one stone in weight and to do this I'm trying to chill out on the bread and pasta (ie carbs) because this is also a big love of mine.

My Dad is convinced Diet Coke is making me fat and that if I stop guzzling it I'll lose the weight, he thinks even though it says no sugar it is in fact loaded with sugar.

I say no way, they would be sued for millions on false advertising if it contained sugar or made you fat hence why supermodels drink it. Yes it contains substitutes / chemicals that they don't have to advertise and these aren't nutritional or beneficial in any way - but they do not make you fat or cause weight gain.

Who is right?

You’re dad is wrong about the sugar, but h might be right about it stopping you loosing weight!
Apparently (and I’ll find a link) studies have shown that diet sweet drinks actually make you eat more for some reason. I’ll find a link!

*your

No me drinking Diet Coke doesn't make me eat more - it's just an argument on the actual drink itself

www.nhs.uk/news/food-and-diet/do-diet-drinks-really-make-you-fatter/

Diet coke does not contain actual sugar, but as Mango has said, it does contain artificial sweeteners which can cause you to eat more. On top of that, it is bad for your teeth and can cause sugar cravings, so best to avoid or cut down if you can.

You.

Ofcourse it doesnt contain sugar. Its more than just making people fat - i have type one diabetes and itd make me really poorly if i actually contained sugar.

Gassy drinks can make you bloat, but they dont cause weight gain if theyre sugar free...

It's not full of sugar so he's wrong on that. It may be bad for you in some way - something to do with promoting insulin production and therefore insulin resistance because the body thinks it contains sugar. This could have a knock on effect on metabolism and appetite. I don't think the research is solid on this though as far as I am aware.

He is wrong in that it doesn't contain sugar, and no-one is trying to con you in that regard.

However, there is some suggestion that the body can respond to artificial sweeteners as if they were sugar, which isn't going to help you lose weight.

Plus they're horribly artificial, etc!

Your dad is clearly wrong about the sugar.

However, I gave up Diet Coke last year, and since then have stopped craving sweet things. I've also lost weight, which I have put down to not eating cakes, sweets etc.

It doesn’t contain sugar, but it does contain sweeteners which confuse the body as it tastes sweetness so thinks glucose/energy is coming when it isn’t. This triggers the wrong enzymes to be released into the intestines, likely making you hungrier and more likely to overeat as your body tries to get the energy it thought was coming.

That’s a very short version of a long explanation - basically they’re probably doing you no favours, interfering with your natural gut microbes (good bacteria) and making you eat more/be hungrier

No diet drinks allowed in my house.

Apart from all the nasties contained, the artificial sweeteners induce an insulin response. This makes you put on weight.

So, your Dad is right in part. The important part.

I think the theory is that because sweetener is so sweet, your brain expects an influx of sugar in the form of energy. When it doesnt get that, it then craves real sugar and makes you eat more. You can always try to stop drinking it for a couple of weeks or cut down and see if it makes a difference. It doesnt have sugar it it secretly! Your dad is completely wrong on that front!

Your Dad is absolutely right.

As @Awrite says, it's not only the artificial everythings, but it will mess with insulin levels.

There were studies recently, people who dieted using diet drinks lose weight but then put it back on and more.

Go with coconut water, watermelon juice, lots of iced water with lemon. So much healthier and you'll feel better all round!

Meh, it’s fine. No calories and if you fancy a sweet treat it’s better to have Diet Coke than something sugary

When I was anorexic I guzzled the stuff - I can assure you it doesn’t make you fat at all.

As someone who was drinking it in big amounts with an eating disorder (I'm guessing to feel full), wouldn't you say that this is another reason and example of why fizzy diet drinks used as a way to lose weight or keep it off are a bad thing? They aren't a healthy approach.

I'm happy to read a past tense there @Cloudsarebright , well done:)

I lost seven stone drinking loads of it - and I've maintained the loss for several years too.

That's not to say that it's not full of artificial crap. But aren't so many things!

When I was anorexic I guzzled the stuff - I can assure you it doesn’t make you fat at all..

Well that's a pretty stupid thing to say! You were anorexic, therefore you were restricting your calorie intake in an extreme fashion. Of course Diet Coke wouldn't make you fat in those circumstances.

Coke/Diet Coke is nasty acidic stuff. If you want a caffeine boost then have a cup of tea or coffee with or without milk. Better still, go for a 20 minute walk and burn some calories.

He's wrong there's no sugar.

But - you can clean toilets with it so it's probably not very good for you.

(I still drink it!)

i love diet coke and i lost 4 stone for my wedding... whilst still drinking diet coke

it has next to no sugar in... theres some evidence to suggest it can make some people feel hungrier and therefor make them eat more in general... but i never found that to be the case... in fact the fizziness of it makes me feel quite full

it certainly doesnt make people pile on weight... but nor does it make people loose weight

However, I gave up Diet Coke last year, and since then have stopped craving sweet things

This happened to me as well. Your brains expecting something sweet and gets annoyed at being tricked. I wish I'd gave it up earlier. You may think it doesnt make a difference but when you stop you realise it does.

The sweeteners mess with your apetitite and the bubbles can make you bloat. That said it does not contain sugar and it doesn’t contain any calories. It’s not the best thing to drink if you’re trying to lose weight, particularly not if it’s part of healthy lifestyle change. It’s not going to actively cause you to gain weight though. Perhaps stick to one a day?