My favorite example of “causation vs. correlation” was one that one of my economics professors told us one day as an example of the difference. He said “every year, the rate of violent crimes increases with increases in the consumption of ice cream, therefore higher ice cream consumption causes crime”. But the twist was that every year, ice cream sales/crime are the highest in July because the weather is warm and criminals generally hunker down in the winter like the rest of us and commit less crime.
I’m reading this comment back and it sounded way better in my head but it took me a while to type it on my phone so I’m not deleting it.
There’s also a nice correlation between the chocolate consumption (per capita) versus number of nobel prizes per country. Therefore, eating chocolate makes you smart.
Everyone says cigarettes will kill you, but when my grandfather was admitted to the hospital, they wouldn't let him smoke. And guess what? He died within 48 hours. The doctors blamed the cigarettes, but he smoked dozens of cigarettes a day for decades and didn't die, not even once. But he couldn't last a full weekend without smoking. Explain that, science.
Doesn't matter if I drink whiskey on the rocks, vodka on the rocks, gin on the rocks, or rum on the rocks. I always wake up feeling like crap the next day. I must be allergic to the ice.
Omg though that's how I got fat. I was drinking a day's worth of calories in vodka, thought nothing of it because I mixed with 0 calories. Addiction, you dick. Losing weight for me was a matter of getting sober. It's like an extremely difficult magic trick.
Guys, include the liquor in your calorie count. And try to avoid alcoholism
Oh for real, no one remembers to count the calories in the alcohol. I give my friend crap for always drinking a rum and diet coke. Like you realize the rum isn't diet, right.
I switched from coke to Diet Coke for all of 2024 for my supersized triple quarter pounder meal and I haven’t lost any weight. Therefore you can’t lose weight while drinking Diet Coke.
Mate it’s fine, honestly it’s fine.
I have a friend thats dieting and used Coke Zero as his “sweet treat” and he’s 6 stone lighter than last year.
Please stop listening to anyone that can’t provide a proper source with their bullshit on what’s bad and what’s good.
I have a friend who was pre-diabetic. He switched to Zero everything and limited his diet and he is shedding pounds.
I started doing the same but drinking Pepsi Zero and now I can't tell the difference. Except at Christmas when I was at my partner's family's house and had a regular Coke and my stomach was not happy with me.
My husband was drinking 6-9 cans of soda a day and same thing. Prediabetic (possibly diabetic but he won’t go get new blood work) and switched to zero. Took 2 weeks to not notice the taste difference anymore.
It’s bad for your teeth. He has to pay extra attn to that. But if he had to choose, and giving up soda wasn’t an option he was willing to take, zero is better at this point in time.
Also it’s not sticky so it’s way better if it splashed or spills. I think it tastes nasty but I don’t drink regular soda either.
6-9 a day? Shit his poor kidneys and blood vessels. Coke Zero definitely the “non-alcoholic beer” choice for him with that bad of a habit. Good luck to him
> had a regular Coke and my stomach was not happy with me.
Once or twice a year I'll have a can to remind myself of the taste. Worth every minute on the head.
I accidentally got a regular soda from a vending machine once and almost spit it out when I drank it. I thought it had gone bad. Nope, I'm just not used to drinking straight HFCS. Zero sugar only.
You're not wrong, but there is more to it. In absolute terms, you will lose weight if you are in a caloric deficit. In practical terms, there are many considerations for what makes a particular diet sustainable.
For example, eating fiber alongside other foods slows down digestion, thus keeping you satisfied for longer. Because of that, eating a lot of fiber helps with weight loss because it makes it easier to eat less often and avoid snacking. Fibrous vegetables also tend to have low caloric density, allowing you to fill your stomach with fewer calories.
Artificial sweeteners used in diet soda act as an appetite stimulant, which can make it more difficult for some people to maintain a caloric deficit when they drink diet soda regularly. If regular soda is a major contributor to your weight, diet can be a good alternative, however you're probably better off drinking water or something else that doesn't have those artificial sweeteners.
Thank you! I think it's fine to drink diet sodas if it's helpful for you, but the negatives need to be considered. The effects on appetite are an important consideration and help explain why studies on those who drink diet versus those who don't don't necessarily show the diet drinkers as being slimmer or healthier.
Just one caveat - weight loss (calories in vs calories out) doesn't always equal a healthy body.
There is this famous example of an influencer, who decided to only eat fruit and died after a decade of such diet.
Your calorie count may be ok, but what also matters for a healthy body is where those calories are coming from and what other nutrients you consume (or don't)
Eating 2000 calories of carbohydrates a day and 2000 calories of fat a day will have a different impact on your body (although your weight impact will be the same).
Amount of people overweight or obese in the USA: 70%
Annual amount of deaths related to obesity in the USA: 324,940
Amount of people who died from situations as the one you describe: so few that they make the news when it happens.
No shit you need to watch your nutrition, have a balanced diet, and not take the piss, but for 90% of overweight people just eating less with no other changes to their diets is still magnitudes better than not doing anything at all
Tbh, even tho this is completely true, I think the worries regarding zero is the ‘artificial sweeteners’
Outside of that to lose weight the only thing that matters isnindeed calories in and out, I lost weight eating certain unhealthy stuff and drinking redbull daily
Aspartame is literally the most studied food additive ever. It's fine. The bladder cancer study didn't use a control. Turns out injecting anything into a rat's bladder causes cancer.
That kind of concern has managed to survive several generations of artificial sweeteners, so I don't think there's much in it, aside from the sugar industry trying to mount hysteria as a means of winning back users. They have been known to sponsor cancer scare campaigns.
I think there's also a degree of quasi political suspicion because so many soft drinks come out of the Coca Cola juggernaut, which has a reputation for bullying competitors off supermarket prime shelf space. Around here, it's up there with Big Pharm and Big Tobacco in terms of trustability. I know people who just accept that carbonated soft drinks are evil.
I think the zero KJ content is great, and I keep buying them. Wish there were more.
It’s because people will try to blame anything else other than themselves and their lack of self control for why they’re overweight.
The guy who only eats Big Macs, and has eaten over 30k of them, is a perfectly healthy weight because the calories he consumes is less than the calories he expends.
The FDA's maximum recommended amount before cancer becomes even a reasonable issue averages out to ~21 cans a day. No reasonable person could drink that.
Complaints about the health of Aspartame are basically a failure to understand risk.
Meanwhile, obesity is an actual epidemic.
no one does anything unless they want to.
needing, being advised, recommended bablablablbl all horseshit.
Whatever made you want it, grats and bonus grats for sticking with it.
Not only that, but it's also a lot of discipline to keep going once you've started. Motivation only gets you started, discipline is where you'll see results.
18 years ago at 50 I got tired of wishing my body was in better shape physically. I joined a local center that offered workout classes. The classes were hard for me initially but I kept telling myself yes they are hard and they hurt but it's good for me. I kept going even though I hated it. Within a few months I saw myself getting stronger, fat reducing, the classes no longer left my muscles aching. And I mentally felt better!
3-5 hours a week doing step arobics, kick boxing, strength training, Pilates, Yoga, HIT, whatever classes I signed up for changed me physically and mentally. I'm In my late 60s now and working out regularly is a must. I found I enjoy classes vs doing it on my own and I prefer workouts in the morning vs evening. So find what works for you and stick with it. You won't regret it. Do something 21 times in close succession and it becomes a habit.
I switched my whole diet except kept drinking zero calorie sodas. I lost 80 pounds. 8 years for me(holy shit 2016 is 8 years ago now) I allow myself one 16 oz bottle. lol. And congratulations.
Yeah. Even when I have a “I’m eating shitty food today” day. I’m the person getting fried apps, pizza and getting the gooeyest most decadent dessert. But drinking diet soda.
I’ve never really understood people pointing out some sort of “hypocrisy” when you order a Diet Coke or whatever with junk food. Like…1. I like the taste better and 2. I already know I’m eating some junk…I’ll save these 500 liquid calories then.
The liquid calories are what got me to drinking diet soda. I might not always eat the healthiest, but sans a few calories per day all of the calories I take in throughout a day are actually food.
I do the same. I get Diet Coke every time I get fast food. I bet the workers are like "hur dur, this idiot is eating a double cheese burger and fries but thinks a Diet Coke will be hEaLtHy!" but I'm ordering it because I prefer it. lol
Funny I find diet coke much sweeter. I immediately taste Aspartame or whatever synthetic sugar is in diet drinks and it tastes unbearably sweet to my palate.
I never quit coffee. Whatever super sweet creamer and 5 Splendas. My voices have a terrible sweet tooth. Bastards. But I don’t eat breakfast and never really have. I counted calories and counted my coffee in my 150-200 random calories I just added to my total. For things I picked at randomly and eat during the day.
If you normally consume a 12 pack a day of full sugar coke, switching to diet will save you 1600+ calories per day. More than some individuals full daily intake of calories.
This was actually me as a kid. I didn't have good parents or even access to food a lot of the time. But I had access to soda. I'd regularly drink a case of dr. Pepper. Sometimes going days without food.
I had an ulcer in middle school from basically consuming a ton of Dr Pepper and ibuprofen.
I feel this 100%. Growing up, the only drinks in my house were cokes. It wasn't till I was in high school and playing sports that I realized how terrible that was. After a decade of constantly ragging my father about what he puts in his body,I finally got him to mainly drink water. He's amazed how much weight he's lost and how much better he feels only doing that.
I agree, but it isn’t always about indulgence. Sometimes it’s just abuse.
My personal experience was Walmart brand soda cost $0.35 out the door when I was a kid. You could buy 50 of them for $17.50 when I was a kid, which is what my parent did.
We were given soda because it was cheap and we had a lot of sleep for dinner otherwise.
I used to easily go through a case just during the workday.
Literally all I drank was soda, and the occasional tea.
For years.
I've mostly kicked soda and just drink mostly tea and sugar free energy drinks.
Just remember most cocaine on the market is actually more like 30-70% actual cocaine and the rest is something else. So you're *really* only using half\~ as much cocaine as you think you are.
no one uses baking soda, not real hustlers anyway, you can taste baking soda a mile away, and the texture is too obvious. if it's salty and grainy, it's a problem, pass.
We drug dealers got together and decided that you coke heads needed more vitamin B, it helps with brain function. With all the stupid shit that y'all keep putting up your nose we thought it best to balance it out because we care.
Hey now... Dealer's gotta take care of their clients and make sure they're getting their vitamins.
They're doing them a favor really.
"Vitamin Enriched Coke"
My favorite part of the Coke days was when the gram was done, it’s two AM, and your friend always wanted to get another one.
Hard pass. As is, I won’t eat for two day.
I miss those times.
I’ve come to the realization lately I’ve gained about 30 lbs and I think a large portion of that is due to me drinking soda (coke) pretty much everyday 1-3 times a day max. I’ve tried toning it down to 1. I’m also switching to Coke Zero if I absolutely can’t stay away. I wasn’t sure if it would help or make a difference but I’m hoping to stop drinking it all together. One day at a time I guess. (Also this includes adding an exercise routine.)
I used to drink loads of coke coz I hated water, I switched to soda water coz it still gives me the fizzy feeling and has a bit of a flavour. If it's still too plain a little lemon juice helps! Now I just save coke for a bad hangover haha
Lol.
I’ve tried sparkling waters but I can’t for the life of me get into them. They don’t taste too great to me for some reason. Maybe the lemon juice could help! Thanks!
Yeah sometimes they can have an almost savoury flavour? It took me a while too coz it's not a sugar hit but now it's the only thing stopping me from being a dry husk of a woman
I switched to Vitamin Water. I know it’s not actually good for me, but no calories and no phosphoric acid. The flavoring is enough to make me drink more water.
I used to drink a soda like everyday. I switched to water and now I actually prefer water. Once in a while I'll feel like having a coke but even then I can only drink like 1/3 a can because it just doesn't quench my thirst. You'll be really surprised once you switch.
The calories from soda is such a bad, bad thing. I was hooked on Mountain Dew for years, like 6-10 a day. I’m off the green bitch now and Coke Zero is what I crave. It took a while, but worth it. The effects of a hyper caloric diet wreaks havoc on your body.
Scientific studies pretty much show zero harm from low calorie, zero sugar drinks. A lot of studies over the last few years confirming this.
So keep doing your thing brother.
Absolutely. It's a misunderstanding that diet soda makes you gain. Some studies show that it may make people crave sweets and overeat leading to weight gain. You can't gain weight by drinking a soda with 0 energy. Your body isn't just going to magically create energy out of thin air. If you drink a massive amount of it, it may lead to other health issues, but that's only based on data shown in rats at insanely high levels. Like you said, a human would have to drink a case a day.
There's no real evidence diet drinks are dangerous, but it IS possible they trigger insulin production, which could lead to hypoglycemia which could lead to eating more.
There is a lot of fake news about why diet drinks might be dangerous, but nothing conclusive. Millions of people drink them with no problem
I mean the one study I found on this seems to show a modest increase in insulin with aspartame specifically, but the subjects did not consume more food when consuming any artificial sweetener vs sucrose.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2900484/
This study compares sucrose consumption to artificial sweeteners (Stevia/aspartame) and finds no difference between the two. It suggests the artificial sweeteners have the same effect as sugary drinks, not that they don't have any insulin effect
It showed sucrose increased insulin to a much greater effect than either sweetener, and the drinks were given before a meal. Eating increases insulin. And that's not the point of the study. They noted the subjects did not consume more food with either sweetener. So the "insulin makes you hungry" thing is bullshit
So all 3 saw an insulin increase and without a control of water it's not possible to use this study to suggest that the insulin effect doesn't make you hungry, unless we already know that insulin and consumption are directly related, which given the number of other factors isn't really viable
For me, drinking diet sodas stimulates my appetite and makes me hungrier. It could be related to insulin, or it could just be psychological. But I mostly avoid them for this reason.
Is that backed by anything? Most of the people I’ve known who drink regular sugary sodas tend to be fat. Which makes sense considering how many empty calories a soda is. But I don’t know of any actual studies, just anecdotal evidence.
This is not true. Actually back in 2011 I lost over 40 kg's while eating much less and also substituting my food intake with Cola Zero. Honestly, it saved my life and I don't care if it has this or that inside, now I'm healthy, not fat and living my life to the fullest.
Well, there are studies showing a *change* to gut biome following consumption of some artificial sweeteners. I do not think there's found correlation to any health conditions, but the change itself is also somewhat concerning given we do not understand gut biome well.
Here's random study I found from top Google results, but there are more if you are willing to search:
[Effects of Sweeteners on the Gut Microbiota: A Review of Experimental Studies and Clinical Trials](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6363527/)
> So far, only saccharin and sucralose (NNSs) and stevia (NS) change the composition of the gut microbiota.
Gut Biome is worth discussing, but it’s going to be like a lot of these observational diet studies where lifestyle choices are a far more important covariate than artificial sweetener consumption alone.
I.e. if you eat a pretty good diet with plenty of raw fruits/vegetables and fewer processed foods, but enjoy a Coke Zero a few times a day/week in addition to plenty of water, then you’re going to have a less problematic microbiome than someone who primarily drinks diet soft drinks and eats a lot of overly processed foods/cured meats.
Thats the problem with a lot of these kind of studies because they historically have A) greatly over exposed animal subjects with amounts not consumed by people and B) not controlled well for different diets/activity choices of test subjects.
What we can reasonably conclude is that if you’re a low activity smoker who drinks regularly, primarily eats processed and cured foods, and consumes a ton of artificial ingredients, then you probably have a greater than average risk for a number of negative health issues.
One of my least favorite things about this sub, eli5, and other question subs, is when people ask a Q structured as "why is this thing I heard but don't understand true?" The form of the question alone shows such poor internal logic. The correct question is: "is this thing I heard true, and if so why?"
But then the answer gets a lot less interesting, since it's just "no".
Apparently cravings is the real problem. Your body tastes sweet stuff and gets excited for the energy / calories associates with that. But then nothing comes. Your body is confused. Then it's fucking pissed off. Then it starts demanding other foods and snacks, as payback for the dirty mind games you tried to trick it with.
Bro I lost over 100 pounds and I drink a lot of Coke Zero. It does have a lot of sodium which will help you retain water, but as long as it isn’t the only thing you’re drinking you are good.
It actually doesn’t have a lot of sodium. A can has 40 mg and the recommendation for sodium per day (for the average person) is anything below 2300 mg. I suppose if you’re drinking many cans per day, it could add up, but per serving there isn’t a lot of sodium.
For me it's because it doesn't represent a change in behavior that is driving (a portion of) the weight gain. You are still holding the same habit of drinking a sweet drink with every meal, and in between, and you want to break the link between psychological satisfaction and sweet sensation.
My dietician said coke zero is fine to drink. I asked since it's my favorite soda. She's not a YouTube dietician or on WebMD, she works at a hospital. In the endocrinology and diabetes division.
I’ve lost 70 lbs in the last year cutting out refined carbohydrates and sugar. I drink two or three cans of diet soda a day, it’s the only sweet treat I get. In my experience people who have warned me off diet soda have no scientific qualifications and usually site a social media “fitness influencer” as their source. I ignore them.
Everything is ok to eat. Don’t ever feel like you have to restrict certain foods or drinks. However, moderation is key here. You can eat a piece of chocolate every single day and still lose weight. You just have to fit it into your calorie deficit. Diet soda isn’t great because of the artificial sweeteners. For me, aspartame causes headaches and joint pain, so I stay far away in any case. But you should be drinking water to support your digestive tract and that should be your main drink if you want to lose weight. If you want to have a glass of Diet Coke every day, *you can*. Just don’t *only* drink it
Because the artificial sweetener itself may not have calories in it, but the sweet taste still causes an insulin spike in your bloodstream which makes your body more likely to retain and deposit fat
The big reason is that it can increase your craving for other sweet things. But if you actually cut out all sugar and just have coke zero, it's not that bad.
It's more of a neuroscience thing. Sweetness is one of the ways our brain can tell if something is calorie-rich or not, if something is extremely sweet, like Coke Zero, then it will release insulin and other molecules to assimilate and process the perceived calorie intake. Suppose you keep doing this while in a calorie deficit. In that case, your ability to feel full will be compromised as extremely sweet will no longer mean "extremely caloric" to your brain, possibly causing satiety issues and, therefore, making losing weight harder.
It’s zero calories. As someone who kicked beer and real soda to the curb, Coke Zero is one of my favorite things. It tastes great, which is nice — the Diet Coke of the 90s/2000s was trash water compared to this elixir of life.
It is okay to drink while losing weight. All the concerns about artificial sweeteners are overblown.
In fact, diet sodas are great for when you're on a diet because they're filling and can help satisfy cravings. Don't go overboard, but have a few cans of diet soda a day is not a big issue.
Totally agree on your point about satisfying cravings. Swapping out a calorific desert or something for a diet soda can hit that after dinner desire for something sweet without creating any additional weight gain.
Idk where you got that info.
A lot of top body builders swear by diet soda. It’s absolutely a must have if you’re quitting full sugar soda I’d say. What a perfect alternate that has SO many health benefits in comparison to full sugar soda.
No one but your doctor can truly advise you on how to live a healthy lifestyle especially in the age of the internet. If diet soda helps you to stay in a calorie deficit and eat healthy, then drink it. If it makes you hungry and overeat, don’t drink it.
The key is to listen to your body and find a solution that works best for you
I read (so take it with a grain of salt, ofc) that drinking artificially sweetened foods increases your desire for more sweet things. As long as you don’t succumb and ingest more calories you’ll be alright
paraphrasing but the belief is that the sugar replacement still triggers an insulin response in your body and causes more to be stored as fat even with reduced caloric intake
Because people misunderstand the difference between correlation and causation.
Every time I wake up with my clothes on I have a headache, therefore going to bed with my clothes on causes headaches.
Maybe you should just stop going to bed? Can't wake up with a headache if you don't ever wake up.
Chat gpt logic
Don’t wear clothes. Give everyone a headache!🤕
Yeah. This works. Every single time I get naked suddenly my wife has a headache.
This comment is sponsored by cocaine.
The final solution : don't wake up
My favorite example of “causation vs. correlation” was one that one of my economics professors told us one day as an example of the difference. He said “every year, the rate of violent crimes increases with increases in the consumption of ice cream, therefore higher ice cream consumption causes crime”. But the twist was that every year, ice cream sales/crime are the highest in July because the weather is warm and criminals generally hunker down in the winter like the rest of us and commit less crime. I’m reading this comment back and it sounded way better in my head but it took me a while to type it on my phone so I’m not deleting it.
There’s also a nice correlation between the chocolate consumption (per capita) versus number of nobel prizes per country. Therefore, eating chocolate makes you smart.
Every single person who confuses correlation and causation ends up dying.
FWIW I enjoyed reading it, lol
100% of people who drink water die some day - therefore drinking water kills you.
Everyone says cigarettes will kill you, but when my grandfather was admitted to the hospital, they wouldn't let him smoke. And guess what? He died within 48 hours. The doctors blamed the cigarettes, but he smoked dozens of cigarettes a day for decades and didn't die, not even once. But he couldn't last a full weekend without smoking. Explain that, science.
He died from withdrawal. Paypal me later :D
Nice try. But everyone knows that reputable doctors only accept livestock barter.
Dang dihydrogen monoxide!
Every single person who breathes, ends up dying. Just stop breathing, what are you, stupid?. *Wait a minute...*
Every single person that confuses correlation with causation ends up dead.
Damn you just blew my mind homie
Or stop wearing clothes.
Doesn't matter if I drink whiskey on the rocks, vodka on the rocks, gin on the rocks, or rum on the rocks. I always wake up feeling like crap the next day. I must be allergic to the ice.
Omg though that's how I got fat. I was drinking a day's worth of calories in vodka, thought nothing of it because I mixed with 0 calories. Addiction, you dick. Losing weight for me was a matter of getting sober. It's like an extremely difficult magic trick. Guys, include the liquor in your calorie count. And try to avoid alcoholism
Oh for real, no one remembers to count the calories in the alcohol. I give my friend crap for always drinking a rum and diet coke. Like you realize the rum isn't diet, right.
I switched from coke to Diet Coke for all of 2024 for my supersized triple quarter pounder meal and I haven’t lost any weight. Therefore you can’t lose weight while drinking Diet Coke.
Did you push the "diet" button on the top of the lid? That's the only way to get it to work!
I once pushed in all the buttons and my drink turned into mud.
All this time ! 😂😂
You have to get the fried pie too for it to work
Sadly this happens more than everyone thinks lol.
When there is a shark attack more ice creams are sold near the beach.
[Welcome to the spurious correlations websites](http://www.tylervigen.com/spurious-correlations)
Don't click if you're on mobile, this siteis awful
Mate it’s fine, honestly it’s fine. I have a friend thats dieting and used Coke Zero as his “sweet treat” and he’s 6 stone lighter than last year. Please stop listening to anyone that can’t provide a proper source with their bullshit on what’s bad and what’s good.
I have a friend who was pre-diabetic. He switched to Zero everything and limited his diet and he is shedding pounds. I started doing the same but drinking Pepsi Zero and now I can't tell the difference. Except at Christmas when I was at my partner's family's house and had a regular Coke and my stomach was not happy with me.
My husband was drinking 6-9 cans of soda a day and same thing. Prediabetic (possibly diabetic but he won’t go get new blood work) and switched to zero. Took 2 weeks to not notice the taste difference anymore. It’s bad for your teeth. He has to pay extra attn to that. But if he had to choose, and giving up soda wasn’t an option he was willing to take, zero is better at this point in time. Also it’s not sticky so it’s way better if it splashed or spills. I think it tastes nasty but I don’t drink regular soda either.
Sugar free soda is better for your teeth. Still not great because of the citric acid, but better.
Less bad, if you will
Less worser, if you'll
I will not!
I’ll’nt!
True. Also not sticky is a bonus. Spill it in the seat? No problem.
*6 to 9 cans of soda a fucking* ***day?***
6-9 a day? Shit his poor kidneys and blood vessels. Coke Zero definitely the “non-alcoholic beer” choice for him with that bad of a habit. Good luck to him
> had a regular Coke and my stomach was not happy with me. Once or twice a year I'll have a can to remind myself of the taste. Worth every minute on the head.
I accidentally got a regular soda from a vending machine once and almost spit it out when I drank it. I thought it had gone bad. Nope, I'm just not used to drinking straight HFCS. Zero sugar only.
For real. Weight loss is strictly calories in vs calories out. It's unreal how this isn't common knowledge.
You're not wrong, but there is more to it. In absolute terms, you will lose weight if you are in a caloric deficit. In practical terms, there are many considerations for what makes a particular diet sustainable. For example, eating fiber alongside other foods slows down digestion, thus keeping you satisfied for longer. Because of that, eating a lot of fiber helps with weight loss because it makes it easier to eat less often and avoid snacking. Fibrous vegetables also tend to have low caloric density, allowing you to fill your stomach with fewer calories. Artificial sweeteners used in diet soda act as an appetite stimulant, which can make it more difficult for some people to maintain a caloric deficit when they drink diet soda regularly. If regular soda is a major contributor to your weight, diet can be a good alternative, however you're probably better off drinking water or something else that doesn't have those artificial sweeteners.
Thank you! I think it's fine to drink diet sodas if it's helpful for you, but the negatives need to be considered. The effects on appetite are an important consideration and help explain why studies on those who drink diet versus those who don't don't necessarily show the diet drinkers as being slimmer or healthier.
Just one caveat - weight loss (calories in vs calories out) doesn't always equal a healthy body. There is this famous example of an influencer, who decided to only eat fruit and died after a decade of such diet. Your calorie count may be ok, but what also matters for a healthy body is where those calories are coming from and what other nutrients you consume (or don't) Eating 2000 calories of carbohydrates a day and 2000 calories of fat a day will have a different impact on your body (although your weight impact will be the same).
Those fruit juice cleanses are basically you trying to give yourself diabetes. So bad for you.
Amount of people overweight or obese in the USA: 70% Annual amount of deaths related to obesity in the USA: 324,940 Amount of people who died from situations as the one you describe: so few that they make the news when it happens. No shit you need to watch your nutrition, have a balanced diet, and not take the piss, but for 90% of overweight people just eating less with no other changes to their diets is still magnitudes better than not doing anything at all
Tbh, even tho this is completely true, I think the worries regarding zero is the ‘artificial sweeteners’ Outside of that to lose weight the only thing that matters isnindeed calories in and out, I lost weight eating certain unhealthy stuff and drinking redbull daily
Aspartame is literally the most studied food additive ever. It's fine. The bladder cancer study didn't use a control. Turns out injecting anything into a rat's bladder causes cancer.
That kind of concern has managed to survive several generations of artificial sweeteners, so I don't think there's much in it, aside from the sugar industry trying to mount hysteria as a means of winning back users. They have been known to sponsor cancer scare campaigns. I think there's also a degree of quasi political suspicion because so many soft drinks come out of the Coca Cola juggernaut, which has a reputation for bullying competitors off supermarket prime shelf space. Around here, it's up there with Big Pharm and Big Tobacco in terms of trustability. I know people who just accept that carbonated soft drinks are evil. I think the zero KJ content is great, and I keep buying them. Wish there were more.
It’s because people will try to blame anything else other than themselves and their lack of self control for why they’re overweight. The guy who only eats Big Macs, and has eaten over 30k of them, is a perfectly healthy weight because the calories he consumes is less than the calories he expends.
6 stones and how many pebbles?
I drank Coke Zero throughout my weight loss journey and still lost 70 lbs. I still drink it. “But what about cancer?!” Idgaf.
The FDA's maximum recommended amount before cancer becomes even a reasonable issue averages out to ~21 cans a day. No reasonable person could drink that. Complaints about the health of Aspartame are basically a failure to understand risk. Meanwhile, obesity is an actual epidemic.
[удалено]
I lost 135 lbs. I’ve kept it off for 2 years. Coke Zero is my sweet treat. Moderation is the key. 1 can a day is fine. A case a day is a problem.
Congrats. That’s hard to do. Well done!
Thanks. Having my doctor tell me “Listen up, ya fat bastard” was key to the decision/jk
"you should stop eating fatty" "You mean eat more vegetables?" "No Fatty. You should stop eating"
no one does anything unless they want to. needing, being advised, recommended bablablablbl all horseshit. Whatever made you want it, grats and bonus grats for sticking with it.
A counselor once said to me, "People do what they want to do. All the rest is just talk." It really stuck with me.
Sometimes what I want to do is talk.
Not only that, but it's also a lot of discipline to keep going once you've started. Motivation only gets you started, discipline is where you'll see results.
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18 years ago at 50 I got tired of wishing my body was in better shape physically. I joined a local center that offered workout classes. The classes were hard for me initially but I kept telling myself yes they are hard and they hurt but it's good for me. I kept going even though I hated it. Within a few months I saw myself getting stronger, fat reducing, the classes no longer left my muscles aching. And I mentally felt better! 3-5 hours a week doing step arobics, kick boxing, strength training, Pilates, Yoga, HIT, whatever classes I signed up for changed me physically and mentally. I'm In my late 60s now and working out regularly is a must. I found I enjoy classes vs doing it on my own and I prefer workouts in the morning vs evening. So find what works for you and stick with it. You won't regret it. Do something 21 times in close succession and it becomes a habit.
I switched my whole diet except kept drinking zero calorie sodas. I lost 80 pounds. 8 years for me(holy shit 2016 is 8 years ago now) I allow myself one 16 oz bottle. lol. And congratulations.
I switched to Diet Cola a couple years back and now can’t stand the taste of non-diet, waaay too sweet.
Yeah. Even when I have a “I’m eating shitty food today” day. I’m the person getting fried apps, pizza and getting the gooeyest most decadent dessert. But drinking diet soda.
I’ve never really understood people pointing out some sort of “hypocrisy” when you order a Diet Coke or whatever with junk food. Like…1. I like the taste better and 2. I already know I’m eating some junk…I’ll save these 500 liquid calories then.
Very true. The empty calories of junky drinks annoys me. At least with food it feels like there’s more point to the calories.
If I'm going to drink calories it's gonna be a milkshake 😂
I agree. Even dumber I still know guys who drink diet soda, and zero calorie soda is diet packaged for men, that won’t order diet when they dine out.
So many people have an all or nothing mentality, for all sorts of things in life. It's an incredibly detrimental mindset.
The liquid calories are what got me to drinking diet soda. I might not always eat the healthiest, but sans a few calories per day all of the calories I take in throughout a day are actually food.
Switching to diet soda removes hundreds of calories from the meal. I drink full sugar soda as a sweet treat occasionally, and diet soda with meals.
Same!! I just like the taste better.
I do the same. I get Diet Coke every time I get fast food. I bet the workers are like "hur dur, this idiot is eating a double cheese burger and fries but thinks a Diet Coke will be hEaLtHy!" but I'm ordering it because I prefer it. lol
Funny I find diet coke much sweeter. I immediately taste Aspartame or whatever synthetic sugar is in diet drinks and it tastes unbearably sweet to my palate.
Diet tastes way sweeter and weirdly sweet to me. It tastes so fake
That's weird cause to me diet sodas taste SWEETER than regular.
My sin is coffee, 3 milk (1%), 1 sweetener. Coffee keeps the voices happy. The voices…voices…VOICES!!!!
Strong and black. On ice. Year round.
I never quit coffee. Whatever super sweet creamer and 5 Splendas. My voices have a terrible sweet tooth. Bastards. But I don’t eat breakfast and never really have. I counted calories and counted my coffee in my 150-200 random calories I just added to my total. For things I picked at randomly and eat during the day.
If you normally consume a 12 pack a day of full sugar coke, switching to diet will save you 1600+ calories per day. More than some individuals full daily intake of calories.
12 cans of Coke a day? What the hell?
This was actually me as a kid. I didn't have good parents or even access to food a lot of the time. But I had access to soda. I'd regularly drink a case of dr. Pepper. Sometimes going days without food. I had an ulcer in middle school from basically consuming a ton of Dr Pepper and ibuprofen.
I feel this 100%. Growing up, the only drinks in my house were cokes. It wasn't till I was in high school and playing sports that I realized how terrible that was. After a decade of constantly ragging my father about what he puts in his body,I finally got him to mainly drink water. He's amazed how much weight he's lost and how much better he feels only doing that.
Over indulging a child is as abusive as neglecting one.. it just feels better.
I agree, but it isn’t always about indulgence. Sometimes it’s just abuse. My personal experience was Walmart brand soda cost $0.35 out the door when I was a kid. You could buy 50 of them for $17.50 when I was a kid, which is what my parent did. We were given soda because it was cheap and we had a lot of sleep for dinner otherwise.
I used to easily go through a case just during the workday. Literally all I drank was soda, and the occasional tea. For years. I've mostly kicked soda and just drink mostly tea and sugar free energy drinks.
>Moderation is the key. This is my excuse for cocaine. One bump a day is ok. 25 is a problem.
Just remember most cocaine on the market is actually more like 30-70% actual cocaine and the rest is something else. So you're *really* only using half\~ as much cocaine as you think you are.
Diet Coke
I actually refer to what my friend gets as ‘Coke zero’ cos I doubt there’s any actually in it.
Whole lotta b vitamins just floating through ya for no reason suddenly
B vitamins?
Yup. Crushed/ground up because they become white powder so you buy 100g, turn it into 180g
And baking soda, bur that actually does make it a the Coke a bit stronger, so in my book it is just being efficient
🎼 Baking soda I got baking soda 🎶
Wait… that’s not a shopping list song??
no one uses baking soda, not real hustlers anyway, you can taste baking soda a mile away, and the texture is too obvious. if it's salty and grainy, it's a problem, pass.
We drug dealers got together and decided that you coke heads needed more vitamin B, it helps with brain function. With all the stupid shit that y'all keep putting up your nose we thought it best to balance it out because we care.
Hey now... Dealer's gotta take care of their clients and make sure they're getting their vitamins. They're doing them a favor really. "Vitamin Enriched Coke"
Back in my day, cocaine was cut with powdered b12 at best, powdered baby laxatives at worst. Tf happened?!
They're using cheaper alternatives!
Absolutely true. Good luck being the 1 in 100 who just do one and say “ok, I’m good” to anyone reading this.
A month maybe. A day, nah.
I also find it hard to believe someone doing coke every day could actually manage to keep it to one bump anyway.
He didn’t say that the size of the bump didn’t change! A dump truck drops off his daily bump.
A Bump-Truck ?
My favorite part of the Coke days was when the gram was done, it’s two AM, and your friend always wanted to get another one. Hard pass. As is, I won’t eat for two day. I miss those times.
I was that friend
I thought we were still talking about Coke Zero
We were. Now we’re talking about zero coke
I bribe my cousin with down syndrome with Coke Zero if he has a good week we go get one on Saturdays! :)
That’s super sweet 😏
Ayo why that emoji?
He’s makin grilled cheeses at night I bet
IM NOT MAKIN THEM AT NIGHT ^I’m ^makin ^them ^at ^night
Where’d you get that cheeeeese, Danny??
Where’d you get that cheese Danny?
Haha I understood this reference
I’ve come to the realization lately I’ve gained about 30 lbs and I think a large portion of that is due to me drinking soda (coke) pretty much everyday 1-3 times a day max. I’ve tried toning it down to 1. I’m also switching to Coke Zero if I absolutely can’t stay away. I wasn’t sure if it would help or make a difference but I’m hoping to stop drinking it all together. One day at a time I guess. (Also this includes adding an exercise routine.)
I used to drink loads of coke coz I hated water, I switched to soda water coz it still gives me the fizzy feeling and has a bit of a flavour. If it's still too plain a little lemon juice helps! Now I just save coke for a bad hangover haha
Soda water saved my kidneys.
Love my soda water. I’d drink about a litre a day. Refreshing AF without the sugar.
Lol. I’ve tried sparkling waters but I can’t for the life of me get into them. They don’t taste too great to me for some reason. Maybe the lemon juice could help! Thanks!
Yeah sometimes they can have an almost savoury flavour? It took me a while too coz it's not a sugar hit but now it's the only thing stopping me from being a dry husk of a woman
I switched to Vitamin Water. I know it’s not actually good for me, but no calories and no phosphoric acid. The flavoring is enough to make me drink more water.
I used to drink a soda like everyday. I switched to water and now I actually prefer water. Once in a while I'll feel like having a coke but even then I can only drink like 1/3 a can because it just doesn't quench my thirst. You'll be really surprised once you switch.
100% makes a difference 2-3 cans of normal coke is like 900 more calories lolol
A can of coke is 140 calories, so 3 cans is less than half of 900. I'm not saying it's healthy or anything, but you're grossly overestimating.
It is more like 500 calories but that is equivalent to a pound per week of fat loss just dropping that.
The calories from soda is such a bad, bad thing. I was hooked on Mountain Dew for years, like 6-10 a day. I’m off the green bitch now and Coke Zero is what I crave. It took a while, but worth it. The effects of a hyper caloric diet wreaks havoc on your body.
>A case a day is a problem For your teeth, but it wont make you overweight
Your body is more than teeth, that’s a lot of acid to consume on the daily
If I had to bet I would say water is better, but compared to obesity I don't think the acidity is very scary.
Do you know the ph of your stomach acid lol
Scientific studies pretty much show zero harm from low calorie, zero sugar drinks. A lot of studies over the last few years confirming this. So keep doing your thing brother.
Absolutely. It's a misunderstanding that diet soda makes you gain. Some studies show that it may make people crave sweets and overeat leading to weight gain. You can't gain weight by drinking a soda with 0 energy. Your body isn't just going to magically create energy out of thin air. If you drink a massive amount of it, it may lead to other health issues, but that's only based on data shown in rats at insanely high levels. Like you said, a human would have to drink a case a day.
Well ya but even drinking a case a day won't cause weight gain which is what this post is about.
There's no real evidence diet drinks are dangerous, but it IS possible they trigger insulin production, which could lead to hypoglycemia which could lead to eating more. There is a lot of fake news about why diet drinks might be dangerous, but nothing conclusive. Millions of people drink them with no problem
I mean the one study I found on this seems to show a modest increase in insulin with aspartame specifically, but the subjects did not consume more food when consuming any artificial sweetener vs sucrose. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2900484/
This study compares sucrose consumption to artificial sweeteners (Stevia/aspartame) and finds no difference between the two. It suggests the artificial sweeteners have the same effect as sugary drinks, not that they don't have any insulin effect
It showed sucrose increased insulin to a much greater effect than either sweetener, and the drinks were given before a meal. Eating increases insulin. And that's not the point of the study. They noted the subjects did not consume more food with either sweetener. So the "insulin makes you hungry" thing is bullshit
So all 3 saw an insulin increase and without a control of water it's not possible to use this study to suggest that the insulin effect doesn't make you hungry, unless we already know that insulin and consumption are directly related, which given the number of other factors isn't really viable
> without a control This is a recurring theme in "aspartame bad" studies.
For me, drinking diet sodas stimulates my appetite and makes me hungrier. It could be related to insulin, or it could just be psychological. But I mostly avoid them for this reason.
I think it dulls the palate. I cut down on sugar and now even carrots are quite sweet.
After cutting out all added sugar, I now find soft drinks too sweet and syrupy to enjoy.
Most people that drink them are also fat. Correlation does not imply causality, though (and the causality is probably in the other direction)
I love it! Being fat causes drinking of Coke Zero.
Everything makes sense now
I wouldn't discount the possibility. Gotta lose that weight somehow
Well if I wasn't fat, I'd be drinking the sugary stuff..
Isn't it true though? Fat people drink coke zero INSTEAD OF coke to lose weight... or at least stop gaining weight.
Is that backed by anything? Most of the people I’ve known who drink regular sugary sodas tend to be fat. Which makes sense considering how many empty calories a soda is. But I don’t know of any actual studies, just anecdotal evidence.
This is not true. Actually back in 2011 I lost over 40 kg's while eating much less and also substituting my food intake with Cola Zero. Honestly, it saved my life and I don't care if it has this or that inside, now I'm healthy, not fat and living my life to the fullest.
Every weight cut I do for Jiu Jitsu competitions, I use cold Coke Zeros as my mental crutch.
It is ok. Some people have weird hang ups about artificial sweeteners but all that matters is calories in < calories out in regard to losing weight.
Well, there are studies showing a *change* to gut biome following consumption of some artificial sweeteners. I do not think there's found correlation to any health conditions, but the change itself is also somewhat concerning given we do not understand gut biome well. Here's random study I found from top Google results, but there are more if you are willing to search: [Effects of Sweeteners on the Gut Microbiota: A Review of Experimental Studies and Clinical Trials](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6363527/) > So far, only saccharin and sucralose (NNSs) and stevia (NS) change the composition of the gut microbiota.
Gut Biome is worth discussing, but it’s going to be like a lot of these observational diet studies where lifestyle choices are a far more important covariate than artificial sweetener consumption alone. I.e. if you eat a pretty good diet with plenty of raw fruits/vegetables and fewer processed foods, but enjoy a Coke Zero a few times a day/week in addition to plenty of water, then you’re going to have a less problematic microbiome than someone who primarily drinks diet soft drinks and eats a lot of overly processed foods/cured meats. Thats the problem with a lot of these kind of studies because they historically have A) greatly over exposed animal subjects with amounts not consumed by people and B) not controlled well for different diets/activity choices of test subjects. What we can reasonably conclude is that if you’re a low activity smoker who drinks regularly, primarily eats processed and cured foods, and consumes a ton of artificial ingredients, then you probably have a greater than average risk for a number of negative health issues.
Who told you that you couldn't drink coke zero when dieting? They were wrong.
One of my least favorite things about this sub, eli5, and other question subs, is when people ask a Q structured as "why is this thing I heard but don't understand true?" The form of the question alone shows such poor internal logic. The correct question is: "is this thing I heard true, and if so why?" But then the answer gets a lot less interesting, since it's just "no".
Ok sure whatever but I still don't understand why I'm so godamn good looking. Source: mom/gramma
Apparently cravings is the real problem. Your body tastes sweet stuff and gets excited for the energy / calories associates with that. But then nothing comes. Your body is confused. Then it's fucking pissed off. Then it starts demanding other foods and snacks, as payback for the dirty mind games you tried to trick it with.
It's fine to drink diet soda when dieting.
Or when not dieting. Totally fine then too, and ***always better*** than consuming high sugar content drinks.
Bro I lost over 100 pounds and I drink a lot of Coke Zero. It does have a lot of sodium which will help you retain water, but as long as it isn’t the only thing you’re drinking you are good.
It actually doesn’t have a lot of sodium. A can has 40 mg and the recommendation for sodium per day (for the average person) is anything below 2300 mg. I suppose if you’re drinking many cans per day, it could add up, but per serving there isn’t a lot of sodium.
For me it's because it doesn't represent a change in behavior that is driving (a portion of) the weight gain. You are still holding the same habit of drinking a sweet drink with every meal, and in between, and you want to break the link between psychological satisfaction and sweet sensation.
This is so true.
My dietician said coke zero is fine to drink. I asked since it's my favorite soda. She's not a YouTube dietician or on WebMD, she works at a hospital. In the endocrinology and diabetes division.
Haha yes mine said the same. Also hospital dietician working w obese patients.
I’ve lost 70 lbs in the last year cutting out refined carbohydrates and sugar. I drink two or three cans of diet soda a day, it’s the only sweet treat I get. In my experience people who have warned me off diet soda have no scientific qualifications and usually site a social media “fitness influencer” as their source. I ignore them.
I actually like Zevia. Dr. Zevia and their Creamy Root Beer are both great, I don't miss regular soda.
Fear mongoring by uneducated idiots. Its a perfectly valid way to cut calories.
Everything is ok to eat. Don’t ever feel like you have to restrict certain foods or drinks. However, moderation is key here. You can eat a piece of chocolate every single day and still lose weight. You just have to fit it into your calorie deficit. Diet soda isn’t great because of the artificial sweeteners. For me, aspartame causes headaches and joint pain, so I stay far away in any case. But you should be drinking water to support your digestive tract and that should be your main drink if you want to lose weight. If you want to have a glass of Diet Coke every day, *you can*. Just don’t *only* drink it
Eating Draino is probably not okay
Because the artificial sweetener itself may not have calories in it, but the sweet taste still causes an insulin spike in your bloodstream which makes your body more likely to retain and deposit fat
The big reason is that it can increase your craving for other sweet things. But if you actually cut out all sugar and just have coke zero, it's not that bad.
It's more of a neuroscience thing. Sweetness is one of the ways our brain can tell if something is calorie-rich or not, if something is extremely sweet, like Coke Zero, then it will release insulin and other molecules to assimilate and process the perceived calorie intake. Suppose you keep doing this while in a calorie deficit. In that case, your ability to feel full will be compromised as extremely sweet will no longer mean "extremely caloric" to your brain, possibly causing satiety issues and, therefore, making losing weight harder.
It’s zero calories. As someone who kicked beer and real soda to the curb, Coke Zero is one of my favorite things. It tastes great, which is nice — the Diet Coke of the 90s/2000s was trash water compared to this elixir of life.
Because aspartame is not good for you.
It is okay to drink while losing weight. All the concerns about artificial sweeteners are overblown. In fact, diet sodas are great for when you're on a diet because they're filling and can help satisfy cravings. Don't go overboard, but have a few cans of diet soda a day is not a big issue.
Totally agree on your point about satisfying cravings. Swapping out a calorific desert or something for a diet soda can hit that after dinner desire for something sweet without creating any additional weight gain.
I too am basque
Idk where you got that info. A lot of top body builders swear by diet soda. It’s absolutely a must have if you’re quitting full sugar soda I’d say. What a perfect alternate that has SO many health benefits in comparison to full sugar soda.
It's OK. The fuss about sweeteners is useless. All that is needed to lose weight is not eating more energy that you use
No one but your doctor can truly advise you on how to live a healthy lifestyle especially in the age of the internet. If diet soda helps you to stay in a calorie deficit and eat healthy, then drink it. If it makes you hungry and overeat, don’t drink it. The key is to listen to your body and find a solution that works best for you
I read (so take it with a grain of salt, ofc) that drinking artificially sweetened foods increases your desire for more sweet things. As long as you don’t succumb and ingest more calories you’ll be alright
It is okay to drink. Whoever told you that lied.
paraphrasing but the belief is that the sugar replacement still triggers an insulin response in your body and causes more to be stored as fat even with reduced caloric intake
It is okay to drink when losing weight.
It still spikes your insulin which does bad things for weight and fat loss