Have A Question About Diet Soda

[redladybug06]

I was reading a post from someone in the induction phase, and she said that she missed her diet soda. I drink caffiene free diet soda sweeted with Aspertame, and I seem to still be losing weight. Should I stop drinking it? Why would you not be allowed to have diet soda?

Thanks for any help...I have been off the Atkins wagon for over 5 years now, and just need some refreshers!

[not2late]

Caffeine and aspartame are two things that Dr. Atkins said to avoid. CAffeine may mess up your blood sugar and Aspartame may slow to stall you.

I do realize that folks drink/use aspartame and say it doesn't affect them at all. But I always wonder how many of these folks have compared their weight loss rates while using aspartame to their weight loss rates when not using aspartame. Comparing those rates is really the only way to see if aspartame does or doesn't affect your weight loss.

Anyhow, the soda thing is kind of a moot point. We are only allowed 3 servings of sweeteners or products containing them per day. So if a serving of soda is 8 fluid ounces, you may drink up to 24 ounces of the stuff---provided you aren't going over the 3 sweetener per day allowance. Furthermore, we are supposed to be drinking at the very least 64 fluid ounces of water daily. And soda, coffee, tea, etc. doesn't count towards that 64 fluid ounces of water.

I can't speak for anyone else, but when I was doing Induction, it was hard for me to drink at least 64 fluid ounces of water a day.

[Greeneggs&ham]

I will be wrapping up my 14-day induction later this week. I decided (in part from reading inspiring stories on this board) that I would ditch the artificial sweeteners as well. Not because the diet requires it, but because I wanted to prove to myself that I could.

In general, I think one is always better off eating natural foods instead of artificial ones. You'll find that the purists on this board tend to frown on meal replacement bars and shakes just as much (if not more) that the artificial sweeteners.

Sounds like you are keeping the caffeine out so if aspartame is not a trigger for you and you are losing to your satisfaction with it, I say keep on enjoying your soda. If you decide that the fake sugar causes you to crave sugary items, or even more aspartame, then consider removing it. In the meantime, enjoy your weight loss!

[joee5]

I'd give it up especially since diet soda's are all full of chemicals anyhow. I've never been a big soda drinker meself. Gimme a pot of coffee and I'm fine. I will not give that up. Keep the faith. God Bless, Joe

[not2late]

Re: the "purists on this board"

The "purists on this board" have a tendency to advice certain things because

1. Dr. Atkins spent more than 30 years and treated thousands of people using his diet. Therefore, he knew what worked and what didn't work.

2. We have seen too many people fail because they have tinkered with the Diet-- changing this, bending that.

3. According to Dr. Atkins the first 14 Days of Induction are VERY important because it helps you determine how to proceed with the rest of your Atkins. So experimenting now, bending the rules now, isn't the wisest thing to do.

4. The purists on the board want you to succeed. So they will give you the advice that produces the best results. You can be assured that the "purists on this board" won't sabotage you with lousy advice.

[Greeneggs&ham]

Hope you didn't think I meant "purists" in a bad way. Thanks to you (or them as the case may be) I have stuck to a water only induction and think I am much better off because of it.

I would encourage anyone to try to rid themselves of all food addictions whether they be aspartame in diet sodas, or caffeine in a pot of coffee <winks in Joe's direction>, or excessive snacking on cheese <looks in mirror>. However I also believe we each will tweak the plan just enough to find what works best for each of us as individuals, and if aspartame works for one of us, then he/she may enjoy it (and describe it on the board so I can recall the glorious taste of caffeine-free diet dr. pepper and sink into a pseudo dr. pepper coma!)

In the mean time I hope the purists continue to speak their minds. I credit the members of this forum with my performance thus far and thank the purists for convincing me to go water only with no frankenfoods, and to begin an exercise regime. Many thanks!

[DesertRain]

I myself was a die hard diet soda drinker....and, it wasn't the one's sweetened with aspartame, it was the one sweetened with splenda, which is allowed. However I ditched it. Yes, yes, it was those who told me that even splenda could potentially stall my success, and yes it was those who said that the "sweetness" could trigger something in my brain that could cause me to crave more sweet....but most importantly, it was my addictive behaviors and relations with food that I am trying to rid myself of---and I think that is the key to my success. So, I ditched the artificial sweeteners all together. And, for someone who could finish 3 bags of chocolate chips in one day, and guzzle it down with a 2 liter of diet soda.....going on my 14th day of Induction without a single sweet thing is quite the accomplishment. Not advising, just sharing my experience I hope it donates a perspective. Good luck and remember the fact that you're here is enough to give yourself a pat on the back.

[moniegail]

i was also a major diet dr pepper junkie, i ditched it after day 2 of induction, only drinking 10 ozs on day 1 and day 2 just to help with the caffiene withdrawals. i bought a 6 pack of 8 oz diet rite soda, and only drink them every so often. i re-started atkins on june 2nd, and i still have one can of the six pack i bought. i have drank water the rest of the time, with the exception of 2 diet pepsi's at a baseball game one night. in previous attempts at the atkins lifestyle i have used diet soft drinks with aspertame and had some success, but now i truly believe that i would have had much better success had i tried to do it without them. simply because drinking them kept me from getting a the water in that i needed to drink.

now if i only allow myself to splurge on a diet soft drink on occasion, instead of as a daily thing, it is okay. i know i have the will power to resist any cravings they may cause. luckily for me, i have not had any cravings after drinking them.

just thought i'd share my experiences as well, hope this helps.

monie

[chinadoll]

For me, the biggest reason to give them up is because they feed my desire for sweet things. By going without them until you rediscover the sweetness in other foods (even good water has a sweetness to it) you allow your tastebuds to readjust to naturally sweet flavors and not the overly sweet flavors that are in artificial foods. I tend to use my sweeteners in some of my recipes now, although I will have a diet soda once in a great while. Truthfully, once I kicked the sweet tooth habit, I didn't miss the soda and other things. And keeping it as a rare treat costs me less and makes the occasional one a real treat.

[joee5]

If you can live without it then I beleive you are better off. But if you need it, I suppose there is worse out there for you. I'd trust nature(water) over a bunch of scientists(diet soda) anyday. God Bless, Joe