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Mon 11 Oct, 2004 07:18 pm
Coincidentally, I heard from at least three unrelated sources that they lost a lot of weight when they cut out the Coca-Cola consumption.
Now, we're not even talking about heavy users--they said they only drank two or three cans (12 oz) a day. One even didn't drink regular Coke, but the Diet stuff and still claimed that cutting out the Diet Coke helped to lose weight.
What are your experiences, or the experiences of persons you know?
Thanks,
General Tsao
A friend of mione guzzles at least a liter of diet coke daily and he has plenty of excess weight and high cholesterol. I have tried to explain this phenomenon to him but he won't listen as he is addicted. I drink water and juice. I feel good.
I don't understand the direct connect between drinking a diet liquid with no calories and weight gain. The only indirect connection I can see would be that sweet drinks could encourage the eating of calorie-rich sweet foods.
Also, bear in mind that many so-called healthy fruit drinks are loaded with extra sugar.
There's not a direct connection, but the caffeine in diet soft drinks causes the body to produce more insulin, which can lead to weight gain.
You're right about "healthy" fruit drinks. Fructose is better for you than sucrose, but in the end, sugar is sugar. You can't eat too much of it without consequences.
Drinking a lot of regular Coca-Cola, or any drink heavy in sugar can lead to weight gain. Simple sugars your body doesn't use for energy gets stored as fat. Along with candy, and other high sugar drinks, they can make you fat. That's one reason why America is full of fat-asses, they don't realize things like this.
Kind of unrelated but not really....
I cannot STAND it when I see people order a Big Mac, Large Fries and a
diet Coke. Ok....boy that will help...
Coca-Cola, which in addition to being loaded with more sugar in one can than anyone really needs in a month or more, also dissolves rust off of metal....well, need I say more about what you consume? Fruit drinks need to checked as well. Eva is right, sugar is sugar, but you do want to know if your fruit drink contains high-fructose corn syrup, which is as bad as trans-fatty acids for your health. The body breaks down calories, plain and simple, but does better things with nutritious calories. Empty calories add up quickly, and do get stored as fat, like Slappy said, with no benefit to the actual functions of your system. Read the ingredients on a can of Coca-Cola some day and let me know if there is anything in it that could genuinely be classified as 'food'.
If you need empty calories in a drink, you might as well have dark beer. It's full of flavonoids, a powerful anti-oxidant.
Eva wrote:There's not a direct connection, but the caffeine in diet soft drinks causes the body to produce more insulin, which can lead to weight gain.
I didn't know that about caffeine. So a person trying to lose weight should avoid coffee, tea, and other caffeine drinks?
Yes. "Avoid" is a good way of phrasing it. Occasionally drinking them is harmless enough, but a steady diet of them can make a difference. Also, tea contains less caffeine than coffee and most soft drinks. Especially iced tea, which is watered down.
Anybody watching their blood sugar levels should cut back on caffeine, too.
Just read the other ingredients on a pop can and wonder what all that crap does to you diet or not
cavfancier wrote:If you need empty calories in a drink, you might as well have dark beer. It's full of flavonoids, a powerful anti-oxidant.
The maltose (sugar) in beer wreaks havoc with blood sugar & insulin levels. There is some truth to calling it a "beer belly." Maltose is even worse than table sugar when it comes to weight gain.
Wine is a much better choice (in moderation, of course.) Red wine is the best of all.
Kristie wrote:Kind of unrelated but not really....
I cannot STAND it when I see people order a Big Mac, Large Fries and a
diet Coke. Ok....boy that will help...
Diet drinks have an unfortunate name implying that the only reason people drink them is to avoid weight gain. Many people at some time in their lives get gingivitis, and the primary culprit is sugar. Regularly drinking sugared soft drinks is a prescription for tooth decay and gingivitis.
And also you have to consider that many people are diabetics.
I had some really good
Huckleberry wine made by Latah Creek Winery on saturday night at a benefit auction. Inexpensive but pleasant.
Carbonated beverages have a fair amount of sodium which could contribute to water retention:
http://www.food-data.com/food/Carbonated_beverage_low_calorie82.html
coluber2001 wrote:Kristie wrote:Kind of unrelated but not really....
I cannot STAND it when I see people order a Big Mac, Large Fries and a
diet Coke. Ok....boy that will help...
Diet drinks have an unfortunate name implying that the only reason people drink them is to avoid weight gain. Many people at some time in their lives get gingivitis, and the primary culprit is sugar. Regularly drinking sugared soft drinks is a prescription for tooth decay and gingivitis.
And also you have to consider that many people are diabetics.
My dad is diabetic and he has to drink diet if he wants soda but you can't tell me that many many people do not do just what I described...and that they all do it because they are diabetic. And there is a sugar substitute in diet which can be worse for you anyway.
And if it is a mouth issue causing you to drink diet (gingivitis or the like) then stop drinking soda! There are many things in soda that are bad for you...not just the sugar in regular. Why do you think Coke eats rust away. That's just great for your insides...diet or not.
All I'm saying is that if you have problems with certain foods /drinks then you stop putting that particular thing in your mouth. I am lactose intolerant and let me tell you just how many things contain lactose that I can't eat. I can take that pill they make but it doesn't always help so what I am saying is if you have a problem that is exacerbated by food or drink, stop consuming that product! Simple as that.
OK, try this on for size--someone I know very, very well and is not one to lie (my wife) swears on her life that Diet Coke does NOT have one calorie.
But in fact, according to her friend who works (worked?) at CocaCola Company the cost of paying the false advertising fines is far outweighed by the increased sales of an allegedly one-calorie product.
Any comments? Any confirmation?
Kristie, it's the American Way -- snacking on diet soda and Ding-Dongs, supersizing the fries and skipping breakfast...
GeneralTsao, are you saying Diet Coke has more than one calorie? Exactly one? None at all? I don't understand.
Eva wrote:cavfancier wrote:If you need empty calories in a drink, you might as well have dark beer. It's full of flavonoids, a powerful anti-oxidant.
The maltose (sugar) in beer wreaks havoc with blood sugar & insulin levels. There is some truth to calling it a "beer belly." Maltose is even worse than table sugar when it comes to weight gain.
Wine is a much better choice (in moderation, of course.) Red wine is the best of all.
True enough. Pinot Noir is actually the best, as it is full of natural bismuth. However, the bottom line is to get your blood sugar tested regularily, and drink water, avoid Coke, regular or diet. Aspartame is not tolerated by everybody as well.
VERY sorry to hear about the diabetes, cav. Even sorrier to hear you'll have to go on insulin. Damn. No way to control it through diet alone?
My blood sugar went up to 148 (yikes!) after I took steroids for my hearing loss and gained weight very quickly. Three months on South Beach, and it was back down to 103.
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