September 28, 2007
"Diet Coke" Addict Tells His Scandalous Story
There is a dark side of me that I have kept hidden from the rest of the world. For years I was a Diet Coke addict. I used to rationalize that it kept me from drinking regular Coke. Who would have known how deep into the rabbit hole I would plunge (yeah…I know this is a misuse of the phrase from the Matrix…go with it). Let me give you a background on how I practically became a Diet Coke junkie, but first let's look at a photo of a beautiful girl trying to look tough while holding a gun improperly.
(Ah…yes…who cares why I put this photo up…I love her when she's angry…LOL!)
It All Started With a "Big Gulp" from 7-Eleven.
I was filling my gas tank and purchased a 32 oz Big Gulp of Diet Coke. I think it was 89 cents if memory serves correctly. With tax it was less than a buck! Every morning after that I started to get a Big Gulp on the way to work. It was way cheaper than Starbucks, it woke me up and didn't give me "stinky" breath. I was hooked!
My Supplier (7-Eleven) Really Got Me on the Diet Soda Train With Refillable Cups!
Big Gulps were basically a gateway drug for the harder stuff…Super Big Gulps and Refillable Super Big Gulps! I forget the price, but I bought one of these cups immediately. I believe I could get a 44oz refill for the same price as my 32 ounce Big Gulp. Plus 32 ounces wasn't satisfying me anymore!
This Wild Diet Coke Train Ride Went on for Over Two Years!
Towards the end I would get one liter bottles from "AM PM". I switched suppliers because 7-Eleven started to get greedy with me. AM PM also had a deal where you could get two one liter plastic bottles of Diet Coke for 2 Dollars! After a while I liked drinking it straight from the bottle, because I didn't want any ice to water down the flavor. That is when I knew I reached "Rock Bottom"!
My Diet Coke Detox…Actually Not Very Tough!
I finally gave up drinking large amounts of diet coke and replaced it with Green Tea and water. I never felt bad while drinking Diet Coke and I never had a problem burning body fat or anything like that…It just can't be good to have a large amount of chemicals in your body each day.
So Why Did I Share Some of My Life Struggles With You?
I wanted to show a picture of a beautiful young woman with a gun…Ooops, I mean I really wanted to explore the health consequences of drinking diet soda. At this point I have to admit, I don't really know the health consequences. I have probably consumed enough to fill an Olympic sized swimming pool, so maybe I should look into this!
I'm Not an Expert on Diet Soda Health Risks, So I am Going to Post Different Links Below With A Sentence Or Two
1) American Beverage Association: An article that clears up a misconception of a recent study. They say that there is NO link between diet sodas and heart disease.
2) The Stanford Daily: They say that there really isn't much of a risk for the artificial sweeteners, like people used to think. They do emphasize that it could effect bone density over a long period of time, so women in particular should not consume too much.
3) Google Answers : Quote "There seems to be a lingering perception that non-nutritive sweeteners are bad for you. But research hasn’t shown any significant health concerns. In 1977, the FDA proposed a ban on saccharin because of a suspected link to cancer in rats. It turned out that the research was flawed. There’s no credible evidence that saccharin or other non-nutritive sweeteners cause cancer."
4) Fox News: This article highlights a flawed study showing that people who drink diet sodas gain more weight. When probed the researcher said it wasn't because of the diet soda…it was that people thought they could eat more because they were drinking diet soda.
5) The Black Table: This has to be my favorite link to Diet Coke. It tells the history of how it started in 1982 with a $100 million dollar ad campaign. There is a neat story called "The Cult of Diet Coke"…I guess I was a member at one time!
6) Wikipedia: Like most of the subjects on this site, this one goes deep into diet soda and the history of the artificial sweeteners, etc.
7) MSNBC: This highlights the original recent study that linked Diet Soda to heart disease and diabetes. What they eventually prove that it isn't the diet soda, it is what diet soda drinkers normally eat…sweets, fattening foods, etc. So diet soda doesn't actually cause heart disease or diabetes.
Mt Sinai Hospital: An interesting study showing that your intestines have taste receptors…and if something tastes sweet, even if it's artificial sweeteners, your body will act as if sugar is present and react accordingly. This article was forwarded by "C"…a reader and contributor to Fitness Black Book.
9) Gentle Dental Care: This article is amazing. It shows if you drink something that causes the PH levels in your mouth to drop, the enamel in your teeth begin to wear away! It compares Water (the best), a bunch of popular drinks, and Battery Acid (not good for you teeth at all…LOL). Another stellar article forwarded to me by "C"!
To Be Honest…Diet Coke Doesn't Look That Bad After All!
***After reading additional articles sent to me by readers of this blog. Diet Coke does look to be a bit worse than my first research revealed***
Although drinking diet sodas look somewhat harmless, the Standford Daily pointed out that they don't know the long-term effects of excessive Aspartame. You see, companies didn't really begin to use Aspartame until the early 80's. So at this point they know that Aspartame isn't bad for you, they just don't know the long term effects of excessive intake…you know, like drinking a Super Big Gulp each day.
If You Do Decide to Drink Diet Soda, Just Drink it In Moderation!
Note: Don't even think about drinking regular soda if you are trying to lose body fat! I don't know of a single person who is toned and drinks regular soda on a consistent basis.
As always…your comments are greatly appreciated. Everything gets moderated now, so they won't show up immediately, but they will show up!
Tags: Dieting for Fat Loss
Comments
September 28, 2007
Tyler Durden said:
In the US i drank a lot of soda thanks the cafeteria system. They didn't really have anything else. After 2months i switched to Diet Coke in order to avoid getting fat. At first i didn't like the taste of it but few days later i got used to it so much i forgot the taste of the regular one. So suddenly it became a perfect substitute.
After 7months drinking a lot of Diet Coke I got fed up! Nowadays I drink it only if i go to eat some junk food(so not very often)
By the way i think it's very hard to reject the temptation of junk food in the US. Not the best place on earth if you want to get in great shape:)
Jennifer said:
I used to be a HUGE Diet Coke fan too! When I was in school I would drink 4 cans or bottles a day with meals and as a "snack"!
Now I just drink it if I am at a bar or club. I'll mix Diet Coke with rum usually and it tastes pretty good and even though rum probably isn't the healthiest, it's healthier than mixing it with regular soda.
C said:
Did you do any research on the detrimental affects it can have on your teeth?
All the stories about dissolving a nail are patently false, but it's definitely true that acidic drinks like soda wear at your tooth enamel and break it down over time. Plus the added benefit of dark color staining your teeth. Mmmm!
Soda is general are just a bad idea. I don't want any of those eight million chemicals and sweeteners in my body, and I certainly don't want to do any more damage to my teeth! Drink WATER!
Angie said:
Diet coke….the only way thats good is mixed with some Captain Morgan! LOL… I do drink maybe one diet soda a week, but come to think of it…haven't even done that in a while. I prefer green tea and water also.
admin said:
The only time I can drink normal coke is in a mixed drink. I like Diet Coke way better for the most part except if rum is involved.
I'm not a big fan of mixed drinks anyway…I'm a beer guy!
Rusty
admin said:
Tyler,
"The Dark Side Is Strong" in the U.S. for sure when it comes to having bad food choices everywhere! It is probably hard to describe to someone who hasn't been to the U.S. how many fast food places there are. Even worse, how many 24 hour fast food drive-thru's there are.
The nice thing about eating healthier is that you almost become allergic to fast food. When I was young I could eat all sorts of nasty stuff…now it makes me ill.
Rusty
admin said:
C,
No…I didn't know that Diet Soda was bad for the teeth. I thought it was just the sugar in regular soda. I may have to add another link in my article.
Thanks!
Rusty
PS: Am I going to have to save money for dentures? That is scary!
admin said:
Jennifer,
I can't do a mixed drink with diet soda. It's weird, because I can't stand normal soda unless alcohol is involved.
For the most part I'm a beer guy anyway, but if I want a rum and coke…I have to have it with normal coke.
Rusty
Christopher M said:
I cant stand the taste of artificial sugar in anything, Diet Coke is just disgusting to me. I did have an addiction to Dr. Pepper however, but like you I was able to kick it by replacing it with Green Tea.
C said:
So this is what came up in my RSS feader from FitSugar: Apparently a research time has identified that your gut can't tell the difference between artificial sweetener and regular sugar. So it absorbs it in the same way, and you might as well be drinking regular coke because your intestines are absorbing saccarine in the same way they are absorbing sugar!
This article details the link between diabetes and obesity: http://fusion.mssm.edu/media/content.cfm?storynum=325
And here's a lot of information on the dangers of sodas (as well as lemonades and sports drinks) on your dental hygiene: http://www.dentalgentlecare.com/diet_soda.htm
Moral of the story? Stop drinking sugary drinks and stick with water and fruit juice!!
C said:
ALSO, the sweeteners in diet drinks are a more effective conduit for delivering alcohol into the blood. So it gets you drunk faster! Be careful!
C said:
Huh. I posted a comment with a few links for you and it just disappeared!!
Well, check this out anyway:
http://www.dentalgentlecare.com/diet_soda.htm (stuff about the effects of sodas and sugary drinks on your teeth.)
http://fusion.mssm.edu/media/content.cfm?storynum=325
The second link is to a study that shows our intestine can't detect a difference between real sugar and the artificial sweeteners. Therefore they get absorbed in the same manner and don't really aid weight loss!
admin said:
C,
Thanks for the additional info. I'll add this to the list! As far as diet drinks delivering alcohol to the blood quicker…that is good to know. I don't like to get drunk…so I'll just stick to a few beers instead on Friday and Saturday nights.
Note: All of your comments have to wait to be moderated now. I am getting A LOT of traffic to my site now and some people use pretty rough language. I am just trying to keep this "G" rated…well at least nothing crazier than "PG13".
Rusty
mido said:
I'm slowly curbing my use of artificial sweetners - I still use them but not as much as I used to and I drink less sodas too.
Still, a diet drink is great when you want a drink with flavour without a whole load of sugar. I was wondering what the word was on the possible side-effects lately, so you kind of read my mind…lol.
Jonneh said:
"Let me give you a background on how I practically became a Diet Coke junkie, but first let's look at a photo of a beautiful girl trying to look tough while holding a gun improperly."
Hahaha…oh Rusty. This was my most favorite post from you yet!
It didn't even need to be about workout tips or anything, just about diet soda, regular soda, and a beautiful girl improperly holding a gun.
September 29, 2007
admin said:
Jonneh,
Yeah…I'm totally retarded at times…I still think my best work is replying to Jennifer about the results she was having with Bruce Lee's Secret Ab Exercise.
The Video Reply
That video and theme song kills me every time!
Rusty
john said:
i friggin love ice cream and nutella…
October 5, 2007
Magnate said:
I know people who don't exercise, drink soda and are "toned". I drink regular soda (2 cans a day usually), a couple gatorades, a few gallons of water and a gallon of milk or so a day. I haven't lost sight of my abs yet and this has been going on for 2 years in addition to solid foods.
If your goal is fat loss, diet soda is a huge cop out. Either be serious about your goal or not, don't be half in and half out. It's either the water or the Pepsi, make a choice.
October 6, 2007
admin said:
Magnate,
Damn you eat a lot of food! I think I would explode.
Totally agree with your take on Diet Coke…it is kind of a cop out…and now that I found out it is terrible for your teeth and bones I'm quitting for good.
Typically the only people I know who can drink regular soda and stay in great shape are young or have a high metabolism. The standard can of soda has 10 teaspoons of sugar in it!
There are people who can ingest this much sugar and stay lean…I would just say that they are the exception and not the rule.
Rusty
PS: I'm going to do an article on Gatorade soon…I certainly don't recommend it at all if you want to get really lean.
Magnate said:
I eat around 6k kcal a day (varies somewhat of course) more on weekends. 6-8 meals a day.
If you have a copy of the packet that Gatorade released where they listed ingredients in competitor's energy drinks and tried to debunk their utility, that'd be hilarious to expose. They sat there and said these ingredients were known to increase endurance, and then said that the exact same ingredient had NO KNOWN ATHLETIC BENEFITS.
The pamphlet is titled
Sports Science Exchange 84
Volume 15 (2002) Number 1
"Energy" Drinks: Help, Harm, or Hype?
It has things in it such as
"Carnitine - Delay Fatigue - No effect on athletic performance"
Not sure what kind of rationalizing they did to say delayed fatigue has nothing to do with athletic performance, but ta-dah.
admin said:
Magnate,
I'm assuming that you are a big guy and you eat that amount to maintain body mass. I know you are more of a bodybuilder, so that makes sense.
Gatorade is good for athletic performance from what I've read, but just isn't as good for people looking to lose that last bit of stubborn body fat.
You must have crazy grocery bills…BTW!
Rusty
As always…your point of view is appreciated.
Magnate said:
Should read 5k kcal a day, type-o.
I go through a lot of peanut butter and milk
Nowhere near where I would consider myself to be a big guy, not yet at least. (5'8" 185lbs at around 10% BF, goal weight is 230lbs)
admin said:
Magnate,
Your stats are actually impressive…185 pounds at 5'8" is quite a bit of muscle…especially at 10% body fat! I know your goal is to be a big guy, which in my opinion you already are, but that is cool if you want to be really big.
We all have different goals and it looks like you are well on your way to hitting yours.
Rusty
October 19, 2007
Manda said:
Though, I will drink Diet Coke on occasion I've found water to be my favorite. I will say that I have a slight addiction to Crystal Light packets of Wild Strawberry with "energy" aka Caffeine. I could drink those all day. Anyway, I'm glad you kicked your habit. I'm quite new to all this getting healthy stuff and I don't want to go overboard taking away all my bad habits at first because I know I'll just quit doing the good things I'm doing. I found your website tonight and have to say I plan to be an avid reader now!
Also, on another note…. do you think people may be living longer due to all those "unknown" outcomes of the things we are eating and drinking now. Perhaps the perserviative they are putting in our food are perseving us now! LOL I've just always wondered that.
admin said:
Well if Diet Coke makes you live longer, I have had enough to live forever like "Highlander".
Who Wants to Live Forever?(best scene from one of the best 80's movies…set to the music of "Queen")
This is an amazing scene from the movie Highlander. You see Highlander has the ability to live forever and doesn't age…this sounds good…but he falls in love. His wife ages and he doesn't…this was an emotional scene in this movie. I remember seeing it in the theater and a bunch of people were crying. Living forever winds up being a curse for him.
Anyways, how did I get off track? Don't go "cold turkey" on all your bad habits…LOL! Ease into drinking more water!
Rusty
PS: If you guys have 5 minutes, please watch this clip. It shows how quickly life goes by. Whenever I see this, I realize that I only have one shot at life and to make the most of it. Seriously…this is a really motivating clip!
November 2, 2007
Manda said:
Haha! No no I don't go cold turkey I know better than to stop it all at once. I don't think living forever is a good idea either, I wouldn't want to lose everyone in my life and out live them all! Anyway, great clip thanks for posting!
April 27, 2008
Jennie said:
Hello, I don't know if this has been already mentioned in one of the articles posted above, but I've read that aspartame can decrease levels of serotonin in the body, something you want to AVOID, especially on a low-carb diet. Also, as mentioned, carbonated drinks leach calcium out of the bones therefore increasing the chance of osteoporosis. start calling diet coke "osteoporosis in a can", it worked for me!
ps. low-carb, serotonin-producing foods include: eggs, turkey, avocado, bananas and corriander (I think you call it cilantro in America?). Eat these more regularly and you'll crave carbohydrates less.
April 28, 2008
admin said:
Jennie,
I know Diet Coke has to be bad for the body. It just can't be good at all…it just seems way too artificial. I drink way less than I used to…I'll shake it all the way someday!
Rusty